Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 65
KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH 65 Hadrat Ali ra did the same after a few days. According to some traditions, Hadrat Ali ra took Bai‘at after three days, and according to others, after six months. The traditions mentioning six months also add that Hadrat Ali ra could not take the Bai‘at of Hadrat Abu Bakr ra because he was busy looking after Hadrat Fatimah ra who was ill at that time. When he came to Hadrat Abu Bakr ra to take the Bai‘at , he apologized for the delay, due to the illness of Hadrat Fatimah ra. 14 Election of Hadrat Umar ra On his deathbed, Hadrat Abu Bakr ra sought the advice of the Companions ra on who should be appointed the next Khalifah. The majority gave their opinion in favour of Hadrat Umar ra. Some of them raised only one concern, that Hadrat Umar ra was very strict by nature and he might be hard on people. Hadrat Abu Bakr ra said that the harshness of Hadrat Umar ra would vanish when he is burdened with the responsibility. Thus, all the Companions ra agreed upon the Khilafat of Hadrat Umar ra. As the health of Hadrat Abu Bakr ra was very poor, he, with the support of his wife Asma ra , with trembling hands and feet, went to the mosque and addressed all the Muslims, and said, “I have continuously deliberated on who 14 Al-K a mil fit T a r i kh , Vol. 2, p. 331, by ‘Izzuddin Abul Hasan Ali bin Abul Karam Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Abdul Kar i m bin Abdul W ah id Ash-sh i b a n i , known as Ibnil Ath i r, publisher D a ru Sa dir, D a r Beirut, AH 1385, AD 1965.