Hazrat Omar (RA) I

Please read this if you havent.

The First Fitnah

Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq (RA)

This is a post that I have been wanting to do for a real long time and this one will again be simply from my heart with references from Ar-raheeq Al Makhtoom [written by Maulana Safi ur Rehman, selected as the best book in a competition held by the Saudi Government].

Hazrat Omar ibn al-Khattab (RA) was born in a polytheist middle class family. Most of the accounts describe him as a very tall, handsome man with reddish white skin and very shining teeth. He was a literate man, which was quite uncommon in those times and it is not difficult to judge by all the information which we have that he was an aggressive man who would not back off from using his physical strength whenever he deemed it necessary.

Hazrat Omar (RA), who later became one of the closest companions of the Prophet (SAW) and also a part of his family, was initially one of the greatest enemies of Islam and the Prophet (SAW). His uncle, Amr bin Hisham (more commonly known as Abu Jahal) and Hazrat Omar (RA) were so admanat in safeguarding the religion of their forefathers that they would ridicule newly reverted Muslims, beat them and also cut all sorts of social and business ties with them.Their impact was so huge that the Prophet (SAW) made a dua for their change of heart [Tabari].

“O Allah! Whoever is closer to you between Omar Bin Khattab (RA) or Amr Bin Hisham, show him the right path and strengthen Islam through him”

Just three days later, Hazrat Omar (RA) reverted to Islam.

That was a day celebrated by Muslims.

Right after, Hazrat Omar (RA) went up to his uncle, Abu Jahal, and informed that he had reverted to the truth. According to some accounts, Hazrat Omar (RA) went to Ka’aba and prayed publically while the chiefs of Quresh including his uncle Abu Jahal watched him angrily but did not dare interfere. Whatever of the above might be true, this surely did give all the muslims a lot of courage and they gained confidence in practicing Islam openly.

Soon after, the Muslims were coerced to migrate to Medina and Hazrat Omar (RA) was part of the first group. Around that time his young daughter, Hazrat Hafsah Binte Omar (RA) became a widow only at the age of 18. He proposed to Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) and Hazrat Usman (RA) but both refused to marry her. The matter was resolved by the Prophet (SAW) himself when he told Hazrat Omar (RA) that he himself would marry her by saying, “Hafsah (RA) would marry one better than Usman (RA).” The marriage made the ties between the Prophet (SAW) and Hazrat Omar (RA) much stronger than before.

One of his biggest achievements in his life must have been to be announced as one the Ashra-e-Mubashira by the Prophet (SAW) himself.