Excerpted from: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah (Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām), Vol. 2, p. 434
Source: Monthly Shahādat, March 2007 Edition
On page 36 of the March 2007 edition of the monthly magazine Shahādat, a well-known incident attributed to Sayyidunā ʿUmar (RA) is mentioned under the title “Fulfilling the Promise”:
① Hormuzān, a renowned general of Persia, was captured and brought before Sayyidunā ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (RA).
② ʿUmar (RA) invited him to accept Islam, but Hormuzān refused.
③ Due to his rejection and perceived harm to Islam, ʿUmar (RA) ordered his execution.
④ As preparations for execution began, Hormuzān requested water and asked:
“I am thirsty; may I be given water before being killed?”
Permission was granted, and he was given a bowl of water.
⑤ Holding the bowl, he asked:
“Until I drink this water, will I be safe from being killed?”
ʿUmar (RA) replied:
“Yes, you will not be killed until you drink the water.”
⑥ Hormuzān immediately poured the water and said:
“O Commander of the Believers! You made a promise; now fulfill it.”
⑦ ʿUmar (RA) responded:
“You will not be killed at present. I will deliberate on your case.”
The executioner was instructed to withdraw his sword.
⑧ At that moment, Hormuzān loudly recited the Shahādah:
"أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله"
⑨ ʿUmar (RA) remarked:
“You have embraced Islam—good. But why did you not accept it when I first invited you?”
Hormuzān replied:
“I feared it would be said that I accepted Islam out of fear of death.”
⑩ ʿUmar (RA) is reported to have said:
"عقول فارس تزن الجبال"
Meaning: “The intellects of the Persians are as weighty as mountains”—indicating their profound intelligence.
This incident appears in several historical sources, though without any authentic chain of narration, including:
◈ Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd (Vol. 5, pp. 89–90)
◈ al-Muntaẓam by Ibn al-Jawzī (Vol. 4, pp. 234–235, 17 AH, referencing Ibn Saʿd)
◈ Tārīkh al-Islām by al-Dhahabī (Vol. 3, pp. 294–295, referencing Ibn Saʿd)
◈ al-Kāmil by Ibn al-Athīr
◈ Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn
The narrative is primarily linked to Sayf ibn ʿUmar al-Tamīmī, who is widely regarded as a weak narrator in both ḥadīth and historical reports.
◈ Tārīkh Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (Vol. 4, pp. 83–88; alternate edition: Vol. 1, pp. 2551–2559)
◈ al-Muntaẓam (Vol. 4, pp. 232–235)
Due to Sayf ibn ʿUmar's weakness and multiple narrative flaws, this story is unacceptable from the standpoint of isnād (chain of transmission).
A variant of the story, excluding the water and thirst episode, is recorded in Tārīkh Khalīfah ibn Khayyāṭ:
“ʿUmar (RA) told Hormuzān: Speak, there is no harm. Hormuzān used this statement as a means to save his life.”
(Tārīkh Khalīfah ibn Khayyāṭ, p. 147)
This narration is authentic up to Ḥumayd al-Ṭawīl, who relayed it from Anas ibn Mālik (RA) using the ambiguous “ʿan” (from).
◈ Some scholars accept Ḥumayd al-Ṭawīl’s “ʿan” narrations from Anas (RA) as authentic.
◈ He was a third-tier mudallis (obfuscating transmitter).
◈ The preferred scholarly opinion is that outside of the Ṣaḥīḥayn (Bukhārī and Muslim), his isolated narrations with “ʿan” are considered weak.
Hence, the story—especially its extended details—is weak in terms of chain authenticity.
Wallāhu Aʿlam
Important Clarification: Hormuzān was later killed by ʿUbaydullāh ibn ʿUmar (RA) shortly after the martyrdom of Sayyidunā ʿUmar (RA), due to suspicion and anger.
(Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd, Vol. 3, pp. 355–356; chain is authentic)
The authentic narration of Hormuzān’s acceptance of Islam is found in:
◈ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Ḥadīth No. 3159)
The saying “ʿUqūl Fāris Tazinu al-Jibāl” (The intellects of the Persians are as weighty as mountains) is unsubstantiated and lacks any authentic basis.
✔ The chains of narration are weak
✔ Many of the details are transmitted by unreliable historical narrators
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī confirms Hormuzān’s acceptance of Islam
✔ The water-related episode is based on a weak and unsupported narration
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
❖ A Historical Inquiry into the Islam of Hormuzān
Source: Monthly Shahādat, March 2007 Edition
On page 36 of the March 2007 edition of the monthly magazine Shahādat, a well-known incident attributed to Sayyidunā ʿUmar (RA) is mentioned under the title “Fulfilling the Promise”:
❖ Summary of the Reported Incident
① Hormuzān, a renowned general of Persia, was captured and brought before Sayyidunā ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (RA).
② ʿUmar (RA) invited him to accept Islam, but Hormuzān refused.
③ Due to his rejection and perceived harm to Islam, ʿUmar (RA) ordered his execution.
④ As preparations for execution began, Hormuzān requested water and asked:
“I am thirsty; may I be given water before being killed?”
Permission was granted, and he was given a bowl of water.
⑤ Holding the bowl, he asked:
“Until I drink this water, will I be safe from being killed?”
ʿUmar (RA) replied:
“Yes, you will not be killed until you drink the water.”
⑥ Hormuzān immediately poured the water and said:
“O Commander of the Believers! You made a promise; now fulfill it.”
⑦ ʿUmar (RA) responded:
“You will not be killed at present. I will deliberate on your case.”
The executioner was instructed to withdraw his sword.
⑧ At that moment, Hormuzān loudly recited the Shahādah:
"أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله"
⑨ ʿUmar (RA) remarked:
“You have embraced Islam—good. But why did you not accept it when I first invited you?”
Hormuzān replied:
“I feared it would be said that I accepted Islam out of fear of death.”
⑩ ʿUmar (RA) is reported to have said:
"عقول فارس تزن الجبال"
Meaning: “The intellects of the Persians are as weighty as mountains”—indicating their profound intelligence.
❖ Verification and Referencing of the Incident
This incident appears in several historical sources, though without any authentic chain of narration, including:
◈ Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd (Vol. 5, pp. 89–90)
◈ al-Muntaẓam by Ibn al-Jawzī (Vol. 4, pp. 234–235, 17 AH, referencing Ibn Saʿd)
◈ Tārīkh al-Islām by al-Dhahabī (Vol. 3, pp. 294–295, referencing Ibn Saʿd)
◈ al-Kāmil by Ibn al-Athīr
◈ Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn
❖ Weak Narrator: Sayf ibn ʿUmar al-Tamīmī
The narrative is primarily linked to Sayf ibn ʿUmar al-Tamīmī, who is widely regarded as a weak narrator in both ḥadīth and historical reports.
◈ Tārīkh Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (Vol. 4, pp. 83–88; alternate edition: Vol. 1, pp. 2551–2559)
◈ al-Muntaẓam (Vol. 4, pp. 232–235)
Due to Sayf ibn ʿUmar's weakness and multiple narrative flaws, this story is unacceptable from the standpoint of isnād (chain of transmission).
❖ Account in
A variant of the story, excluding the water and thirst episode, is recorded in Tārīkh Khalīfah ibn Khayyāṭ:
“ʿUmar (RA) told Hormuzān: Speak, there is no harm. Hormuzān used this statement as a means to save his life.”
(Tārīkh Khalīfah ibn Khayyāṭ, p. 147)
This narration is authentic up to Ḥumayd al-Ṭawīl, who relayed it from Anas ibn Mālik (RA) using the ambiguous “ʿan” (from).
❖ Status of Ḥumayd al-Ṭawīl's Narration
◈ Some scholars accept Ḥumayd al-Ṭawīl’s “ʿan” narrations from Anas (RA) as authentic.
◈ He was a third-tier mudallis (obfuscating transmitter).
◈ The preferred scholarly opinion is that outside of the Ṣaḥīḥayn (Bukhārī and Muslim), his isolated narrations with “ʿan” are considered weak.
Hence, the story—especially its extended details—is weak in terms of chain authenticity.
Wallāhu Aʿlam
❖ Historical Note: The Killing of Hormuzān
Important Clarification: Hormuzān was later killed by ʿUbaydullāh ibn ʿUmar (RA) shortly after the martyrdom of Sayyidunā ʿUmar (RA), due to suspicion and anger.
(Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd, Vol. 3, pp. 355–356; chain is authentic)
❖ Hormuzān’s Conversion to Islam
The authentic narration of Hormuzān’s acceptance of Islam is found in:
◈ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Ḥadīth No. 3159)
❖ “ʿUqūl Fāris Tazinu al-Jibāl” – Fabricated Statement
The saying “ʿUqūl Fāris Tazinu al-Jibāl” (The intellects of the Persians are as weighty as mountains) is unsubstantiated and lacks any authentic basis.
❖ Conclusion
✔ The chains of narration are weak
✔ Many of the details are transmitted by unreliable historical narrators
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī confirms Hormuzān’s acceptance of Islam
✔ The water-related episode is based on a weak and unsupported narration
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
