Muslim

Hadith Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:
This second questioner is Sa'd bin Salim, the freed slave (mawla) of Shaybah bin Rabi'ah.

Hadith Footnote:
Someone asked, "Where is my she-camel at this moment?" Someone asked, "When will the Day of Judgment come?" Someone asked, "Is Hajj obligatory every year?" and so on.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Hazrat Anas radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to the mosque at the time of Dhuhr, and after completing the prayer, ascended the pulpit and mentioned the Day of Resurrection. Then, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam permitted people to ask questions, so people began to ask useless types of questions, such as:
Where is my lost she-camel? When will the Day of Resurrection come? Is Hajj obligatory every year? Can the mountain of Safa turn into gold? Who is my father? What will be my fate? Upon such purposeless questions, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam became angry.
Since Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu was well-acquainted with the temperament of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
he apologized and said:
O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! Please pardon us, until the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam became pleased.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-I‘tisam bil-Kitab wa al-Sunnah, Hadith 7294 and Fath al-Bari: 13/331)

➋
In one narration, when Abdullah bin Hudhafah radi Allahu anhu asked about his father, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told him:
“Your father is Hudhafah.”
He went home and mentioned this to his mother, so his mother said to him:
You know that we have lived through the time of ignorance (Jahiliyyah).
Perhaps you would have become the cause of my disgrace. He replied:
I wanted to know about my father, whoever he may have been.
(Musnad Ahmad: 2/503)

➌
It was necessary to prohibit such types of questions, so Allah Ta‘ala said:
“O you who believe! Do not ask about things which, if they are made plain to you, may cause you trouble.” ()
After this, Hazrat Umar radi Allahu anhu apologized and said:
We seek Allah Ta‘ala’s protection from such tribulations.
(Fath al-Bari: 13/331)

Explanation:
To ask frivolous and pointless questions of a person of knowledge is sheer ignorance. Then, to ask such questions of the Messenger of Allah is, in fact, a great act of disrespect. That is why, upon such unwarranted questions, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) became angry and said, "Ask whatever you wish." This is because, although in his human capacity he did not possess knowledge of the unseen, yet, by virtue of being Allah’s chosen Messenger, through revelation (wahy) and inspiration (ilham), most matters would become known to him, or could become known to him, as and when needed. That is why he said, "You people do not believe, so now ask whatever you wish; whatever answer I receive from Allah, I will inform you." Upon witnessing his displeasure, Umar (radi Allahu anhu), representing the other attendees, promised to refrain from such questions.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
There were also hypocrites present in the gatherings of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). They would ask you inappropriate questions. One day, when such absurd questions began, you said, "Today, ask whatever you wish to ask." You said this out of anger, and thus your anger increased with every question. People used to taunt Abdullah bin Hudhafah a lot regarding his lineage. He considered this an opportune moment and asked, "Who is my father?" Then Sa'd bin Salim, the freed slave of Shaybah, also asked a similar question. Although, as a human being, you were not a knower of the unseen (ghayb), but as the chosen Messenger of Allah, you would be informed through revelation (wahy) of such matters as were necessary for you. When Umar (radi Allahu anhu) perceived the anger on your blessed face, he, representing the other attendees, promised to refrain from such questions.

2.
In the narration from Anas (radi Allahu anhu), it is mentioned that when Umar (radi Allahu anhu) saw the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in a state of anger, he sat down on his knees and said: "We are pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our religion, and with Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) as our Prophet." (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-‘Ilm, Hadith: 93) There is no contradiction in these narrations, because Umar (radi Allahu anhu) apologized, as is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Musa (radi Allahu anhu), and he also sat on his knees and uttered the aforementioned words, as Anas (radi Allahu anhu) has narrated. (Fath al-Bari: 1/247)

3.
From this, it is also understood that excessive questioning and unnecessary affectations are a reprehensible act, and that asking frivolous and absurd questions to a person of knowledge is sheer foolishness and ignorance, because such questions have no relevance to a person's practical life.