Why Did Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) Say "The Quran Is Sufficient for Us" During the Prophet's Final Illness?

This hadith is among the greatest narrations demonstrating the Prophet's ﷺ concern for the guidance of his Ummah. It is also among the narrations whose meaning has been distorted by the people of innovation in order to criticize the Companions, especially Umar bin Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Ahl al Sunnah wal Jamaah reconcile all of the texts, interpret the statements of the Companions in the best possible manner, and believe in their integrity and virtue, in accordance with the statement of Allah, the Most High:

First: Explanation of the Hadith Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "When the illness of the Prophet ﷺ became severe, he said: 'Bring me writing materials so that I may write for you something after which you will never go astray...' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then said: 'The Prophet ﷺ is overcome by illness, and you have the Book of Allah. The Book of Allah is sufficient for us...'" The Prophet's ﷺ statement: "Bring me writing materials so that I may write for you something after which you will never go astray." means that he intended to write something that would further emphasize certain matters that would preserve the Ummah from disagreement. This document was not obligatory revelation that had to be conveyed, because the Prophet ﷺ did not write it afterward. Had it been obligatory, he would not have left it, for Allah says:

Second: Why Did Umar Say, "The Book of Allah Is Sufficient for Us"? Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) never intended: -That the Sunnah is not a proof. -That the Quran is sufficient without the Sunnah. -To reject the words of the Prophet ﷺ. Such claims are false, for Umar was among the people who most greatly honored the Sunnah. Rather, he believed that: -The Prophet's ﷺ illness had become severe. -He wished to spare him additional hardship. -The Quran had already been completely revealed, and the foundations of the religion had been completed.

Third: Did Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) Make a Mistake? Yes, it may be said that Umar exercised ijtihad, while other Companions held a different view. That is why disagreement arose among them. A Companion may exercise ijtihad and either be correct or mistaken, but the mistake of a qualified mujtahid is forgiven.

The Prophet ﷺ did not rebuke Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) specifically. Rather, he said to everyone: "Leave me, for it is not appropriate to dispute in my presence." Had Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) committed a grave sin or rejected revelation, the Prophet ﷺ would have clearly rebuked him. Fourth: Why Did the Prophet ﷺ Not Write the Document Later? This is among the strongest evidences presented by Ahl al Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ remained alive for several more days after this incident. He could have said: "Bring the writing materials now." But he did not. This indicates that writing the document was not obligatory. Had it been among the essential matters of the religion, he would not have left it.

Fifth: What Did Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) Mean by Saying, "The Great Calamity"? He meant that the disagreement and dispute prevented the Prophet ﷺ from writing that document. This was the ijtihad of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). It does not mean: -That the religion was incomplete. -That any revelation was lost. -That the Companions concealed anything. For Allah guaranteed the preservation of the religion. As for the words of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), they do not contain any criticism of the Companions. He himself pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and then to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Rather, he meant that the disagreement itself was a calamity because it later became a cause for fitnah and for people to attack those noble Companions.

This demonstrates the falsehood of the Rafidah's claims against the Companions, especially Umar bin Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and confirms the truthfulness of the Salaf in describing them as the most dishonest of the sects claiming affiliation with Islam. Therefore, beware of them concerning your religion, dear questioner, and we ask Allah to keep you firm upon Islam and the Sunnah. Sixth: Responding to the Claims of the People of Innovation First Claim: They say that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) prevented the Prophet ﷺ from writing his final instruction. Response: If the Prophet ﷺ had intended to write something obligatory, he would have instructed them again after the disagreement subsided, and no one could have prevented him. Second Claim: They claim that he intended to explicitly appoint Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) as his successor. Response: This is false for several reasons: There is no authentic hadith stating that he intended to write the name of Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) Had the Prophet ﷺ intended this, he would have stated it explicitly. He addressed tens of thousands of people at Ghadir Khumm and did not say, "This is my successor after me." Rather, during his illness he said, as narrated in Sahih Al Bukhari from Aishah: "Command Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the people in prayer." The Companions understood from this that Abu Bakr Al Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) should be given precedence. Third Claim: They say that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) believed in following the Quran instead of the Sunnah. Response: This is among the most false of claims. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who most greatly honored the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. It is narrated from him: "Do not let the one who merely recites the Quran deceive you. It is only speech. Rather, look at the one who acts upon it." He judged according to the Sunnah, referred back to it, and instructed the people to follow it. Fourth Claim: Umar's (may Allah be pleased with him) statement, "The Book of Allah is sufficient for us," proves that he denied the Sunnah. This is not the case. The Quran itself commands adherence to the Sunnah:

How then could Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) have denied the Sunnah when he himself judged by it and taught it to the people? Seventh: Benefits in Aqidah and Fiqh The Prophet ﷺ had perfect compassion for his Ummah. The Companions were permitted to exercise ijtihad during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime in matters for which there was no definitive text. The virtue of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), whose ijtihad was motivated by the desire to ease the burden upon the Prophet ﷺ. Disputing in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ is blameworthy. The religion was completed before the death of the Prophet ﷺ. All of the Companions are upright, and this incident must not be used as a means to criticize them. The Sunnah is revelation that must be followed, and Umar's statement in no way indicates denial of it. Conclusion: This hadith contains no criticism of Umar bin Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), nor does it indicate that the Quran is sufficient without the Sunnah, nor that the Prophet ﷺ was prevented from conveying any part of the religion. Rather, some of the Companions exercised ijtihad when the Prophet's ﷺ illness became severe. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that easing the burden upon him was preferable, while others believed that the writing materials should be brought. When the disagreement became excessive, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Leave me, for it is not appropriate to dispute in my presence." He did not request the writing materials afterward, which shows that what he intended to write was not an obligatory matter that had to be conveyed. It also demonstrates that the religion had already been perfected and that nothing of the revelation was withheld from the Ummah, contrary to the claims of the people of falsehood.