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

[Machine] Omar to his companions of Shura: "Their true value is in God, even if they try to abandon it. How can they uphold the truth if they are burdened by it at the point of a sword?" I said, "Do you know this about them and yet do not prevent it?" He said, "If I appoint my successor, I have appointed someone better than me. And if I do not, I have left someone better than me."

عُمَرُ لِأَصْحَابِ الشُّورَى «لِلَّهِ دَرُّهُمْ لَوْ وَلَّوْهَا الْأُصَيْلِعَ كَيْفَ يَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَى الْحَقِّ وَإِنْ حُمِلَ عَلَى عُنُقِهِ بِالسَّيْفِ» قَالَ فَقُلْتُ تَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ وَلَا تُوَلِّيِهِ؟ قَالَ «إِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي وَإِنْ أَتْرُكْ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي»