[Machine] Umar came out with his hands in his ears saying, "Here I am, here I am." People asked, "What is the matter with him?" They found out that a river obstructed their way and they had no ships to cross it. So, Umar ordered a man to find someone who could guide them through the water. They brought a man who said, "I fear the cold and it is cold now." Umar disliked it and sent him back. The man was drowned. Umar wrote a letter to him after he died and said to himself, "Whenever I come upon any of them I will do like this (i.e. I will question him)." When the man who was ordered to collect Zakat collected it and brought it, Umar further asked him, "What did you do with our companion (the man who was ordered to guide us to the water)? Umar told me the whole story (as above). Then Umar said, "Surely, Allah's Messenger ﷺ made this man a guardian over us in our property and in guiding us. Therefore, he should be questioned about his management. Al-Akhnas bin Shariq got up and said, "He was honest in his management." Umar then said, "I never doubted about him after knowing about his honesty." (O Al-Akhnas!) Don't stop criticizing him. Go on criticizing him."
خَرَجَ عُمَرُ ؓ وَيَدَاهُ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ يَا لَبَّيْكَاهُ يَا لَبَّيْكَاهُ قَالَ النَّاسُ مَا لَهُ؟ قَالَ جَاءَهُ بَرِيدٌ مِنْ بَعْضِ أُمَرَائِهِ أَنَّ نَهْرًا حَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْعُبُورِ وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا سُفَنًا فَقَالَ أَمِيرُهُمُ اطْلُبُوا لَنَا رَجُلًا يَعْلَمُ غَوْرَ الْمَاءِ فَأُتِيَ بِشَيْخٍ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ الْبَرْدَ وَذَاكَ فِي الْبَرْدِ فَأَكْرَهَهُ فَأَدْخَلَهُ فَلَمْ يُلْبِثْهُ الْبَرْدُ فَجَعَلَ يُنَادِي يَا عُمَرَاهُ يَا عُمَرَاهُ فَغَرِقَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ فَأَقْبَلَ فَمَكَثَ أَيَّامًا مُعْرِضًا عَنْهُ وَكَانَ إِذَا وَجَدَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ فَعَلَ بِهِ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا فَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي قَتَلْتَهُ؟ قَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا تَعَمَّدْتُ قَتْلَهُ لَمْ نَجِدْ شَيْئًا يُعْبَرُ فِيهِ وَأَرَدْنَا أَنْ نَعْلَمَ غَوْرَ الْمَاءِ فَفَتَحْنَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَأَصَبْنَا كَذَا وَكَذَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ لَرَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ أَحَبُّ إِلِيَّ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ جِئْتَ بِهِ لَوْلَا أَنْ تَكُونَ سُنَّةً لَضَرَبْتُ عُنُقَكَ اذْهَبْ فَأَعْطِ أَهْلَهُ دِيَتَهُ وَاخْرُجْ فَلَا أَرَاكَ