Al-Farooq – The Distinguisher  

       It is reported from Sufyān Ibn ʿUyainah – Allāh have mercy on him – that a man once asked ʿAlī Ibn Ḥusayn Ibn ʿAlī Ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib – Allāh have mercy on him, What was the status of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar with Rasūlullāh – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him? He replied, their place with him is like their place with him today (i.e. where they are in their graves). The prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said about him ”Allah, the Exalted, has placed truth on Umar’s tongue and he speaks it.” He is Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Ibn Nufail Al-Qurashi Al-Adawi – may God be pleased with him – was nicknamed Abu Hafs. He was born in Mecca in 586 CE to the Banu Adi clan of the Quraysh tribe. He had a life of poverty and need, tastes the harshness and cruelty of life. He worked in herding camels, which left a great impact on his personality, making him more resistant to difficulties, and more capable of bearing responsibility. In his youth, he moved to trade, and was able to accumulate wealth.

Sayyiduna Omar and Islam

          When the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) received the revelation from Allah by the Angel Jibril, he kept his call for Islam private for three years. He only called the people who he believed they will accept Islam. After that the call for Islam became slightly public and the news were spread that the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is calling for a new religion and his followers are increasing. His people felt worried as they believed this new religion will change the construction of the tribes. Islam came to make people even destroying worshiping the idols and call people to worship Allah. So the people of Qurish felt threatened, and Sayyiduna Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was one of them. He opposed Islam and he even threatened to kill Prophet Mohammad (ﷺ). He was adamant and cruel in opposing Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and very prominent in persecuting Muslims. The prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) knew the nature of Sayyiduna Umar Ibn Al-Khattab that he was a strong man and that his conversion to Islam would benefit Islam. It was narrated by Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “O Allah! Honor Islam through the most dear of these two men to you: Through Abu Jahl or through ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab.” He said: “And the most dear of them to Him was ‘Umar.” And this Dua was for Syyiduna Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.

          Sayyiduna Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was so determined to kill the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) after he witnessed all the changes that the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is making. One day, he took his sword headed to the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to kill him, on his way Umar met his best friend Nuaim bin Abdullah  who had secretly converted to Islam but had not told Umar. He told Umar to inquire about his own house where his sister and her husband had converted to Islam. So Umar went to the house of his sister and her husband, and they had a man called Al-Khabab, so when he felt that Umar was coming, he told them and hid in the house. They were reciting Surah Taha, and Umar heard the sound of the recitation, so he asked them about their matter. So they told him that they had entered the true religion, so Umar pounced on his sister’s husband, but his sister pushed him away from him. He hit her in the face with a blow that affected her. When he saw what he did to his sister, he calmed down out of guilt and asked his sister to give him what she was reciting. His sister replied in the negative and said “You are unclean, and no unclean person can touch the Scripture.” She said to him: Get up and take a bath, so Umar did, and she gave him the book, and he read until he reached what God Almighty said: (Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance) (إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي).  Then Umar said: Guide me to Muhammad, and when al-Khabab heard that, he showed himself and said to him: Preach good tidings, Umar. And he said to him: “I hope that the call of the Messenger of God will be: Oh God, cherish Islam with Umar bin Al-Khattab or Amr bin Hisham, he said it in you.” So he took him to the Messenger of God and declared his conversion to Islam.

          Sayyiduna Umar left his sister’s home headed to the house of Arqam at the foot of the Safa hill, where the Holy Prophet was lodged. Umar knocked at the door of the house of Arqam. The guard enquired “Who comes”? Sayyiduna Umar said ””Umar bin al-Khattab” As the guard peeped through the door he saw that Umar had buckled his sword. The guard therefore hesitated to open the door. While Sayyduna Hamza said to the guard, “Open the door; if he comes in peace he will be welcome. If he is bent on mischief, we are enough to overpower him”. And he let him in. Sayyiduna Hamza caught him by the hem of his cloak and said, “Umar, what brings you here?” The Muslims with drawn swords surrounded Umar, so that he could be overpowered if he showed any signs of violence. Hearing the noise, the Holy Prophet came out of his cell. Addressing Hamza the Holy Prophet said, “Leave him Let him come forward”. As Umar stepped forward the Holy Prophet said ”Umar, how long will you stray from the path of Islam. Has the time not come for you to see the truth?” Umar said, “Verily the time has come for me to see the truth. I have come to profess my faith in Islam”. The Holy Prophet stretched his hand. Sayyuduna Umar held the hand with reverence and said, “I declare that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God”. In joy the Muslims shouted “Allah-o-Akbar”. The Holy Prophet embraced Umar. The other Muslims embraced him too one by one. Umar was the fortieth person to become a Muslim when he was 26 years old.