Tarik Unal - Umar Ibn Al-Khattab: Exemplary of Truth and Justice

Copyright 2012 by Tughra Books

Originally published in Turkish as Hakkn ve Adaletin Timsali Hazreti mer in 2007.

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Published by Tughra Books
345 Clifton Ave., Clifton,
NJ, 07011, USA

www.tughrabooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

ISBN: 978-1-59784-281-5

Translated by Jlide Payette

Printed by
alayan A.., Izmir - Turkey

Umars Surprising Journey

Upon Umars leaving, people there did not scatter. They wanted to enjoy that moment. They thought they would be able solve such a big problem thanks to the rage of Umar. He, sword in his hand, was headed for his target. He could not bear even the idea that the number of those accepting the newly emerged religion was rapidly increasing, and he burst into anger. He began running towards his target, saying, I know what to do with you. While he was talking to himself on the road, he ran into a man. It was Nuaym, who was one of Companions hiding the fact that he accepted Islam. Seeing Umar in rush, Nuaym called out to him:

Why are you in such a rush, Umar? Where are you going?

Umar, taking a harsh look at Nuaym, responded:

To kill Muhammad!

Why? asked Nuaym.

He declares himself as a Prophet and people believe and join him. With his words, he influences people to abandon our idols. Besides, their number is so rapidly increasing, we have to eradicate this problem so that we can find peace. said Umar.

Nuaym was startled by Umars words. He really loved the Messenger of God and would not bear the idea that something bad would happen to him. He felt he had to talk to Umar and stop him. However, Umar was so angry and decisive that it was not possible to persuade him to stop. Then he thought he should gain some time . So, he said:

If you kill Muhammad, his tribe, the sons of Hashim would find you and kill you.

The words of Nuaym had no effect on Umar because he had already taken all of this into account. What Nuaym was trying to do was to save time so that he could inform Gods Messenger about this. Therefore, he told Umar:

I heard that your sister and her husband joined them and became Muslims. I think you should first stop them before Muhammad.

Umar could not believe his ears.

No, I do not believe you. You are making this up, he yelled.

When Nuaym said:

Then, if you do not believe me, you should first go to your sisters home and ask them.

Umars answer was this:

Ok. I am going. But if what you told me was not correct, you will pay for it.

Then, he left. He changed his route and decided to go to the house of his sister, Fatima and her husband. Walking so fast, he could not stop himself from thinking, If these allegations are true What would his friends say if they heard about this?

In the meantime, without losing any time, Nuaym arrived at Arkams house. At that moment, Gods Messenger was talking with his Companions . Nuaym told the Messenger of God word for word what he had heard on his way.

Umar, on the other hand, was walking so rapidly, because of anger, he couldnt see even those passing by him. In the end, he reached the house of his sister and her husband. He heard voices coming from the house. At the house were his sister, Fatima, her husband Said ibn Amr and Habbab, one of the Companions. Right at that time, Habbab was reading the verses of the Quran saying: Assuredly, it is I. I am God ; there is no deity save Me. So worship Me, and establish the Prayer in conformity with its conditions for remembrance of Me. (Ta-Ha, 20:14). Umar tried to understand what these voices were saying.

He got close to the window, and now he could hear the voices much better. What he heard made Umar recall the night at the Kaba. He started to be influenced again, yet his anger prevented him from thinking properly.

He got closer to the door and began knocking harshly at it. Those at the house understood that it was Umar. Habbab, in a second, concealed himself somewhere in the house. His sister and her husband wanted to hide the pages on which the verses of the Quran were written. Because they knew that if Umar saw them, he would go mad. Very worried, Fatima said:

We have to hide these right now. If Umar sees these, he will get angry with us.

They put the pages of the Quran in a secret place. The voices were no longer audible. Umar was by now banging at the door and shouting:

It is Umar. Open the door.

The sister of Umar, Fatima, opened the door in great fear. Umar quickly moved toward his sisters husband. He asked him:

Did you change your religion? Have you joined the religion Muhammad brought?

Understanding that Umar had heard him reading the Quran, his sisters husband said:

Maybe the religion we chose is better than yours.

This time Umar became furious. He jumped over his sisters husband and started to kick him. His sister, upon such an attack, tried to intervene to stop Umar. Umar slapped his sister too and made her face bleed. Bleeding, Fatima stood up and decisively said:

Look Umar, it is not right to believe in idols as you do. The true faith is what the Prophet brought us from God Almighty.

Seeing the determination of his sister and her husband, Umar understood that he could not force them to give up their religion despite all his efforts. At that moment, those interesting words he had heard came to mind. Turning to Fatima, he said:

Show me what you were reading.

His sister and her husband looked at each other. Fatima said hesitantly:

We fear that you will harm them.

Dont worry. I will not do anything to the pages.

Upon his answer, Fatima brought back out the pages of the Quran. Umar, after performing the ritual ablution of the whole body in the way his sister explained, took the pages. There was written surah Ta-Ha. Umar started to read that surah , after which he became calm and felt peace in his heart. Then turning to his sister and her husband, he said:

These words belong neither to a poem nor to a human being.

His sister and her husband found it too difficult to believe their ears. Umar got calmer and calmer. He started to calmly read the pages. After finishing reading, he said:

Take me to Muhammad.

The husband of his sister, bewildered, uttered these words:

Why do you want to go him? Are you planning to harm him?

Upon this, Umar said:

I was craving to kill him until I came here. But when I read the pages you showed me, I wanted to hear what he teaches.

Watching all of this happening from the place he was hiding, Habbab became very excited when he heard the words of Umar. He appeared all of a sudden. Seeing him, Umar was bewildered because he had not known that Habbab was also at the house. He had heard that Habbab had accepted Islam. Thinking that he could learn something about the Messenger of God and the religion to which he invited people, Umar said:

Talk to me about Muhammad and the religion he brought.

Habbab started to speak. Umar was heavily influenced by Habbabs explanations and confirmed the accuracy of what was told to him. All of a sudden, he stopped and looked at Habbab:

I want to join and accept your religion, too. Take me to Muhammad.

Habbab was overjoyed. Turning to Umar, he said:

O Umar! Right now, you have found the right way. I believe that you have the blessing of the Messenger of God.

At once majestic Umar fell to his knees. What he felt when he was coming to this house was totally different than what he was feeling now. He had been angry, yet that anger was now replaced by peace. All he wanted was to go to the Messenger of God as soon as possible. Turning to Habbab again he said: