Question: I wanted to ask you about the authenticity of the story that states that Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) buried his daughters? I wish for an explanative answer.May Allah grant you Jannah and accept your good deeds.
Answer:
All praises and thanks be to Allah.
We can say for sure that the story concerning Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه),that he buried his daughters during the Jahiliyyah, is void of any proof,and the reasons for that are:
1. Such stories have not been narrated in the books of Sunnah and Hadith, or the books of Athar (narrations of The Sahaba and other than them) and History, and we don’t know the origin of this story except from those who are liars from the Raafidah (extreme Shia),the haters (of the Sahaba), who speak without any proofs or evidences.
2. If the practice of burying daughters was widespread in Banu Adiyy (the clan of Umar ibn al-Khattab), then how was Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنها) born in the days of Jahiliyyah,(and that too) five years before the beginning of the Prophetic mission, and she wasn’t buried!
This is a proof that burying daughters wasn’t from the qualities of Umar ibn al-Khattab in Jahiliyyah.
See the biography of Umm-ul-Mumineen Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنها) in ‘Al-Isabah’ of Al-Hafidh ibn Hajr (7/582).
3. And what was related from Umar ibn al-Khattab about the practice of burying infant daughters, is the narration related by An-Numan bin Basheer (رضي الله عنه), that he said: ‘I heard Umar ibn al-Khattab, that he said: ‘That it was asked about the statement of Allah,”And when the (buried) female child will ask (for what crime was she buried) [At-Takwir:8]”‘, he (Umar) said: ‘Qais bin Aasim (رضي الله عنه) came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he (Qais) said: “Oh Messenger of Allah! I had buried eight of my daughters in Jahiliyyah!”.He ﷺ replied: “Free a slave on behalf of each of them”, he (Qais) said: “I am an owner of camels?”, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Slaughter (a camel) on behalf of every girl (you buried)”[And in another narration: For every one if you wish (a camel)]”‘.
Narrated by Al-Bazzar (1/60), and At-Tabarani in his ‘Al-Mujam Al-Kabeer'(18/337), and Al-Haythmi said: ‘The men in the narration of Al-Bazzar are (men of) Saheeh except for Hussain bin Mahdi Al-Ailee and he is Thiqah (trustworthy)’. End quote.
Also in ‘Majmua Az-Zawaid'(7/283). Shaikh Al-Albani authenticated it in his ‘Silsilatul Ahadith As-Saheehah'(3298), where it is mentioned as a narration of Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه)- as an expiation for what passed by of burying daughters in Jahiliyyah, and Umar ibn al-Khattab did not mention anything similar as such about himself, and this has been narrated as an act done by Qais bin Aasim (رضي الله عنه) and it indicates that the incident alleged upon Umar ibn al-Khattab about burying daughters had never occurred.
4. And then if we assume that the narration mentioned is authentic, yet still,the action of the Jahiliyyah are forgiven, as Islam erases (of sins) what preceded it, and if Allah has forgiven shirk and the worshipping of idols, which many of the Sahaba were involved in during the days of ignorance, then how will Allah deal with the issue of burying of daughters? (of course He will forgive it).
Doctor Abdus Salaam bin Muhsin Aal-lesa said :
“And as for Umar (رضي الله عنه), it was mentioned about him, that he buried his daughters in the days of ignorance, and I didn’t find anything in this regard about Umar from the sources (of history and biography); but I found that the Ustaz Abbas Mahmoud Al-Uqad has pointed out (signalled) towards this is his book, ‘Abqariyyatu-Umar’ [p. 221] , that he said, the summary of which is…
“That he (Umar) was sitting with some of the Sahaba, that he laughed a little, then he cried, the ones present asked him (the reason for behaving as such); he said : during the days of ignorance, we created an idol of dough and we worshipped it, then we ate it, and this is the reason I laughed; as for (the reason of) me crying, it is because I had a daughter, I intended to bury her, I took her with me, and dug a hole for her, and she was dusting off (removing) the soil from my beard, and then I buried her.
And I (the author), strongly doubt the authenticity of this story, (because) that the practice of burying daughters was not a very common practice amongst the Arabs, and as such it wasn’t famous about Banu Adiyy (that they did so), and Fatima bin Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنها), Umar’s sister, lived amongst the family of Al-Khattab and Hafsah was his (Umar’s) elder daughter, and she is the one because of whom Umar was titled(by Kunniyah) Abu Hafs, and Hafsah was born five years before the beginning of the Prophetic mission and she wasn’t buried, so why(do we have) the allegations of burying the younger daughters.
And why was this report (story of Umar burying his daughters) interrupted and not narrated from any of her brothers and sisters and uncles or aunts”.End quote.
Dirasah Naqeedah Fi Al-Marwiyyaat Fi Shaksiyyah Umar ibn al Khattab wa Siyasah Al-Idariyyah.(112-1/111)
And Allah knows the best.
[The question above was posed to islamqa.info, the website run by Shaikh Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid Hafidhahullah, and the answer was only available in the Arabic language. It has been translated into the English language for the benefit of sincere students of The Seerah of The Prophet ﷺ and his Sahaba (رضي الله عنهم). Any mistakes in the translation are to be attributed to the translator alone,and rectifications in this regard will be highly appreciated, Barakallahufeekum.]
-Translated by Abu Muaaz Mohammed Manna,
18th Dhul-Hijjah 1439
Saheehus-Seerah 