I did not fear that I would add or omit something from a hadith, I would certainly mention hadith to you.”^[1]

An individual once asked Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ regarding a rabbit. Thus, he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ replied, “I do not like to add or omit anything from hadith, so I will send you to a person who can guide you in this matter.” Then, he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ sent that individual to Sayyiduna ‘Ammaar bin Yaasir رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. When the man asked him about this matter, he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “We were with the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم at such-and-such place, and a rabbit had been sent to him as a gift, and we also ate from its meat.”^[2]

Dear Islamic brothers, you have heard that despite being a Companion who was promised Paradise, Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was extremely cautious when it came to narrating hadith. This was despite the fact that he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was honoured to accompany the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم for a long time, in both travel and residency. If he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ wished, he could have mentioned that blessed Hadith himself, but in order to guide his companions, he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ sent him to another knowledgeable Companion.

Just as the above-mentioned narration proves that the noble Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ ate rabbit meat, we also learn that if we do not have proper knowledge regarding something, or have doubt regarding it, or we are not in a state to give a proper response to a question, we should send the questioner to a Sunni scholar or mufti so that they can be correctly guided. It is particularly important to be cautious when it comes to the matter of Quran, Sunnah and shar’i rulings; instead of giving an answer ourselves, we should refer them to a scholar or mufti, for in this lies the betterment of our worldly life and hereafter.