Now what is the rank of that man, whom Marwan exceeded in knowledge?
Perhaps, with attention to these traditional reports and strange and
unrecognized reports or statements that are mentioned in jurisprudence for this
man, you will see that Ibrahim Nakhai remarked when Ibne Umar was mentioned
before him that he used perfume during Ihram: “What do we have to do with his
statements?”1
And as mentioned by Ibne Saad in his Tabaqatul Kubra,2 Shobi said: Ibne
Umar narrates many traditions, but he does not understand them well (he was a
narrator and not a jurist).
This is the point of view of Shobi, but we do not differentiate between the
traditions of this man and his understanding, and both of them were same and
bad, on the contrary, his traditions were worse and more destructive than his
jurisprudence and his negative understanding led to the evil and destructiveness
of his traditions.
As if Shobi was not aware of the evidences of his bad memory and
interpolation of traditions by him; that is why we will mention some of them by
way of samples:
1. Tibrani3 has narrated from Musa bin Talha that: Ayesha was informed
that Ibne Umar says: “Sudden death is an anger on believers.” Ayesha said: “May
Allah forgive Ibne Umar, indeed, Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said: Sudden
death is reduction of sins for believers and anger on disbelievers.”4
2. Bukhari5 has narrated from Ibne Umar that: The Prophet stood at the well
of Badr (which contained the corpses of pagans) and said, “Have you found true
what your lord promised you?” Then he further said, “They now hear what I
say.” This was mentioned before Aisha and she said, “But the Prophet said, ‘Now
they know very well that what I used to tell them was the truth.’
It is mentioned in the words of Ahmad in his Musnad6 that: On the day of
Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) stood at the well of Badr and
said: “O son and so, O son and so, did you find true the promise of God? By God,
they are hearing me speak right now!” Yahya says: Then Ayesha said: “May God
forgive Abu Abdur Rahman, it is a mistake. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)
said: By God, now they understand that what I said was truth. And Allah, the
Mighty and the High says:
إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى
“Surely you do not make the dead to hear.”7
وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ
“And you cannot make those hear who are in the graves.”8
3. In the book of Insaf, by Shah Waliullah, it is mentioned that: Ibne Umar
has narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) that: Indeed the dead are
punished due to lamentation of his living relatives. Ayesha said that he has not
understood the tradition. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) passed by the dead
body of a Jew woman for whom her relatives were lamenting. He remarked:
“They are lamenting on her while she is being punished.” Ibne Umar thought that
weeping of the relatives caused the dead to be punished and thought that this
applies to every deceased.
We have mentioned this tradition through Sihah and Musnad books,9 and
there we have discussed this matter in detail.
4. Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih,10 in the chapter of Adhan narrating
from Ibne Umar that: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said: Indeed, Bilal recites
the Adhan at night, then he eats and eats and drink till Ibne Maktum recites the
Adhan. This tradition is from the instances in which Ayesha said that Ibne Umar
has made a mistake, and her correction is as follows: Indeed this Ibne Maktum
recites Adhan at night and then eats and drinks till Bilal recites the Adhan.
According to Baihaqi in his Sunan,11 it is mentioned that Ayesha said: The
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said that: “Indeed, Ibne Maktum is blind, thus,
whenever Adhan is recited he eats and drinks till Bilal recites the Adhan.”
Ayesha says: And Bilal understood when it was dawn and Ayesha says: Ibne
Umar has made an error.
5. Ahmad in his Musnad12 has narrated from Yahya bin Abdur Rahman bin
Hatib from Abdullah bin Umar that: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said: The
month comprises of twenty-nine days. Ayesha said: May God forgive Abu Abdur
Rahman, he has erred. Once the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) separated from his
wives for a month. On the 29th he came down from his upper storey. People
asked: O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), you came down on the 29th? He replied:
This month is of twenty-nine days.
And it is mentioned on page 56 that: He was told: and he said: Sometime the
month comprises of 29 days.
Ibne Umar used to believe that every month comprises of 29 days and he
acted upon it. And he said: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said that a month comprises of twenty-nine days, and when it used to be cloudy, he used to fast the
following day.13