Hadith Text
وَعَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رضي الله عنهما قَالَ: قَدِمَ عُيَيْنَةُ بْنُ حِصْنٍ فَنَزَلَ عَلَىٰ ابْنِ أَخِيهِ الْحُرِّ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، وَكَانَ مِنَ النَّفَرِ الَّذِينَ يُدْنِيهِمْ عُمَرُ رضي الله عنه، وَكََانَ الْقُرَّاءُ أَصْحَابَ مَجْلِسِ عُمَرَ رضي الله عنه وَمُشَاوَرَتِهِ كُهُولًا كَانُوا أَوْ شُبَّانًا. فَقَالَ عُيَيْنَةُ لِابْنِ أَخِيهِ: يَا ابْنَ أَخِي لَكَ وَجْهٌ عِنْدَ هَذَا الأَمِيرِ فَاسْتَأْذِنْ لِي عَلَيْهِ، فَاسْتَأْذَنَ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ عُمَرُ. فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ قَالَ: هِيَ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، فَوَاللهِ مَا تُعْطِينَا الْجَزْلَ، وَلَا تَحْكُمُ فِينَا بِالْعَدْلِ، فَغَضِبَ عُمَرُ رضي الله عنه حَتَّىٰ هَمَّ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْحُرُّ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَىٰ قَالَ لِنَبِيِّهِ ﷺ: {خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ} [الأعراف: 199]، وَإِنَّ هَذَا مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ. وَاللَّهِ مَا جَاوَزَهَا عُمَرُ حِينَ تَلَاهَا، وَكََانَ وَقَّافًا عِنْدَ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.
رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ.
Full Translation
On the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with both of them), he said:
ʿUyaynah ibn Ḥiṣn came to Madinah and stayed with his nephew al-Ḥurr ibn Qays, who was among those whom ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) drew close to himself. The Qur’an reciters were the people of ʿUmar’s council and consultation, whether they were older men or young men.
ʿUyaynah said to his nephew: “Nephew, you have a place with this ruler, so ask permission for me to enter upon him.” So he sought permission, and ʿUmar granted him permission.
When ʿUyaynah entered, he said in a harsh tone: “O son of al-Khaṭṭāb, by Allah, you do not give us much, and you do not judge among us with justice.”
ʿUmar became angry, and his anger rose so strongly that he was on the verge of striking him or taking forceful action against him. Then al-Ḥurr said to him: “O Commander of the Faithful, Allah تعالى said to His Prophet ﷺ:
{خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ}
“Take what is easy, enjoin what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.” [al-Aʿrāf: 199]
And this man is among the ignorant.”
By Allah, ʿUmar did not go beyond what the verse said when it was recited to him, and he was one who stopped at the Book of Allah تعالى.
Meanings of Key Words
- يُدْنِيهِمْ — draws them close; ʿUmar gave certain people special access because he valued their sound judgment and knowledge. He did not treat all advisors as equal; he prioritized those who carried Qur’an and insight.
- الْقُرَّاء — the reciters; in this context, not just people who recite words, but people who live by Qur’an. They were the ones ʿUmar consulted in important matters, whether they were older or younger.
- الْجَزْل — abundant, generous provision; ʿUyaynah is saying that ʿUmar does not give enough from the public funds.
- أَنْ يُوقِعَ بِهِ — to strike him or attack him violently; ʿUmar’s anger was not weak. He was ready to act, but he did not let it cross the line.
- خُذِ الْعَفْوَ — take what is easy; accept the mild path, do not demand the harsh response, forgive what is less severe.
- وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ — and enjoin what is right; do not just ignore the ignorant person, but guide toward what is good in a gentle way.
- وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ — and turn away from the ignorant; when someone acts from ignorance, do not meet him with equal ignorance. Withdraw from the battle.
- وَقَّافًا عِنْدَ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ — stopping at the Book of Allah; not passing beyond its limits, not going further than what revelation allows.
Hadith Lessons
This hadith is not simply about controlling anger. It is about submission to the Qur’an in the middle of a real, dangerous moment. ʿUmar is not in a classroom. He is not grading a student. He is in his own council, facing a man who insults him publicly, questions his justice, and challenges his generosity. ʿUmar’s anger is natural. But what makes him a model is that he does not let his anger become his law.
The moment al-Ḥurr recites the verse, the situation changes. The anger is not erased instantly, but it is held back. ʿUmar does not say: “I will ignore this for now, but I will deal with him later.” He says: “I will not go beyond what Allah commanded.” That is the station of a person who stops at the Book of Allah.
Life Example: The Leader Who Is Insulted
Think of a leader in the community, a manager at work, or a teacher who is spoken to harshly in front of others. The person says: “You never listen to us,” “You are unfair,” “You do not care.” The leader’s face gets hot. The tone changes. He wants to cut the person off, punish them, shut them down.
In that moment, there are two roads:
- One road is ego: “I am the authority, and you will not insult me.”
- The other road is revelation: “Allah told My Prophet to take the easy path and turn away from the ignorant.”
If the leader chooses the first road, he may win the argument but lose his daʾwah. If he chooses the second, he may lose the moment but keep his station. That is what ʿUmar did.
Life Example: The Parent Who Is Disrespected
Think of a parent who has worked hard for their children, and one of them says in anger: “You never give enough,” “You only care about work,” “You do not understand me.” The parent feels the heat rise. They want to shout, to punish, to say something that will wound the child.
If the parent responds from anger, the child may feel the pain for years. If the parent remembers the verse, they may say less, forgive more, and guide gently. The child may not change immediately, but the parent will not add sin to the moment.
Life Example: The Regular Person in a Public Argument
Think of a person at work, in a store, or in a traffic situation. Someone says something rude. The person’s anger rises quickly. They want to insult back, to escalate, to make the other person feel the same pain.
If they stop at the Book of Allah, they will not say everything they feel. They will tolerate the insult, turn away, and not let ignorance meet ignorance. That is not weakness. It is strength under the rule of revelation.
What Makes ʿUmar Different
ʿUmar is not a person who never gets angry. He gets angry. He is on the verge of striking ʿUyaynah. But the difference is that the Qur’an is stronger than his anger. When the verse is recited, he does not argue. He does not say: “This person is not truly ignorant.” He accepts the verse and stops. That is the mark of a true leader of the Muslims.
Al-Ḥurr also shows the correct way to correct someone in authority. He does not say: “You are wrong, you are too harsh.” He says: “Allah said this to your Prophet, and this person is among the ignorant.” He does not attack ʿUmar’s person. He anchors the correction in revelation. That is why ʿUmar accepts it instantly.
The Lesson for the Believer Today
The lesson is not that every person who insults me is ignorant, and I should just ignore them. The lesson is that when anger rises, I should not let it become my judge. I should let the Qur’an be my judge. If I am insulted, I can choose to be mild. If I am provoked, I can choose to turn away. If I am angry, I can choose not to act on it.
This is not about being passive. It is about being ruled by the Book of Allah, not by the moment.
Three Questions to Close With
- When I am insulted in front of others, do I react from ego first, or do I remember what the Qur’an says about the ignorant?
- In my work, family, or social life, do I have people around me who can correct me with Qur’an the way al-Ḥurr corrected ʿUmar?
- If anger rises and I am fully capable of acting on it, do I stop the moment I hear a reminder from the Book of Allah — or do I keep going until I have said everything I feel?