An African couple came to Umar and the husband said: “As you see, I am
black with black ancestry and my wife is also black, but she has given birth to a
red skinned child!”
The woman said: “O chief of believers, I swear by God, I have not been
unfaithful and this child is his only.”
Umar was confused, so he asked Ali (a.s.) about it. His Eminence (a.s.)
asked that black man: “Would you tell me the truth, if I ask you about
something?”
He replied: “Yes, by God.”
He asked: “Did you copulate with your wife when she was in menses?”
“Yes,” he replied.
Ali (a.s.) said: “God is the greatest! The seed mixed with blood and Allah,
the Mighty and Sublime created from it a red colored child. So don’t disown the
infant as you have oppressed yourself.”1
19. Incidents of the Caliph patrolling in the nights and spying on people
1. Umar bin Khattab roamed through the streets and spied on activities of
people. He passed by a house, from which he heard some voices. He became
suspicious and climbed over the wall into the house. He saw a man, drinking
liquor in company of a woman.
Umar said: “O enemy of God, you thought that if you sinned in secret, God
will keep your sin concealed?”
That man said: “Chief of believers, don’t make haste in punishing me! If I
committed one error, you committed three! Allah says in Quran:
وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا
“And do not spy.”2
And you spied. And He says:
وَأَتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا
“And go into the houses by their doors.”3
You climbed over the wall. And He says:
فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمْ بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا
“So when you enter houses, greet your people with a salutation from Allah.”4
And you did not greet?”
Umar asked: “Have you performed some other good deed, so that I may
overlook this mistake?”
He replied: “Yes, by God and I will not repeat this act.”
“Go, I have forgiven you,” said Umar.
2. Umar bin Khattab came to some people, who were drinking liquor and
had lighted a fire in a hut, and said:
“I forbade you to drink liquor and you drank it; and I forbade you to make a
fire in a hut and you made it.” He decided to penalize them.
They said: “Chief of believers, Almighty Allah has forbidden you from
spying and you spied and forbidden you from entering, without taking permission
and you entered.”
Umar said: “Your two offences against my two offenses!” He returned from
there saying to himself: “O Umar, all the people are more knowledgeable than
you.”5
20. The Caliph’s view on liquor
It is narrated from Anas bin Malik that they brought an inebriated man to the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), and His Eminence (s.a.w.a.) had him lashed with a
couple of green branches. Anas says: Abu Bakr also acted according to this rule
during his tenure. But Umar, during his Caliphate, counseled with the people
regarding this and Abdur Rahman bin Auf said: The minimum penalty is eighty
lashes, and Umar adjudicated according to it.
Allamah Amini says: What is the value of the viewpoint of Abdur Rahman
before that of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), and Umar who regarded himself as the
Caliph of Muslim, what right he has to seek counsel and seek verdict of people
against a proven definite legal point?
21. The Caliph and a falsely accused woman
A woman was brought to Umar; who being infatuated by an Ansari youth
had tried to entice him to have relations with her. But the man was not attracted
to her. So that female devised a plot thereby, in which she brought an egg, broke
it; then threw away its yolk and applied the white to her legs and garments.
She came with other ladies and complained to Umar: “Chief of believers,
this man forced me to commit fornication and degraded me among my people.”
Umar asked the ladies to investigate the matter. After examining the girl, they concluded that traces of semen were visible on her body and clothes. Umar
decided to punish the youth. The young man wailed: “Chief of believers, hold
your hand, by God, I am not guilty. On the contrary this woman invited me to
sleep with her, but I declined.”
Umar asked Ameerul Momineen (a.s.): “O Abul Hasan, what is your
opinion?” His Eminence (a.s.) glanced at the garments of that woman and said:
“Get some boiling water.”
Then he poured the hot water on the dress and suddenly the white albumen
thickened and all could smell it. They even tasted it and found that it was egg. At
this moment His Eminence (a.s.) reproached the female and she confessed.6