Response To: "Umar admits his Lack of Knowledge"

A response to "The Shi'ite Offensive", their article can be found here.

Somewhat paradoxically, while attempting to highlight `Umar ibn al-Khattab's purported 'lack of knowledge', "The Shi'ite Offensive" cited a tradition transmitted by al-Shawkani in his exegesis. However, the cover scan they provided was from Fath al-Bari by ibn Hajar. Regardless, the initial narration they referenced can be traced back to al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi. Upon reporting this account, al-Bayhaqi offered the following commentary:

Translation: "This is munqati`."

There are two defects, or `ilal, in its route of transmission. Firstly, al-Sha`bi, who was born in the twenty-first year, relaying directly from `Umar ibn al-Khattab would pose a disruption in the isnad. `Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hatim recounts:

Translation: "I heard my father (Abu Hatim) and Abu Zur`ah say: al-Sha`bi on the authority of `Umar is mursal."

The second is the issue of the reliability, or lack thereof, of Mujalid ibn Sa`id. Imam al-Bukhari has related the following observation about him, which ibn `Adiy has adduced in al-Kamil fi Du`afa al-Rijal:

Translation: "Yahya (bin Sa`id) al-Qattan weakened him and (`Abd al-Rahman) ibn Mahdi did not narrate from him."

End.