No habit of worship is narrated about the Caliph, during the period of
Prophet or after that, except things proved with much trouble or fabricated
philosophy – if philosophy is beneficial for something, which does not exist.
Mohib Tabari has mentioned in Riyazun Nazara1: Umar bin Khattab came to
the wife of Abu Bakr after the latter’s death and asked her about his activities at
home. She reported about his remaining awake all nights and acts he performed.
She said:
“He made ablution every Friday eve and recited the Isha prayer; then while
his head was between his knees he sat facing the Qibla till it was dawn. Then he
raised his head and took a deep breath and the house was filled with the smell of
his burning liver.”2
So, Umar wept and said: “O son of Khattab, how can the liver be burnt?”
It is mentioned in Miratul Jinan that: “When Abu Bakr sighed, the smell of his scorched liver used to emanate.”3
It is mentioned in Umdatul Tahqiq of Ubaidi Maliki that:4
“When Abu Bakr died and Umar became the Caliph, he emulated Abu Bakr.
When he came to Ayesha and Asma, he asked: ‘What did the Siddiq do when he
came home at night?’
He was told: ‘We have not seen him praying much at nights. He used to rise
up at dawn and squat, place his head between his knees; then raise his head to the
sky and sigh deeply, saying: Aakh! And smoke came out from his mouth.’
Umar wept and said: ‘Umar can do everything, except produce smoke.’”
Then Ubaidi continues:
“The reasoning is that severity of fear of Allah, the Mighty and the High was
the cause of fire in his heart and one, who sat near him was able to perceive the
smell of burnt flesh; its result was that Siddiq did not have the capacity to bear
the secrets of prophethood, which were given to him. It is mentioned in a
tradition that: “I am the most cognizant of you about God and I have the most
fear for Allah from among you.”
Thus, complete cognition removes the veil from majesty and elegance of the
one recognized (God), and both (majesty and elegance) are great issues as power
in that is achieved and one, who cannot achieve it, and if stability and strength
from Almighty Allah is not achieved by anyone, no one get an iota of majesty and elegance and Abu Bakr developed power for both; because it is narrated that:
“Nothing was dropped into my heart, except that I dropped it on the heart of Abu Bakr.”
If Jibraeel had dropped it on the breast of Abu Bakr, he would not have
achieved that power since it was not from a being of same nature, but since it was
dropped on the heart of Prophet (s.a.w.a.), who was from human beings, it flowed
in a spring like the Siddiq was, and through this he created the strength to bear it;
but in spite of this, his heart was put afire.”
Hakim Tirmidhi and Nawadirul Usul,5 has narrated from Bakr bin Abdullah Mazni that:
“Abu Bakr did not have precedence among people in prayer and fasting, but
precedence in what he had in his heart.”
Allamah Amini says: If the tradition of roasting of liver is correct, it is
necessary that it should be present in prophets and most of all in Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.a.), because they were more fearful of Almighty Allah than Abu Bakr. And
seal of prophets was more fearful of Allah than everyone else.
Also, this burning smell should be more among them and should spread
more, because fear, is a result of an awe, which appears for men due to greatness,
awe and power and the verse:
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمُوا
“Only who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah.”6
Proves the same point, and it is mentioned in another tradition that:
“The most knowledgeable among you is one, who is more fearful of God.”7
That is why you see that the person most proximate to the ruler is more
fearful of him than others; thus you see the minister; that he accords more respect
to the king and fears him more, this continues in this manner till we reach the
army men and then ordinary subjects.
And then come the saints and the proximate ones to God, and those having
precedence in fearing the Lord, and who are annihilated in worship and servitude.
At the forefront of all being Maula Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), who in the
darkness of night writhed like one bitten by a snake and lamented like a
sorrowful person, and lamented and spoke in an extremely fearful manner and
humiliation, and this is when he, according to the clarification of Prophet – was
mentioned – as distributor of Paradise and Hell and every night, he used to fall
unconscious a number of times.
But no one smelled burnt liver from him and other saints of God. And if
what they imagined was real, from the time of Adam (a.s.) till the age of caliph, the whole world would have been full of smoke and become dark due to that.
Did the reporter of this funny report think that there is a fire on the liver of
one, who is fearful, which puts forth flames and from that smoke rises up? If it is
as such, then why what is present inside the man does not burn, and its cooking is
restricted to liver?!
Does the liver has the conditions of one, who is chastised, that when their
skin is completely burnt up, it would be replaced with another skin; otherwise the
liver will be destroyed with this permanent fire.
If you are amazed, be amazed about the man, who is still alive after his liver
is destroyed! Perhaps if you insist on the narrator about these inquiries, he would
reply that all these are miracles of the Caliph.
I think that the fabricator of these imaginations was someone, who had just
learnt Arabic; because the pure Arab knows well that in the language of Arabs,
excessive idioms and metaphor are used. Thus, if they say: The fire of fear burns
so and so; the implication is not that the fire, which flames and from which
smoke rises up or the smell of burnt flesh will emanate from it. On the contrary,
implication is extreme sorrow and grief and metaphorical burning, which is like
apparent fire.
As for the philosophy of this fire in the liver of Caliph, which Ubaidi has
also exalted, is without your claims, as it has many exaggerations.
That is the nonsensical statement attributed to him. Also, scholars have clarified that it is a fake report.8