Umar the great in the eyes of Muawiyah and Ali may Allah be pleased with them

Umar radhiAllahanho in the eyes of Muawiyah radhiAllahanho and Ali radhiAllahanho.

A) In the eyes of Muawiyah.

1. His extreme love for Umar

2. He followed the example of Umar

3. Ordered people to follow ahadith which were preserved at the time of Umar.

4. Prohibited people to narrate false ahadith.

5. Hajj with Umar radhiAllahanho.

1. His extreme love for Umar

Ibn Hajr commented:

لأن معاوية كان يبالغ في تعظيم عمر

Muawiyah had EXTREME LOVE FOR UMAR. [Fath al Bari the commentary of hadith no. 4108]

2. He followed the example of Umar

az-Zuhri (the Tabiyee) said:

«عَمِلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بِسِيرَةِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ سِنِينَ لَا يَخْرِمُ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا»

The practice of Muawiyah ra was on the way of Umar bin al Khattab, and he did not reduce anything from it. [as-Sunnah by al Khallal no. 683, the Muhaqqiq said: The chain is saheeh”]

3. Ordered people to follow ahadith which were preserved at the time of Umar.

Mu’awiya ra himself said:

Be cautious about ahadith except those which were current during the reign of Umar, for he exhorted people to fear Allah, the Exalted and Majestic… [Sahih Muslim 1037]

4. Prohibited people to narrate false ahadith.

an-Nawawi commented:

ومراد معاوية : النهي عن الإكثار من الأحاديث بغير تثبت لما شاع في زمنه من التحدث عن أهل الكتاب وما وجد في كتبهم حين فتحت بلدانهم ، وأمرهم بالرجوع في الأحاديث إلى ما كان في زمن عمر رضي الله عنه لضبطه الأمر وشدته فيه وخوف الناس من سطوته ، ومنعه الناس من المسارعة إلى الأحاديث ، وطلبه الشهادة على ذلك حتى استقرت الأحاديث واشتهرت السنن

Mu’awiyah’s intention was to discourage excessive narration of unverified ahadith, which became prevalent in his time talking about the People of the Book and what was found in their books when their lands were conquered. He ordered people to refer back to the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.. He prohibited people from hastening to narrate new hadiths and sought testimony to verify them, until the hadiths stabilized and the Sunnah became well-known. [Sharh Sahih Muslim]

5. Hajj with Umar bin al Khattab radhiAllahanho

Muawiya may Allah be pleased with him was the most handsome man among the people.

Ibn al Mubarak Narrated

: أخبرنا ابن أبي ذئب، عن مسلم بن جندب، عن أسلم مولى عمر، قال: قدم علينا معاوية وهو أبض الناس وأجملهم، فخرج إلى الحج مع عمر بن الخطاب،

Aslam (the slave of Umar) said that Muawiya came (to Umar) and he was the most good looking and fair skinned among the people and went to hajj with Umar bin al Khattab.

(الزھد لابن المبارك وقال الحافظ ابن حجر: ھذا سند قوي الاصابة: 3/1857)

B) In the eyes of Ali.

1. Ali radhiAllahanho wanted to meet Allah with the deeds like the deeds of Umar radhiAllahanho.

2. Umar and Ali friends.

1. Ali radhiAllahanho wanted to meet Allah with the deeds like the deeds of Umar radhiAllahanho.

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:

When (the dead body of) `Umar was put on his deathbed, the people gathered around him and invoked (Allah) and prayed for him before the body was taken away, and I was amongst them. Suddenly I felt somebody taking hold of my shoulder and found out that he was `Ali bin Abi Talib. `Ali invoked Allah’s Mercy for `Umar and said, “O `Umar! You have not left behind you a person whose deeds I like to imitate and meet Allah with more than I like your deeds. By Allah! I always thought that Allah would keep you with your two companions, for very often I used to hear the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, ‘I, Abu Bakr and `Umar went (somewhere); I, Abu Bakr and `Umar entered (somewhere); and I, Abu Bakr and `Umar went out.”‘

Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3685

2. Umar and Ali friends.

Qais ibn Ubaad said:

قدمت المدينة التمس العلم والشرف فرأيت عليا وعمر قد وضع يده على منكبه

I went to Madina to take knowledge and honor, I Saw Ali, and Umar’s hand was on his (Ali’s) shoulders.

[Yaqub bin Sufiyan in Muarifat al Tareekh 1/445, Ibn Hajr quoted from Yaqub in al Isaba 5/535, It is mentioned in Ali al Murtadha by Sayf ullah Khalid “Chain is Authentic”]

P.s Ali ibn Abu Talib according to Umar ibn al Khattab.

Umar said, “Our best Qur’an reciter is Ubai and our best judge is `Ali..”

[Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4481]