Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
muslim:1823aAbū Kurayb Muḥammad b. al-ʿAlāʾ > Abū Usāmah > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿUmar

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.  

مسلم:١٨٢٣aحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

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۔  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:7218Muḥammad b. Yūsuf > Sufyān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar > Qīl Liʿumar Alā Tastakhlif

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."  

البخاري:٧٢١٨حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ؓ قَالَ قِيلَ لِعُمَرَ أَلاَ تَسْتَخْلِفُ قَالَ

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  

ibnhibban:4478al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAbdullāh al-Qaṭṭān Bi-al-Rraqqah > Isḥāq b. Mūsá al-Anṣārī > ʿAbdah b. Sulaymān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿUmar > ʿUmar > Qīl Lah Alā Tastakhlif

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)   

ابن حبّان:٤٤٧٨أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقَطَّانُ بِالرَّقَّةِ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى الْأَنْصَارِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ عُمَرَ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ لَهُ أَلَا تَسْتَخْلِفُ؟ فَقَالَ

«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»  

bayhaqi:16570Abū Ṭāhir Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. Miḥmash al-Faqīh > Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Qaṭṭān > Aḥmad b. Yūsuf al-Sulamī > Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-Firyābī > Dhakar Sufyān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿUmar > Qīl Liʿumar ؓ Alā Tastakhlif

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." (Using translation from Bukhārī 7218)   

البيهقي:١٦٥٧٠أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مِحْمَشٍ الْفَقِيهُ أَنْبَأَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْقَطَّانُ ثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ السُّلَمِيُّ ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الْفِرْيَابِيُّ قَالَ ذَكَرَ سُفْيَانُ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قِيلَ لِعُمَرَ ؓ أَلَا تَسْتَخْلِفُ؟ قَالَ

إِنْ أَتْرُكْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَإِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ قَالَ فَأَثْنَوْا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رَاغِبٌ وَرَاهِبٌ لَا أَتَحَمَّلُهَا حَيًّا وَمَيِّتًا لَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي نَجَوْتُ مِنْهَا كَفَافًا لَا لِي وَلَا عَلَيَّ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يُوسُفَ الْفِرْيَابِيّ
bayhaqi:16571Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ And ʾAbū Saʿīd b. Abū ʿAmr > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. ʿAffān > Abū Usāmah > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ibn ʿUmar

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)   

البيهقي:١٦٥٧١وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ وَأَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرٍو قَالَا ثَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَفَّانَ ثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

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  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي كُرَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ
suyuti:2-1376bIbn ʿUmr > Ḥaḍart Abá Ḥīn Uṣīb Faʾathnawā ʿLyh Faqālūā
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السيوطي:٢-١٣٧٦b

"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".  

[حم] أحمد [م] مسلم [ق] البيهقى في السنن