Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (11/109)

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

What is meant by the saying, “Do favors for the poor, for their day will come—and what a day it will be!” and by the statement attributed to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him: “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would converse with Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—while I was between them like a black African”?

Also, people sometimes say to one another, “We are blessed through you,” or, “Ever since you came to stay with us, blessings have descended upon us,” or, “We are blessed through this shaykh who is buried among us.” Are such statements religiously sanctioned or not? Give us a ruling; may you be rewarded.

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. The first two reports are both fabrications. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb never said what has been attributed to him, nor has anyone transmitted it through any chain of transmission, whether sound or weak. It is a false statement. Even those of lesser standing than ‘Umar would hear the Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and understand what Allah enabled them to benefit from. How much more so, then, would ‘Umar? ‘Umar was the best of all people after Abū Bakr. How, then, could the speech of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abū Bakr have been like the speech of a black African?

وَسُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: عَمَّا يُذْكَرُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ: اتَّخِذُوا مَعَ الْفَقِيرِ أَيَادِي فَإِنَّ لَهُمْ دَوْلَةً وَأَيَّ دَوْلَةٍ وَقَوْلُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -: إنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَتَحَدَّثُ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَكُنْت بَيْنَهُمَا كَالزِّنْجِيِّ مَا مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ؟ وَقَوْلُ بَعْضِ النَّاسِ لِبَعْضِ: نَحْنُ فِي بَرَكَتِك أَوْ مِنْ وَقْتِ حَلَلْت عِنْدَنَا حَلَّتْ عَلَيْنَا الْبَرَكَةُ. وَنَحْنُ فِي بَرَكَةِ هَذَا الشَّيْخِ الْمَدْفُونِ عِنْدَنَا. هَلْ هُوَ قَوْلٌ مَشْرُوعٌ أَمْ لَا؟ أَفْتُونَا مَأْجُورِينَ. فَأَجَابَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، أَمَا الْحَدِيثَانِ الْأَوَّلَانِ فَكِلَاهُمَا كَذِبٌ وَمَا قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ مَا ذُكِرَ عَنْهُ قَطُّ وَلَا رَوَى هَذَا أَحَدٌ بِإِسْنَادِ صَحِيحٍ وَلَا ضَعِيفٍ وَهُوَ كَلَامٌ بَاطِلٌ؛ فَإِنَّ مَنْ كَانَ دُونَ عُمَرَ كَانَ يَسْمَعُ كَلَامَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَيَفْهَمُ مَا يَنْفَعُهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ فَكَيْفَ بِعُمَرِ؟ وَعُمَرُ أَفْضَلُ الْخَلْقِ بَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ كَلَامُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ بِمَنْزِلَةِ كَلَامِ الزِّنْجِيِّ.