Standard of Obedience to the Holy Prophet (sa)

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) relates that when the Holy Prophet (sa) returned from Taif and was in Jairana, Hazrat Umar (ra) bin Khattab asked him, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! During the era of ignorance, I vowed to one day sit in devotion at the Sacred Mosque. What do you advise in this regard?” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “Go and sit in devotion for a day”.

Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) taught that no matter when a lawful vow is made, it should be fulfilled. Then, the narrator relates that once, the Holy Prophet (sa) granted Hazrat Umar (ra) a woman from the khums [spoils of war]. When the Holy Prophet (sa) freed people’s prisoners, Hazrat Umar (ra) heard their voices and they were saying, “The Holy Prophet (sa) has freed us” Hazrat Umar (ra) asked them what happened, and they told him that the Holy Prophet (sa) had freed people’s prisoners. Hazrat Umar (ra) said to his son, “O Abdullah! Go to this woman who the Holy Prophet (sa) had granted me and free her.”

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Bab Nadhar al-Kafir wa ma Yaf‘alu fih idha Aslama, Hadith 4294)

It is said that Hazrat Huzayfa (ra) was a confidant of the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Huzayfa (ra) narrates about an incident that took place during the Battle of Tabuk:

“When the Holy Prophet (sa) dismounted his camel, he received a revelation. His camel had been sitting, and it stood up and started pulling at its reins. I took hold of its reins and took it to the Holy Prophet (sa). I sat beside the camel until the Holy Prophet (sa) stood up, and I brought the camel closer to him. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked, ‘Who is there?’ and I said, ‘Huzayfa’. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘I am about to confide in you, and you must not mention this to anyone else. I have been forbidden from offering the funeral prayer of such and such’ and the Holy Prophet (sa) named a group of hypocrites.”

After the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa), and during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (ra), whenever someone passed away who Hazrat Umar (ra) thought could be from that group of hypocrites, he would take Hazrat Huzayfa’sra hand and take him along to offer the funeral prayer. If Hazrat Huzayfa (ra) went along with him, then Hazrat Umar (ra) would offer that person’s funeral prayer, but if Hazrat Huzayfa (ra) took his hand away from Hazrat Umar (ra), then Hazrat Umar (ra) would not offer that person’s funeral prayer.

(Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Ch. 1 [Lahore, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah, 2009], pp. 440-441)