Question
What is the authenticity of this narration?
Qarazah ibn Ka’b said:
“We went with Umar ibn al-Khattab towards desert, he walked with us and said: ‘Do you know why I followed you?’ They said: ‘To honour us’. He said: ‘Besides that, you are going to the villagers. The Qur’an reverberates in them like the reverberation of a bee. “Do not occupy them with traditions [Hadith]. So make them busy and recite the Qur’an, and don’t engage them with Narrations from the Prophet and I am an associate to you”
(Jami’u Bayanil ‘Ilm)
Answer
The narration as appears in Jami’u Bayanil ‘Ilmi Wa Fadlihi is as follows:
Sayyiduna Qarazah ibn Ka’b (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said: “We left to go toward [‘Iraq] and ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) accompanied us to Sirar [a well three miles out of Madinah] to bid farewell. He asked for water and performed wudu. He then said, ‘Do you know why I followed you?’ They replied, ‘You wanted to bid us farewell to honour us.’ He said, ‘Besides that, [there is another reason]. You are going to a town wherein the Quran reverberates like bees [i.e. they engage in excessive Quran recital] so do not stop them by narrating [too many] Hadiths from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). [Proceed] and I am with you.’”
(Jami’u Bayanil ‘Ilmi Wa Fadlihi, Hadith: 1904. Refer: An Nihayah Fi Gharibil Hadith, vol. 2 pg. 24)
Imam Hakim (rahimahullah) has also recorded this narration with slight variation in the wording. He has declared his chain authentic and further states that there are [corroborating] chains. ‘Allamah Dhahabi (rahimahullah) concurs.
(Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 1 pg. 102)
‘Allamah Ibnu ‘Abdil Barr (rahimahullah) has cited this narration under the chapter, ‘Criticizing excessive reporting of Hadith without understanding it’. Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) therefore cautioned the Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) against preoccupying these people with Hadiths which they may not have the complete understanding of and leave them to be engrossed with Quran recital.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar