The narration attributed to Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) in which he reportedly said:
"If it were not for Mu’adh, Umar would have perished" (لولا معاذ هلك عمر)
has serious weaknesses in its chain of transmission (Sanad).
"O Commander of the Faithful! I was away from my wife for two years, and now I have returned to find her pregnant."
Sayyiduna Umar (رضي الله عنه) consulted with people regarding whether she should be stoned for adultery.
Sayyiduna Mu’adh ibn Jabal (رضي الله عنه) intervened and said:
"O Commander of the Faithful! If you have authority over her, you do not have authority over what is in her womb. Leave her until she gives birth."
Sayyiduna Umar (رضي الله عنه) followed this advice.
The woman later gave birth to a child whose front teeth had already emerged.
The man, seeing the child’s resemblance to himself, swore by the Lord of the Ka’bah: "This is my child!"
Upon witnessing this, Sayyiduna Umar (رضي الله عنه) remarked:
"Women have become incapable of giving birth to someone like Mu’adh! If it were not for Mu’adh, Umar would have perished!"
Sources:
Due to the major weaknesses in its chain, it is not a reliable narration and should not be used as definitive evidence in Islamic discussions.
References:
"If it were not for Mu’adh, Umar would have perished" (لولا معاذ هلك عمر)
has serious weaknesses in its chain of transmission (Sanad).
Full Narration:
A man came to Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) and said:"O Commander of the Faithful! I was away from my wife for two years, and now I have returned to find her pregnant."
Sayyiduna Umar (رضي الله عنه) consulted with people regarding whether she should be stoned for adultery.
Sayyiduna Mu’adh ibn Jabal (رضي الله عنه) intervened and said:
"O Commander of the Faithful! If you have authority over her, you do not have authority over what is in her womb. Leave her until she gives birth."
Sayyiduna Umar (رضي الله عنه) followed this advice.
The woman later gave birth to a child whose front teeth had already emerged.
The man, seeing the child’s resemblance to himself, swore by the Lord of the Ka’bah: "This is my child!"
Upon witnessing this, Sayyiduna Umar (رضي الله عنه) remarked:
"Women have become incapable of giving birth to someone like Mu’adh! If it were not for Mu’adh, Umar would have perished!"
Sources:
- Sunan Sa'id ibn Mansur (2076)
- Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (5/543)
- Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq (7/354, Hadith 13454)
- Sunan al-Daraqutni (3876)
- Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (7/443)
- Tarikh Ibn ‘Asakir (58/488)
Analysis of the Chain (Sanad):
Weakness Due to Al-A’mash (الأعمش):- Sulaiman ibn Mahran al-A’mash is a Mudallis (one who conceals narrators in the chain).
- He did not explicitly state hearing (سماع) from his source in this narration, which makes it unreliable.
- The phrase "Ashyakhuna" (أشياخ منا) (some of our elders) in the chain refers to anonymous narrators.
- Anonymous narrators weaken the credibility of a report.
- In Tarikh Ibn ‘Asakir, the narration does not include "Ashyakhuna," but it is still problematic.
- Abu Sufyan did not live in the era of Umar (رضي الله عنه), making his attribution to this event historically doubtful.
Final Ruling on the Hadith:
- This narration is classified as "Severely Weak" (شديد الضعف) or "Fabricated" (موضوع).
- Due to the weak narrators, tadlis (concealment), and unknown sources, this narration cannot be relied upon as an authentic statement of Sayyiduna Umar (رضي الله عنه).
Conclusion:
The statement "Lola Mu’adh, Halaka ‘Umar" is often quoted, but it does not have an authentic basis.Due to the major weaknesses in its chain, it is not a reliable narration and should not be used as definitive evidence in Islamic discussions.
References:
- Sunan Sa'id ibn Mansur (2076)
- Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq (13454)
- Tarikh Ibn ‘Asakir (58/488)
- Sunan al-Daraqutni (3876)
- Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (7/443)
