Is the narration reported from Omar ibn al-Khattab concerning the water that spilled on him and another man, and his saying: "Don't tell us, man," authentic, and can one infer from it the permissibility of not investigating the purity of things whose impurity is doubtful, for the sake of ease?

We summarize the answer regarding the report about 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the spouts and wild animals as follows:

- The report about 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and 'Amr ibn al-'As asking about wild animals that come to the watering hole was narrated by Malik, 'Abd al-Razzaq, al-Daraqutni, and al-Bayhaqi. Its chain of narration to Yahya ibn 'Abd al-Rahman is sound, but it is mursal (lacking a Companion in the chain) and disconnected. It has corroborating evidence that strengthens it. It is considered a proof by al-Shafi'i if supported, and by Abu Hanifa absolutely.

- The report about the spouts was not found in the Musnad books, but some scholars mentioned it. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah used it as evidence that exercising caution due to mere doubt concerning water matters is neither recommended nor legislated; rather, asking about it is not even recommended.

- It is not recommended to investigate impurity that has not appeared, nor to guard against something for which there is no apparent evidence.

- It is not obligatory to wash clothes from water falling from a spout if one does not know what it is, nor is it recommended to ask about it.

- Scholars used this report of 'Umar to support the rule "Certainty is not removed by doubt," meaning the default state of things is purity unless there is certainty to the contrary.