Question:
What is the chain of narration status of the following hadith?
It is attributed to Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه:
إن عمر بن الخطاب، أتى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بكتاب أصابه من بعض أهل الكتب، فقرأه على النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فغضب وقال: أمتهوكون فيها يا ابن الخطاب، والذي نفسي بيده، لقد جئتكم بها بيضاء نقية، لا تسألوهم عن شيء فيخبروكم بحق فتكذبوا به، أو بباطل فتصدقوا به، والذي نفسي بيده، لو أن موسى كان حيا، ما وسعه إلا أن يتبعني
Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه came to the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم with a book that he had received from a person of the People of the Book. He began to read this book in the presence of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم became angry and said: “Ibn Khattab! Are you people confused about your own Shariah? By the One in Whose hand is my soul! Surely I have brought you a clear and shining Shariah. Do not ask the People of the Book anything, lest they tell you the truth and you deny it, or they tell you falsehood and you confirm it. By the One in Whose hand is my soul! If Musa (Moses) عليه السلام were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me.”
Answer:
The chain of narration is weak. Mujalid bin Saeed is weak. Other evidences of this hadith are also weak.
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):
قال: انتسخت كتابا من أهل الكتاب، فرآه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى يدي، فقال: ما هذا الكتاب يا عمر؟ فقلت: انتسخت كتابا من أهل الكتاب لنزداد به علما إلى علمنا، قال: فغضب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى احمرت عيناه، فقالت الأنصار: يا معشر الأنصار السلاح السلاح، أغضب نبيكم صلى الله عليه وسلم، فجاءوا حتى أحدقوا بمنبر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: إني أوتيت جوامع الكلم وخواتمه، واختصر لي الحديث اختصارا، ولقد أتيتكم بها بيضاء نقية، فلا تهيكوا، ولا يغرنكم المتهيكون، فقال عمر: رضيت بالله ربا، وبالإسلام دينا، وبك رسولا، ثم نزل
I had written a book from the People of the Book. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw that book in my hand, he said: Umar! What book is this? I replied: I wrote it from the People of the Book so that we may increase in our knowledge. Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) became angry to the extent that his blessed eyes turned red. The Ansar said: Ansar group! Take up arms, your Prophet (peace be upon him) has been angered. They came and surrounded the pulpit of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up and said: I have been given comprehensive and concise words, and the matter has been made brief for me. I have brought to you a clear Shariah. Do not fall into doubts, nor let those who are afflicted with doubts deceive you. Upon this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, and you as the Messenger. Then the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) came down from the pulpit.
The chain is very weak. Abdul Rahman bin Ishaq Abu Shaybah, a Kufan and Wasiti, is weak and a denier of hadith. Khalifa bin Qais is unknown.
❀ Imam Aqili (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
في هذا رواية أخرى من غير هذا المعنى بإسناد فيه أيضا لين
There are other narrations on this matter whose chains are weak.
❀ Hafiz Busiri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
هذا إسناد ضعيف
Its chain is weak.
❀ It is attributed to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him):
جاء عمر بن الخطاب إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: يا رسول الله، إني مررت بأخ لي من قريظة، فكتب لي جوامع من التوراة، ألا أعرضها عليك؟ قال: فتغير وجه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال عبد الله: فقلت له: ألا ترى ما بوجه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ فقال عمر: رضينا بالله ربا، وبالإسلام دينا، وبمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم رسولا، قال: فسري عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثم قال: والذي نفسي بيده، لو أصبح فيكم موسى، فاتبعتموه، وتركتموني لضللتم، إنكم حظي من الأمم، وأنا حظكم من النبيين
Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the presence of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! I passed by one of my brothers from the tribe of Banu Qurayzah. He wrote some comprehensive statements from the Torah for me. Should I not present those statements to you? Upon this, the blessed face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) changed. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Do you not see the anger on the blessed face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) immediately said: I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the Messenger. This removed the anger of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), then he said: By the One in Whose hand is my soul! If Moses (peace be upon him) were to come among you today, and you were to leave me and follow him, you would be misguided. Among the nations, you have been apportioned to me, and among the prophets, I have been apportioned to you.
The chain is invalid. Jabir bin Yazid Jufi is weak and abandoned. It is a narration of Sufyan Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him).
❀ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لم يصح
This narration is not established.
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him):
جاء عمر بجوامع من التوراة إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: يا رسول الله، جوامع من التوراة أخذتها من أخ لي من بني زريق، فتغير وجه رسول الله، فقال عبد الله ابن زيد الذى أري الأذان: أمسخ الله عقلك؟ ألا ترى الذى بوجه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ فقال عمر: رضينا بالله ربا، وبالإسلام دينا، وبمحمد نبيا، وبالقرآن إماما، فسري عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثم قال: والذي نفس محمد بيده، لو كان موسى بين أظهركم، ثم اتبعتموه وتركتموني؛ لضللتم ضلالا بعيدا، أنتم حظي من الأمم، وأنا حظكم من النبيين
Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) brought some comprehensive phrases from the Torah to the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! These are some comprehensive phrases from the Torah which I took from one of my brothers belonging to Banu Zuraik. Upon this, the blessed face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) changed. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him), who was taught the call to prayer in a dream, said: (O Umar!) Has Allah distorted your intellect? Do you not see the anger on the face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the Prophet, and the Quran as the Imam. Thus, the anger of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was removed and he said: By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace be upon him), if Moses (peace be upon him) were present with you and you left me to follow him, you would fall into great misguidance. Among the nations, you have been apportioned to me, and among the prophets, I have been apportioned to you.
The chain is weak. Abu Amir, Qasim bin Muhammad, Asadi’s biographies are not found.
❀ Hafiz Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لم أر من ترجمه
I have not seen anyone record his biography.
Abu Ishaq Subayi is a muddler and mixed narrator. Abu Habibah Tai is unknown.
❀ Imam Yahya bin Ma’in (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لا أدري
I do not know who this is?
❀ It is narrated from Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him):
إن عمر بن الخطاب رضوان الله عليه قال: يا رسول الله، إن أهل الكتاب يحدثوننا بأحاديث قد أخذت بقلوبنا، وقد هممنا أن نكتبها، فقال: يا ابن الخطاب، أمتهوكن أنتم كما تهوكت اليهود والنصارى؟ أما والذي نفس محمد بيده، لقد جئتكم بها بيضاء نقية، ولكني أعطيت جوامع الكلم، واختصر لي الحديث اختصارا
Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! The People of the Book tell us many things that touch our hearts and we intend to write them down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Ibn Khattab! Have you also begun to fall into doubts like the Jews and Christians? By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace be upon him)! Surely I have brought to you a clear and radiant Shariah, but I have been given comprehensive words and the matter has been made brief for me.
The chain is weak. Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) did not meet or hear from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and he is also a muddler. Thus, this chain is disconnected.
❀ It is narrated from Abu Qulabah (may Allah have mercy on him):
إن عمر بن الخطاب مر برجل يقرأ كتابا سمعه ساعة، فاستحسنه فقال للرجل: أتكتب من هذا الكتاب؟ قال: نعم، فاشترى أديما لنفسه، ثم جاء به إليه فنسخه فى بطنه وظهره، ثم أتى به النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فجعل يقرأه عليه، وجعل وجه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يتلون، فضرب رجل من الأنصار بيده الكتاب، وقال: ثكلتك أمك يا ابن الخطاب، ألا ترى إلى وجه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم منذ اليوم وأنت تقرأ هذا الكتاب؟ فقال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عند ذلك: إنما بعثت فاتحا وخاتما، وأعطيت جوامع الكلم وفواتحه، واختصر لي الحديث اختصارا، فلا يهلكنكم المتهوكون
Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by a person who was reading a book. He listened to him for a while and liked the speech. He said to that person: Will you copy some of this book for me? He said: Yes. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) bought leather and brought it to that person, who wrote on the inside and outside of the leather. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) took that writing and presented it to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) and began to read it to him. The color of the face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) began to change. An Ansari companion struck that writing and said: Ibn al-Khattab! May your mother lose you! You keep reading this writing persistently. Are you not looking at the face of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) today? At that time, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I have been sent as the opener (the one who opens Divine Mercy or the gates of Paradise or prophethood, as the first to write my finality of prophethood), and the Seal (Seal of the Prophets). I have been given comprehensive words and the matter has been made brief for me, so let no one who causes doubts make you fall into doubts.
The narration is very weak. Abu Qulabah is narrating a mursal hadith. It is a narration of Abd al-Razzaq bin Hammam. There is discussion about Muammar’s narration from the people of Basra. Ayub al-Sakhtiyani is also from Basra, so the narration is defective. In conclusion: This narration, along with all follow-ups and evidences, is weak and not established.
