There were among those before you inspired ones, meaning: those inspired with the truth, who would say something and it would be in accordance with the truth.

The Shaykh : Meaning: those inspired with the truth, who would say something and it would be in accordance with the truth. This is from the favor of Allah to the servant, that when a person says something, or issues a fatwa, or rules with a ruling, it becomes clear to him afterwards that it is in accordance with the truth. So 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is among the most successful people in attaining the truth, as will come, if Allah wills, in the examples the author will mention of this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is possible that his saying: is an address to a group of people gathered who did not include Abu Bakr, and it is possible that it is an address to the entire Ummah, including Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). If it is the former, there is no problem. If it is the latter, one might ask: How can 'Umar be inspired while Abu Bakr is not? It is said: Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is guided to the truth without inspiration, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him), by his own nature, with the guidance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), is guided to the truth. Several issues indicate this, meaning they indicate that Abu Bakr is more successful in attaining the truth than 'Umar. First, at the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, when Quraysh imposed conditions on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that appeared to be heavy and great, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) worked to invalidate them and came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to argue with him about it, saying: "How can we give humiliation in our religion?" How can we impose on ourselves that whoever comes to us from them as a Muslim, we return to them, and whoever comes to them from us, they do not return? This is heavy. But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Meaning: Let there be no doubt in my matter. This is one instance. So the one guided to the truth in this is undoubtedly Abu Bakr. Also, in the death of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when the news spread in the city that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had died, 'Umar stood up among the people. The people gathered in the mosque, and 'Umar stood among them and said that he had not died but had fainted, and that Allah would surely send him back so he would cut off the hands and feet of some people for their opposition. He denied that he had died. Abu Bakr had gone out that day to a garden of his outside the city. When he returned, he found that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had truly died. He went out to the mosque, ascended the pulpit, and said his famous words, which are written in gold more precious than water. He said: "As for after, O people, whoever used to worship Muhammad, then Muhammad has died, and whoever used to worship Allah, then Allah is alive and does not die." Then he recited the saying of Allah the Exalted: and His saying: 'Umar said: "By Allah, when Abu Bakr recited them, I was stunned, and my legs could not support me." Meaning: because when a person is afraid and something becomes severe for him, he cannot stand. This is the second instance. The third is that when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, those who apostatized among the Arabs apostatized, and may Allah protect us from that. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had prepared an army whose commander was Usamah ibn Zayd to fight the nearest people of Sham, and the army was outside the city, but they had not yet set out. When the Arabs apostatized, 'Umar came to Abu Bakr and said, "Do not send the army; we are in need of it." Abu Bakr said to him: "By Allah, I will not lower a banner that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had raised." And Abu Bakr sent them. So the truth was with Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), because when the people heard that the people of the city had sent armies to the borders of Sham, they said, "They have strength, and we cannot apostatize." So many people refrained from apostasy and remained in Islam. So the important point is that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was more eloquent than 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in attaining the truth, especially in the difficult and narrow places. In any case, both men (may Allah be pleased with them both), and may He gather us and you with them in the Gardens of Delight, both are guided to the truth. And the stronger a person's faith in Allah, and the more obedient he is to Allah, the more Allah the Exalted guides him to the truth according to the knowledge, faith, and righteous action he has. You find, for example, that he does an action he thinks is correct, but without having evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah. Then when he reviews it or asks, he finds that his action is in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah. This is from the miracles (karamah). So 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said about him: And the discussion of the hadith of Jabir ibn Samurah will come, if Allah wills, in the next lesson.