In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Mawaddah Association
Presents:
The Ten Promised Paradise:
'Umar ibn al-Khattab,
May Allah be pleased with him.
Love for the Companions and the Prophet's kin is a Sunnah
Upon which I shall meet my Lord as long as I live.
Love for the Companions and the Prophet's kin.
A Bedouin came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and said:
"O 'Umar of goodness, may you be rewarded with Paradise!
Clothe my daughters and their mother,
For we all rely on you as a shield against hard times.
I swear by Allah that you surely will!"
'Umar replied:
"And if I do not, what then?"
The Bedouin said:
"Then, O Abu Hafs, I shall surely depart!"
'Umar asked:
"And if you depart, what then?"
The man said:
"By Allah, you will surely be questioned about my plight
On the Day when gifts will be brought before us,
And the one questioned stands between two outcomes:
Either to the Fire or to Paradise!"
'Umar wept until his beard was soaked.
Then he said, "Boy!
Give him this shirt of mine for that Day,
For by Allah, I own no other."
Such was the life of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab
(May Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate:
Untiring care for individuals,
And relentless guardianship over the Islamic society.
However, that society
Had expanded far and wide,
Its territory stretching vast,
Making it difficult to be managed
By a single person,
No matter how energetic and knowledgeable
In the affairs of life he might be.
The first thing 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did
Was to separate the judiciary from the executive governorship.
Alongside the governor, he appointed
A judge to oversee judicial matters.
At times, he would combine for some judges
Teaching or managing the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal)
Alongside their judicial duties.
He implemented this plan
In the newly conquered provinces during his reign—
In Iraq, the Levant, and Egypt.
The reason for this was perhaps
The unique character of those provinces,
Namely their high population density,
Comprising the local inhabitants
In addition to the Muslim conquerors,
And the resulting
Multiplicity of legal cases and disputes,
Which made the burden
Of governance too heavy for the governor alone.
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) allocated
A regular salary for every judge
From the Muslim treasury,
Assisting him in performing his duty
And ensuring his continued service to the Ummah.
It appears that the abundance of the state's financial resources
Following the stabilization of the conquests
Prompted 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
To alter his policy,
So he agreed to establish an administrative register (Diwan),
In which the names of Muslims were recorded,
And through which they received regular stipends.
It is reported that Abu Hurairah
Came to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them)
Carrying wealth from Bahrain.
'Umar asked him, "What have you brought?"
He replied, "Five hundred thousand dirhams."
'Umar considered this a vast sum,
So he ascended the pulpit,
Praised Allah and extolled Him,
And then said, "O people!
A great deal of wealth has come to us.
If you wish, we can measure it out for you by volume,
Or if you wish, we can count it out for you by number."
A man stood up and said:
"O Commander of the Faithful!
I have seen the non-Arabs maintain a administrative register (Diwan);
So establish a register for us."
'Umar approved of the idea.
When 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to establish the register,
'Ali and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said to him:
"Begin with yourself."
He said, "No,
Rather, I shall begin with the uncle of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
And then the next closest relative, and so on."
So he allocated a stipend for al-'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
And started with him.
Because 'Umar was keen to know the finest details regarding his governors' conduct
And what was transpiring in every province,
He selected a man from the elite of his men—strong, pious,
Trustworthy, adhering to the Sunnah, and experienced—
Namely, Muhammad ibn Maslamah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him),
To serve as his special inspector over the governors and their official acts,
And to investigate complaints raised against them.
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to assemble his governors in Mecca during the Hajj season every year
To question them about their conduct,
And he would ask the public about them to assess their diligence in carrying out their duties.
He would be delighted whenever he saw his governors devoting themselves entirely to the welfare of their subjects,
And he would praise them immensely for that.
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not monopolize authority, despite being inspired by Allah (*muhaddath*);
Rather, he adopted consultation (*shura*) as his methodology in governance and in administering the affairs of the Muslims,
Acting upon the saying of Allah the Exalted:
"And consult them in the matter,"
And in adherence to the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
For this reason, he established three consultative councils for himself:
The first council was exclusively for the Emigrants (Muhajirun),
The foundational block of Islam.
In this council, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would present the daily reports
That reached him from the provinces and administrative centers,
Seeking their counsel on them.
The second council comprised the senior Companions among the Muhajirun and the Ansar,
Possessing expertise and experience;
They provided the Caliph with counsel
And debated key issues with him.
The third council
Was for the general body of Muslims among the Muhajirun, the Ansar,
And the tribal leaders visiting Medina.
Whenever 'Umar wished to seek the opinion of the general public,
He would call out, "As-Salatu Jami'ah" (Prayer is gathered),
And the people would assemble in the mosque.
'Umar would then enter, deliver a sermon,
And present the matter requiring discussion and deliberation.
Such was the biography of al-Faruq 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):
Knowledge paired with action,
Responsibility paired with justice—
Unwavering in upholding the truth, fearless of any critic's blame.
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Hajj,
His final Hajj, in the year 23 AH.
When he departed from Mina,
He halted at al-Abtah,
And there he raised his hands to the sky and said:
"O Allah! My age has advanced,
My strength has weakened,
And my flock has spread far and wide.
So take my soul to You, neither neglected nor falling short."
His daughter, the Mother of the Believers, Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her), heard him
Supplicating one day, saying:
"O Allah, grant me martyrdom in Your cause,
And grant me death in the city of Your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)."
She asked, "How could that be?"
'Umar replied:
"Allah brings about His decree whenever He wills."
It was part of his policy (may Allah be pleased with him)
Not to permit captives from the conquered lands to enter Medina,
The capital of the Caliphate,
Unless they embraced Islam and entered this religion.
This political stance demonstrates his wisdom and farsightedness,
For these conquered, defeated peoples
Harbored resentment against Islam,
Despised it,
And were predisposed to plot and scheme against Islam and the Muslims.
However, some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
Owned slaves and servants among these Christian or Zoroastrian captives,
And some of them persistently requested 'Umar
To allow a few of their conquered slaves to reside in Medina
So they could assist them in their trades and daily labor.
Among those Companions was al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him),
Who wrote to 'Umar seeking permission for a slave of his to enter Medina,
Named Firuz al-Nahawandi,
Known by his kunya, Abu Lu'lu'ah the Zoroastrian.
Al-Mughirah stated that he possessed skills beneficial to the people,
Being a blacksmith, an engraver, and a carpenter.
So 'Umar reluctantly granted him permission.
And precisely what 'Umar anticipated came to pass:
On the dawn of Wednesday,
Four days before the end of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah,
Abu Lu'lu'ah lay in ambush inside the mosque,
Carrying a double-bladed poisoned dagger.
As 'Umar stood straightening the rows for prayer,
And just as he pronounced the *takbir* to lead the people in prayer,
The slave stabbed him in his shoulder and in his side.
'Umar collapsed, saying:
“There is no reproach for the Prophet in that which Allah maketh his due. That was Allah's way with those who passed away of old - and the commandment of Allah is certain destiny -” (33:38)
Then the slave fled,
Passing by no one to his right or left
Without stabbing him,
Until he had stabbed thirteen men,
Seven of whom died.
When a Muslim man saw this,
He threw his cloak over him.
Realizing he was trapped, the barbarian
Slit his own throat.
'Umar took the hand of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf
And pushed him forward to lead the people in prayer,
So he led them in a brief prayer.
'Umar was then carried to his house,
Overcome by blood loss until he fell unconscious.
When morning broke,
He awoke and asked:
"Have the people prayed?"
They replied to him, "Yes."
He said:
"There is no Islam for whoever abandons the prayer."
He then performed ablution and prayed,
Leaning on his son, Abdullah,
While his wound was gushing with blood.
The doctor arrived
And gave 'Umar date wine to drink,
But it flowed right out of his wound.
Then he gave him milk to drink,
And it also flowed out of his wound.
Thus, he realized that it meant death.
When 'Umar learned that his assassin was a Magian slave,
He said:
"Praise be to Allah, Who did not place my death at the hands of a man who could dispute with me before Allah
By virtue of a single prostration he ever performed."
People came to visit 'Umar,
Bidding him farewell and praising him,
Mentioning his great achievements in Islam.
He would respond to them by saying:
"The deluded one is he whom you delude."
Then a young man came to him and said:
"Rejoice, O Commander of the Faithful, with the glad tidings from Allah to you!"
'Umar replied:
"I wish that all of that would just balance out—
Neither against me nor for me."
As the young man turned to leave,
His lower garment was dragging on the ground.
So 'Umar said:
"Bring the youth back to me!"
Then he said to him:
"O son of my brother,
Lift up your garment,
For it is cleaner for your garment and more God-fearing before your Lord."
Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"May Allah have mercy on 'Umar!
His dire condition did not prevent him from speaking the truth."
Some of them said to him:
"Make a will, O Commander of the Faithful, and designate a successor."
He said:
"I do not see anyone more deserving of this matter
Than this group of people with whom the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
Was pleased when he passed away."
So he named 'Ali, Talhah, 'Uthman,
Al-Zubayr, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf,
And Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.
And he said:
"'Abdullah ibn 'Umar shall be a witness,
But he shall have no share in the governance,"
Serving merely as a consolation to him.
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent
His son 'Abdullah
To 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her),
Saying:
"Go to 'A'ishah, Mother of the Believers,
And say:
''Umar conveys his greetings of peace to you.'
Do not say 'the Commander of the Faithful,'
For today I am no longer the commander of the believers.
Rather, say:
''Umar ibn al-Khattab asks permission
To be buried alongside his two companions.'"
He only phrased it that way
So that 'A'ishah would not perceive it as an order.
So 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar greeted her
And asked permission to enter upon 'A'ishah,
Finding her sitting and weeping.
He said:
"'Umar ibn al-Khattab conveys his greetings of peace to you,
And asks permission to be buried alongside his two companions."
She replied:
"I had wanted that spot for myself,
But today I shall certainly prefer him over myself."
When 'Abdullah returned, it was said:
"Here is 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, he has returned."
'Umar said:
"Lift me up!
What news do you bring, my son?"
He replied:
"That which you love, O Commander of the Faithful;
She has granted permission."
He said:
"Praise be to Allah!
Nothing was more important to me than that.
When I pass away,
Carry me there,
Then greet her and say:
''Umar ibn al-Khattab asks permission.'
If she grants me permission,
Then take me inside;
But if she refuses me,
Then return me to the public graveyard of the Muslims."
'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"I was the last of you to see 'Umar.
I entered upon him while his head was in the lap of his son, 'Abdullah.
'Umar said to his son:
'Place my cheek upon the ground.'
His son replied:
'Are my thigh and the ground not equal?'
'Umar reiterated:
'Place my cheek upon the ground, woe to you!'
'Abdullah said: 'So I placed it.'
Then 'Umar said:
'Woe to 'Umar if Allah does not forgive you!
Woe to 'Umar if Allah does not forgive you!'
When he passed away,
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"There is no one on earth with whose record of deeds I would love to meet Allah
More than this shrouded man lying before you."
Suhayb al-Rumi led his funeral prayer in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
And he was buried beside his companion
In the room of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
May Allah be pleased with that noble man, 'Umar!
For he was the first Caliph to be titled Commander of the Faithful,
The first to institute the Islamic calendar,
The first to gather the people for the Tarawih prayer,
The first to make night patrols to inspect the conditions of the Muslims,
He carried the whip and used it to discipline,
He led the great conquests,
Instituted the land tax (Kharaj),
Founded the garrison cities,
Appointed judges,
Established the state registries (Diwan),
Stipulated stipends,
And performed Hajj with the Mothers of the Believers,
The wives of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
In the last pilgrimage he performed.
May Allah reward him with goodness on behalf of Islam and the Muslims.
The Chosen One
Is the best of companions, as affirmed by texts;
In the Paradise of Eternity, they are confirmed.
Their honor was increased:
They are Talhah,
Ibn 'Awf,
Al-Zubayr, along with
Abu 'Ubaydah,
The two Sa'ds, and the Caliphs.