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English translation
2445. It was narrated that Abû Hurairah said: "When the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ died, and Abû Bakr became the Khalifah after him, and some of the 'Arabs reverted to disbelief. 'Umar said to Abû Bakr: 'How can you fight the people when the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ said: "I have been commanded to fight the people until they say Lâ ilâha illallâh (there is none worthy of worship but Allâh). Whoever says Lâ ilâha illallâh, his wealth and his life are safe from me, unless he deserves a legal punishment justly, and his reckoning will be with Allâh?"' Abû Bakr, may Allâh be pleased with him, said: 'I will fight anyone who separates prayer and Zakâh; Zakâh is the compulsory right to be taken from wealth. By Allâh, if they withhold from me a rope that they used to give to the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ, I will fight them for withholding it.' 'Umar, may Allâh be pleased with him, said: 'By Allâh, it was as if I saw that Allâh has opened the heart of Abû Bakr for fighting, and I knew that it was the truth.'" (Ṣaḥīḥ)
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Commentary
“Reverted to disbelief”: After the death of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ, several sorts of tribulations raised their heads. Some people even retracted to their ancestral religion. Some people took the following of the false claimants of the prophethood (Nubuwwah). Some people denied the obligation of the payment of Zakâh, and some stopped giving the Zakâh to the government. The first three groups were the absolute disbelievers, there was no difference of opinion in fighting them, but ‘Umar had a different view concerning the last division, because they were not disbelievers. They were rebels against the government. Abû Bakr was in favor of taking arms against them, while ‘Umar had a concern about that.
