A Lesson from a Sermon of ‘Umar رضي الله عنه

‘Umar رضي الله عنه once ascended the pulpit, praised and glorified Allāh, and said, “Listen carefully! Do not be extravagant in the dowries of women, for if I hear of anyone having given more than the amount the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave or received (for his daughters رضي الله عنهن), I will order that extra amount to be added to the treasury.”

He then descended, upon which a woman from the Quraysh approached him and said, “O the leader of the believers! Is the Book of Allāh more worthy of being followed or your word?”

He replied, “Why? Obviously the Book of Allāh عز وجل!”

The woman said, “You have just prohibited the people from being extravagant in relation to the dowries of women, whereas Allāh mentions in His Book: ‘…and you have given her plenty of wealth…’ (4:20)”

‘Umar رضي الله عنه remarked, “Everyone is more understanding than ‘Umar!” twice or thrice, returned to the pulpit and addressed the people, “I prohibited you from being extravagant in the dowries of women. Listen carefully! A person may do with his wealth as he sees fit.”[1]

There are many lessons that can, and are taken from this incident. The one I’d like to point out here is that it was a mark of the taqwā and stature of ‘Umar رضي الله عنه that he acknowledged his ‘mistake’ immediately after the sermon.

Had it been us (someone with a level of background knowledge), we would have countered it with the argument that the wording of the āyah actually points towards an extreme, not a normal situation.

Had he wanted, Umar رضي الله عنه could have easily explained that the āyah was in fact consolidating his own point, owing to his being a great companion of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his academic expertise. However, the great quality that he had of being ‘وقافاً عند كتاب الله’ (ever self-controlled/full of restraint upon the mention of the Book of Allāh) came to the fore, and he would not dare speak further after the Qur’ān was quoted. This is one of the many incidents we find, highlighting this quality of his.

May Allāh grant us the same reverence for His book also. Āmīn.

 

[1]ذكر في مسند سعيد بن منصور: حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ قَالَ: نا هُشَيْمٌ، قَالَ: نا مُجَالِدٌ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ: خَطَبَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ النَّاسَ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: أَلَا لَا تُغَالُوا فِي صُدُقِ النِّسَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَبْلُغُنِي عَنْ أَحَدٍ سَاقَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ سَاقَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَوْ سِيقَ إِلَيْهِ إِلَّا جَعَلْتُ فَضْلَ ذَلِكَ فِي بَيْتِ الْمَالِ، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ فَعَرَضَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَقَالَتْ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَوْ قَوْلُكَ؟ قَالَ: بَلْ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَمَا ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَتْ: نَهَيْتَ النَّاسَ آنِفًا أَنْ يُغَالُوا فِي صُدُقِ النِّسَاءِ وَاللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ {وَآتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنْطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا} [النساء: 20] فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: كُلُّ أَحَدٍ أَفْقَهُ مِنْ عُمَرَ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَقَالَ لِلنَّاسِ: «إِنِّي نَهَيْتُكُمْ أَنْ تُغَالُوا فِي صُدُقِ النِّسَاءِ أَلَا فَلْيَفْعَلْ رَجُلٌ فِي مَالِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ»