Musnad `Umar b. al-Khattab (ra)
مُسْنَدِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Umar bin al-Khattab told me: On the day of Khaibar, a group of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ came and said: So and so has been martyred. So and so has been martyred, until they came to a man and said, So and so has been martyred, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “No, I saw him in the Fire because of a cloak or 'aba'ah that he stole from the war booty.” Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “O son of al-Khattab, go and call out to the people that no one will enter Paradise except the believers.” So I went out and called to them, saying: `No one will enter Paradise except the believers.”
When I came to Madinah, sickness was occurring in the city and they were dying quickly. I sat with 'Umar bin al Khattab (رضي الله عنه) and a funeral passed by, Good things were said about (the deceased) and ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: It is due. Then another (funeral) passed by; good things were said about (the deceased) and he said: It is due. Then a third funeral passed by: bad things were said about the deceased and ‘Umar said: It is due. I said: What is due, O Ameer al Mu'mineen? He said: I said what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `Any Muslim in whose favour four people testify, Allah will admit him to Paradise.` We said: Or three? He said: “Or three.` We said: Or two? He said: `Or two.” Then we did not ask him about one,
Umar bin al Khattab heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `If you were to put your trust in Allah as you should, you would be given provision like the birds: they go out hungry in the morning and come back with full bellies in the evening.”
“Do not sit with the people who deny al-qadar, or initiate any discussion with them.` 'AbdurRahman said on one occasion: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say.....
I am only doing what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do.
On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked at his companions and they were three hundred and some, then he looked at the mushrikeen and saw that they were one thousand or more. The Prophet of Allah(ﷺ) turned to face the qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands, wearing his upper and lower garment, and he said: “O Allah, where is Your promise to me? O Allah, accomplish for me what You have promised me! O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, You will never be worshipped on earth.” He kept beseeching his Lord, calling out to Him, until his upper garment fell from his shoulders. Abu Bakr came to him, picked up his upper garment and put it on him. Then he embraced him from behind and said: O Prophet of Allah, this prayer of yours to your Lord will suffice, for He will accomplish for you what He has promised to you. Then Allah revealed the words: `(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): ‘I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the other (following one another) in succession` [al Anfal 8:9). On that day when the armies met (in battle), Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, defeated the mushrikeen; seventy of their men were killed and seventy were taken captive. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) consulted Abu Bakr, 'Ali and 'Umar رضي الله عنهم (concerning the prisoners). Abu Bakr said: O Prophet of Allah, they are our cousins, kinsmen and brothers, I think that you should accept a ransom for them, which will strengthen us against the kuffar, and perhaps Allah will guide them to Islam and they will become a support to us. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “What do you think, O son of al-Khattab?` I said: No, by Allah. I do not think as Abu Bakr thinks. I think that you should hand. So and so a relative of ʼUmar's- over to me so that I may strike his neck. You should hand ‘Aqeel over to ‘Ali so that he may strike his neck, and you should hand over So and so to Hamzah (his brother) so that he may strike his neck, so that Allah will know that we have no mercy in our hearts towards the mushrikeen; these are their prominent figures and leaders. But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) inclined towards the view of Abu Bakr, and he did not incline towards what I said, and accepted ransoms from them. The next day, I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and found him with Abu Bakr, and they were both weeping I said: O Messenger of Allah , tell me why you and your companion are weeping. If I find it is a cause for weeping, I will weep too, and is it is not, then I will make myself weep with you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `I am weeping because of what your companions suggested about accepting a ransom for the prisoners. I have been shown your punishment as close as this tree` a tree that was close to the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) Then Allah revealed the words:`It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is Almighty, All Wise. Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took `[al Anfal 8:67-68] i.e., referring to the ransom. Then booty was permitted to them, and when the day of Uhud came the following year, they were punished for what they had done of taking the ransom on the day of Badr. Seventy of them were killed and the Companions of the Prophet deserted him, his front tooth was broken and the helmet on his head was broken, and blood flowed down his face, and Allah revealed the words: “When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: 'From where does this come to us?`Say (to them), ‘It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds).' And Allah has power over all things” [Al 'Imran 3:165]
We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey, and I asked him about something three times but he did not answer me. I said to myself, May your mother be bereft of you. O son of al-Khattab, you spoke to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) three times and he did not answer you. So I got on my mount and went on ahead, fearing that something had been revealed concerning me. Then I heard someone calling out: O 'Umar! Where is ‘Umar? I went back, thinking that something had been revealed concerning me, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said: `Yesterday a soorah was revealed to me that is dearer to me than this world and everything in it: ‘Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad ﷺ) a manifest victory. That Atlah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future' (al-Fath 48:1–2].
Some food was brought to 'Umar bin al-Khattab and he called a man to join him, but he said, I am fasting. ['Umar] said: What fast are you observing? Were it not for fear of adding or subtracting something, I would have narrated to you a hadeeth, from the Prophet (ﷺ), when the Bedouin brought him a rabbit; rather send for 'Ammar. When 'Ammar came, he said: Were you there on the day when the Bedouin brought the rabbit to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? ('Ammar) said: Yes. ('Umar] said: I saw blood on it, but he (the Prophet (ﷺ) said: `Eat it.` (The Bedouin) said: I am fasting. (The Prophet (ﷺ) said: `What fast are you observing?” He said: The beginning and end of the month. He said: “If you want to fast, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth (of the month).`
I met 'Umar bin al-Khattab and he said: Who are you? I said: Masrooq bin al-Ajda'. 'Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, `Al-Ajda' is a devil [i.e. the word Al-Ajda' has a bad meaning]; rather you are Masrooq bin ‘Abdur-Rahman. 'Amir said: I saw his name written in the Deewan; Masrooq bin ‘Abdur-Rahman. I said: What is this? He said. This is what ‘Umar رضي الله عنه called me.
It was narrated from ʼUmar bin al-Khattab that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade 'azl (coitus interruptus) with a free woman, except with her permission.
I heard ‘Umar say: If I live until next year, no city will be conquered but I shall divide it among them (the troops) as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) divided Khaibar.
I was with the Prophet (ﷺ) on a campaign, and I swore (an oath), No, by my father! A man called out from behind me: “Do not swear by your fathers.” And I saw that it was the Prophet (ﷺ).
If I live, in sha Allah, I shall certainly expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula.
I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wiping over his leather slippers (when doing wudoo’).
I heard 'Umar giving a khutbah, and he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) built this mosque and we, the Muhajireen and Ansar, were with him. If it gets too crowded, then let one of you prostrate on his brother's back. And he saw people (on one occasion) praying in the street and said: Pray in the mosque,
O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, we have acquired slaves and mounts, so take charity from our wealth in order to purify us thereby, and it will be zakah for us. He said: This is something that the two who came before me did not do; I shall wait until I ask the Muslims.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If I live, I shall certainly expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula, until I leave only Muslims there.”
My father attributed it to the Prophet (ﷺ) - that he said: `Whoever misses any part of his regular portion of Qur'an or prayer at night, and recites it between Fajr and Zuhr, it will be as if he recited it that night.”
On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked at his companions and they were three hundred and some, then he looked at the mushrikeen and saw that they were one thousand or more. The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) turned to face the qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands, wearing his upper and lower garment, and he said: “O Allah, where is Your promise to me? O Allah, accomplish for me what You have promised me! O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, You will never be worshiped on earth.” He kept beseeching his Lord, calling out to Him, until his upper garment fell from his shoulders. Abu Bakr came to him, picked up his upper garment and put it back on him. Then he embraced him from behind and said, “O Prophet of Allah, this prayer of yours to your Lord will suffice, for He will accomplish for you what He has promised to you.” Then Allah revealed the words: “(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): ‘I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the other (following one another) in succession’” (al-Anfal 8:9). On that day when the armies met (in battle), Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, caused the mushrikeen to be defeated, seventy of their men were killed and seventy were taken captive. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) consulted Abu Bakr, ‘Ali and ʼUmar (concerning the prisoners). Abu Bakr said, “O Prophet of Allah, they are our cousins, kinsmen and brothers. I think that you should accept a ransom for them, which will strengthen us against the kuffar, and perhaps Allah will guide them to Islam and they will become a support to us.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “What do you think, O son of al-Khattab?” I said: No, by Allah. I do not think as Abu Bakr thinks. I think that you should hand so and so—a relative of ‘Umar's—to me so that I may strike his neck, You should hand ‘Aqeel over to ‘Ali so that he may strike his neck, and you should hand over so and so to Hamzah (his brother) so that he may strike his neck, so that Allah will know that we have no mercy in our hearts towards the mushrikeen; these are their prominent figures and leaders. But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) inclined towards the view of Abu Bakr, and he did not incline towards what I said, and accepted ransoms from them. The next day. I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and found him with Abu Bakr, and they were both weeping. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me why you and your companion are weeping. If I find it is a cause for weeping. I will weep too, and if it is not, then I will make myself weep with you.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “I am weeping because of what your companions suggested about accepting a ransom for the prisoners. I have been shown your punishment as close as this tree”—a tree that was close to the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ). Then Allah revealed the words: “It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter, And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took.” [al-Anfal 8:67-68] i.e., referring to the ransom. Then booty was permitted to them, and when the day of Uhud came the following year, they were punished for what they had done for taking the ransom on the day of Badr. Seventy of them were killed and the Companions of the Prophet deserted him; his front tooth was broken and the helmet on his head was broken, and blood flowed down his face, and Allah revealed the words: “When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: ‘From where does this come to us?’ Say (to them), ‘It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds).’ And Allah has power over all things” [Al ‘Imran 3:165]
I was eager to ask 'Umar about the two wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) concerning whom Allah said, “If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) turn in repentanceto Allah, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes)” [at-Tahreem 66:4], until 'Umar went for Hajj and I went with him. When we were partway there, 'Umar turned aside and I turned aside with him, bringing the jug. He relieved himself, then he came to me and I poured water onto his hands, and he did wudoo’. I said: “O Ameer al -Mu'mineen, who are the two wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) of whom Allah said: ‘If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ)) turn in repentance to Allah, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes)’?” [at-Tahreem 66:4] 'Umar said, “How strange of you, O Ibn 'Abbas”, (az-Zuhri said: By Allah, he did not like the question, but he did not conceal anything.) He said, “They were Hafsah and 'A'ishah.” Then he started to narrate the hadeeth and said: We people of Quraish were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Madinah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. My house was among Banu Umayyah bin Zaid in al-'Awali. One day I got angry with my wife, and she argued with me. I did not like her to argue with me, but she said: Do you not like me to argue with you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes, I went and entered upon Hafsah, and I said: Doyou argue with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? She said: Yes. I said: Does one of you forsake him all day until night comes? She said: Yes. I said: Any one of you who does that is doomed and lost. Does any one of you feel assured that Allah will not be angry with her because of the anger of HisMessenger (ﷺ), for then she will be doomed? Do not argue with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and do not ask him for anything. Ask me for whatever you want. And do not be misled by the fact that your neighbour is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) thanyou – referring to 'A'ishah. And ‘Umar said: I had a neighbour among the Ansar. We used to take turns to go down to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He would go down one day and I would go down the next. He would bring me the news of the Revelation and other things, and I would do likewise.We were saying that Ghassan were shoeing their horses to attack us. My friend went down, then he came to me at night and knocked on my door, then he called out to me. I went out to him and he said: Something terrible has happened! I said: What? Have Ghassan come? He said: No, it is more terrible than that and worse. The Prophet (ﷺ) has divorced his wives! I said: Hafsah is doomed and lost! I thought that this would happen. Then when I had prayed Fajr, I got dressed, then I went down and entered upon Hafsah, who was weeping. I said: Has the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)divorced you? She said: I do not know. He has secluded himself in this loft. I went to a black slave of his and said: Ask for permission for ‘Umar to enter. He went in, then he came out to me and said: I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything, I went away and came to the minbar, where I sat down. By it was a group of people, some of whom were weeping. I sat for a little while, then I could not bear it any longer, so I went to the slave and said: Ask for permission for ‘Umar to enter. He went in, then he came out to me and said: I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything. I turned to leave, then the slave called me and said: Go in, he has given you permission. So I went in and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with salam. He was resting on a reed mat that had left marks on his side. I said: O Messenger of Allah, have you divorced your wives? He looked up at me and said, “No.” I said: Allah Akbar! if you had seen us, O Messenger of Allah, we Quraish were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Madinah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. I got angry with my wife one day, and she started to argue with me. I did not like her to argue with me, but she said: Do you not like me to argue with you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes. I said: Any one of them who does that is doomed and lost. Does one of them feel assured that Allah will not be angry with her because of the anger of His Messenger (ﷺ),then she will be doomed? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled. I said: O Messenger of Allah, I entered upon Hafsah and I said: Do not be misled by the fact that your neighbour (i.e. ‘Aa'ishah) is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled again. I said: O Messenger of Allah, may I speak to you freely? He said: “Yes.” So I sat down and looked around the room, and by Allah, I did not see anything in it to please the eye except three hides. I said: Pray to Allah, O Messenger of Allah, to make life prosperous for your ummah, for He has made life prosperous for the Persians and Romans, but they do not worship Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. He sat up straight and said: “Are you doubting. O son of al-Khattab? They are people whose good things have been hastened for them in this world.” I said: Pray for forgiveness for me, O Messenger of Allah. He had sworn that he would not enter upon them for a month, because he was so annoyed with them until Allah rebuked him.