Following are only some of examples of the supposed knowledgeability of
Umar as it was not possible for us to mention all instances present in Islamic
history and books of traditional reports:
1. View point of Caliph regarding one, who has no water for ablution
In his Saheeh, Muslim, in the chapter of Dry Ablution (Tayammum), has
narrated through four chains of narrators from Abdur Rahman bin Abza that:1
“Abdul Rahman bin Abza narrated it on the authority of his father that a man
came to Umar and said: I am (at times) affected by seminal emission but find no
water. He (Umar) told him not to pray. Ammaar then said. Do you remember, O
Commander of Faithful, when I and you were in a military detachment and we
had a seminal emission and did not find water (for taking bath) and you did not
say prayer, but as for myself I rolled in dust and said prayer, and (when it was
mentioned before) the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said: It was enough for you
to strike the ground with your hands and then blow (the dust) and then wipe your
face and palms. Umar said: Ammaar, fear Allah. He said: If you so like, I would
not narrate it.”
Distortion in this report
Bukhari in his Saheeh2 has mentioned this tradition in the chapter of “Can
Tayammum be done after hitting hands on dust and to blow at them?” and in the
chapters after that, he has narrated this report, but wanted to save the honor of the
Caliph by editing the report by omitting the statement of Umar: ‘Don’t pray’ or
‘if I was there, I would not pray’, unaware of the fact that in that case the
statement of Ammaar in the continuation of tradition would become incoherent.
Dhahabi has quoted this same tradition in its distorted form in his Tadkira, after that he says:
“Some have said how it is possible that Ammaar should issue such a
statement and it was lawful for him to conceal his knowledge?” The reply is that
such a statement is not implication of concealing knowledge, since he narrated
this tradition at the end thanks be to God, it has reached us and he has narrated
this tradition in the gathering of chief of believers. By this, Ammaar has done a
favor to Umar; since he knows that Umar prohibited excessive narration of
traditions fearing mistake in quoting and the people getting involved with traditions more than Quran.
Allamah Amini says: There is an important point here that such incoherent
statements misguide one from the aim and keep events concealed from people
rather than inform them of the actual events, which occurred in history. Alas, if I
only knew what made them oblivious from the statement of Umar that: ‘don’t
pray’ or ‘I don’t pray’, whereas he regarded himself as chief of believers and
solution of the problem is simple; and this problem is common.
What has made them oblivious of his statement to Ammaar: “Fear Allah, O
Ammaar”; and his not praying on the day he became ritually polluted, and that
also after Islam has brought ablution, ritual bath and dry ablution (Tayammum)?
What caused them to overlook his ignorance of the verse of dry ablution
(Tayammum) and command of Holy Quran and his overlooking teachings of
Prophet regarding method of dry ablution (Tayammum), and they concentrate on
the method of dry ablution (Tayammum) explained by Ammaar? What caused
them to overlook these issues and become busy with statement of Ammaar! Yes,
love is indeed blind!
وَمَن كَانَ فِى هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أَعْمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَعْمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلًۭا (٧٢)
“And whoever is blind in this, he shall (also) be blind in the hereafter; and more erring from the way.”3
It is known from statements of Aini in Umdatul Qari4 and Ibne Hajar in
Fathul Bari5 that these two statements of Umar6 are regarded as his view on this
matter and were part of the traditional report; that is why Aini says:
“It is mentioned in the report that Umar did not believe that a ritually impure
person should perform Tayammum, because Ammaar asked: Did you not pray?
And Umar regarded Tayammum to be the replacement of minor impurity and the
result of his deduction was that a ritually impure person (Junub) cannot perform
Tayammum.”
Ibne Hajar says: “This is well known opinion of Umar.”
This tradition removes the veil from the fact that this deduction of Umar was
performed during the lifetime of Prophet; and it is a strange statement that time
has seen and heard.
Should this person, after opposition of Ammaar and his rolling in the dust,
not have asked the Prophet (s.a.w.a.)?
And what Bukhari in his Saheeh7 has narrated from Imran bin Husain remained concealed from Caliph: The Prophet saw a man waiting at the side and
not praying and asked him: “O man, why did you not join the congregation?”
He replied: “O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), I have become ritually impure
(Junub) and water was not available.”
His Eminence said: “You should have used dust; it is sufficient for you.”
Moreover, two verses have come in the Holy Quran regarding Tayammum; one of them being in Surah Nisa:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِى سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا (٤٣)
“O you who believe! do not go near prayer when you are
intoxicated until you know (well) what you say, nor when you
are under an obligation to perform a bath – unless (you are)
travelling on the road – until you have washed yourselves; and if
you are sick, or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy
or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water,
betake yourselves to pure earth, then wipe your faces and your
hands; surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.”8
Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.) says: “This verse was revealed for the
traveler: that when he cannot get water, he should perform Tayammum and pray,
till he gets water; when he gets water, he should perform the ritual bath.”9
The next verse is in Surah Maidah:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم ۚمِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ
“O you who believe! when you rise up for prayer, wash your
faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads
and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to
perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you
have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake
yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands
therewith.”10
Because the implication of ‘Malamisa’ in the verse is absolute mixing; as
this meaning is narrated from Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), Ibne Abbas and Abu
Moosa Ashari. And in this viewpoint Hasan, Ubaidah, Shobi and others have
followed them. And this is not the viewpoint of all, who believe in the necessity
of ablution after sexual intercourse; like Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf, Muhammad,
Zafar, Noori, Awzai and others.
On the basis of this, with attention to the discussion above, it is known that
the viewpoint of Caliph regarding Almighty Allah, Sunnah of Prophet and
consensus of Ummah, is an unusual view and personal deduction; as opposed to
confirmed texts: from the aspect that whole Ummah, since the beginning till now,
has opposed him, and has consensus on dry ablution (Tayammum) in case of
absence of water.