What is the authenticity of this report from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) << . . . . إذا أخطأت فقوموني . فقال رجل لو وجدنا فيك اعوجاجا قومناك بسوفنا >> ?
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The questioner : It is narrated from 'Umar, and it is his statement when he assumed the caliphate: "If I am appointed over you, then if I am right, support me, and if I am wrong, correct me." Then a man stood up and said, "If we find any deviation in you, we will correct you with our swords." I do not know about the extent of the authenticity of this.
The Shaykh : I do not know?
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And I say that in many cases, regarding such a report, we cannot move from researching the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in terms of authenticating and weakening them, to researching the athar (reports from the Companions or successors). Because this, first, would occupy us with the recommended (mustahabb) at the expense of the obligatory (wajib), and occupying oneself with the recommended at the expense of the obligatory is not permissible. Then, this matter is a recommended practice with no end, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is one person in everything he spoke and was narrated to us, so we must verify the authenticity of the attribution to him. What can you say if we open up the history of the Companions, led by the Rightly Guided Caliphs? This is very impossible. So from the mercy of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) upon us, and from the mercy of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) upon us, I wanted to say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) did not make it obligatory upon us to follow the statements of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), let alone those who came after them, because this is a burden that cannot be borne. But He (Mighty and Majestic) made it obligatory upon us to follow the athar of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whether they be in speech, action, or approval. And this is the only field. What does the Muslim say in this field? The Islamic scholar has been deficient in this field for all these years and has not fulfilled the true obligation toward it. What can you say if we open the door to investigating the athar? There is no way to this except a passing mention on some occasion, where we research it. In conclusion, this report is famous in the books of biography and history, but I do not know if its chain of narration is authentic or not?
The questioner: Our Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : The report contradicts a legal text.
The Shaykh : Do you perhaps mean the last phrase of it?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : "We will correct you with our swords."
The questioner : Yes, this is a contradiction, but this has an interpretation in the language from the perspective of exaggeration. Yes, please proceed.
The questioner : Shaykh, there is a person among us who wanted to get a passport or something similar?
The Shaykh : I do not know?
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And I say that in many cases, regarding such a report, we cannot move from researching the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in terms of authenticating and weakening them, to researching the athar (reports from the Companions or successors). Because this, first, would occupy us with the recommended (mustahabb) at the expense of the obligatory (wajib), and occupying oneself with the recommended at the expense of the obligatory is not permissible. Then, this matter is a recommended practice with no end, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is one person in everything he spoke and was narrated to us, so we must verify the authenticity of the attribution to him. What can you say if we open up the history of the Companions, led by the Rightly Guided Caliphs? This is very impossible. So from the mercy of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) upon us, and from the mercy of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) upon us, I wanted to say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) did not make it obligatory upon us to follow the statements of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), let alone those who came after them, because this is a burden that cannot be borne. But He (Mighty and Majestic) made it obligatory upon us to follow the athar of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whether they be in speech, action, or approval. And this is the only field. What does the Muslim say in this field? The Islamic scholar has been deficient in this field for all these years and has not fulfilled the true obligation toward it. What can you say if we open the door to investigating the athar? There is no way to this except a passing mention on some occasion, where we research it. In conclusion, this report is famous in the books of biography and history, but I do not know if its chain of narration is authentic or not?
The questioner: Our Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : The report contradicts a legal text.
The Shaykh : Do you perhaps mean the last phrase of it?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : "We will correct you with our swords."
The questioner : Yes, this is a contradiction, but this has an interpretation in the language from the perspective of exaggeration. Yes, please proceed.
The questioner : Shaykh, there is a person among us who wanted to get a passport or something similar?
Source
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