Because the reporting of Hadith continued increasingly during his reign and because the Sahabah did not comply with the instructions of Abu-Bakr, `Umar ibn al-KHATTAB, more insistently, continued Abu-Bakr's proposal of prohibiting the reporting and recordation of the Hadith. As he saw off a group of the Sahabah that he had delegated to al-Kufah, `Umar asked them, "Do you know why I am seeing you offa"
"Yes, we do," they answered. "This is because for the sake of our being the companions and supporters of the Holy Prophet."
Replying them, `Umar said, "This is true. But I am seeing you off for another matter that I wanted to tell you in private… you must reduce reporting the Hadith and I am responsible for this decision."
On another occasion, he said to them, "Reduce reporting from the Messenger of Allah except the affairs that are needed (or apparently needed)... etc."
The Sahabah did not comply with or carry out Abu-Bakr's instructions of stopping recording the Hadith in the same way as they had not been influenced by the event that he had set fire to his own book of Hadith; rather the majority of the Sahabah kept many books of Hadith and this matter was not welcomed by `Umar since the existence of such books would prevent the caliph from achieving his will. `Umar therefore ordered these books to be collected before him. Firstly, the Sahabah thought that `Umar wanted to check these documents and books and then decide the most authentic among them. Nevertheless, they were surprised when he set fire to them all!
As a matter of fact, this process of burning such books and documents was for the reason that they comprised materials that would act as official documents against `Umar and as clear evidences on ascribing mistakes to him. In order to avoid the occurrence of such matters of bad results, `Umar decided to wipe out these documents. As another motive, the records that belong to the first age of Islam and that were written down by one of the Sahabah enjoyed such an effective value that could refute the ruler's opinion. Accordingly, a Hadith that is found in a written form cannot be opposed or ascribed to forgery. The reporting of Hadith, on the other hand, can be opposed by another Hadith that is immediately fabricated without exerting huge efforts. For that reason, the ruling authorities allowed the reporting but disallowed the recordation of the Hadith.
Some authors have argued that the permissibility of reporting the Hadith and the impermissibility of recording it was because a sect of the Jews had believed that the religious heritage should be recorded while the opposite sect had believed that it should be memorized.
In addition, in view of the fact that Ka`b al-Ahbar and Wahab ibn Munabbih were intimate counselors of `Umar, it is likely that he was influenced by their opinions as regards the reporting and recordation of the Hadith, since he needed to keep a tight rein on some of the reports from the Holy Prophet. The best treatment of this issue would be to separate between the two. It has been narrated that `Umar, once, asked Ka`b al-Ahbar about the origin of poetry, and the latter answered, "Some of the descendants of Isma`il (Prophet Ishmael) would have their Gospels (i.e. divine book) in their hearts and would speak of wisdom."(1)
According to another narration, Wahab ibn Munabbih said, "Once, Musa (Prophet Moses) said to the Lord: 'In the Torah, I have read that a nation would keep their Gospels in their hearts wherefrom they would recite them, while they would be preceded by a nation who read their Gospels from their books but they would not retain them. I implore to You to make this nation mine.' Yet, the Lord answered, 'This is the nation of Muhammad.'"(2)
Dr. Hasan ²a'¨a', in 'al-Fikr al-Diniy al-Isra'iliy (The Israelite Religious Creed)' pp. 97, quotes the following statement from the Talmud, Temura 14:
"As for a nation that narrates orally, you do not have the right to prove it in a written form."(3)
References:
1- Ibn Kathir: al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah 6:62; al-Safuriy: Nuzhat al-Majalis 2:199.
2- Ibn Kathir: al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah 6:62; al-Safuriy: Nuzhat al-Majalis 2:199.
3- See al-Rawhaniy: Buhuth(un) Ma`a Ahl il-Sunnah wa'l-Salafiyyah 97; al-Fadliy: Tarikh al-Tashri` al-Islamiy 40; al-`amiliy: al-Sahih Min Sirat al-Nabiy.
"Yes, we do," they answered. "This is because for the sake of our being the companions and supporters of the Holy Prophet."
Replying them, `Umar said, "This is true. But I am seeing you off for another matter that I wanted to tell you in private… you must reduce reporting the Hadith and I am responsible for this decision."
On another occasion, he said to them, "Reduce reporting from the Messenger of Allah except the affairs that are needed (or apparently needed)... etc."
The Sahabah did not comply with or carry out Abu-Bakr's instructions of stopping recording the Hadith in the same way as they had not been influenced by the event that he had set fire to his own book of Hadith; rather the majority of the Sahabah kept many books of Hadith and this matter was not welcomed by `Umar since the existence of such books would prevent the caliph from achieving his will. `Umar therefore ordered these books to be collected before him. Firstly, the Sahabah thought that `Umar wanted to check these documents and books and then decide the most authentic among them. Nevertheless, they were surprised when he set fire to them all!
As a matter of fact, this process of burning such books and documents was for the reason that they comprised materials that would act as official documents against `Umar and as clear evidences on ascribing mistakes to him. In order to avoid the occurrence of such matters of bad results, `Umar decided to wipe out these documents. As another motive, the records that belong to the first age of Islam and that were written down by one of the Sahabah enjoyed such an effective value that could refute the ruler's opinion. Accordingly, a Hadith that is found in a written form cannot be opposed or ascribed to forgery. The reporting of Hadith, on the other hand, can be opposed by another Hadith that is immediately fabricated without exerting huge efforts. For that reason, the ruling authorities allowed the reporting but disallowed the recordation of the Hadith.
Some authors have argued that the permissibility of reporting the Hadith and the impermissibility of recording it was because a sect of the Jews had believed that the religious heritage should be recorded while the opposite sect had believed that it should be memorized.
In addition, in view of the fact that Ka`b al-Ahbar and Wahab ibn Munabbih were intimate counselors of `Umar, it is likely that he was influenced by their opinions as regards the reporting and recordation of the Hadith, since he needed to keep a tight rein on some of the reports from the Holy Prophet. The best treatment of this issue would be to separate between the two. It has been narrated that `Umar, once, asked Ka`b al-Ahbar about the origin of poetry, and the latter answered, "Some of the descendants of Isma`il (Prophet Ishmael) would have their Gospels (i.e. divine book) in their hearts and would speak of wisdom."(1)
According to another narration, Wahab ibn Munabbih said, "Once, Musa (Prophet Moses) said to the Lord: 'In the Torah, I have read that a nation would keep their Gospels in their hearts wherefrom they would recite them, while they would be preceded by a nation who read their Gospels from their books but they would not retain them. I implore to You to make this nation mine.' Yet, the Lord answered, 'This is the nation of Muhammad.'"(2)
Dr. Hasan ²a'¨a', in 'al-Fikr al-Diniy al-Isra'iliy (The Israelite Religious Creed)' pp. 97, quotes the following statement from the Talmud, Temura 14:
"As for a nation that narrates orally, you do not have the right to prove it in a written form."(3)
References:
1- Ibn Kathir: al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah 6:62; al-Safuriy: Nuzhat al-Majalis 2:199.
2- Ibn Kathir: al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah 6:62; al-Safuriy: Nuzhat al-Majalis 2:199.
3- See al-Rawhaniy: Buhuth(un) Ma`a Ahl il-Sunnah wa'l-Salafiyyah 97; al-Fadliy: Tarikh al-Tashri` al-Islamiy 40; al-`amiliy: al-Sahih Min Sirat al-Nabiy.
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