Defence for Ibn Umar's (ra) Statement Regarding Yazid.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Number 227:

Narrated Nafi':

When the people of Medina dethroned Yazid bin Muawiya, Ibn 'Umar gathered his special friends and children and said, "I heard the Prophet saying, 'A flag will be fixed for every betrayer on the Day of Resurrection,' and we have given the oath of allegiance to this person (Yazid) in accordance with the conditions enjoined by Allah and His Apostle and I do not know of anything more faithless than fighting a person who has been given the oath of allegiance in accordance with the conditions enjoined by Allah and His Apostle , and if ever I learn that any person among you has agreed to dethrone Yazid, by giving the oath of allegiance (to somebody else) then there will be separation between him and me."

The ahadith above in Bukhari sherif authentic, and inapplicable to very few sahaba, unfortunately those who fought Hazrat Ali and cursed him, like Muawiya, etc.


Now, Hazrat Ibne Umar (radiya'Allahu anhuma) did two things:
1- He did not fight with Hazrat Ali against Muawiya and his armies.
2- He gave Bai'at to Yazid bin Muawiya.

Sayyiduna Shaykh Al-Ninowy (damat barakatuhum) said in his book " Asaweq":
"

- ليُعلم أن المسلم ينبغي له دائما أن يقف مع الحق وأن لا يناصر أهل الباطل. وهذا يظهر جلياً في موقف قلة من الصحابة الذين اعتزلوا القتال فلم يقاتلوا مع أمير المؤمنين ولم يقاتلوا مع معاوية, ثم ظهر لهم خطأ هذا الموقف فندموا وتابوا, فقد أخرج الامام الحاكم في المستدرك 2\463 وصححه والامام البيهقي في السنن 8\172 والامام القرطبي في التذكرة ص255 والامام ابن الأثير في أسد الغابة4\33 و الألوسي في روح المعاني26\151 :

" عن ابن عمر رضي الله تعالى عنهما أنه قال: ما وجدت في نفسي من شيئ ما وجدت في نفسي من هذه الاية يعني (وإن طائفتان) الخ أني لم أقاتل هذه الفئة الباغية كما أمرني الله تعالى، يعني بها معاوية ومن معه الباغين على عليّ كرم الله تعالى وجهه".
وهذا دليل على علمه ومعرفته وخوفه من الله ولاغرو فهو ابن الفاروق عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنهما.

Translation: " it must be known that the Muslim must always stand with the Haqq (truth) and cannot support the Batl (wrong). This is best examplified in the stand of a very few sahaba, who abondoned the fight, so they did not fight with Amir Al-Muminin Ali, and neither fought with Mu'awiya. Then they figured their mistake, and therefore were quick to repent. Imam Al-Hakem narrated and authenticated in his Mustadrak vol.2/463, also Imam Bayhaqi in the Sunan 8\172, Imame Qurtubi in "tathkira" page 255, Imame Ibne Al-Athir in O'sdu Gaba 4\33, and Al-Alusi in ruh Al-Ma'ani 26/151, all -among others- narrated, that Ibne Umar (radiya'Allahu anhuma) said: I was never saddened and regreted anything, as much as I am when I read the Ayah (pertaining to supporting the true group), that I did not fight the transgrssor group as Allah ordered me to do, meaning Muawiya and the transgressors with him against Ali karrama Allahu ta'ala Wajhahu".


There are also many more ahadith in that issue about the tears and crying of Hazrat Ibne Umar and Hazrat Aisha, may Allah be pleased with both of them.

Overall, there is really no good answer to Hazrat Ibne Umar giving Ba'yah to Yazid, except that he isolated himself doing worship, and was not aware of extend of the deviance of Yazid!!.
Also there is no authentic source claims that that he actually knew the danger of Yazid and his Kufr, and was trying to avoid shedding more blood, having more women raped, and property confiscated by the armies of Yazid, hence to protect the blood of Muslims and prevent such bloody rebellion, he gave Ba'yah and ordered others to do the same.