Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith
Ka’b and Umar:
On his arrival to al-Madinah and announcing his Islam, during the reign of Umar, Ka’b embarked on employing his sagacity and cunning for
attaining to the goal for which he embraced Islam: that is corrupting the religion and fabricating lies against the Prophet (S).
The fact that prompted him to narrate and fabricate hadith was that Umar ibn al-Khattab, in the beginning of his rule, used to listen and heed to him, taking into consideration his becoming a Muslim of true faith, the fact pushing him to falsify as many as he could of traditions. Ibn Kathir says: 264 “When Ka’b embraced Islam during government of Umar, he started to relate hadith to Umar, who used to pay attention to him, the fact that paved the way before people to listen to his narrations and convey his fabricated weak traditions.”
But so soon Umar took notice of his stratagem and discovered his evil intention, when he forbade him from narrating the hadith, threatening him with exile to the land of apes shouldn’t he leave reporting hadith from the first. 265
Despite Umar’s lying in wait for this crafty man with his decisiveness and wisdom, penetrating into his wicked designs through his insight and discernment, as seen in the rock story, but the extreme cunning and artifice of this Jew (Ka’b) managed to overcome Umar’s perception and good intention. So he continued to hatch plots, secretly and openly, till they were concluded with murder of Umar. All evidences indicate clearly that this murder was a plot engineered by an underground society, among whose senior members being this cunning man, and headed by Hormuzan, King of Khozustan, 266 who was brought as a captive to the Medina. The execution of this plot was entrusted to the non-Arab Abu Lu’lu’ah.
Murder of Umar and Ka’b’s Hand in It:
Al-Musawwar ibn Makhramah 267 reported that when Umar went home after being threatened by Abu Lu’lu’ah, he was visited by Ka’b al-Ahbar 268 who said to him: O Amir al-Mu’minin, I am certain that you will die within three nights. (According to al-Tabari’s narration: three days). He said:
How could you know this? He said: It is mentioned in the Torah. Umar said: Do you find name of Umar ibn al-Khattab in the Torah? He replied: It is not so, but I find in it your ornament and attribute, and that the end of your life is approaching. When he uttered these words Umar was never feeling any pain. The next day, Ka’b came to Umar saying: Only two days are left. After passage of another day, Ka’b came to him and said: Two days passed and only one day is left. In another narration by al-Tabari: One day and one night are left, and it (night) is yours up to its morning.
The next morning, Umar went out for (establishing) prayers, charging some men with the task of arranging the rows, when he would utter the takbirah (God is Greater). At that time Abu Lu’lu’ah entered among the rows, holding a two-headed dagger with its haft being in its centre part. He stabbed Umar six times, one of which being under his navel, which led to his death. It is known that Abu Lu’lu’ah was one of Nahavand captives.
In a narration reported by Abu Ishaq from Ibn Sa’d, it is said: Ka’b came to Umar and said to him: “Haven’t I told you that you will never die but only as a martyr while you say: “How would that happen while I be in the Arab Peninsula?” 269
I present here an unusual report conveyed by this priest, that can eradicate any doubt you may have regarding his collaboration in this conspiracy. Al-Khatib reported on the authority of Malik, that Umar entered upon his wife Umm Kulthum one day, and saw her weeping, when he said: What is the reason of your crying? She replied: This Jew,
they will continue breaking into it till the Day of Resurrection! After his death, Ka’b came and started weeping at the door (of Umar’s house), saying: by God, had Amir al-Mu’minin asked Allah to delay his death He would have surely done this. 272
His oath – may God curse him – came true, as Umar was killed on Wednesday, only four nights left of Dhu al-Hijjah, in 23 Hijrah and was buried on Sunday, 1st of Muharram 24 Hijrah.
All these evidences prove that assassination of Umar by Abu Lu’lu’ah, was only a consequence of that conspiracy engineered by Hormuzan, due to the grudge and hatred harboured in his heart toward the Arabs, after their seizure of power and throne from the Persians and ruining their State and sovereignty. The fact that can never be disputed or refuted only by the ignorant, is that Ka’b al-Ahbar was among those who participated in this plot, with playing a great role in planning and executing it.
Hadith of Istisqa’:
We learn from history (books) that a very extreme dearth and barrenness occurred to the land during caliphate of Umar, in the Ramadah
Undoubtedly the purpose intended by this Jew through these words was only to mislead Umar regarding the first foundation upon which Islam
was established, that is the sincere monotheism, so as to make him fall into the abyss of solicitation (tawussul) which means polytheism in itself. Then on falling of Umar into this abyss and his being an example to follow, with his act turning to be a sunnah having an influential impact on all Muslims in respect of the Islamic doctrine throughout ages and generations, the fact entailing demolition of the firm basis of the Din. But Umar, who had that insight and knowledge of religion, took notice of the intrigue and did not fall in the trap set by this impostor. So he never sought water through imploring anyone even the Prophet (S), satisfying himself with istighfar (asking for forgiveness).
Abu Bakr Abu al-Dunya in his book al-Matar, and the book Mujabi al-da’wah on the authority of Khuwat ibn Jubayr, said: Umar went out for seeking water (from God). He performed two-rak’ah prayer and said (in supplication): O God, we ask You to pardon and give us water. Before departing his place it started to raining.
Al-Shi’bi said: Umar went out for istisqa’ with people, but he sufficed only with asking forgiveness till coming back. People began to inquire: O Amir al-Mu’minin, but you haven’t implored God to provide us with water? He said: I asked for rain through the sky majadih
Al-Shi’bi says: He (Umar) went out for asking God to send down rainwater. Then he ascended the minbar (pulpit) and cited the following verses: “Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord! Verily He is the Most-Forgiving,” and the verse: “And that Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord, then turn ye unto Him repentant.” As he descended (from minbar), he was asked: O Amir al-Mu’minin, what prevented you from seeking rainwater? He answered: I asked for rain through the sky majadih from which water drops
are coming down.
Abd Allah ibn Dinar al-Aslami reported from his father as saying: When Umar decided to ask for rainwater and go out with people, he wrote letters to his deputies to go out on so and so day, and beg their Lord asking Him to deliver them from this misfortune. Then he went out on that determined day putting on the cloak of the Messenger of Allah (upon whom be God’s peace and benediction), till reaching the mosque. Thereat he addressed the people, and beseeched God, making people to insist in invocation. The point on which he insisted more in his supplication was asking for pardon and forgiveness. Then as he intended to return, he raised his hands toward the sky, converting his cloak putting the right side on the left, and vice versa. Thereat he extended his hand, persisting in supplication and invocation, weeping bitterly and shedding tears till his beard was moistened. 277
Further it is reported in al-Mughni and al-Sharh al-kabir, that Umar went out for seeking rainwater (from God), but his invocation was no more than seeking forgiveness, exclaiming: I have asked for rainwater from the sky majadih. 278
Al-Jahiz said: When Umar ascended the minbar gripping al-Abbas’s hand on the day of istisqa’, he sufficed with invocation and prayer. It was said to him: You have never sought rainwater but only asking for forgiveness. He said: I asked for rainwater through the sky majadih. Then he cited the holy verse: “Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord! Verily He is the Most-Forgiving. He will send (down) upon you the cloud raining in torrents.” 279
If the case was truly in this way, no harm in it as long as all of them were invoking Allah. It is almost certain that Umar has never pleaded with anyone in his istisqa’ supplication, never taking any means or medium to God except invocation and seeking forgiveness.
Tafsir, vol. IV, p. 17.
Al-Bidayah wa al-nihayah, vol. VIII, p. 206. In another narration reported by al-Dhahabi in his Siyar a'lam al-nubala': "You should give up relating the hadith or otherwise I will exile you to the land of apes" (vol. II, p. 433).
He was the governor of Tustar and the greatest among commanders of the Persians. He undertook the right wing of the armies of Rustam, the vizier of the king of Persia in the Battle of Qadisiyyah. When Rustam was killed, al-Hurmuzan fled with those who survived among his soldiers. The Muslims kept on chasing him till he sought refuge in the Town of Tustar, where he was fortefied by it, and the Muslims besieged him severely till compelling him to surrender to the verdict of Umar, bringing him to al-Madinah (in 17 H.). The Muslims used to slander the Iranians and take them as slaves. Some of them who were in al-Madinah used to frequent to al-Hurmuzan, among whom I can refer to Feirouz, nicknamed 'Abu Lu'luah', who was a servant for Ibn Shu'bah, and it was him who stabbled Umar.
Ta'rikh Ibn al-Athir, vol. III, p. 24, Ta'rikh al-Tabari, vol. V.
This man (Ka'b) had wonderful designs with which he could cojole with minds of Muslims. As an example the following is one of his frauds as reported by trustworthy historians: Ka'b said to Umar: In the Torah it is stated that you will be killed as a martyr! Umar said: How can I attain martyrdom while being in the Arab peninsula? Beside other designs which can be seen in Ta'rikh al-Khulafa', pp. 90, 98, and Ibn al-Athir's Ta'rikh al-Kamil, Vol. II, p. 357.
Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, vol. III, p. 236.
He is truly a cunning Jew. This report can be seen in Fath al-Bari, vol. XIII, p. 41, and Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd vol. III, p. 253.
He used to attribute all of his malicious reports to the Book of Allah while it being totally free from that.
Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, Vol. II, p. 262.
Ibn Sa'd and others stated that the year of Ramdah was the year 18 H. , and it lasted for nine months. Al-Ramdah is with fathah on ra' and sukun on mim, and the year was called so due to severe barrenness that inflicted the land because of lacking of rain, with death of the cattle, and people starving to death, till were obliged to swallow the ash, and drill the holes of jerbons and rats extracting what they contained (Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, Vol. II, p. 223).
Undoubtedly this narration of Anas or other ones can never withstand the strong narration contraditing them. Anas was one of those whose narrations were not trusted, and Abu Hanifah was never trusting him, or Abu Hurayrah or Samurah ibn Jundub.
In Asas al-balaghah of Jar Allah, under the bab "jim-dal-ha'" and khafq al-mijdah means the posteriors (latter parts), whose rain is abundant. It is said: The rain majadih have flowed. In a hadith by Umar: "I have sought a drink by majadih of the heaven", meaning to ask forgiveness.
Al-Bidayah wa al-nihayah, vol. VII, p. 92.
Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, vol. II, p. 231.
See vol. II, p. 290.
Al-Bayan wa al-tabyin, vol. IV, p. 279. This khabar was reported also by Ibn Qutaybah in his book al-Shi'r wa al-shu'ara', under the biography of Yazid ibn Ubayd, beside al-Tabari in his Tafsir.