✍ Compiled by: Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Anwar Zāhid (ḥafiẓahullāh)
It is attributed to Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) that:
A Bedouin brought some camels for sale. ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) began examining them, even kicking them to make them stand and inspecting them closely.
The Bedouin rebuked him, saying:
“May your father not exist! Get away from my camels!”
When ʿUmar did not stop, the man said:
“I think you’re a very bad man!”
After completing his inspection, ʿUmar bought a camel and said:
“Take the price and give me the camel.”
The Bedouin responded:
“Let me remove the saddle and reins first.”
ʿUmar replied:
“When I bought the camel, the saddle and reins were already on it.”
The Bedouin insisted:
“You are indeed a bad man.”
While they were arguing, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) came along. ʿUmar asked the Bedouin:
“Will you accept this man (ʿAlī) as a judge between us?”
The Bedouin agreed. After hearing the case, ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) said:
“O Amīr al-Muʾminīn! If, at the time of purchase, you had explicitly included the saddle and reins as part of the sale, then they are yours. Otherwise, the seller may increase his price and withhold them.”
(Source: Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl, 2/316)
This narration is transmitted by Ḥafṣ ibn Aslam al-Aṣfar, a narrator heavily criticized by Hadith scholars.
✔ Ibn ʿAdī:
“He narrates strange and bizarre stories.”
✔ Imām al-Bukhārī:
"He transmits what has no basis."
✔ Ibn Ḥibbān:
“He narrates baseless reports. It seems he fabricated this very narration himself.”
(References:
Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl: 2/316
Al-Mughnī: 1/179
Al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl: 3/169
Al-Ḍuʿafāʾ wa al-Matrūkīn: 1/220)
Even from a logical and contextual standpoint, the narration is:
✔ The narration is fabricated (mawḍūʿ) and not authentic.
✔ The chain of narration contains a known fabricator, Ḥafṣ ibn Aslam al-Aṣfar, who has been rejected by all major Hadith critics.
✔ The content is illogical, and the tone is unbefitting of the personalities involved.
✔ This story should not be quoted as fact, and it does not represent authentic Islamic history or Hadith.
◉ The Narration
It is attributed to Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) that:
A Bedouin brought some camels for sale. ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) began examining them, even kicking them to make them stand and inspecting them closely.
The Bedouin rebuked him, saying:
“May your father not exist! Get away from my camels!”
When ʿUmar did not stop, the man said:
“I think you’re a very bad man!”
After completing his inspection, ʿUmar bought a camel and said:
“Take the price and give me the camel.”
The Bedouin responded:
“Let me remove the saddle and reins first.”
ʿUmar replied:
“When I bought the camel, the saddle and reins were already on it.”
The Bedouin insisted:
“You are indeed a bad man.”
While they were arguing, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) came along. ʿUmar asked the Bedouin:
“Will you accept this man (ʿAlī) as a judge between us?”
The Bedouin agreed. After hearing the case, ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) said:
“O Amīr al-Muʾminīn! If, at the time of purchase, you had explicitly included the saddle and reins as part of the sale, then they are yours. Otherwise, the seller may increase his price and withhold them.”
(Source: Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl, 2/316)
◉ Hadith Criticism: Analysis of the Chain
❖ Main Narrator: Ḥafṣ ibn Aslam al-Aṣfar
This narration is transmitted by Ḥafṣ ibn Aslam al-Aṣfar, a narrator heavily criticized by Hadith scholars.
✔ Ibn ʿAdī:
“He narrates strange and bizarre stories.”
✔ Imām al-Bukhārī:
"He transmits what has no basis."
✔ Ibn Ḥibbān:
“He narrates baseless reports. It seems he fabricated this very narration himself.”
(References:
Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl: 2/316
Al-Mughnī: 1/179
Al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl: 3/169
Al-Ḍuʿafāʾ wa al-Matrūkīn: 1/220)
◉ Analysis of the Content (Dirāyah)
Even from a logical and contextual standpoint, the narration is:
- Inappropriate in portraying ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) — a pious, just, and respected Khalīfah — as abrasive or unfair in a simple trade dealing.
- Historically inconsistent, as such animosity and insults from a random Bedouin would not go unchecked in the public presence of a Caliph.
- The language used (“you are a bad man,” “get away from my camels”) is undignified and unsuitable for a narration involving such great personalities.
- The narration tries to elevate ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) by showing him correcting ʿUmar, which appears sectarian in tone, and reminiscent of fabrications by later groups to advance theological agendas.
◉ Conclusion
✔ The narration is fabricated (mawḍūʿ) and not authentic.
✔ The chain of narration contains a known fabricator, Ḥafṣ ibn Aslam al-Aṣfar, who has been rejected by all major Hadith critics.
✔ The content is illogical, and the tone is unbefitting of the personalities involved.
✔ This story should not be quoted as fact, and it does not represent authentic Islamic history or Hadith.
