rightly guided caliphs | Giving Dawah to Shia

Written by Hani

Posted by 13S2010

al-Salamu `Aleykum,

While writing my new article:

“Is `Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) an oppressive dictator?”

I dived into books of Hadith and found some interesting narrations about `Umar’s (ra) treatment of his subjects and advisers, I will post an interesting one here for the benefit, I want to see how the most ignorant of people (i.e Shia) explain this one:

عبد الرزاق ، عن معمر ، عن مطر الوراق ، وغيره ، عن الحسن قال : أرسل عمر بن الخطاب إلى امرأة مغيبة كان يدخل عليها ، فأنكر ذلك ، فأرسل إليها ، فقيل لها : أجيبي عمر ، فقالت : يا ويلها ما لها ، ولعمر قال : فبينا هي في الطريق فزعت فضربها الطلق فدخلت دارا ، فألقت ولدها ، فصاح الصبي صيحتين ، ثم مات ، فاستشار عمر أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فأشار عليه بعضهم ، أن ليس عليك شيء ، إنما أنت وال ومؤدب قال : وصمت علي فأقبل عليه ، فقال : ما تقول ؟ قال : إن كانوا قالوا : برأيهم فقد أخطأ رأيهم ، وإن كانوا قالوا : في هواك فلم ينصحوا لك ، أرى أن ديته عليك فإنك أنت أفزعتها ، وألقت ولدها في سببك قال : فأمر عليا أن يقسم عقله على قريش ، يعني يأخذ عقله من قريش لأنه خطأ

`Abdul-Razzaq, from Ma`mar, from Matar al-Warraq, and others, from al-Hasan, that he said: `Umar sent after a promiscuous woman who used to receive men, he did not accept this. So when they got to her place, they called on her: “Come answer to `Umar!” She said: “Woe to me! What have I done to `Umar!?” And while on her way, she was painful, and entered a house and dropped her child, so he cried twice then died.
`Umar consulted the companions of the Prophet (SAWS), and some of them said to him: “You are not deserving of punishment, your duty is only to discipline them as the ruler.” but `Ali was silent, so `Umar approached him and asked: “What is your opinion?” `Ali replied: “If this is their opinion then they erred, and if they said this to you knowing that you wanted to hear it, then they did not give you sound advice. I see that you must pay the blood money(Diyyah) for him, because you scared her and she dropped her child as a result.” so he ordered `Ali to distribute the money between Quraysh because he was wrong.

Source: Musannaf Abdul-Razzaq.

وفيما أجاز لي أبو عبد الله الحافظ روايته عنه ؛ أن أبا الوليد الفقيه أخبرهم قال : ثنا الماسرجسي أبو العباس ، ثنا شيبان ، ثنا سلام ، قال : سمعت الحسن يقول : إن عمر – رضي الله عنه – بلغه أن امرأة بغية يدخل عليها الرجال ، فبعث إليها رسولا ، فأتاها الرسول ، فقال : أجيبي أمير المؤمنين . ففزعت فزعة ، فوقعت الفزعة في رحمها ، فتحرك ولدها ، فخرجت ، فأخذها المخاض ، فألقت غلاما جنينا ، فأتي عمر بذلك ، فأرسل إلى المهاجرين فقص عليهم أمرها ، فقال : ما ترون ؟ فقالوا : ما نرى عليك شيئا يا أمير المؤمنين ، إنما أنت معلم ومؤدب ، وفي القوم علي ، وعلي ساكت ، قال : فما تقول أنت يا أبا الحسن ، قال : أقول إن كانوا قاربوك في الهوى فقد أثموا ، وإن كان هذا جهد رأيهم فقد أخطئوا ، وأرى عليك الدية يا أمير المؤمنين . قال : صدقت ، اذهب فاقسمها على قومك

From what al-Hafiz abu `Abdullah granted me the Ijazah to narrate, is that abu al-Walid al-Faqih told them, he said: al-Masirjisiy abu al-`Abbas told us, Shayban told us, Sallam told us, he said: I heard al-Hasan say: That it had reached `Umar that a promiscuous woman was receiving men, so he sent her a messenger, and the messenger said to her: “Come answer to Ameer al-Mu’mineen!” So she got scared and it affected her womb, and her child moved, and when she left she suddenly dropped her fetus.
`Umar was informed of this he sent after the emigrants and told them her story, he asked: “What do you think?” they said: “We see no fault on you O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, your job is only to discipline and teach.” and `Ali was among the folks and he was silent. `Umar said: “O abu al-Hasan, what do you think?” `Ali replied: “I say: if they spoke only what you desired to hear, then they are sinful, and if they had thought and reached this opinion, then they are wrong. O Ameer al-Mu’mineen, I see that you must pay the blood money(Diyyah).” `Umar said: “You speak truth! Go and divide it among your folks.”

Source: Sunan al-Bayhaqi al-Kubra.

Conclusions:

From this one narration, the one with intellect can conclude many things, such as:

1-`Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) took responsibility for his own mistakes.

2-`Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) did not care about his own image and prestige, he would admit his mistake in public.

3-`Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) took the decision which is against his own interest and well-being simply because he saw it was the truth.

4-`Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) consulted and was no dictator.

5-`Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) greatly respected the opinion of `Ali bin abi Talib (ra) and often consulted him and agreed with him.

6-`Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) would trust `Ali bin abi Talib (ra) with official tasks, such as receiving the money and dividing it equitably among the people.

7-`Ali bin abi Talib (ra) was not oppressed during the rule of `Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) nor was he prevented from stating his opinions.

8-`Ali bin abi Talib (ra) acknowledges the legitimacy of the Khilafah of `Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) by addressing him as “Ameer al-Mu’mineen”.

9-`Ali bin abi Talib (ra) was not afraid of speaking the truth during the Khilafah of `Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) in his presence.

And more…