al-Salamu `Aleykum,
We all know the story of the Prophet (saw), when he shall stand at the lake-fount "al-Hawd", and Allah will block some of those who accompanied him from drinking as they have turn away from Islam. The Shia use this Hadith to attack that entire generation unjustly, especially the most pious of believers such as Abu Bakr and `Umar.
Brother Farid may Allah reward him has refuted this in some detail below:
http://twelvershia.net/2014/02/14/response-to-hadeeth-of-lake-fountain/When browsing through Musnad `Umar by abu Yusuf Ya`qoub al-Hafiz (d. 262h), I have came across this narration with an authentic chain from the path of Umm Salamah:
فَحَدَّثَنَاهُ الأَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، قَالَ: ثَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ : " مِنْ أَصْحَابِي مَنْ لا يَرَانِي وَلا أُرَاهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَمُوتَ أَبَدًا " قَالَ: فَأَتَاهَا عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ: نَشَدْتُكَ بِاللَّهِ أَنَا مِنْهُمُ؟ قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ: لا وَلَنْ أُبَرِّئُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ أَبَدًا[We were told by al-Asawad bin `Amir, he said: Shareek told us, from `Asim, from abi Wa'il, from Masrouq, from Umm Salamah, she said: The messenger (saw) said: "From my companions are people I will not meet nor shall they meet me after death." So `Umar may Allah be pleased with him came to her and said: "By Allah I ask of you, am I one of them?" She said: "No, and I shall not clear anyone after you."]The Hadith is authentic, graded as "Hasan" because of Shareek and `Asim, the narration is connected, the only matter one might argue is that Shareek is a Mudallis. However, Shareek's Tadlees is light and very rare, this is why Ibn Hajar places him in the second level in the book "Tabaqat al-Mudalliseen" whose narrations are accepted even if they did not declare hearing, also Sabt ibn al-`Ajami included him in the third category in his book "Nihayat al-Soul" among those whose Hadith is accepted even without a declaration of hearing.
It is also backed by another chain from Musnad Ahmad which qualifies as Sahih Muttasil:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ شَقِيقٍ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ: دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ، قَالَ: فَقَالَ: يَا أُمَّهْ، قَدْ خِفْتُ أَنْ يُهْلِكَنِي كَثْرَةُ مَالِي، أَنَا أَكْثَرُ قُرَيْشٍ مَالًا، قَالَتْ: يَا بُنَيَّ، فَأَنْفِقْ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: " إِنَّ مِنْ أَصْحَابِي مَنْ لَا يَرَانِي بَعْدَ أَنْ أُفَارِقَهُ "، فَخَرَجَ، فَلَقِيَ عُمَرَ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ، فَجَاءَ عُمَرُ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا، فَقَالَ لَهَا: بِاللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ أَنَا؟ فَقَالَتْ: لَا، وَلَنْ أُبْلِيَ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ[Abu Mu`awiyah told us, al-A`mash told us, from Shaqeeq, from Umm Salamah, that she said: `Abdul-Rahman bin `Awf entered on her saying: "O mother, I fear that my money will cause me to perish, I have the biggest wealth in Quraysh." She said: "O son, spend from it, for I have heard the messenger (saw) say: Some of my companions shall not meet me nor will I meet them after I depart." So he went out and met `Umar, and told him what he heard. `Umar came and entered on her and said: "By Allah am I one of them?" She said: "No, and I won't tell anyone else after you."]There are many benefits to this narration, but when it comes to Imamiyyah Rafidah there are two main ones:
Mother believers Umm Salamah saw that `Umar beating up Fatimah and killing her is not sufficient to place `Umar in hell-fire rather he shall meet the Prophet (saw) in heaven.
Mother believers Umm Salamah saw that `Umar intentionally betraying the Prophet's (saw) will and usurping Imamah is not sufficient to place `Umar in hell-fire rather he shall meet the Prophet (saw) in heaven.Unless both of these never happened...