Here, we shall set forth some traditions which would create a tarnished image of the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) in the mind of those who are to believe in those traditions. In some of these traditions, the character of some other people have been preferred over the character of the Holy Prophet such that if any one accepts them, he would choose the opinion and views of those people rather than the view of the Holy Prophet (specially when they are contrary to each other) and would readily forsake the sayings of his holiship.
A prominent example amongst them is a chain of traditions well known as «Omars Agreement».
These traditions can be found in the book of traditions belonging to the Caliphate school of thought such as in the Shiahs, Musnads and Sunans. Here, we shall narrate some of them from Sahih Bukhari and some other reliable books of the Caliphate School. 1
It has been narrated that Caliph Omar said:
«I came to an agreement with my Lord on three matters:
Firstly that I told the Messenger of Allah as such: «O Messenger of Allah! What is the harm if we establish the standing-place of Ibrahim as the place of prayer?» Following my suggestion, this verse was revealed:
[Arabic text] 2
Appoint for yourselves a place of prayer on the standing - place of Ibrahim!
The second matter was related to Hijab (veil): I proposed as such: O Messenger of Allah! You must order the females to cover themselves up because at present, everyone from the good and evil mingles with them. It was after this suggestion that the verse pertaining veil was revealed.3
The third matter too was related to the Prophets wives: Due to jealousy and envy, the Holy Prophets wives reached an alliance against him. I told them as such: If the Prophet overlooks your treason it maybe that Allah will provide him with much better wives than you. Moments later, a verse with similar contents was revealed:»
[Arabic text] 4
Tayalesi in his Musnad narrates Caliph Omar as saying: I came to an understanding with my Lord on four matters. Then, after mentioning the afore-said three agreements, he says: When the verse;
[Arabic text] 5
Was revealed and thereby portrayed man in his complete sense, I said: [Arabic text]
(Blessed be Allah, the best of the Creators).]
Later on, there came a revelation and this expression was added to the afore-said verse.
[Arabic text] 6
The expositors of Sahih Bukhari - Ibn-Hajar (died in 852 A.H.) in Fathul-Baari and Aini (died in 855 A.H.) in Omdatul-Qaari have explained and interpreted the afore-mentioned traditions as follows:-
[Arabic text] 7
The word [Arabic text] bas been derived from the infinitive [Arabic text] and this infinitive belongs to the mode of [Arabic text] which denotes cooperation and reciprocity of two persons in one affair. Of course, the action is attributed to one of the two who is also affiliated to the other and the other in reality is called [Arabic text] Actually, the narrated sentence of the Caliph implies as such:
«My Lord has come to an agreement with me with regards to my view and has revealed His Quran as per my opinion.»
The commentator says: For the sake of observing politeness and courtesy, the Caliph has attributed agreement to himself and not to his Lord. In other words, he has said: I came to an agreement with my Lord and did not say: Lord came to an agreement with me.
The number of consents which Omar-ibn-Khattab himself has narrated are not more than four. However, throughout the eras the number of such consents have apparently undergone changes.
For example, Abu Bakr-ibn-Arabi a jurist of the sixth century (died in 543 A.H.) has mentioned eleven such consents. 8
After him, Ibn-Hajar an eminent commentator of Sahih Bukhari has gone a step further and writes in his book Fathul-Baari as such: The maximum number of consents which we have collected in an explicit and evident manner are fifteen in number. 9
The number of consents increase as such until they reach the figure twenty. Suyuti, a renowned scholar of the twentieth century (died in 911 A.H.) has emphasized the same in his book Tarikh al-Khulafa. 10
With regard to Omars consents and agreements these traditionists and scholars have cited the tradition of the Caliphs son, i.e. Abdullah-ibn-Omar which on one occasion he says:
No event took place where people had uttered some words about it and Omar too had uttered the same except that Quran on that occasion was being revealed as per the sayings of Omar. 11
Amongst the afore-mentioned consents, we see such examples which reveal that the Quran has adhered to the words and sayings of the Caliph Omar. As an example the Caliph himself narrates:
I said: O Messenger of Allah!
(A)
[Arabic text]
How good it would be to set the standing-place Of Ibrahim as the place of prayer.»
And moments later the verse:-
(B)
[Arabic text]
On another occasion, he has said:
The Prophets wives revolted against him (Out of jealousy and hassle with each other) and I addressed them as such:
[Arabic text]
«May be if the Holy Prophet divorces you then Allah will provide him with wives much better than you.»
After this address, a verse with exactly the same contents was revealed.
[Arabic text]
(C)
Moreover, he has said:
After the description of mans creation in the Holy Quran, I said: [Arabic text]
Then a verse with similar contents was revealed
[Arabic text]
(D)
In another tradition it has come down that a Jew approached Omar and said: Jibraeel whom your helper (i.e. the Holy Prophet) remembers, is our enemy.
Omar said:
[Arabic text]
«Whoever is the enemy of Allah and His angels and His apostles and Jibraeel and Meekaeel, then surely Allah is the enemy of the unbelievers.
After this event, a verse similar to Omars phrase was revealed as such:
[Arabic text] 12
These were some of the verses of the holy Quran which they say have been revealed by adhering to Omars statements.
Similarly, we come across such instances where God commands His Prophet to follow Caliph Omars views and opinions.
For example, the Caliph himself narrates that he once told the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) as such: O Messenger of Allah! Good and evil men happen to converse with your wives. You should command them to cover themselves with veil. Thereafter this verse was revealed:
[Arabic text] 13
Another Instance: When Abdullah-ibn-Obayya (chief of the hypocrites) died, the Holy Prophet was called upon to offer prayers for him. Omar says: I got up and stood before the Holy Prophet and said: O the Messenger of Allah! Will you offer pray for Ibne Obayya, the enemy of Allah? Was it not he who on so and so a day said so and so a thing against you and Islam? and ... I swear by Allah that at that very moment this verse was revealed:
[Arabic text] 14
And never offer prayer for any one of them who dies and do not stand by his grave; surely they disbelieve in Allah and His Apostle and they shall die in transgression.
These were some examples which show that verses were revealed in agreement with Omars views (as per what they say).
The most important outcome of these traditions are as follows:
(A) The status and position of Omar has reached such high levels that Almighty God accepts sometimes his words and views and reveals the verses of His holy Book as per his words and expressions.
(B) The Holy Prophets rank and position, moral considerations and conceptual power have been reduced to such levels that he is placed below Omars disposition and intelligence!
The afore-said conclusion can also he witnessed in the chapter Traditions about virtues.
Amongst them is a tradition which is narrated from Abu Zar as stating:
«Allah has placed the truth upon Omars tongue and he speaks the truth.»
In some of the manuscripts of this tradition it has come down as such: «Allah has set the truth upon the tongue and the heart.»
This tradition has been narrated from Abu Saeed Khudri with three chain of transmissions, from Abu Huraira with two chain of transmissions, from Abdullah-ibn-Omar with thirteen chain of transmissions and from Abu Bakr too with thirteen chain of transmissions. 15
Moreover, the following tradition has been narrated from Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali (A.S.) with nineteen chain of transmissions:
«Composure and faith are spoken on Omars tongue.» Some traditions have it as «on Omars tongue and heart». Yet, some of them mention as such:
«We, the companions of Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) who were in great number never denied that composure was prevalent on Omars tongue.»
This expression has been narrated from Thareq-ibn -Shahab and Abu Saeed Khudri with two chain of transmissions and from Abdullah-ibn-Omar with thirteen chain of transmissions.
Again, a tradition has been narrated respectively in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan of Tirmidhi, Musnad of Ahmad and Musnad of Tayalesi. Here, we shall narrate the tradition from Sahih Bukhari. As per this tradition, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) has said:
[Arabic text] 16
«Amongst the nations before you, there were people with whom the Angels used to converse. If, amongst my nation any one is to be found with such a quality, he is none other than Omar.»
We may also present here the very tradition of Abdullah-ibn-Omar who said:
People have not spoken about anything so that Omar too has spoken (the same) about them save the Quran being revealed in the very form which Omar had spoken. 17
It has been narrated from Mujahid, a famous exegetist of Quran belonging to the School of Caliphate as such: Whenever Omar was giving his views and opinions, Quran was being revealed accordingly. 18
Also, they have narrated from Amir-ul-Mumineen Ali (A.S.) as saying: In the holy Quran there exists the views. and opinions of Omar. 19
From Bilal, it has been narrated as such: The Messenger of Allah said: If I had not been sent amongst you for the Messengership, then Omar would have been appointed for the same. 20
They have narrated a tradition from Uqaba-ibn-Aamer with nine chain of transmissions as such:
I heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) saying: If there was to be a Prophet after me, he would have been Omar-ibn-Khattab. 21
A similar tradition too has been narrated from Abdulla-ibn-Omar. 22
We see many traditions which, while promoting the position of others, have lowered the position of the Holy Messenger. Amongst them is a tradition whose narration they have claimed to he from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and it is as follows:
The sun has not risen on any man better than Omar. 23
From the same group, traditions have been narrated from the Caliph and Mughaira who have said:
The Holy Prophet went near the garbage can of some particular tribe and urinated there in a standing position! While in a standing position, he put his legs wide apart from each other. 24
Another tradition claims that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) went near a garbage can which was placed behind a wall and urinated there in a standing position.
Thereafter, he asked for water and performed ablution. 25
In another tradition, the narrator claims:
I wished to go away from that place but Hazrat called me towards him. I went forward and stood behind him. 26
Lastly, the fourth tradition goes as follows:
The Holy Prophet and myself were walking when suddenly Hazrat went towards a garbage can that was placed behind a wall and stood urinating just like downgrades do. I wanted to go away from him but he signaled at me to approach him. I went near Hazrat and stood behind him until he finished urinating. 27
Now, we shall bring another tradition which has been fabricated and only devised to vanquish the personality of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and raise the rank and position of others and yet consider them to be more superior than the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.).
Bukhari narrates from Abdullah-ibn-Omar as such: The Messenger of Allah met Zaid-ibn-Nufail at Baldah28 at the time when Hazrat had not yet received any revelations nor had he been appointed as the Messenger. The Holy Prophet was spreading the table-cloth and had invited Zaid to accompany him in eating a piece of meat. Zaid refused to eat and said: I do not eat from what you sacrifice for the idols and except for that which is sacrificed in the name of Allah, I will not eat anything else. 29
Ahmad-ibn-Hanbal narrates from Saeed-ibn-Zaid ibn-Amro-ibn-Nufail as such:
One day, in the city of Mecca, Zaid-ibn-Amro-ibn Nufail passed near the Holy Prophet and Zaid-ibnHarith. These two who were busy eating called Zaid to join them. Zaid said: O my nephew, I do not eat from what is sacrificed in the name of the idols.
Saeed says: Thereafter, the Holy Prophet was never seen to eat anything which was sacrificed for the idols. 30
By paying attention to this tradition we can draw two conclusions:
(1) The human and spiritual position of Zaid, the cousin of the second Caliph, has been elevated and,
(2) The position of the Holy Prophet has been shattered and brought down below Zaid.
Abdullah-ibn-Omar-ibn-Khattab had been born after the appointment of the holy Prophets Messengership and had not seen the period before the Holy Prophets appointment. Thus, how can his narration related to the period before the Prophets appointment true!? 31
Zaid-ibn-Amro-ibn-Nufail, father of Saeed was the cousin of the second Caliph i.e. Omar-ibn-Khattab and had died before the Holy Prophets appointment. Historians narrate that Zaid had travelled to Syria in search of the true religion and afterwards did not succeed in returning to his homeland and died or was poisoned in Syria itself or on the way. 32
Therefore, it was basically not possible for such a meeting to have taken place. (while the afore-mentioned tradition claims so)
The word [Arabic text] which has been used in the context of this tradition is the singular of [Arabic text] (Ansaab».
[Arabic text] is the very stones which were placed around the Kaaba and on which they would make sacrifices for the idols. 33