At the Head of the Scholars of Faith

Is it narrated by Shuraih bin Ubaid, Rashid bin Sa‘d, etc. that when Hazrat Umar (ra) reached Saragh, which is the name of a settlement situated near the valley of Tabuk, he was informed that there was a very severe outbreak of a plague in Syria. Subsequently, Hazrat Umar (ra) announced, “I have been informed that there is a very severe outbreak of the plague in Syria. Thus, if I am about to die and Abu Ubaidah (ra) is alive then I shall appoint him as the Khalifa. And if Allah the Almighty asks me as to why I appointed him as the Khalifah of the Muslim Ummah, I will submit that I heard His Messenger (sa) say that every prophet is granted a custodian [for his Ummah] and the custodian [of his Ummah] is Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah.” However, people expressed their concern over this and enquired as to what would happen to the prominent members of the Quraish, i.e. the Banu Fehr. Hazrat Umar(ra) then stated, “If my demise is imminent and Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah has also passed away, then I shall appoint Mu‘az (ra) bin Jabal as the Khalifa. If my Lord, the Glorious and Exalted were to ask me as to why I appointed him, I will submit that I heard His Messenger (sa) say that on the Day of Judgement, Mu‘az (ra) bin Jabal will walk ahead of the scholars of faith.”

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad al-Khulafa al-Rashidin, Musnad Umar al-Khattab, Vol. 1, p. 109, Hadith 108, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], 239)

This was the lofty status Hazrat Mu‘az (ra) bin Jabal occupied in regard to his knowledge.