Thus, Ibne Umar through this baseless statement mentions his point of view
regarding comparison between companions and that after Abu Bakr, Umar and
Uthman, no one was superior to them; and he supported the view that after them
all men were equal.
Yes, it was hard on Ibne Umar to mention Ali (a.s.) in positive terms and to
show something from his apparent merits. Whereas he issued statements about
others, which no sensible person would accept. And in that reason and logic do
not support like this chainless traditional report that if the faith of Abu Bakr is
weighed against the faith of people of the world the faith of Abu Bakr would be
heavier.1
And this chainless report that: Jibraeel came down and said: “Your Lord
informs you that: When I took the covenant from the prophets, I took your
covenant and deemed you to be their chief, and deemed Abu Bakr and Umar as
your viziers.”
And this chainless report that: When I taken up to the heavens and I reached
the fourth sky, an apple was thrown in my skirt. I picked it up and split it: a
Hourie emerged from it laughing aloud. I asked: “Tell me who you are for?” She
replied: “For the martyr, Uthman bin Affan.”
And this chainless report that: “Know that, Muawiyah will be raised on
Judgment Day, while a cloak of effulgence of faith would be upon him.”
And this chainless report that the Prophet said: “Indeed, it was revealed to
me that in some of my acts, I should seek counsel from the son of Abu Sufyan.”
And this report that: When the verse of throne was revealed, the Messenger
of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said to Muawiyah: “Write it down.” He asked: “What would I
get if I write it?” He replied: “No one would read it, but that its reward would be
recorded for you.”
And this chainless report that: “Just now a man would appear for you from
the folks of Paradise. At that time he said: You O Muawiyah, are from me and I
am from you. You would enter the gate of Paradise alongside me like these
fingers [and he showed his two fingers joined together.”
And another report that some of them were mentioned in the chapter on
fabricated reports.2
And he has taken firm steps in inventing excuses for Bani Umayyah to whom he was loyal, some examples of which were mentioned before.
Among them being the report which Ahmad has mentioned in his Musnad,3
through Uthman bin Abdullah bin Mohib that a man from Egypt came for Hajj
and saw some people seated together. He asked: Who are these? They replied:
They are Quraish. He asked: Who is their aged one? They replied: Abdullah Ibne
Umar. He said: I have a question for you. I adjure by the sanctity of this house,
do you know whether Uthman fled from the battle during the Battle of Uhad? He
replied: Yes. He asked: Do you know that he was absent during the Battle of
Badr? He replied: Yes. He asked: Do you know that he was absent in the
allegiance of Rizwan? He replied: Yes. So the Egyptian recited the Takbeer
(Allahu Akbar).
Ibne Umar said: Come here so that I may explain to what you asked about.
As for his flight on the day of Battle of Uhad, I testify that Almighty Allah has
forgiven him. And as for his absence in Battle of Badr: indeed, his wife, daughter
of the Prophet was ill. So Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) told him: You have the
reward of one, who participated in Badr. Or he said: You have a share in it. And
as for his absence in the allegiance of Rizwan: thus, if there had been someone
dearer than Uthman for Meccans he would have sent him.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) sent Uthman and the allegiance of Rizwan
occurred after the departure of Uthman and Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) placed his
one hand on another and remarked: this allegiance is on behalf of Uthman. He
(the narrator) says: Ibne Umar said: Now, take these statements with you [and
convey them to others].4
Leave Ibne Umar for extolling the sending of Uthman to Mecca, and that he
says: His Eminence, did not send him, except because he was most popular
among the folks of Mecca: because whoever is aware of that incident will know
well that the sending was not due to respect or disrespect.
His Eminence sent him to Abu Sufyan and to restrain him from inciting the
Quraish. And the circumstances demanded that he sent a man from their relatives
so that he would be safe from their enmity, due to relationship between them
would ensure his success.
Due to this he selected Uthman to go there. Although if no one says: His
Eminence, (s.a.w.a.) sent only Uthman so that he should be deprived from
allegiance of Rizwan and its excellence so that tomorrow it may not be said that
the just companions united on killing a person, who had been present at the
allegiance of Rizwan.
Discussion on the tradition of excellence which Ibne Umar has mentioned,
and which Bukhari has regarded as authentic,5 and that his tradition is invalid and
it cannot be relied upon. It is opposed to Quran and Sunnah, and logic and analogy, and consensus and reason; we conclude it and refrain from mention of
traditions of granting excellence.
4. Darqutni in his Sunan,1 has narrated from Ismail bin Abbas Warraq from
Ibad bin Walid Abu Badr from Walid bin Fazl from Abdul Jabbar bin Hajjaj
Khorasani from Mukarram bin Hakim from Saif bin Munir from Abu Darda that:
I heard four things from Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.): none of the Muslims
should regard me as infidel for doing that even if I commit greater sins and pray
behind every imam and I perform Jihad or he said: fight – and regarding Abu
Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali say nothing but good; say:
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ : لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ
“This is a people that have passed away; they shall have what they earned…”6
وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ
“For it is (the benefit of) what it has earned.”7