Chapter Eight: Umar’s literalism vs. Hajar al-Aswad and Tahrif in this tradition by Salafies

Salafi Alim of  www.salafipublications.com continues to write:

Also from another angle, Umar when he kissed the black stone, said, “You are only a stone and I only kiss you because I saw the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) kiss you.” So this shows the perfect understanding of ‘Uma

In fact, it’s only a half part of the tradition, which has been narrated by Bukhari, in his Sahih, Book of Hajar. (Note: It is also a common practice of Bukhari to distort such traditions which go against Sheikhain).

In order to read in detail upon this disease of Bukahri, please read the book “Ask Those Who Know”.
 Ask Those Who Know, by learned Al-Tijani Al-Samawi

And today, this distorted version of tradition is heavily propagated by Salafies, while it goes in favour of their Aqaeed.

Complete tradition is like this:

Umar while visiting the Kaba, said before the Hajar al-aswad, “You cannot do anything! But I kiss you in order to follow Rasulullah (‘alaihi ‘s-salam).” ‘Ali (as) said upon hearing this, “Rasulullah (saw) said, ‘On the Day of Judgment, the Hajar al-aswad will intercede for people.’”

This hadith is reported by at-Thirmidhi, an-Nasai, al-Baihaki, at-Tabarani and al-Bukhari in his History And ‘Umar thanked ‘Ali (as).
 Religion Reformers in Islam – (Cached)
Also see “Al-Farooq” by Shibli Naumani, page 323, published by Maktaba Rehmania, Pakistan

Therefore, Mawla Ali (as) made it very clear that Respecting Sh’air Allah will bring us Benefits, and disrespecting them will bring harm to us. And Umar Ibn Khattab also understood this thing. But those, who are still unable to understand this even till today, they are only the so called Salafies. These people still try their best to hide this complete tradition today, and if some one still quote the whole version, then they try to negate it by making a lot of lame excuses. Before answering their lame excuses, firstly let us see the different versions of this complete tradition. Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani quoted this complete version in his book “Ganiatul Talibeen”, in the following words:

Abu Saeed Khudri Narrated:
I went to Hajj along with Umar Ibn Khattab during initial period of his Caliphate. Umar Ibn Khattab came to mosque and stood near Hajar-e-Aswad and then addressed it with these words: “I know you are only a stone, which can neither benefit, nor harm. And had I not seen Rasool Allah (saw) kissing you, I would have never kissed you.

Upon this Hadhrat Ali (as) said: “Don’t say so. This stone can both bring harm and benefit to you, but harm and benefit are both with the orders of Allah. Had you read what has been written in Quran and understood it, then you would have never uttered these words in front of us.”

Umar Ibn Khattab said: “O Abul Hassan, then please you explain yourself how Quran has defined this stone?”
Hadhrat Ali replied: “When Allah (swt) created human beings from the progeny of Adam (as), that time HE made them witness over themselves and asked them if I am not your Lord? Upon this all of them confirmed that you are our creator. Thus Allah (swt) wrote this confirmation and called this stone and put this into it. And this stone will give witness on the day of judgment if people have fulfilled their promise or not.

Upon this Umar said: “O Abul Hassan! Allah has made your chest the treasure of knowledge.”
Ghaniatul Talibeen, Abdul Qadir Jilani, Urdu Edition, page 534, published by Maktab-e-Ibrahimia, Lahore, Pakistan

Muttaqi al-Hindi also narrated this same tradition in his book “Kanzul ‘Amal” in following words:

12521- عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال: حججنا مع عمر بن الخطاب، فلما دخل الطواف استقبل الحجر فقال: إني لأعلم أنك حجر لا تضر ولا تنفع، ولولا أني رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبلك ما قبلتك، ثم قبله، فقال علي بن أبي طالب: يا أمير المؤمنين إنه يضر وينفع، قال: بم؟ قال: بكتاب الله عز وجل قال: وأين ذلك من كتاب الله؟ قال: قال الله تعالى: { وإذ أخذ ربك من بني آدم من ظهورهم ذريتهم} إلى قوله: بلى، خلق الله آدم ومسح على ظهره فقررهم بأنه الرب وأنهم العبيد وأخذ عهودهم ومواثيقهم وكتب ذلك في رق (في رق: والرق بالفتح: الجلد يكتب فيه والكسر لغة قليلة فيه وقرأ بها بعضهم في قوله تعالى: “في رق منشور”.انتهى.(1/321) المصباح المنير. ب) وكان لهذا الحجر عينان ولسانان فقال: افتح فاك ففتح فاه، فألقمه ذلك الرق، فقال: اشهد لمن وافاك بالموافاة يوم القيامة وإني أشهد لسمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: يؤتى يوم القيامة بالحجر الأسود وله لسان ذلق يشهد لمن استلمه بالتوحيد فهو يا أمير المؤمنين يضر وينفع، فقال عمر: أعوذ بالله أن أعيش في قوم لست فيهم يا أبا الحسن.

Abu Saeed Narrated:
We went for Hajj with Umar Ibn Khattab. When he started doing Tawaf, he addressed Hajar-e-Aswad and said: “I know that you are only a stone which can neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen Rasool Allah (saw) kissing you, I would have never kissed you.

Upon this Ali (ibn Abi Talib) said to Umar: “This stone can indeed benefit and harm.” Umar asked him how is that. Ali (as) replied: “According to Book of Allah.” Umar said to Ali (as): “Then show me too where it is written in Quran.” Ali (as) said: “Allah (swt) says in Quran when he created human being from the progeny of Adam (as) and made them witness over themselves and asked them if I am not your creator? Upon this all of them confirmed it. Thus Allah wrote this confirmation. And this stone has two lips and two eyes and it opened it’s mouth upon the order of Allah (swt) who put that confirmation in it and orderedto witness it to all those worshippers who come for Hajj.

And I have heard it from Rasool Allah (saw): “This black stone will be brought on the day of judgement and it would be give with a tongue, which will witness for those who stayed upon Tauheed and who fulfilled their duties. Therefore, this stone can benefit and also harm.”

When Umar Ibn Khattab heard this, he said: “A’udo Billah (I seek Allah’s refuge) that I have to live among people when O Abul Hassan, you are not present.”

  • Kanzul ‘Amal, by Muttaqi al-Hindi, fil Fadhail-e-Mecca (The number of this hadith is 12521 in “Al-Muhadith Software)
  • Abul Hassan al-Qatan in “Al-Tawalaat”
  • And Hakim quoted it in “Al-Mustadrak”, vol. 1, page 457

 

Salafi objections on this Hadith

While on one side this hadith is destroying the very base of Salafism, and on the other side it is proving that Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) was really “Madinatul ‘Ilm” (which is absolutely not accepted by Salafies, and they want to degrade Mawla Ali (as) to such a level that his preference over first 3 Khulafa cannot be established), therefore it became necessary upon them to deny this hadith by using lame excuses.And the best weapon in their hands for this purpose is to start criticizing it’s chain of narration, instead of looking at Matan (text). So, they did the same and their whole argument rests upon this argument that al-Dhahabi also quoted this hadith from al-Hakim, and then he criticized one narrator “Abi Haroon”.

Answer One:

Do Salafies think that Rasool Allah (saw) made his whole Ummah to indulge in a USELESS and POLYTHIESTIC act (i.e. to kiss a stone) till Qiyammah?
For us it has never been a question whether Mawla Ali (as) ever told this thing to Umar ibn Khattab or not, but we wonder how Umar Ibn Khattab dared to even think that Hajar-e-Aswad can neither benefit nor harm.
While there are hundreds of incidents from the life of Rasool Allah (saw), which were enough to prove that any thing, which is even single time touched by ‘Awliya Allah (friends of Allah like prophets and angels), that thing becomed BLESSED.

In previous chapters, we have quoted many such Ahadith in detail which show that Sahaba Karam whole life sought Barakah from the Relics (Tabarukkat) of Rasool Allah (saw) e.g. his hairs, nails, saliva, sweat, water of ablution, robe etc.

  • Just remeber that hadith when ‘Aisha and Isma binte Abi Bakr used to dip the robe of Rasool (saw) into water and then gave it to sick people so that they get cured.
  • And remember when Umm Momineen Hadhrat Umm Salama and other Sahaba of Madina used to drink that water, in which hairs of Rasool (saw) were dipped, in order to get cured from illness and against bad-eye.
  • And remember when Rasool Allah (saw) cured eyes of Mawla Ali (as) in Khaiber.
  • And also remember when Rasool Allah (saw) cured the wound of Sahabi Salama through his saliva.
  • Did Umar Ibn Khattab never read Quran in which it is clearly written that the Tabarukkat (relics) of Aale Musa and Aale Haroon (as) had Barakah in them and therefore Allah declared it Arch of Comfort (Tabute Sakina)
  • And remember that that clay became blessed from where Jibrael (as) passed away upon his horse. And due to blessing of that clay, the idol of cow started speaking.
  • And the blessing in that shirt of Hadhrat Yousuf (as), which retuned the eyeside of his father
  • …and many more such incidents.

Therefore we are wondering what Umar Ibn Khattab learnt during his whole life? Well, to be fair, Umar Ibn Khattab indeed corrected himself upon the advice of Mawla Ali (as). But we wonder more upon the Salafies of today who still believe that Hajar-e-Aswad can neither benefit nor harm, and issue fatwa of Shirk upon those Muslims who believe in Barakah of Hajar-e-Aswad.

Indeed Hajar-e-Aswad is among those Sh’air Allah, which has been kissed numerous times by a lot of Prophets. And that person is absolute Jahil who still believes that it cannot harm or benfit, even if he is Grand Mufti of Madina University. And look what Mawla Ali (as) has said:

“…Hadhrat Ali (as) said: “Don’t say so, while it can harm and benefit, but all harm and benefit is according to orders of Allah…”

Then by Allah, this is Shia and Ahle Sunnah Aqeedah that ‘Awliya Allah can indeed benefit Muslims by the permission of Allah (e.g. they can benefit Muslims through their Intercession by the permission of Allah).

Answer Two:

We know that Salafies still try to escape using unfair means, and they still deny to accept this. So, in order to close these doors too for them, we quote the following hadith:

113 – باب مَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَجَرِ الأَسْوَدِ   
976 – حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ خُثَيْمٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْحَجَرِ ‏”‏ وَاللَّهِ لَيَبْعَثَنَّهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَهُ عَيْنَانِ يُبْصِرُ بِهِمَا وَلِسَانٌ يَنْطِقُ بِهِ يَشْهَدُ عَلَى مَنِ اسْتَلَمَهُ بِحَقٍّ ‏” قَالَ اَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ

Qutaiba narrated from Jarir, who from Khusaim, who from Sa’eed bin Jubair, who from Ibn Abbas, who said that Rasool Allah (saw) said about Hajar-e-Aswad:

By Allah, Hajar-e-Aswad will be granted eyes on the day of judgement by Allah and also a tongue, which will give testimony in favour of those who behaved well with it.

Abu ‘Isa said that this hadith is “Hasan”.
Sunnan Tirmidhi, Book of Hajj

And if some one still denies benefiting powers of Hajar-e-Aswad, then know that Allah has put a seal upon his heart and no one can show him the right path except Allah (swt) Himself. At end, we are presenting the following tradition for Momineen from “Wasa’ilus Shia”.

ذكره، عن أبي جعفر (عليه السلام) ـ في حديث ـ قال: ثم ادن من الحجر واستلمه بيمينك.
((17843)) 13 ـ وعن محمد بن الحسن، عن الصفار، عن علي بن حسان الواسطي، عن عمه عبد الرحمن بن كثير الهاشمي، عن أبي عبدالله (عليه السلام) قال: مر عمر بن الخطاب على الحجر الاسود فقال: والله يا حجر إنا لنعلم أنك حجر لا تضر ولا تنفع إلا أنا رأينا رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) يحبك فنحن نحبك، فقال أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام): كيف يابن الخطاب ! فوالله ليبعثنه الله يوم القيامة وله لسان وشفتان، فيشهد لمن وافاه،

Allahuma Sallay Allah Muhammad wa Aale Muhammad

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