Personal Views Aligned with Divine Revelations: Three Occasions

It is also stated that certain revelations that were received by the Holy Prophet (sa) were such that Hazrat Umar’s (ra) personal view was in accordance with it. In the Sihah-e-Sittah [the six most authentic books of hadith], there is mention of three instances where Hazrat Umar’s (ra) view on a matter corresponded [to the verse revealed]. If one looks at these various narrations of the Sihah-e-Sittah in conjunction, they add up to seven in total.

In one narration of Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that Hazrat Umar (ra) stated, “On three occasions, my opinion was in accordance with the will of my Lord. Once, I said ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, we should make the place of Abraham (as) a place of worship,’ then the verse:

وَاتَّخِذُوْا‭ ‬مِنْ‭ ‬مَّقَامِ‮ ‬إِبۡرَاهِيمَ‭ ‬مُصَلًّي

‘And take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer,’ was revealed. And in relation to the [verse] regarding the observance of the veil for women, I said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I wish you ordered your wives to observe the purdah because among the men are virtuous as well as evil ones who speak to them.’ Following this, the verse regarding the observance of the veil was revealed. On one occasion, the wives of the Holy Prophet (sa) came together in order to seek a particular demand from the Holy Prophet (sa), upon this I said to them”, i.e. the wives, among whom was his own daughter as well, “‘It may be if he divorced you all, that his Lord would grant him better wives in your place.’ Then the following verse was revealed:

عَسَىٰ‭ ‬رَبُّهُۥٓ‭ ‬إِن‭ ‬طَلَّقَكُنَّ‭ ‬أَن‭ ‬يُبۡدِلَهُۥٓ‭ ‬أَزۡوَٰجًا‭ ‬خَيۡرٗا‭ ‬مِّنْكُنَّ ‘It may be that if he divorce you, his Lord will give him instead wives better than you.’”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Salah, Bab ma Ja‘a fi al-Qiblah, Hadith 402)

There is a narration of Sahih Muslim in which Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra) relates:

“Hazrat Umar (ra) stated, ‘There were three occasions when my view on a matter was in accordance with the will of my lord. That is, the station of Abraham (as), the observance of the veil and in the case of the prisoners of Badr.’”

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab Fada‘il Ashab al-Nabi (sa), Bab min Fada‘il Umar (ra), Hadith 6206)

However, the narration regarding the prisoners of Badr is incorrect, and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) has explained this at length.

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has also written about this whilst presenting various proofs and also various earlier scholars and commentators of the Holy Quran have written about it and proven that the narration regarding the punishments given to the prisoners of Badr is incorrect. I have also given details about this in a previous sermon.