And from Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah -radiyallaahu 'anhumaa,
who said ' Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) spent ten years in Makkah following up the
people in the places where they settled in 'Ukaaz and Majannah and in the times
of pilgrimage at Minaa, and he would say, 'Who will shelter me, who will assist
me. so tint I may convey the messages of my Lord, and Paradise will be his.' To
the point that a man would arrive from Yemen or from Mudarr (he said) and come
to his people, and they would say: 'Beware of the young man of Quraysh. do not
let him put you to trail' He would walk amongst them and they would point at
him- until Allaah sent us to him, then from Yathrib and we gave shelter to him
and affirmed the truthfulness of his message. So a man from us would go out and
believe in him and be, taught the Qur'aan by him, then he would go back to his
family and they would accept Islaam as a result of his Islaam. To the point that
there did not' remain a single household amongst the Ansaar except that it
contained a number of Muslims who openly manifested their Islaam. Then they all
'Umrah. so we said, 'For how long will we leave Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) cast
out amongst the mountains of Makkah in a state of feai!!!' So a group of seventy
of our men travelled to him and came to him at the time of the pilgrimage, We
agreed to meet him in the ravine at 'Aqabah. So we came in ones and twos until
we had all gathered and we said, '0 Messenger of Allaah. May we give you pledge
of allegiance?' He said, 'Give me the pledge that you will hear and obey, in
that which is pleasing to you and in that which is burdensome, in difficulty and
in rase, and that you order the good and forbid the evil, and that you speak for
Allaah's sake and do not fear the reproach of anyone when speaking for Allaah's
sake, and that you assist me, and defend me when I come to you just as you would
defend yourselves and your wives and your children, and Paradise is yours.' He
said, 'So we stood and gave him the pledge and As'ad ibn Zuraarah took his hand,
and he was the youngest of them. so he said, 'Do not be hasty, 0 People of
Yathrib, for we have not travelled this long distance except because we know
that he is Allah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) , and that fulfilment today will mean
splitting away from the rest of the Arabs, and that the best of you will be
killed, and that the sword will be used against you. So either you are a people
who will withstand that, and your reward will be with Allaah, or you are-people
who fear that you may prove to be cowardly, then you should make this clear, and
it will be an excuse for you with Allaah.' They said, 'Withhold, 0 Sa'd, for by
Allaah, we will not abandon this pledge ever, nor will we be robbed of it.' So
he took it from us upon these conditions. and promised us Paradise in return for
that.'
So here also he would cultivate his Companions upon the
Book and the Sunnah, and upon Eemaan, sincerity and purity of intention for
Allaah in every action, far from political methods and from tempting them with
positions of authority. He did not give any of them, either before or after they
entered Islaam, any wish or hope for a position of authority in the State. So
with regard to 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab, radiyallaahu 'anhu, one of the greatest of
the Companions and the strongest personality amongst them, Allaah's Messenger
(sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) did not promise him any position of authority, nor did he himself have any
desire for that at all, until the day of Khaybar, twenty years after the
beginning of the Messengership, when Allaah's Messenger (') surprise them by
saying, 'I will give the flag tomorrow to a man who loves Allaah and His
Messenger, Allaah will grant victory at his lend.' So 'Umar, radiyallaahu 'anhu,
and the of the Companions spent the night wondering whom he would give it to,
and 'Umar, radiyallaahu 'anhu, said, 1 never had any love for leadership except
on that day,'~~4
So what was it that those noble Companions hoped for?!
Was it leadership itself, or was it tint great rank of loving Allaah and His
Messenger'? So why did 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab not love leadership if it was
indeed something which Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) endeared to them, and trained
them for and caused them to desire it.
From Aboo Hurairah, radiyallaahu 'anhu, who said,
'Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said, 'You will indeed desire for leadership, but it
will be a cause of regret on the Day of Resurrection. So what a good wet nurse
it is, but what an evil weaning one it is.' So he forbade seeking for it and
desiring it
From Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Samwah, radiyallaahu 'anhu, who
said, 'Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said to me. 'O 'Abdur-Ralunaan! Do not ask for
leadership, since if you are given it having requested it, then you will be all
alone to discharge it, but if you are given it without requesting it you will be
helped (by Allaah) in it."'