It was said to ʿUmar, "Will you appoint your successor?" ʿUmar said, "If I appoint a Caliph (as my successor) it is true that somebody who was better than I (i.e., Abu Bakr) did so, and if I leave the matter undecided, it is true that somebody who was better than I (i.e., Messenger of Allah ﷺ) did so." On this, the people praised him. ʿUmar said, "People are of two kinds: Either one who is keen to take over the Caliphate or one who is afraid of assuming such a responsibility. I wish I could be free from its responsibility in that I would receive neither reward nor retribution I won't bear the burden of the caliphate in my death as I do in my life."

إِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَإِنْ أَتْرُكْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رَاغِبٌ رَاهِبٌ وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي نَجَوْتُ مِنْهَا كَفَافًا لاَ لِي وَلاَ عَلَىَّ لاَ أَتَحَمَّلُهَا حَيًّا وَمَيِّتًا

I was present with my father when he was wounded. People praised him and said: "May God give you a noble recompense!" He said: "I am hopeful (of God's mercy) as well as afraid (of His wrath)."

People said: "Appoint anyone as your successor." He said: "Should I carry the burden of conducting your affairs in my life as well as in my death? (So far as Caliphate is concerned) I wish I could acquit myself (before the Almighty) in a way that there is neither anything to my credit nor anything to my discredit. If I would appoint my successor, (I would because) one better than me did so. (He meant Abu Bakr.) If I would leave You alone, (I would do so because) one better than me, i. e. the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, did so." 'Abdullah says: When he mentioned the Messenger of Allah ﷺ I understood that he would not appoint anyone as Caliph.

حَضَرْتُ أَبِي حِينَ أُصِيبَ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهِ وَقَالُوا «جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا۔» فَقَالَ: «رَاغِبٌ وَرَاهِبٌ۔»

قَالُوا: «اسْتَخْلِفْ۔» فَقَالَ: «أَتَحَمَّلُ أَمْرَكُمْ حَيًّا وَمَيِّتًا لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ حَظِّي مِنْهَا الْكَفَافُ لاَ عَلَىَّ وَلاَ لِي فَإِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي - يَعْنِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ- وَإِنْ أَتْرُكْكُمْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَكُمْ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي- رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ-» قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ حِينَ ذَكَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ غَيْرُ مُسْتَخْلِفٍ۔

Why donʿt you appoint a successor? He said: If I do not do that, one who is better than me did not do it either, namely the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; if I do that, one who is better than me did it too, namely Abu Bakr.

عُمَرَأَنَّ عُمَرَ قِيلَ لَهُ أَلَا تَسْتَخْلِفُ ؟ فَقَالَ إِنْ أَتْرُكْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَإِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي أَبُو بَكْرٍ

Why donʿt you appoint a successor? He said: If I do not do that, one who is better than me did not do it either, namely the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; if I do that, one who is better than me did it too, namely Abu Bakr. (Using translation from Aḥmad 299)

«إِنْ أَتْرُكْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَإِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي أَبُو بَكْرٍ» فَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَ «إِنِّي وَدِدْتُ أَنْ أَتَخَلَّصَ مِنْهَا لَا عَلَيَّ وَلَا لِي»

I was present with my father when he was wounded. People praised him and said: "May God give you a noble recompense!" He said: "I am hopeful (of God's mercy) as well as afraid (of His wrath)."

People said: "Appoint anyone as your successor." He said: "Should I carry the burden of conducting your affairs in my life as well as in my death? (So far as Caliphate is concerned) I wish I could acquit myself (before the Almighty) in a way that there is neither anything to my credit nor anything to my discredit. If I would appoint my successor, (I would because) one better than me did so. (He meant Abu Bakr.) If I would leave You alone, (I would do so because) one better than me, i. e. the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, did so." 'Abdullah says: When he mentioned the Messenger of Allah ﷺ I understood that he would not appoint anyone as Caliph. (Using translation from Muslim 1823a)

حَضَرْتُ أَبِي حِينَ أُصِيبَ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا فَقَالَ رَاهِبٌ وَرَاغِبٌ قَالُوا اسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَالَ أَتَحَمَّلُ أَمَرَكُمْ حَيًّا وَمَيِّتًا لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ حَظِّي مِنْهَا الْكَفَافُ لَا عَلَيَّ وَلَا لِي إِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي وَإِنْ أَتْرُكْكُمْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَكُمْ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ حِينَ ذَكَرَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ غَيْرَ مُسْتَخْلِفٍ

"عن ابنِ عُمرَ قال: حَضَرْتُ أَبى حِينَ أُصِيبَ فَأَثْنَوْا عليه فَقَالُوا: جَزاك اللَّه خيرًا، فَقَالَ: راغِبٌ ورَاهِبٌ، قالوا: اسْتَخْلِفْ، فقال: أَتَحمَّلُ أمْرَكُمْ حَيًا وَمَيِّتًا؟ ! لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ حَظِّى منها الْكَفَاف لَا عَلَىَّ وَلا لِىَ، إِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُو خَيْرٌ مِنِّى: أبو بكر، وَإِنْ أَترُكْكُمْ، فقد تَرَكَكُمْ مَنْ هُو خَيْرٌ مِنِّى: رسول اللَّه ﷺ ، فعرفْتُ حِين ذكر رسول اللَّه ﷺ أنه غَيْرُ مُسْتَخْلِفٍ".