Today, I shall be the gatekeeper of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and pushed the door and I said: "Who is it?" He said: "This is Abu Bakr." I said: "Wait, please." I went and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr seeks permission to come in." He said: "Let him in and give him glad tidings of Paradise."

Explanation

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that one day he performed ablution at home then set out seeking the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "Today, I shall stick to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." i.e. I will be with him as he comes and goes. So, he went to the mosque, because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was either in the mosque or at home tending to his family's needs or helping his companions with their affairs. He did not find him in the mosque. So, he inquired about him and the people told him that he walked in a certain direction. They pointed to the direction of Arīs, a well in the outskirts of Qubā'. Abu Mūsa then pursued him until he arrived at the well and found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) there. He stayed at the gate of the orchard wherein the well was. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) answered the call of nature and then performed ablution and sat at the center of the edge of the well, dangling his legs and uncovering his shins. Abu Mūsa was guarding the door of the well, acting as a guard for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sought permission to enter, but Abu Mūsa did not permit him until he informed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that Abu Bakr was seeking permission. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him to let Abu Bakr in and to give him glad tidings of Paradise. Such great tidings, indeed; giving him glad tidings of Paradise and then permitting him to enter to be in the Prophet's company. Abu Bakr entered and found the Prophet sitting in the center of the well's edge. He sat on his right side because the Prophet loved to start with the right side in all things. So, Abu Bakr sat on his right and did as the Prophet did. He dangled his feet in the well and uncovered his shins, disliking to sit in a way different from the way the Prophet was sitting. Abu Mūsa, who had left his brother performing ablution to catch up with him later, said that if Allah willed good for his brother, He will bring him there. And if he came and sought permission, he would be given glad tidings of Paradise. However, another man sought permission. Abu Mūsa went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said that it was ʿUmar. So, he told him to let him in and to give him glad tidings of Paradise. He let him in and told him that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him) gave him glad tidings of Paradise. ‘Umar went in and found the Prophet and Abu Bakr sitting on the edge of the well. He sat on the left of the Prophet. The well was narrow and not wide, and so the three of them filled one side. Then, ‘Uthmān sought permission to enter, and Abu Mūsa sought permission for him in the same manner. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him to let ‘Uthmān in and to give him glad tidings of Paradise after a calamity that would befall him. So, he was given tidings of both Paradise and a calamity. In response, ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) praised Allah for the glad tidings of Paradise and said that Allah is the One sought for help to overcome that calamity. He then went in and found the edge of the well (on one side) fully occupied as it was not very wide. So, he went to the opposite side, sat there, dangled his feet, and uncovered his shins. Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib, a leading Tābi‘i (from the generation that followed the Companions) interpreted this order of sitting to be their graves, since the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar were all buried in one room, and when they were alive, they came and went together. The Prophet would always say "I, Abu Bakr, and ʿUmar went" and "I, Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar came!" So, they were his companions and ministers, and on the Day of Resurrection they will come out of their graves together. They are together in this world and in the Hereafter. So, ‘Uthmān sat opposite them, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him glad tidings of Paradise after a calamity that would befall him. This calamity is what happened to him when the people rebelled against him and murdered him at his home in Madīnah. They killed him while he was reciting the Qur’an, with the Book of Allah before him.

Categories