The opposition of Ibn Abbas to Umar’s order

Founder of Sipah-e-Sahaba Haq Nawaz Jhangvi sought to apply his false Qiyas as follows:

PERHAPS SOME OF THE COMPANIONS LIKE JABIR, IBN ABBAS AND OTHERS WHO ACTD UPON MUTA WERE UNAWARE OF ITS PROHIBITION BY THE PROPHET UNTIL IT WAS PROCLAIMED BY UMAR.

The words ‘perhaps’ proves that this Nasibi is just using baseless guess work. The amusing thing is the alleged ignorance of Ibn Abbas with the regards to the prohibition of Mutah, holds no water if we are to accept this tradition that another Nasibi cited in his anti Mutah article.

….Nevertheless, this much has to be said that Sayyidina Ibn ‘Abbas radiyallahu ‘anhu) took Mut’ah to be permissible upon a certain time. Then, it was on the good counsel of Sayyidina Ali, radiyallahu ‘anhu (as in Sahih Muslim, volume 1, p 452) and under the chastening impact of the noble Ayat-Illaa ‘alaa azwaajihim awmaa malakat aymaanuhum-that he revoked his earlier position, as indicated in the narration from Imam Tirmidhi

Reply

Jhangvi would like us to believe that Ibn Abbas was unaware that the Prophet (s) made Mutah Haram, and therefore he continued issuing fatwa in its favour until the end of his life. The tradition cited by Mullah Shafi makes the ignorance card advanced by Jhangvi completely redundant. This alleged hadith demonstrates that Ibn Abbas had been informed of the prohibition by Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) – that evaporates any suggestion that Ibn Abbas was ‘UNAWARE OF ITS PROHIBITION BY THE PROPHET’. This being the case why did he maintain his stance on the permissibility of Mutah, when his alleged ‘ignorance’ had been removed by Imam ‘Ali (as), and (according to Jhanvi) Khalifa Umar?

The comments of Jhangvi here serve as proof that Mut’ah had not been abrogated by the Qur’an. If it had then famous exegist of the Qur’an Ibn Abbas, would certainly have known of it, and would have had no need to rely on Umar’s tactical reminder. In relation to Ibn Abbas, the comments of Jhangvi can be easily refuted for we have a plethora of textual evidence that proves that Ibn Abbas opposed Umar’s prohibition on Mut’ah.

We for example learn in Sunni books that Ibn Abbas accused Umar of banning Mut’ah and accused the guilt of all future acts to be on his head. We read in Tafseer Dur al-Manthur, Volume 2 page 41 Ayat Mut’ah:

Ibn Abbas said: “Mut’ah was blessing of Allah upon the Ummah of Muhammad and had Umar not prohibited it the only person to fornicate would be a playboy’

Ibn Abbas’ words evidence his opposition to Umar’s order and serves as proof that Mut’ah is halaal until the day of Judgement.

We read in Zaad al Maad, Volume 2 page 190:

وقال عبد الرازق : حدثنا معمر عن أيوب قال : قال عروة لابن عباس : ألا تتقي الله ترخص في المتعة ؟ فقال ابن عباس : سل أمك يا عرية

Abdulrazaq said: Mu’amar narrated from Ayub that Urwa said to Ibn Abbas: ‘Don’t you fear Allah by permitting Mut’ah? He (Ibn Abbas) replied: ‘O Urwa, ask your mother’.

We read in Al-Muhazraat , Volume 3 page 14:

عير عبد الله بن الزبير عبد الله بن عباس بتحليله المتعة فقال له: سل أمك كيف سطعت المجامر بينها وبين أبيك؟فسألها فقالت: ما ولدتك إلا في المتعة.

“Abdullah Ibn Zubayr mocked Abdullah Ibn Abbas for believing that Mut’ah was halaal, Ibn Abbas said: ‘Go and ask your mother as to how she and your father first used this practise’. He asked his mother, and she replied: ‘Verily I conceived you through Mut’ah’

We read in Anaya Sharh Hidayah, Volume 3 page 49 Bab Nikah:

وَهَذَا عِنْدَنَا بَاطِلٌ ( وَقَالَ مَالِكٌ هُوَ جَائِزٌ ) وَهُوَ الظَّاهِرُ مِنْ قَوْلِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ( لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ مُبَاحًا ) بِالِاتِّفَاقِ ( فَيَبْقَى إلَى أَنْ يَظْهَرَ نَاسِخُهُ

“It is unlawful but Malik said it is lawful and that is what appears from Ibn Abbas’s statement, because there is agreement that it was lawful, so it will be the case until the abrogation appears”

The book can also be downloaded from the following Salafi link:
www.almeshkat.com (Vol 4 page 391)

We read in Au jaza al Masalik fi Sharh Muwatta Imam Malik, Volume 9 page 04 Bab Mut’ah:

“In the eyes of Ibn Abbas and his Sahaba Mut’ah is permissible”.

We read in Fatawa Qadhi Khan, Volume 1 page 51 Kitab Nikah:

“Nikah is not legally established by usage of the word ‘Mutah’ and it is false according to us and isn’t permissible, contrary to Ibn Abbas and Malik“
Fatawa Qadhi Khan, Volume 1 page 151 (Nolakshor, India)

We read in Sharah Muwatta by Imam Zarqani, Volume 3 page 54:

Ibn Abdulbar said: ‘The companions of Ibn Abbas from Makka and Yemen believed that it was lawful’

In fact, Ibn Abbas invoked the wrath Allah on those opposed to Mut’ah. We read in Zaad al Maad, Volume 2 page 176:

وقال ابن عباس لمن كان يعارضه فيها بأبي بكر وعمر : يوشك أن تنزل عليكم حجارة من السماء أقول : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وتقولون : قال أبو بكر وعمر

When people would say to Ibn Abbas: ‘You deem Mut’ah to be halaal, whilst Abu Bakr and Umar prohibited it’, he would reply: ‘May stones hit you from the sky, I am telling you about the orders of Rasulullah(s) and your telling me about the orders of Abu Bakr and Umar’.

We read in Fatah ul Bari. Volume 9 page 73:

قال ابن بطال‏:‏ روى أهل مكة واليمن عن ابن عباس إباحة المتعة، وروي عنه الرجوع بأسانيد ضعيفة وإجازة المتعة عنه أصح، وهو مذهب الشيعة‏.

Ibn Batal said: ‘The People of Mecca and Yemen narrated from Ibn Abbas that Mut’ah is permissible. It is narrated by a weak chain that Ibn Abbas revoked its permissibility. The permission of Mut’ah by him is more correct and this is the doctrine of the Shia.’

The rank of Ibn Abbas amongst the followers of the companions cannot be dismissed, Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya Wa al Nihaya, Volume 8 pages 299, 300 praised him as follows:

“Ibn Abbas is the most knowledgeable person amongst the people as to what God has revealed to Muhammad. Umar Ibn al-Khattab used to say that the interpreter of the Qur’an is Ibn Abbas. He was accustomed to telling him: ‘You have acquired knowledge which we never received. You are the most expert in the book of God”‘

Imam of the Deobandis, Maulana Mohammad Abul Hassan in his commentary of Sahih al Bukhari, Faizul Bari, Parah 21, Page 125, tows the traditional Sunni line that Umar reinforced the prohibition on Mut’ah made by Rasulullah (s). Interestingly in the same section he asserts that Ibn Abbas deemed Mut’ah to be halaal. How is it that a man that ‘Umar deemed to be the greatest expert of the Qur’an, upheld a practise banned by Rasulullah (s)? If Ibn Abbas was ignorant of this prohibition then clearly the alleged re-enforcement of this edict by Khalifa Umar should have convinced him, so why didn’t it?
Faizul Bari, by Maulana Mohammad Abul Hassan, Parah 21, Page 125

There are only two options:

1. Option One: Ibn Abbas was a Munafiq, proven by the fact he deemed Mut’ah halaal, when Umar made it clear that Rasulullah (s) outlawed it.
2. Option Two: Ibn Abbas deemed Mut’ah halaal, because was upholding the Sunnah Rasulullah (s) who revoked it, and he was refusing to be bound by the personal stance of Umar.

Clearly option one is unacceptable, this would destroy the character and rank of a leading Sahaba of the Prophet (s), worse it in effect renders him an apostate. Option Two clearly is the correct one, Ibn Abbas was upholding the Sunnah of Rasulullah (s) not the Sunnah of Umar ibn al Khattab.

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