₦airaland Forum

from the book :The Ethics of Disagreement in Islam by Dr. Taha Jabir al `Alwani
chapter 4, page 27
`Umar and `Alee
There were differences of opinion between `Umar ibn al Khattaab and `Alee ibn Abee Taalib, but these were kept within
the bounds of refined manners. The following story demonstrates this:
There was a woman whose husband was away. `Umar, who was then the khaleefah, was told that she admitted men into
her house in the absence of her husband. As `Umar disapproved of this, he sent someone to summon her to him. "Go to
`Umar," she was told and she said: "Oh, woe unto me! Why should `Umar want to see me?" The woman was pregnant,
and on her way to him she was so scared that she went into labor. She therefore entered a house where she gave birth to a
child who died shortly afterwards. `Umar consulted the Companions of the Prophet, some of whom advised that he was
not to be blamed for anything; he was only doing what his office required of him. `Alee, on the other hand, kept silent.
Noticing that, `Umar came up to `Alee and asked him: "What do you say?" `Alee replied: "If what these Companions
said is what they really think, then their opinion is wrong. But if they said that in order to please you, they have not given
you proper advice. I believe that you have to pay compensation (deeyah) for the child. It is you who scared the woman,
and she miscarried because of you."14
`Umar yielded to the opinion of `Alee without feeling any resentment in acting on his verdict, even though he was the
head of the Muslim state (ameer al mu'mineen). He felt a certain relief in following the opinion of another.