He wrote to 'Umar, to ask him (a question), and 'Umar wrote back to him telling him: "Judge according to what is in the Book of Allah. If it is not (mentioned) in the Book of Allah, then (judge) according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah [SAW]. If it is not (mentioned) in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah [SAW], then pass judgment according to the way the righteous passed judgment. If it is not (mentioned) in the Book of Allah, or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah [SAW], and the righteous did not pass judgment concerning it, then if you wish, go ahead (and try to work it out by yourself) or if you wish, leave it. And I think that leaving it is better for you. And peace be upon you."

أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ يَسْأَلُهُ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ أَنِ اقْضِ بِمَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَبِسُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاقْضِ بِمَا قَضَى بِهِ الصَّالِحُونَ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَقْضِ بِهِ الصَّالِحُونَ فَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَتَقَدَّمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَتَأَخَّرْ وَلاَ أَرَى التَّأَخُّرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرًا لَكَ وَالسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ

[AI] Regarding him (the Prophet), if something comes to you that is not in the Book of Allah, then refer to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and follow it. If something comes to you that is not in the Book of Allah and there is no Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding it, then look at what the people have agreed upon and follow it. However, if something comes to you that is not in the Book of Allah and there is no Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about it, and no one before you has spoken about it, then choose whichever of the two options you wish: if you wish, you may exert your own effort and come to a conclusion, and proceed accordingly. If you wish, you may delay making a decision. And I do not see any delay in taking a decision except that it is better for you.

عَنْهُ الرِّجَالُ فَإِنْ جَاءَكَ مَا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَانْظُرْ سُنَّةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاقْضِ بِهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَكَ مَا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَانْظُرْ مَا اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ فَخُذْ بِهِ فَإِنْ جَاءَكَ مَا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ فِيهِ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ فَاخْتَرْ أَيَّ الْأَمْرَيْنِ شِئْتَ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تَجْتَهِدَ برأْيكَ ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ فَتَقَدَّمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تتأخَّرَ فَتَأَخَّرْ وَلَا أَرَى التَّأَخُّرَ إِلَّا خَيْرًا لَكَ

[AI] Umar wrote to Shurayh, "When a matter comes to you in the Book of Allah, then judge according to it, and let not the opinions of men distract you from it. But if it is not found in the Book of Allah and it is found in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , then judge according to it. And if it is not in the Book of Allah, nor in the Sunnah of His Messenger, then judge according to what the rightly guided Caliphs have ruled. And if it is not in the Book of Allah, nor in the Sunnah of His Messenger, nor in the rulings of the rightly guided Caliphs, then you may exert your own opinion if you wish, but I do not see any conspiracy from you towards me unless you submit to me." The Sheikh (may Allah have mercy on him) informed Umar about the place of conspiracy, which is consultation, because there may be principles that he is unaware of and needs to be informed of, and success comes from Allah.

كَتَبَ عُمَرُ ؓ إِلَى شُرَيْحٍ إِذَا أَتَاكَ أَمْرٌ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ تَعَالَى فَاقْضِ بِهِ وَلَا يَلْفِتَنَّكَ الرِّجَالُ عَنْهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ وَكَانَ فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَاقْضِ بِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ وَلَا فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ فَاقْضِ بِمَا قَضَى بِهِ أَئِمَّةُ الْهُدَى فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ وَلَا فِي سُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَلَا فِيمَا قَضَى بِهِ أَئِمَّةُ الْهُدَى فَأَنْتَ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شِئْتَ تَجْتَهِدُ رَأْيَكَ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تُؤَامِرَنِي وَلَا أَرَى مُؤَامَرَتَكَ إِيَّايَ إِلَّا أَسْلَمَ لَكَ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ فَأَخْبَرَ عُمَرُ ؓ عَنْ مَوْضِعِ الْمُؤَامَرَةِ وَهِيَ الْمُشَاوَرَةُ فَرُبَّمَا يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الْأُصُولِ مَا لَمْ يَبْلُغْ شُرَيْحًا فَيُخْبِرُهُ بِهِ وَبِاللهِ التَّوْفِيقُ

[AI] That Umar ibn Al-Khattab wrote to him: "If a matter comes to you in the Book of Allah, then judge according to it and do not let people distract you from it. But if something comes to you that is not in the Book of Allah, then look to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and judge according to it. And if something comes to you that is not in the Book of Allah and there is no Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah concerning it, then look to what the people have agreed upon and follow it. And if something comes to you that is not in the Book of Allah, there is no Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah concerning it, and no one before you has spoken about it, then choose whichever of the two options you wish: if you want, make your own effort and then make a decision accordingly, and if you want, delay making a decision. And I do not see delaying as anything other than good for you."

أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ إِذَا جَاءَكُمْ أَمْرٌ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ ﷻ فَاقْضِ بِهِ وَلَا يَلْفِتَنَّكَ عَنْهُ الرِّجَالُ فَإِنْ أَتَاكَ مَا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ فَانْظُرْ سُنَّةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَاقْضِ بِهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَكَ مَا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَانْظُرْ مَا اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ فَخُذْ بِهِ فَإِنْ جَاءَكَ مَا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ سُنَّةٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ فِيهِ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ فَاخْتَرْ أِيَّ الْأَمْرَيْنِ شِئْتَ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تَجْتَهِدَ بِرَأْيِكَ ثُمَّ تُقَدِّمَ فَتُقَدِّمَ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تُأَخِّرَ فَتُأَخِّرَ وَلَا أَرَى التَّأَخُّرَ إِلَّا خَيْرًا لَكَ

"عَنِ الشَّعْبِىِّ قَاَل: كَتَبَ عُمَرُ إِلَى شُرَيْحٍ: إِذَا أَتَاكَ أَمْرٌ فِى كِتَابِ اللهِ وَكَانَ في سُنَّةِ رَسُول اللهِ ﷺ فَاقْضِ بِهِ (ولاَ يَلْفِتَنَّكَ الرِّجَالُ عنه) فإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ في كِتَابِ الله وَكانَ في سُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ فَاقْضِ به (فإِن لم يكن في كتَاب اللهِ، وَكان في سُنَّة رسول اللهِ فَاقْضِ بما قَضىَ به أئمة الهدى)، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ في كِتابِ اللهِ وَلاَ في سُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ وَلاَ فِيما قَضى بِه أَئِمَّةُ الْهُدَى فَأَنْتَ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شِئْتَ تَجْتَهِدُ رَأيَكَ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تُؤامِرَنِى، وَلاَ أَرَى لك مُؤامَرَتَكَ إِيَّاىَ إلاَّ أَسْلَمَ لَكَ".