Sahih Muslim Book - 33, Hadith - 4714

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَابْنُ أَبِى عُمَرَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ وَأَلْفَاظُهُمْ مُتَقَارِبَةٌ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ وَعَبْدٌ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ - أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِىِّ أَخْبَرَنِى سَالِمٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى حَفْصَةَ فَقَالَتْ أَعَلِمْتَ أَنَّ أَبَاكَ غَيْرُ مُسْتَخْلِفٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا كَانَ لِيَفْعَلَ. قَالَتْ إِنَّهُ فَاعِلٌ. قَالَ فَحَلَفْتُ أَنِّى أُكَلِّمُهُ فِى ذَلِكَ فَسَكَتُّ حَتَّى غَدَوْتُ وَلَمْ أُكَلِّمْهُ - قَالَ - فَكُنْتُ كَأَنَّمَا أَحْمِلُ بِيَمِينِى جَبَلاً حَتَّى رَجَعْتُ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَسَأَلَنِى عَنْ حَالِ النَّاسِ وَأَنَا أُخْبِرُهُ - قَالَ - ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّى سَمِعْتُ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ مَقَالَةً فَآلَيْتُ أَنْ أَقُولَهَا لَكَ زَعَمُوا أَنَّكَ غَيْرُ مُسْتَخْلِفٍ وَإِنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ لَكَ رَاعِى إِبِلٍ أَوْ رَاعِى غَنَمٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكَ وَتَرَكَهَا رَأَيْتَ أَنْ قَدْ ضَيَّعَ فَرِعَايَةُ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ قَالَ فَوَافَقَهُ قَوْلِى فَوَضَعَ رَأْسَهُ سَاعَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَهُ إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَحْفَظُ دِينَهُ وَإِنِّى لَئِنْ لاَ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لَمْ يَسْتَخْلِفْ وَإِنْ أَسْتَخْلِفْ فَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ. قَالَ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلاَّ أَنْ ذَكَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَأَبَا بَكْرٍ فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَعْدِلَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَحَدًا وَأَنَّهُ غَيْرُ مُسْتَخْلِفٍ.

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "I entered upon Hafsah and she said: 'Do you know that your father is not going to appoint a successor?' I said: 'He will not do that.' She said: 'He will do that.' I swore that I would talk to him about that, and I remained silent until the next day, and I did not speak to him. It was as if I were carrying a mountain in my right hand, until I came back to him and entered upon him, and he asked me about the state of the people, and I told him. Then I said: 'I have heard the people saying something, and I swore that I would speak to you about it.' "They said that you are not going to appoint a successor, but if you had a herdsman tending camels or a shepherd tending sheep, and he came to you and left his herd or flock, wouldn't you think that he is being negligent? But looking after people is more serious. He agreed with me, then he lowered his head (in thought) for a while, then he raised his head and said: 'Allah will protect His religion. If I do not appoint a successor, then the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) did not appoint a successor, and if I do appoint a successor, then Abu Bakr appointed a successor.' "By Allah, as soon as he mentioned the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) and Abu Bakr, I knew that he would not place anyone on the same level as the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w), and he would not appoint a successor."