Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, sought permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while some women of Quraysh were with him, speaking to him and making many requests of him, their voices raised above his. When Umar sought permission to enter, they hastened behind the veil. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, permitted him to enter, and he entered to find the Prophet laughing. He said, “May Allah keep you smiling, Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!” He said:

“I was amazed at these women who were with me: when they heard your voice, they hastened behind the veil!”

Umar said, “Messenger of Allah, you are more deserving that they should stand in awe of you!” Then he turned to them and said, “O enemies of your own selves! Do you fear me, yet not fear the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?”

They replied, “You are harsher and sterner than the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him!”

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ... and he then cited it.

The hadith has another chain of transmission recorded by Ibn Abi Asim (1260), through Suhayl ibn Abi Salih, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording:

“By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, Satan does not take a path along which Umar passes.”

Its chain of transmission is good, and its narrators are narrators used by both al-Bukhari and Muslim, except for Ibn Abi Asim’s shaykh in this chain, Ibn Kasib—whose name was Yaqub—for his hadith does not attain the level of authenticity.

(Note): The women’s statement, “You are harsher and sterner than the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,” was not intended in its literal sense, as linguists state. This is because harshness and sternness are explicitly negated of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in the Noble Quran. And Allah knows best.