Conclusion
These were some intellectual masterpieces of Umar, which we could access
and some of the points distilled are:
“1. The Caliph, used to learn Islamic issues from companions as he himself
lacked this knowledge; though some of them were also completely ignorant.
Before everyone, was our master, Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.), from whom he
inquired most about knowledge and wisdom, as we mentioned before and due to
which, he said:
‘If Ali had not been there, Umar would have perished.’”
And his statement: “If Ali had not been there, Umar would have lost his
way.”
And his statement: “O God. Do not pose a difficulty to me, when Ali is not
there to solve it.”
And his statement: “O Abul Hasan, may God not leave me alone, where you
are not present.”
And his statement: “O God, don’t present a problem to me, except when Ali
is at my side.”
And his statement: “If Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.) had not been there, Umar
would have perished.”
And his statement: “I seek the refuge of God from a difficulty, where Ali is
not present.”
And his statement: “Women are unable to give birth to the like of Ali Ibne
Abi Talib (a.s.). If Ali had not been there, Umar would have been destroyed.”
And his statement: “Refer the statements of Umar to Ali; if Ali were not
there, Umar would have perished.”
And his statement: “May God not keep me alive after the son of Abu Talib.”
And his statement: “O Ali, you are summoned to solve every problem and
difficulty.”
And his statement: “Has any free woman given birth to and reared the like of
him?”
And his statement: “Alas, here is the branch of Bani Hashim, branch of
Prophet and vestige of knowledge needed by everyone, while he is not needful of
it, and wisdom is available in his house.”
And his statement: “O Ali, may God not leave me alone in a difficulty,
where you are not present nor in the city, where you are not present.”
And his statement: “O son of Abu Talib, you are always the remover of every doubt and one, who makes all commands clear.”
And his statement: “If you had not been there, I would have been
disgraced.”
And his statement: “I seek refuge of God from every difficulty where Abul
Hasan is not there.”
And his statement [as he gestured to Ali (a.s.)]: “This man is the most
knowledgeable about our Prophet and Book of our Prophet.”
And due to his dire need of knowledge, guidance of companions and
removal of his deviation through them, on many occasions, he was compelled to
seek assistance from senior companions in judicial matters and he referred to
them and discussed with them. And this statement of his exposes the fact: “All
people are more learned than Umar.”
And his statement: “You heard me speak in this manner and did not deny,
till an uneducated old lady rejected that.”
And his statement: “O Umar, all are more accomplished than you.”
And his statement: All the people, even ladies in women’s quarters, are more
accomplished than Umar.
And his statement: All the people, even ladies behind veils, are more
accomplished than Umar.
And his statement: O Umar, all are more learned than you.
And his statement: O Umar, all are more learned than you, even aged ladies.
And his statement: All are more accomplished than me.
All the above mentioned traditions and hundreds of others like them, make
us aware that the Caliph was not imbued with qualities and specialties which
senior personalities of Ummah have mentioned regarding Imamate.
Imamal Harmain, Juwaini says in Al-Irshad Ilaa Qawatiul Adilla fee Usulul
Itiqad:1
“Among the requirements of the imam is that he should be capable of
independent judgment (Ijtehaad) in such a way that in new problems, he should
not be needful of asking others and this condition is necessary according to
consensus.”