السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
الحمد لله و الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله و على آله و صحبه أجمعين…
In a discussion with a brother on the issue of the actions of the Sahaba being a proof over the statement of the Prophet ﷺ, we were discussing the possibility of some Sahaba not being aware of some issues already explained by the Prophet ﷺ.
Thus I tried searching some clear examples of these cases from the Kutub-us-Sitta, usually looking out for the famous examples most frequently mentioned and discussed in scholarly circles.
So I’ll mention the link of the Hadith with a very summarized context and you can read the Ahadith for yourself In sha Allah from the links.
So what’s the point we want to make!?
We want to conclude that if The Prophet ﷺ mentions something and the actions or statement of a companion (Sahabi) contradicts that statement, then the words of The Prophet ﷺ will be preferred over the actions or statements of the Sahabi, because it is highly possible that the Sahabi acted contradictory to the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ because of being unaware of the Hadith,i.e. the Hadith not reaching the Sahabi.
Some examples:
1.
https://sunnah.com/abudawud/21/53
Aisha (رضي الله عنها) did not know that it was allowed for wives to wash the dead bodies of their husbands.
https://sunnah.com/urn/1288140
2.
https://sunnah.com/abudawud/20/41
Fatima (رضي الله عنها) did not know that Prophet’s ﷺ property is non-inheritable.
Even all his wives except Aisha (رضي الله عنه) were unaware of this-
https://sunnah.com/bukhari/85/7
3.
Ummu Habibah Ramlah did not know that marrying two sisters at once was impermissible.
https://sunnah.com/nasai/26/89
4.
Many Sahaba, including Umar (رضي الله عنه) weren’t aware of the Ayah that signalled that Prophet ﷺ will also die like the other Prophets.
https://sunnah.com/bukhari/64/472
5.
Usama bin Zaid (رضي الله عنه) wasn’taware that an outward acceptance of Islam was barely enough to be a Muslim.
https://sunnah.com/muslim/1/183
6.
In the meetting (war council) before fighting the Zakat rejectors (rebels) Abu Bakr and Umar (رضي الله عنهما) discuss and debate over whether to fight or not to fight the rejectors of Zakat as they were basically Muslim. As they both only knew a part of a Hadith:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah ‘s Apostle said, ” I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,’ and whoever says, ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,’ his life and property will be saved by me except for Islamic law, and his accounts will be with Allah, (either to punish him or to forgive him.)”(Bukhari, 2956)
See the discussion:
https://sunnah.com/muslim/1/32
If they had known this Hadith then it would’ve been easier for them to conclude that Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was right.
https://sunnah.com/bukhari/2/18
So Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) had the knowledge of this Hadith, Abu Bakr and Umar (رضي الله عنهما) didn’t have it. (As a side point we also realise that they didn’t call Abdullah bin Umar for the meeting)
(I remember reading something similar in Fathul Bari of Imam Ibn Hajr.)
7.
Umar ibn al Khattab (رضي الله عنه) didn’t know what was the Diyyah (blood money) for causing abortion (harming/killing) an unborn child. Mughira bin Shubah (رضي الله عنه) knew it.
https://sunnah.com/urn/1269570
8.
Saeed bin Jubair (رضي الله عنه) went to Abdullah bin Umar (رضي الله عنه) to seek knowledge on the issue of Lian.
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/13/29
9.
Umar (رضي الله عنه) did not know about the concession allowing an irrevocably divorced women, that she can leave her house and stay elsewhere.
https://sunnah.com/nasai/27/163
10.
Umar (رضي الله عنه) was unaware of the fact that if a person seeks permission to enter a house three times and he is not allowed/responded, then he should return.
Saheehus-Seerah 