HADITHS ON SPIRITUALITY:
6. The Admissibility of Miracles at the Hands of Saints (…)
Umar ibn Ahmad ibn Uthman ibn Shahin apprised us that Abdullah ibn Sulayman ibn al Ash’ath told us that Ayyub ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan told us that Khattab ibn Salama al Mousili told us that Umar ibn Abu al-Azhar told us, on the authority of Malik ibn Anas, on the authority of Nafi’, on the authority of Ibn Umar:
Umar delivered a sermon in Medina one day and said, “O Sariya, the mountain! Whosever places a wolf in charge of a flock has wronged it.1” Someone noted, “He mentions Sariya while Sariya is in Iraq.” People told Ali, “Did you not hear of the one who said ‘O Sariya’ while delivering a sermon on the pulpit?” He said, “Woe unto you! Leave Umar alone, for he does not get himself into something without getting himself out of it.” Only a short time passed until Sariya arrived and said, “I heard Umar’s voice and then climbed the mountain.”
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1 A wolf put in charge of a flock bears a burden that it cannot be expected to handle, and is therefore oppressed. The “wolf” in this context is the enemy army. Umar thus warned Sariya against giving the enemy an easy victory because they would necessarily attack the compromised Muslim army as a wolf attacks a flock. Other versions and interpretations exist, and Allah knows best.