14 – The ḥadīth of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb

Abū Sinān narrates from ʿUbayd ibn Ādam, Abū Maryam, and Abū Shuʿayb that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (Allah be pleased with him) was at al-Jābiya when the conquest of Jerusalem was mentioned. Abū Salama said: Abū Sinān related to me from ʿUbayd ibn Ādam who said: I heard ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ask Kaʿb, “Where do you think I should pray?”

Kaʿb replied, “If you follow my opinion, pray behind the Rock; that way the whole of Jerusalem will be in front of you.”

ʿUmar answered, “You are imitating the Jews! No; I shall pray where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed.” He then stepped forward toward the qiblah and prayed. Afterwards he came back, spread out his cloak, and began sweeping the rubbish into it, and the people joined him in sweeping.

Aḥmad recorded it (1/38): al-Aswad ibn ʿĀmir told us; Ḥammād ibn Salamah told us, from Abū Sinān…

I say: This isnād is weak. The Abū Sinān here is ʿĪsā ibn Sinān al-Qasmulī, whose ḥadīth is classed as lenient. As for ʿUbayd ibn Ādam, no transmitter is known for him other than Abū Sinān, yet Ibn Ḥibbān still included him among the trustworthy in keeping with his practice of accrediting unknown narrators.