to his heart from his Lord, and unquestioningly accept everything he does. Others, when they see him say or do something that does not accord with the revealed law, exclude him entirely from Allah’s allies, even if he has erred while exercising independent judgment. The best course lies between these extremes: he should neither be regarded as infallible nor held sinful when he errs in exercising independent judgment. He is not to be followed in everything he says, nor judged a disbeliever or an evildoer when he has exercised independent judgment. People are obliged to follow what Allah sent His Messenger with. However, if he disagrees with some jurists while agreeing with others, no one has the right to compel him to adopt the opposing opinion and say, “This man has contradicted the revealed law.”

It is authentically established in the two Sahīhs that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Among the nations before you were men who received inspiration. If there is anyone like them in my community, ‘Umar is one of them.”

Al-Tirmidhī and others narrated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Had I not been sent among you, ‘Umar would have been sent among you.”

In another hadith:

“Allah has placed the truth upon ‘Umar’s tongue and in his heart.”

It also states:

“Had there been a prophet after me, it would have been ‘Umar.”

‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say, “We did not consider it unlikely that al-sakīna spoke through ‘Umar’s tongue.” This is authentically established from him through the narration of al-Sha‘bī.

Ibn ‘Umar said:

“Whenever ‘Umar said of something, ‘I believe it to be such-and-such,’ it turned out as he said.”

Qays ibn Tāriq said, “We used to say that an angel spoke through ‘Umar’s tongue.”

And ‘Umar used to say: