A Review of the Compilation and Authenticity of Hadith (Part 9)
9. In the history of al-Tabari and Al-Kamil (Vol. 2, p. 392), it is mentioned: Once, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) set out from Madinah with the intention of traveling to Sham. When he reached a place called “Sargh,” the commanders of the Islamic army approached him and informed him that a plague had spread severely in the land of Sham. Upon hearing this, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) consulted with the Muhajiroun and Ansar who were accompanying him about what course of action to take. They presented differing opinions. Some suggested returning to Madinah, while others said, “If we are going for the sake of Allah, why should we turn back?”
When Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) heard these differing views, he instructed them to call the leaders of the Muhajiroun who had participated in the earlier victories. They came and unanimously suggested returning.
Therefore, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to return. However, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) opposed the decision to return. While this debate was ongoing, Hazrat Abdur Rahman ibn Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived, unaware of the situation. He asked, “What is happening?” When the matter was explained to him, he stated, “I have the answer to this issue.”
Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “You are trustworthy and reliable, so tell us the solution.” He replied, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘If you hear of a plague in a land, do not enter it, and if you are already there when it strikes, do not leave it in an attempt to flee from it.’”
Upon hearing this hadith, the disagreement was resolved, and everyone returned to Madinah.
10. In Al-Kamil, Tarikh al-Khulafa, and other historical books, it is stated: After the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Hazrat Abdur Rahman ibn Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) and all the other Sahaba, after selecting Hazrat Usman (may Allah be pleased with him) as the caliph, pledged allegiance to him with the following words: “We pledge allegiance to you based on the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the practices of the two caliphs after him.”
These ten examples were presented as a “drop from the ocean” to demonstrate the point. We deemed it unnecessary to provide more examples; for those who are fair-minded, this amount is sufficient. After studying these, no reasonable person can deny that the path of the earliest believers was rooted in reliance on hadith and sunnah, which they made the guiding light of their lives in all matters.
If someone argues that the sources concerning Sabeel al-Momineen mentioned above are based on books of hadith and history written after the era of the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them) and cannot be relied upon, the response is that it is impossible for the Quran, its laws, and the rulings on faith and action to remain intact without there being any means to ascertain the path of the believers. Such a belief would effectively render the Quran inoperative, which is a notion that even a non-Muslim intellectual would not dare propose, let alone a believer and Muslim.
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