Khalifa Umar bin al-Khattab - Traditions On Religious Matters

Umar was very close to the Holy Prophet. He was very careful and cautious in reporting traditions. Over five hundred traditions are on record which are said to have been reported exclusively on the authority of Umar.

Some of the traditions on religious matters reported by Umar are noticed hereunder. The account is based on 'Sahih Bukhari'.

Umar said that he heard the Holy Prophet say:

"God created Adam, then passed His right hand over his back and brought forth from it his offspring saying 'I have created these for paradise and they will do the deeds of those who go to paradise'. He then passed his hand over his back and brought forth from it his offspring saying 'I have created these for hell and they will do the deeds of those who go to hell'." A man asked what was the good of doing anything. The Holy Prophet replied:

"When God creates a man for paradise He employs him in doing the deeds of those who will go to paradise, so that his final action before death is one of the deeds of those who go to paradise, for which He will bring him into paradise. But when He creates a man for hell He employs him in doing the deeds of those who will go to hell, so that his final actions before death are the deeds of those who go to hell, for which He will bring him into hell."

Umar stated that on the day of Khaibar some of the companions of the Holy Prophet stated that so and so were martyrs, but when they came to a man about whom they said "So and so is a martyr", the Holy Prophet declared "By no means. I have seen him in hell in a cloak which he took disbonestly."

The Holy Prophet asked Umar: "Go, Ibn al-Khattab and announce among the people three times that only the believers will enter paradise."

In compliance with these instructions, Umar went out and announced three times "Only the believers will enter paradise."

Umar reported the Holy Prophet as saying:

"Do not sit with those who believe in freewill and do not address them before they address you."

The Holy Prophet, according to Umar said:

"If any one performs the ablution completely, then says 'I testify that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger', the eight gates of paradise will be opened for him, and he may enter by whichsoever of them he wishes."

Umar said, "The Prophet saw me standing and passing water and said Umar do not pass water standing' and I never did it again."

The Holy Prophet said, "Do not wash in water which has been exposed to the sun for it produces leprosy."

The Holy Prophet said:

"If four persons give a good testimony about any Muslim, God will cause him to enter paradise."

The Holy Prophet was asked whether this would apply if three testified and he said it would they further asked if it applied if two testified and he said it would but they did not ask him about one.

Umar reported the Holy Prophet as saying:

"Should any one fall asleep and fail to recite his portion of the Quran or a part of it, if he recites it between the dawn and the noon prayer, it will be recorded of him as though he had recited it during the night."

Umar said:

"I heard Hisham b Hakim b Hizam reciting Sura al Furqan in a different way from my way of reciting it the way that God's Messenger had taught me. I nearly spoke sharply to him, but I delayed till he had finished, and then catching his cloak at the neck I brought him to God's Messenger and said: 'Messenger of God, I heard this man reciting Sura al Furqan in a manner different from that in which you taught me to recite it'. The Holy Prophet told me to leave him, and then turning to him asked him to recite. When he recited it in the manner in which I had heard him recite it, God's Messenger said, 'Thus was it sent down'. He then asked me to recite it, and when I had done so, he said 'Thus was it sent down'. I was surprised and the Holy Prophet said, 'The Quran was sent down in seven modes of reading, so recite according to what comes most easily."

About the Holy Quran, Umar reported the Holy Prophet as saying:

"By this Book, God exalts some people, and lowers others." Umar said that God's Messenger used to seek refuge in God from five things, namely:

(1) Cowardliness;

(2) Niggardliness;

(3) Evils of old age;

(4) Evil thoughts; and

(5) Punishment of the grave.

Umar reported the Holy Prophct as saying:

"Among God's servants there are people who are neither prophets nor martyrs but whose position in relation to God will be an object of desire by the prophets and martyrs on the day of resurrection."

The people wanted to know who were such people and the Holy Prophet said:

"They are people who have loved one another by reason of God's spirit, and were giving gifts to one another without being related or having common property. I swear that their faces will be light, and they will be placed upon light, neither fearing when men fear, nor grieving when men grieve."

Umar said that the Holy Prophet sent to Najd an expedition which took much booty and came back quickly.

A man who had not gone out said, "We have never seen an expedition return more quickly or bring finer booty than this one".

Thereupon the Holy Prophet said:

"Shall I not indicate to you people who have most excellent booty and a most excellent return? They are people who have been present at the morning prayer, then sat mentioning of God till the sun rose. They have the quickest return and the most excellent booty."

Umar stated that he heard God's Messenger say:

"Four rakaat before the noon prayer after the sun has passed the meridian are reckoned equivalent to a similar number at the dawn prayer. There is nothing which does not glorify God at that hour."

Umar said that then the Holy Prophet recited:

"Their shadows turn round from the right and the left prostrating themselves to God."

Umar said that he asked the Holy Prophet about the injunction:

"You may shorten your prayer if you fear those who are infidels may afflict you."

About this the Holy Prophet elaborated:

"It is an act of charity which God has done to you, so accept His charity."

About the call to prayer, Umar reported the Holy Prophet as saying:

"When the Muezzin says 'God is most great, God is most great', and you make the response 'God is most great, God is most great', then says 'I testify that there is no god but God', then says 'I testify that Muhammad is God's Messenger', and you make the response 'I testify that Muhammad is God's Messenger', then says 'Come to prayer', and you make the response 'There is no might and no power except in God', then says 'Come to salvation', and he makes the response 'God is most great; God is most great', then says There is no god but God', and if you say this from heart, you will go to paradise."