Umar and the hijab

[H.]

Assalamu alaikum,

A non muslim who i was speaking with said that the verses of hijab cane because of unar showing that muhammad contocted verses to please his companions and such. I will poste his full claim, how should i answer inshaAllah,

Jazakallah khair

His claim:

''Narrated 'Aisha: The wives of the Prophet used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqia at Medina) to answer the call of nature at night. 'Umar used to say to the Prophet "Let your wives be veiled," but Allah's Apostle did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zam'a the wife of the Prophet went out at 'Isha' time and she was a tall lady. 'Umar addressed her and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda." He said so, as he desired eagerly that the verses of Al-Hijab (the observing of veils by the Muslim women) may be revealed. So Allah revealed the verses of "Al-Hijab" (A complete body cover excluding the eyes). - Sahih Bukhari 1:4:148

Narrated 'Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) 'Umar bin Al-Khattab used to say to Allah's Apostle "Let your wives be veiled" But he did not do so. The wives of the Prophet used to go out to answer the call of nature at night only at Al-Manasi.' Once Sauda, the daughter of Zam'a went out and she was a tall woman. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab saw her while he was in a gathering, and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda!" He ('Umar) said so as he was anxious for some Divine orders regarding the veil (the veiling of women.) So Allah revealed the Verse of veiling. (Al-Hijab; a complete body cover excluding the eyes). (See Hadith No. 148, Vol. 1)
Sahih Bukhari 8:74:257
'A'isha reported that the wives of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) used to go out in the cover of night when they went to open fields (in the outskirts of Medina) for easing themselves. 'Umar b Khattab used to say: Allah's Messenger, ask your ladies to observe veil, but Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) did not do that. So there went out Sauda, daughter of Zarn'a, the wife of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), during one of the nights when it was dark. She was a tall statured lady. 'Umar called her saying: Sauda, we recognise you. (He did this with the hope that the verses pertaining to veil would be revealed.) 'A'isha said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, then revealed the verses pertaining to veil.
Sahih Muslim 26:5397
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters.

The sequence of events as laid out in the hadith are as follows.

Umar repeatedly asks Muhammad that Allah should reveal verses for the Qur'an pertaining to the veiling of women.

No such revelation is sent down.

Umar follows Muhammad's wives one night when they go out to relieve themselves (go to the toilet) and calls out to Muhammad's wife Sauda.

Sauda goes home in a state of embarrassment and relates to Muhammad what has happened.

Allah then reveals the hijab verse as Umar had wanted all along.

Of course this brings up some obvious questions:

If Muhammad is just a messenger, relating Allah's word, why did Umar ask Muhammad for the hijab revelation? Why did he not just pray to Allah and ask directly?

No revelation was sent down until Umar spied on Muhammad's own wives. Why did Umar do this? How did he know (or at least suspect) it would be successful? Why does Allah care about toilet privacy so much that he revealed a verse pertaining to all Muslim women that will ever live?

A common apologetic for this is that Allah was waiting for Umar to do this so that the situational revelation could come down. However this is not mentioned anywhere, thus there is no evidence for it. Moreover, Umar confirms that he came up with the idea first and then Allah "agreed with him".

Narrated Umar: I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Good and bad persons enter upon you, so I suggest that you order the mothers of the Believers (i.e. your wives) to observe veils." Then Allah revealed the Verses of Al-Hijab. - Sahih Bukhari 6:60:313

Ibn Umar reported Umar as saying: My lord concorded with (my judgments) on three occasions. In case of the Station of Ibrahim, in case of the observance of veil and in case of the prisoners of Badr. - Sahih Muslim 31:5903

How can the Qur'an be the text that was in existence since before the world began, if Allah is taking suggestions for its content from Muhammad's contemporaries?

TL;DR:

Umar wanted women to cover up. Muhammad denied his request several times. Umar starts peeping on Muhammad's wife and she goes home embarrassed and tells Muhammad. Shortly after the hijab verse Umar wanted all along is revealed. How convenient!

[Dr Tazeen]

Critic:

Umar repeatedly asks Muhammad that Allah should reveal verses for the Qur'an pertaining to the veiling of women.

No such revelation is sent down.

Response:

Umar r.a never asked for REVELATION.


Critic:

Umar follows Muhammad's wives one night when they go out to relieve themselves (go to the toilet) and calls out to Muhammad's wife Sauda.

Sauda goes home in a state of embarrassment and relates to Muhammad what has happened.

Allah then reveals the hijab verse as Umar had wanted all along.

Response:

Critic should avoid cheap thriller movies.
There is nothing in the whole hadees that Umar r.a. was following her.

Critic:

Of course this brings up some obvious questions:

If Muhammad is just a messenger, relating Allah's word, why did Umar ask Muhammad for the hijab revelation? Why did he not just pray to Allah and ask directly?

No revelation was sent down until Umar spied on Muhammad's own wives. Why did Umar do this? How did he know (or at least suspect) it would be successful? Why does Allah care about toilet privacy so much that he revealed a verse pertaining to all Muslim women that will ever live?


Response:

There was no demand of revelation.
No spying.
The verse was for all women going out,not toilet privacy.
Either the critic has very low IQ or very cheap dirty mentality.

Critic:
A common apologetic for this is that Allah was waiting for Umar to do this so that the situational revelation could come down. However this is not mentioned anywhere, thus there is no evidence for it. Moreover, Umar confirms that he came up with the idea first and then Allah "agreed with him".

Narrated Umar: I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Good and bad persons enter upon you, so I suggest that you order the mothers of the Believers (i.e. your wives) to observe veils." Then Allah revealed the Verses of Al-Hijab. - Sahih Bukhari 6:60:313

Ibn Umar reported Umar as saying: My lord concorded with (my judgments) on three occasions. In case of the Station of Ibrahim, in case of the observance of veil and in case of the prisoners of Badr. - Sahih Muslim 31:5903

Response:

Quran is already preserved in Loh im Mahfooz,so any verse in concordance does not mean anyone else was giving ideas to Allah,naoozubillah.

Critic:

How can the Qur'an be the text that was in existence since before the world began, if Allah is taking suggestions for its content from Muhammad's contemporaries?

Response:

Already replied above.

Critic:

Umar wanted women to cover up. Muhammad denied his request several times. Umar starts peeping on Muhammad's wife and she goes home embarrassed and tells Muhammad. Shortly after the hijab verse Umar wanted all along is revealed. How convenient!

Response:

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.w. was silent,it does not mean that he denied.
No peeping,but cheap mentality of the critic.

[AhmadFarooq]

From what I have read and heard, the context of this event is that when wives of the Prophet used to got to the fields, some from among the hypocrites with malicious intentions used to move towards them. When these people were to get caught, they used to make the excuse that they thought those women were their women. In this context these particular veil verses were revealed, so that there would be a clear distinction between Muslim and non-Muslim women. This way the hypocrites could no longer make the same excuse and be dealt with punishments if they tried again. Additionally, depending on the interpretation of these verses, the veil verses were revealed as obligatory for the wives of the Prophet (because of their position) while for other Muslim women the face veil isn't obligatory in all circumstances (like when they do not fear for their security).

If this context is historically accurate, it is completely plausible that Umar (ra) wanted the Muslim women to take such measures so that they could be protected and there is absolutely nothing nefarious or embarrassing or misogynistic about such.

As mentioned in the previous reply, there is nothing in the narrations that mentions that Umar (ra) followed the wife of the Prophet. Additionally, as one of the narrations clearly mentions that Umar (ra) "was in a gathering", it would appear that this part is deliberately ignored by the critic possibly with the intention to insert some scandal in the story.

Furthermore, there also doesn't appear to be any indication that Lady Sauda was "embarrassed" by the incident. As mentioned previously, Umar (ra) used to request the Prophet to ask his wives to be veiled and not that Allah should reveal verses regarding the matter.

Regarding the criticism that the Qur'an wasn't pre-written or pre-designed by Allah, and was affected by the life events of the Prophet or that the Qur'an wasn't revealed all-at-once in the beginning so that Prophet Muhammad could add to it or make changes in it as the need arose or as he desired, there are a few ways to answer such criticisms.

The critics argue that Prophet Muhammad used to conveniently receive revelation whenever he was faced with some problem. This can be responded by considering the alternative, i.e. the scenario in which when Prophet Muhammad needed guidance, Allah didn't reveal anything to him. Exactly what kind of a Prophet would that make Prophet Muhammad? Are the critics really saying that they will believe in the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad in the scenario that he didn't receive revelation?

The second way this criticism can be responded to is by looking at the series of events. If the entirety of the Qur'an (including the veil verses ) was revealed all at once at the very beginning of Islam then it can be easily seen that the special circumstances for which the veil verses were revealed wouldn't have even existed. This is because Muslim women would have already been clearly distinguishable from the women of the hypocrites and therefore there would have been no obvious need of the revelation and by extension the veil.