Sunan ad-Darimi 150

Translation

✧ Ṣabīgh al-ʿIrāqī began asking about certain matters of the Qurʾān among the armies of the Muslims until he arrived in Egypt. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ sent him to ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb. When the messenger brought the letter, ʿUmar read it and said: “Where is the man?” The messenger said: “In the camp.” ʿUmar said: “Make sure he has not gone, or you will receive from me a painful punishment.” So he brought him to ʿUmar. ʿUmar said: “You ask about something unheard of?” Then ʿUmar sent for fresh palm branches and beat him with them until he left his back raw. Then he left him until he healed, then repeated it. Then he left him until he healed, then called for him to repeat it again. Ṣabīgh said: “If you intend to kill me, kill me in a good manner; and if you intend to cure me, then by Allah I have already healed.” So ʿUmar permitted him to return to his land and wrote to Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī that no Muslim should sit with him. That became hard on the man, so Abū Mūsā wrote to ʿUmar that his repentance had become good. ʿUmar wrote back: “Allow the people to sit with him.”

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