Knowledge of Umar

this is a deduction from the article of brother guided


According to Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, vol. 1, p. 617, Umar himself confessed to his extreme ignorance, saying:

كل الناس أفقه من عمر

All the people are more knowledgeable than Umar!

Commenting on the authenticity of the report, Ibn Kathir states:

وسنده جيد

And its chain is good.

To be honest, Umar was not exaggerating here. Someone who is so ignorant of the rules of Tayammum certainly fits the description he has given himself. He is here being completely honest and accurate!

here is his ignorance from that

Imam Muslim records :

Abd al-Rabmin b. Abza narrated it on the authority of his father that a man came to 'Umar and said: I am (at times) affected by seminal emission but find no water. He ('Umar) told him not to say prayer. 'Ammar then said. Do you remember, O Commander of the Faithful, when I and you were in a military detachment and we had had a seminal emission and did not find water (for taking bath) and you did not say prayer, but as for myself I rolled in dust and said prayer, and (when it was mentioned before) the Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: It was enough for you to strike the ground with your hands and then blow (the dust) and then wipe your face and palms. Umar said: 'Ammar, fear Allah. He said: If you so like, I would not narrate it.

[Sahih Muslim Book 003, Number 0718]

Umar was completely IGNORANT of these verses:

[al-hilali and khan 4:43] O you who believe! Approach not As-Salat (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter, nor when you are in a state of Janaba, (i.e. in a state of sexual impurity and have not yet taken a bath) except when travelling on the road (without enough water, or just passing through a mosque), till you wash your whole body. And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands (tayammum). Truly, Allah is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.

And:

[al-hilali and khan 5:6] If you are in a state of Janaba (i.e. had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful.


and abu huraira exposed his knowledge in this manner

Narrated Abu Huraira:


Once while I was in a STATE OF FATIGUE (because of severe hunger), I met 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, so I asked him to recite a verse from Allah's Book to me. He entered his house and interpreted it to me. (Then I went out and) after walking for a short distance, I fell on my face because of fatigue and severe hunger. Suddenly I saw Allah's Apostle standing by my head. He said, "O Abu Huraira!" I replied, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle, and Sadaik!" THEN HE HELD ME BY THE HAND, AND MADE ME GET UP. Then he came to know what I was suffering from. He took me to his house, and ordered a big bowl of milk for me. I drank thereof and he said, "Drink more, O Abu Hirr!" So I drank again, whereupon he again said, "Drink more." So I drank more till my belly became full and looked like a bowl. Afterwards I met 'Umar and mentioned to him what had happened to me, and said to him, "Somebody, who had more right than you, O 'Umar, took over the case. BY ALLAH, I asked you to recite a Verse to me WHILE I KNEW IT BETTER THAN YOU." On that Umar said to me, "By Allah, if I admitted and entertained you, it would have been dearer to me than having nice red camels.

[Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 65, Number 287i]

Abu Huraira also hinted once

Narrated Abu Huraira:


The people say that Abu Huraira narrates too many narrations. In fact Allah knows whether I say the truth or not. They also ask, "Why do the emigrants and the Ansar not narrate as he does?" IN FACT, MY EMIGRANT BRETHREN WERE BUSY TRADING IN THE MARKETS, AND MY ANSAR BRETHREN WERE BUSY WITH THEIR PROPERTIES. I was a poor man keeping the company of Allah's Apostle and was satisfied with what filled my stomach. SO, I USED TO BE PRESENT WHILE THEY (I.E. THE EMIGRANTS AND THE ANSAR) WERE ABSENT, AND I USED TO REMEMBER WHILE THEY FORGOT (THE HADITH).

[Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 39, Number 540]

and Umar accepted

Narrated ‘Ubaid bin ‘Umair:


Abu Musa asked permission to enter upon ‘Umar, but seeing that he was busy, he went away. ‘Umar then said, “Didn’t I hear the voice of ‘Abdullah bin Qais? Allow him to come in.” he was called in and ‘Umar said to him, “What made you do what you did?” He replied, “We have been instructed thus by the Prophet.” ‘Umar said, “Bring proof (witness) for this, otherwise I will do so-and-so to you.” Then ‘Abdullah bin Qais went to a gathering of the Ansar who then said, “None but the youngest of us will give the witness for it.” So Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri got up and said, “We used to be instructed thus (by the Prophet).” ‘Umar said, “This tradition of the Prophet remained hidden from me. BUSINESS IN THE MARKET KEPT ME BUSY.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 451]

Umar also admitted his intense intellectual dependence upon Imam Ali (عليه السّلام). The Nasibi scholar, al-Uthaymin (لعنه الله), in his Tafsir 1/29 states:

كان أمير المؤمنين عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه ليتعوذ من معضلة ليس لها أبو حسن

The Commander of the Faithful Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, used to seek Allah’s refuge from a complex question (being put to him) when the father of Hasan (i.e. Imam Ali) was not around to solve it.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in his Fath al-Bari (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah; 1379 H), vol. 13, p. 343 also records:

وفي كتاب النوادر للحميدي والطبقات لمحمد بن سعد من رواية سعيد بن المسيب قال كان عمر يتعوذ بالله من معضلة ليس لها أبو الحسن يعني علي بن أبي طالب



In Kitab al-Nawadir of al-Hamidi and al-Tabaqat of Muhammad ibn Sa’d there is the report of Sa’id ibn al-Musaiyab who said:


Umar used to seek Allah’s refuge from a complex question (being put to him) when the father of al-Hasan, meaning Ali ibn Abi Talib, was not around to solve it.

Yes, Umar was in constant fear of tough questions! Each small question was a nightmare. He would always mess up, as he did in the case of Tayammum!

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