A False Allegation

Once, during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar (ra), some people of the Banu Asad tribe complained about the manner in which Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) offered Salat. They complained to Hazrat Umar (ra) that Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) did not lead the Salat in the correct manner. Hazrat Umar (ra) then sent Hazrat Muhammad (ra) bin Maslamah to investigate the matter, but he found the allegations to be false. Nonetheless, owing to certain reasons and wisdom, Hazrat Umar (ra) recalled Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) to Medina.

(Roshan Sitarey, Vol. 2, pp. 88-90) (Sharah Zarqani, Vol.4, p. 539, Dar-ul-Kutb-ul-ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Mujam-ul-Buldan, p. 292)

This has been mentioned in Sahih Bukhari as follows.

Hazrat Jabir bin Samurah (ra) relates that the people of Kufa complained to Hazrat Umar (ra) about Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) and so, Hazrat Umar (ra) removed him from his duties and appointed Hazrat Ammar (ra) as the governor.

Among the complaints the residents of Kufa made against Hazrat Sa‘d (ra), they also said that he did not lead Salat in a correct manner. Hazrat Umar (ra) summoned him and said “O Abu Ishaq” – Abu Ishaq was the title of Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) – “these people say that you do not lead the Salat in a correct manner.” Abu Ishaq (i.e., Hazrat Sa‘d (ra)) replied, “By God, I lead Salat just as the Holy Prophet (sa) used to – nothing less. While leading Isha, I would make the first two rak‘ats long and the last two shorter.” Hazrat Umar (ra) said, “Abu Ishaq, this is exactly what I thought of you,” meaning this was exactly as he expected him to do.

Then Hazrat Umar (ra) sent one, or a few men with him to Kufa, so that they may ask the residents of Kufa about him. There was not a single mosque which they did not visit in order to ask about Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) – they went to every mosque and people complimented Hazrat Sa‘d (ra). At the end, they went to the mosque of the Banu Abbas tribe. There, a man known as Osama bin Qatadah and his title was Abu Sa‘ida, he stood up and said, “Since you have taken an oath from us, the truth is that Sa‘d would not accompany the army and would not distribute the wealth equally, nor was he just in his decisions.”

These were the allegations that were levelled against Hazrat Sa‘d (ra). Upon hearing this, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) said, “By God, I pray for three things; that O my Allah! If this servant of yours (i.e., the person who levelled these allegations) is a liar, has stood out of ostentation and for fame, extend his life, increase his needs and make him repeatedly face trials.”

After this, whenever someone would inquire from that person who had levelled these allegations, he would say that he had become very frail and in a feeble condition. [He would say] that he was stricken with hardship; the prayer of Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) against him had been fulfilled, meaning he was suffering the consequences of the false allegations he had levelled. Abdul Mulk would say, “I have seen him afterwards, and his condition was such that due to old age, his eyebrows had sunk over his eyes. It was surprising to see that despite this, his level of morality was so low that he would approach young girls in the streets and would make gestures at them with his eyes.” This entire incident is recorded in Bukhari.

(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Adhan, Hadith no. 755)

In any case, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) was deeply hurt by these allegations and said, “I was the first from among the Arabs to launch an arrow for the cause of Islam, and we would go alongside the Holy Prophet (sa) for battles, in such conditions where we had nothing to eat except the leaves of the trees. Our condition was such that we would pass stool that would resemble the excrement of camel or like that of goats (i.e., completely dry) and now the situation is such that the Banu Asad ibn Khuzaima wish to teach me the etiquettes of Islam. If such is the case, then I have been unsuccessful and all my deeds have been wasted and the people. The people of Banu Asad have gone to Hazrat Umar (ra) and spoken ill of me by saying that I do not lead the Salat in the correct manner.” This narration is also found in Bukhari.

(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Fazail al-Sahab al-Nabi, Hadith no. 3728) (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Zuhd, Hadith no. 2365, 2366)