Ibn Abbas's ᴿᴬ deep understanding of the Quran when Umar ᴿᴬ quizzed him

ʿUmar used to let me enter with the elders who had taken part in Badr. Some of them said, “Why do you bring this young man in with us when we have sons like him?” He said, “Because he is among those whom you already know.”

He said: One day he called them and called me along with them. I thought he only called me that day to show them what he saw in me. He said, “What do you say about: {When the help of Allah comes and the victory, and you see the people entering…}” until he finished the sūrah. Some of them said, “We have been commanded to praise Allah and seek His forgiveness when we are granted victory and conquest.” Others said, “We do not know,” and some of them did not say anything.

He said to me, “O Ibn ʿAbbās, is that what you say?” I said, “No.” He said, “Then what do you say?” I said, “It is the term (the approaching end) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—Allah informed him of it: {When the help of Allah comes and the victory}—the conquest of Mecca—then that is the sign of your approaching end: {So glorify the praise of your Lord and seek His forgiveness; indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance}.”

ʿUmar said, “I know nothing of it except what you know.”

كَانَ عُمَرُ يُدْخِلُنِي مَعَ أَشْيَاخِ بَدْرٍ. فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لِمَ تُدْخِلُ هَذَا الْفَتَى مَعَنَا وَلَنَا أَبْنَاءٌ مِثْلُهُ؟ فَقَا:لَ إِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ۔ قَالَ فَدَعَاهُمْ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَدَعَانِي مَعَهُمْ۔ قَالَ وَمَا رُئِيتُهُ دَعَانِي يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلاَّ لِيُرِيَهُمْ مِنِّي۔ فَقَالَ: مَا تَقُولُونَ { إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ * وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ } حَتَّى خَتَمَ السُّورَةَ؟ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: أُمِرْنَا أَنْ نَحْمَدَ اللَّهَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرَهُ إِذَا نُصِرْنَا وَفُتِحَ عَلَيْنَا۔ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لاَ نَدْرِي أَوْ لَمْ يَقُلْ بَعْضُهُمْ شَيْئًا۔
فَقَالَ لِي: يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، أَكَذَاكَ تَقُولُ؟ قُلْتُ: لاَ۔ قَالَ: فَمَا تَقُولُ؟ قُلْتُ: هُوَ أَجَلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْلَمَهُ اللَّهُ لَهُ { إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ } فَتْحُ مَكَّةَ فَذَاكَ عَلاَمَةُ أَجَلِكَ { فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا } قَالَ عُمَرُ: مَا أَعْلَمُ مِنْهَا إِلاَّ مَا تَعْلَمُ۔

ʿUmar used to make me sit with the elderly men who had fought in the Battle of Badr. Some of them felt it (did not like that) and said to ʿUmar "Why do you bring in this boy to sit with us while we have sons like him?" ʿUmar replied, "Because of what you know of his position (i.e. his religious knowledge.)" One day ʿUmar called me and made me sit in the gathering of those people; and I think that he called me just to show them. (my religious knowledge). ʿUmar then asked them (in my presence). "What do you say about the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: 'When comes Help of Allah (to you O, Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Mecca).' (110.1) Some of them said, "We are ordered to praise Allah and ask for His forgiveness when Allah's Help and the conquest (of Mecca) comes to us." Some others kept quiet and did not say anything. On that, ʿUmar asked me, "Do you say the same, O Ibn ʿAbbas?" I replied, "No." He said, 'What do you say then?" I replied, "That is the sign of the death of Messenger of Allah ﷺ which Allah informed him of. Allah said:-- '(O Muhammad) When comes the Help of Allah (to you against your enemies) and the conquest (of Mecca) (which is the sign of your death). You should celebrate the praises of your Lord and ask for His Forgiveness, and He is the One Who accepts the repentance and forgives.' (110.3) On that ʿUmar said, "I do not know anything about it other than what you have said."

كَانَ عُمَرُ يُدْخِلُنِي مَعَ أَشْيَاخِ بَدْرٍ فَكَأَنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ وَجَدَ فِي نَفْسِهِ فَقَالَ لِمَ تُدْخِلُ هَذَا مَعَنَا وَلَنَا أَبْنَاءٌ مِثْلُهُ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ عَلِمْتُمْ فَدَعَا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَأَدْخَلَهُ مَعَهُمْ فَمَا رُئِيتُ أَنَّهُ دَعَانِي يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلاَّ لِيُرِيَهُمْ قَالَ مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى {إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ} فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أُمِرْنَا نَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ إِذَا نُصِرْنَا وَفُتِحَ عَلَيْنَا وَسَكَتَ بَعْضُهُمْ فَلَمْ يَقُلْ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لِي أَكَذَاكَ تَقُولُ يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقُلْتُ لاَ قَالَ فَمَا تَقُولُ قُلْتُ هُوَ أَجَلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْلَمَهُ لَهُ قَالَ {إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ} وَذَلِكَ عَلاَمَةُ أَجَلِكَ {فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا} فَقَالَ عُمَرُ مَا أَعْلَمُ مِنْهَا إِلاَّ مَا تَقُولُ

[Machine] Umar ibn al-Khattab used to give permission to the people of Badr to go out and give permission to me to go with them. Some of them said, "He allows this young man to go with us. Who among our sons is like him?" Umar said, "Indeed, he is one of those whom you have already known." He granted them permission one day, and he granted me permission with them. He then asked them about this Surah when its verses were revealed: "When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest. And you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes" (Quran 110:1-2). They said, "Allah ordered His Prophetﷺ that whenever this Surah is revealed upon him, he should seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him." Umar said, "What do you say, O Ibn Abbas?" I said, "It is not as you have said. Rather, Allah informed His Prophetﷺ about the coming of his own death, and He said: 'So exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance'" (Quran 110:3). Umar said to them, "How do you blame me for what you see?"

كَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ يَأْذَنُ لِأَهْلِ بَدْرٍ وَيَأْذَنُ لِي مَعَهُمْ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَأْذَنُ لِهَذَا الْفَتَى مَعَنَا وَمِنْ أَبْنَائِنَا مَنْ هُوَ مِثْلُهُ؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ قَالَ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَأَذِنَ لِي مَعَهُمْ فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَالْفَتْحُ فَقَالُوا أَمَرَ اللهُ نَبِيَّهُ ﷺ إِذَا فُتِحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَهُ وَيَتُوبَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لِي مَا تَقُولُ يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَيْسَتْ كَذَلِكَ وَلَكِنَّهُ أَخْبَرَ نَبِيَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاةُوَالسَّلامُ بِحُضُورِ أَجَلِهِ فَقَالَ {إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَالْفَتْحُ} [النصر 1] فَتْحُ مَكَّةَ {وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ أَفْوَاجًا} [النصر 2] فَذَلِكَ عَلامَةُ مَوْتِكَ {فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا} [النصر 3] فَقَالَ لَهُمْ كَيْفَ تَلُومُونِي عَلَى مَا تَرَوْنَ

[Machine] Umar used to ask me with the companions of the Prophet ﷺ , so Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf said to him, "Do you ask him, while we have children like him?" So Umar said, "From what I know, he said," So he asked them about when the victory of Allah and the conquest will come. Some of them said, "Allah has commanded us to praise Him and seek His forgiveness." And some of them said, "We do not know." So Umar said to me, "O Ibn Abbas, what do you say?" So I said, "He is the most knowledgeable of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ." And he recited the Surah until its end, "Indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance." [Al-Nasr: 3] So Umar said, "By Allah, I do not know except what you know."

كَانَ عُمَرُ يَسْأَلُنِي مَعَ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ أَتَسْأَلُهُ وَلَنَا بَنُونَ مِثْلُهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ عَلِمْتُمْ قَالَ فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَمَرَنَا اللَّهُ أَنْ نَحْمَدَهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرَهُ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَا نَدْرِي فَقَالَ لِي يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ مَا تَقُولُ؟ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ «هُوَ أَجَلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ» وَقَرَأَ السُّورَةَ إِلَى آخِرِهَا {إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا} [النصر 3] قَالَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ «وَاللَّهِ مَا أَعْلَمُ مِنْهَا إِلَّا مَا تَعْلَمُ»

ʿUmar used to admit me (into his house) along with the old men who had fought in the Badr battle. Some of them said (to ʿUmar), "Why do you allow this young man to enter with us, while we have sons of his own age? " ʿUmar said, "You know what person he is." One day ʿUmar called them and called me along with them, I had thought he called me on that day to show them something about me (i.e. my knowledge). ʿUmar asked them, "What do you say about (the Sura): "When comes the help of Allah and the Conquest (of Mecca) And you see mankind entering the Religion of Allah (i.e. Islam) in crowds. 'So celebrate the Praises Of your Lord and ask for His forgiveness, Truly, He is the One Who accepts repentance and forgives." (110.1-3) Some of them replied, "We are ordered to praise Allah and repent to Him if we are helped and granted victory." Some said, "We do not know." Others kept quiet. ʿUmar then said to me, "Do you say similarly?" I said, "No." ʿUmar said "What do you say then?" I said, "This Verse indicates the approaching of the death of Messenger of Allah ﷺ of which Allah informed him. When comes the help of Allah and the Conquest, i.e. the Conquest of Mecca, that will be the sign of your Prophet's) approaching death, so testify the uniqueness of your Lord (i.e. Allah) and praise Him and repent to Him as He is ready to forgive." On that, ʿUmar said, "I do not know about it anything other than what you know." (Using translation from Bukhārī 4294)

كَانَ عُمَرُ يُدْخِلُنِي مَعَ أَشْيَاخِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِمَ تُدْخِلُ هَذَا الْفَتَى مَعَنَا وَلَنَا أَبْنَاءُ مِثْلُهُ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ قَالَ فَدَعَاهُمْ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَدَعَانِي وَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ دَعَانِي يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلَّا لِيُرِيَهُمْ مِنِّي فَقَالَ مَا تَقُولُونَ {إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَالْفَتْحُ وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ أَفْوَاجًا} حَتَّى خَتَمَ السُّورَةَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَمَرَنَا أَنْ نَحْمَدَ اللهَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرَهُ إِذَا نُصِرْنَا وَفُتِحَ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَا نَدْرِي وَلَمْ يَقُلْ بَعْضُهُمْ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لِي يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ كَذَلِكَ تَقُولُ؟ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ فَمَا تَقُولُ؟ قُلْتُ هُوَ أَجَلُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ عَلَّمَهُ اللهُ إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَالْفَتْحُ فَتْحُ مَكَّةَ فَذَاكَ عَلَامَةُ أَجَلِكَ فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ مَا أَعْلَمُ مِنْهَا إِلَّا مَا تَعْلَمُ