Hadith of the Verse of Rajm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Verse of Rajm Hadith in Sahih Muslim about an event involving the alleged Verse of Rajm in the Qur'an.

Contents

[edit] Introduction

During Umars farewell speech, he addressed different issues. The speech is included in Sahih Bukhari, and in it there is a reference to an alleged verse in the Qur'an named the Verse of Rajm. The alleged verse is quoted as:

"O people! Do not claim to be the offspring of other than your fathers, as it is disbelief (unthankfulness) on your part that you claim to be the offspring of other than your real father."

The individual hadith are not regarded equally authentic, however, the speech of Umar where he quoted the verse is regarded authenic by Sunnis.

[edit] Use

This is a controversial narration, used by many different groups and Islamic denominations to advance different issues and allegations. Among them include:

  • Some Muslims using to allege the un-authenticity of the punishment of Rajm.
  • Sunni using it to allege the legality of the punishment of Rajm.
  • Sunnis using it as an example of alleged abrogated verse that did not became included in the Qur'an.
  • Shi'a using it to allege the un-authenticity of Sahih Bukhari.
  • Shi'a using it to criticize the Sunni way of deriving Fiqh.
  • Shi'a using it to allege the ignorance of Umar.
  • Shi'a using it to allege that people lied in order to prevent Umar from being viewed as a lier.
  • Shi'a using it to allege that Sunnis have hadith fabricated only to guard Umar from embarrassment.
  • Shi'a using it to prove that Sunnis have traditions that allege the Qur'an becoming changed after the death of Muahmmad.
  • Shi'a using it to counter the allegations of Surah al-Wilaayah and Surah al-Noorayn.

[edit] Narrations

[edit] 1

Ibn Abbas reported:

I used to teach (the Qur'an to) some people of the Muhajiron (emigrants), among whom there was 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf. While I was in his house at Mina, and he was with Umar bin Al-Khattab during 'Umar's last Hajj, Abdur-Rahman came to me and said, "Would that you had seen the man who came today to the Chief of the Believers ('Umar), saying, 'O Chief of the Believers! What do you think about so-and-so who says, 'If 'Umar should die, I will give the pledge of allegiance to such-and-such person, as by Allah, the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr was nothing but a prompt sudden action which got established afterwards.' 'Umar became angry and then said, 'Allah willing, I will stand before the people tonight and warn them against those people who want to deprive the others of their rights (the question of rulership)."
Abdur-Rahman said, "I said, 'O Chief of the believers! Do not do that, for the season of Hajj gathers the riff-raff and the rubble, and it will be they who will gather around you when you stand to address the people. And I am afraid that you will get up and say something, and some people will spread your statement and may not say what you have actually said and may not understand its meaning, and may interpret it incorrectly, so you should wait till you reach Medina, as it is the place of emigration and the place of Prophet's Traditions, and there you can come in touch with the learned and noble people, and tell them your ideas with confidence; and the learned people will understand your statement and put it in its proper place.' On that, 'Umar said, 'By Allah! Allah willing, I will do this in the first speech I will deliver before the people in Medina."
Ibn Abbas added: We reached Medina by the end of the month of Dhul-Hijja, and when it was Friday, we went quickly (to the mosque) as soon as the sun had declined, and I saw Sa'id bin Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail sitting at the corner of the pulpit, and I too sat close to him so that my knee was touching his knee, and after a short while 'Umar bin Al-Khattab came out, and when I saw him coming towards us, I said to Said bin Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail "Today 'Umar will say such a thing as he has never said since he was chosen as Caliph." Said denied my statement with astonishment and said, "What thing do you expect 'Umar to say the like of which he has never said before?"
In the meantime, 'Umar sat on the pulpit and when the callmakers for the prayer had finished their call, 'Umar stood up, and having glorified and praised Allah as He deserved, he said, "Now then, I am going to tell you something which (Allah) has written for me to say. I do not know; perhaps it portends my death, so whoever understands and remembers it, must narrate it to the others wherever his mount takes him, but if somebody is afraid that he does not understand it, then it is unlawful for him to tell lies about me. Allah sent Muhammad with the Truth and revealed the Holy Book to him, and among what Allah revealed, was the Verse of the Rajam (the stoning of married person (male & female) who commits illegal sexual intercourse, and we did recite this Verse and understood and memorized it. Allah's Apostle did carry out the punishment of stoning and so did we after him.
I am afraid that after a long time has passed, somebody will say, 'By Allah, we do not find the Verse of the Rajam in Allah's Book,' and thus they will go astray by leaving an obligation which Allah has revealed. And the punishment of the Rajam is to be inflicted to any married person (male & female), who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if the required evidence is available or there is conception or confession. And then we used to recite among the Verses in Allah's Book: "O people! Do not claim to be the offspring of other than your fathers, as it is disbelief (unthankfulness) on your part that you claim to be the offspring of other than your real father." Then (unrelated) [1]

[edit] 2

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

Umar said, "I am afraid that after a long time has passed, people may say, "We do not find the Verses of the Rajam (stoning to death) in the Holy Book," and consequently they may go astray by leaving an obligation that Allah has revealed. Lo! I confirm that the penalty of Rajam be inflicted on him who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if he is already married and the crime is proved by witnesses or pregnancy or confession." Sufyan added, "I have memorized this narration in this way." 'Umar added, "Surely Allah's Apostle carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so did we after him." [2]

[edit] 3

Narrated Ibn Umar:

A Jew and a Jewess were brought to Allah's Apostle on a charge of committing an illegal sexual intercourse. The Prophet asked them. "What is the legal punishment (for this sin) in your Book (Torah)?" They replied, "Our priests have innovated the punishment of blackening the faces with charcoal and Tajbiya." 'Abdullah bin Salam said, "O Allah's Apostle, tell them to bring the Torah." The Torah was brought, and then one of the Jews put his hand over the Divine Verse of the Rajam (stoning to death) and started reading what preceded and what followed it. On that, Ibn Salam said to the Jew, "Lift up your hand." Behold! The Divine Verse of the Rajam was under his hand. So Allah's Apostle ordered that the two (sinners) be stoned to death, and so they were stoned. Ibn 'Umar added: So both of them were stoned at the Balat and I saw the Jew sheltering the Jewess. [3]

[edit] 4

Ibn Mardawayh reported that Hudhayfah said:

Umar said to me 'How many verses are contained in the chapter of al-Ahzab?' I said, '72 or 73 verses.' He said it was almost as long as the chapter of the Cow, which contains 287 verses, and in it there was the verse of stoning.[4]

[edit] 5

Ayesha:

"When the verses “Rajm” [Stoning] and ayah “Rezah Kabir” descended, they were written on a piece of paper and kept under my pillow. Following the demise of Prophet Muhammad (S) a goat ate the piece of paper while we were mourning."

Another translation goes:

The verse of stoning and of suckling an adult ten times were revealed, and they were (written) on a paper and kept under my bed. When the Messenger of Allah (SAWW.) expired and we were preoccupied with his death, a goat entered and ate away the paper.[5]

[edit] 6

If a judge has to witness in favor of a litigant whenhe is a judge or he had it before he became a judge (can he pass ajudgment in his favor accordingly or should he refer the case to another judge before whom he would bear witness?). And the judge Shuraih said to a person who sought his witness, "Go to the ruler so that I may bear witness (before him) for you." And 'Ikrima said, "Umar said to 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf, 'If I saw a man committing illegal sexual intercourse or theft, and you were the ruler (what would you do)?. 'Abdur-Rahman said, 'I would regard your witness as equal to the witness of any other man among the Muslims. 'Umar said, 'You have said the truth.' 'Umar added: If I were not afraid of the fact that people may say that 'Umar has added to the Quran extra (verses), I would have written the Verse al-Rajm (stoning to death of married adulterers) with my own hands. and Ma'iz confessed before the Prophet that he had committed illegal intercourse, whereupon the prophet ordered him to be stoned to death. It is not mentioned that the prophet sought witness of those who were present there.
Hammad said, "If an adulterer confesses before a ruler once only, he should be stoned to death." But al-Hakam said, "He must confess four times.[6]

[edit] Shi'a view

See [7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

↑ 1)

↑ 2)

↑ 3)

↑ 4)

  • Al-Muttaqi 'Ali bin Husam al-Din in his book "Mukhtasar Kanz al-'Ummal" printed on the margin of Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Volume 2, page 2, in his hadith about chapter 33

[8] [9]

↑ 5)

↑ 6)

  • The Hadith is narrated without any Hadith number in Bukhari. It is in the title of one of the chapter of Bukhari. It was translated by the translator.

Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English version, vol 9, p212: {Between Traditions 9.281 and 9.282} [10] [11]

[edit] External links

Shi'a:

Sunni:

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../h/a/d/Hadith_of_the_Verse_of_Rajm_0798.html"