Umar understood what Prophet (s.a.w.a) wanted to write!!

Conversation between Ayatullah Baqir al Sadr and Mohammad al-Tijani

I still remember the answer which al-Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr gave me when I asked him, “How did our master Umar understand, among all the Companions what the Messenger wanted to write, namely the appointment of Ali as his successor- as you claim - which shows that he was a clever man?”

Al-Sayyid al-Sadr said: Umar was not the only one who anticipated what the Messenger was going to write. In fact most of the people who were present then understood the situation the same way as Umar did, because the Messenger of Allah had previously indicated the issue when he said, “I shall leave you with two weighty things: the Book of Allah and the members of my Family (Ahl al-Bayt) and their descendants, if you follow them, you will never go astray after me.” And during his illness he said to them, “Let me write you a document, if you follow its contents, you will never go astray.” Those who were present, including Umar, understood that the Messenger of Allah wanted to reiterate, in writing, what he had already said in Ghadir Khum, and that was to follow the Book of Allah and Ahl al-Bayt and that Ali was the head of it. It was as if the holy Prophet (saw) was saying, “Follow the Qur’an and Ali.” He said similar things on many occasions, as has been stated by many historians.

The majority of Quraysh did not like Ali because he was young and because he smashed their arrogance and had killed their heroes; but they did not dare oppose the Messenger of Allah, as they had done at the “Treaty of al-Hudaibiyah’, and when the Messenger prayed for Abdullah ibn Abi al- Munafiq, and on many other incidents recorded by history. This incident was one of them, and you see that the opposition against writing that document during the Prophets illness encouraged some of those who were present to be insolent and make so much noise in his presence.

That answer came in accordance with what the saying meant. But Umar’s statement, “You have the Qur’an, and it is sufficient, being the Book of Allah” was not in accordance with the saying which ordered them to follow the Book of Allah and the Household [Ahl al-Bayt] together. It looks as if he meant to say, “We have the Book of Allah, and that is sufficient for us, therefore there is no need for Ahl al-Bayt.” I could not see any other reasonable explanation to the incident other than this one, unless it was meant to say, ‘Obey Allah but not His Messenger.” And this argument is invalid and not sensible. If I put my prejudices and my emotions aside and base my judgement on a clean and free mind, I would tend towards the first analysis, which stops short of accusing Umar of being the first one to reject the Prophet’s Tradition (al-Sunnah) when he said, “It is sufficient for us, being the Book of Allah”.

Then if there were some rulers who rejected the Prophet’s Traditions claiming that it was “contradictory”, they only followed an earlier example in the history of Islam. However, I do not want to burden Umar alone with the responsibility for that incident and the subsequent deprivation of the nation of the guidance. To be fair to him, I suggest that the responsibility should be borne by him and those Companions who were with him and who supported him in his opposition to the command of the Messenger of Allah.

I am astonished by those who read this incident and feel as if nothing happened, despite that it was one of the “great misfortunes” as Ibn Abbas called it. My astonishment is even greater regarding those who try hard to preserve the honour of a Companion and to correct his mistake, even if at the cost of the Prophet’s dignity and honour and at the cost of Islam and its foundations.

Why do we escape from the truth and try to obliterate it when it is not in accordance with our whims . . . why do not we accept that the Companions were human like us, and had their own whims, prejudices and interests, and could commit mistakes or could be right?

But my astonishment fades when I read the Book of Allah in which He tells us the stories of the prophets- may Allah bless them and grant them peace - and the disobedience they faced from their people despite all the miracles they produced .. Our God! Make not our hearts to deviate after thou hast guided us aright, and grant us from Your Mercy; surely You are the Most Liberal Giver.

I began to understand the background to the Shia’s attitude towards the second Caliph, whom they charge with the responsibility for many tragic events in the history of Islam, starting from “Raziyat Yawm al-Khamis” when the Islamic nation was deprived of the written guidance which the Messenger wanted to write for them. The inescapable fact is that the sensible man who knew the truth before he encountered the men seeks an excuse for the Shias in this matter, but there is nothing we can say to convince those who only judge truth through men.
 

References: 

Sahih, Bukhari, Chapter: About the saying of the sick, vol 2

Sahih, Muslim, End of the book of al Wasiyyah, vol 5 p 75

Musnad, Ahmed, vol 1 p 335, vol 5 p 116

Tarikh, Tabari, vol 3 p 193

Tarikh, Ibn al Athir, vol 2 p 320

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