The Story
Umar was once presiding over a packed courthouse when he noticed two men dragging a boy inside. Seeing the commotion, he enquired what the matter was. The men said the boy had killed their father. Umar asked the boy whether the charge against him was true. The boy admitted that he had killed their father, but he said it was accidental and not deliberate. “My camel used to tread on their property. One day their father hit a rock at the camel which struck its eye. Seeing the pain and suffering of the camel I got infuriated and threw a stone at their father which hit his head and killed him.”
Umar then asked the two men if they were willing to forgive the boy. They said they wanted retribution, meaning thereby that the boy had to be executed for expiation of the crime. Umar then asked the boy if he had any last request or desire before the punishment was carried out. The boy said his father had passed away and he had a young brother. His father had left some money for him and he would require three days to retrieve the hidden money and hand it over to his brother. Umar then asked if he could produce a guarantor as an assurance that he will come back. The boy looked at the packed courthouse, hoping to evoke some sympathy, but received no response. To his utter surprise, the people looked the other way when he cast a hopeful glance at them. Then suddenly a hand in the last row went up. It was Abu Dhar al-Ghifari al-Kinani, the illustrious companion (Sahaba) of the Prophet who was the fourth or fifth individual to embrace Islam. He came forward to stand guarantee for the poor helpless boy. it meant that in case they boy did not turn up in three days, Abu Dhar would have to get his head chopped off. The boy was allowed to leave and report back within three days.
The first day passed off, but there was no sight of the boy. The second day too passed with the boy still not back. On the third day, the two men went to Abu Dhar and asked him to accompany them to the courthouse. Abu Dhar insisted that there was still time till the day to end. The prayer call for sunset prayers was still minutes away. Meanwhile tension had build up in Madinah and the town was abuzz with news that Abu Dhar would have to suffer the punishment for the boy.
With just a few minutes to go for the prayer call, the boy appeared. He was gasping but relieved that he could make it by the deadline. Umar asked the boy what prompted him to come back when in fact he had not send any spy or an escort to follow him. He said that he didn’t want people to say that a Muslim had made a vow and failed to fulfil it. He then turned to Abu Dhar and asked him, what had made him stand guarantee for the boy, particularly when the risk involved was so high and the boy was a total stranger. Abu Dhar replied that he didn’t want anybody to say that a Muslim wanted a guarantee and no Muslim was forthcoming to offer it. The two men whose father had been killed by the boy turned emotional. “When there are such honest and pious people in this world, we don’t want people to say that a Muslim asked for forgiveness and was not forgiven. We would like to forgive the boy.” The boy was forgiven and allowed to go free. Such was the level of piety during the caliphate of Umar.
The story is false and baseless, with out any original source or chain.
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Saheehus-Seerah 