Part of The Ten Given Glad Tidings of Paradise (series completed)
· Lesson 5 of 30
The ten promised Paradise | Episode (5) | Omar bin Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him (Part 1)
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Mawaddah Association presents: The Ten Promised Paradise.
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'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
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Love for the Companions and the Prophet’s kin is an established Sunnah,
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With which I hope to meet my Lord when He brings me to life.
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Who is the owner of that magnificent palace in Paradise?
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Who is this fortunate person,
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Who is given glad tidings of all this eternal bliss,
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While his feet are still walking upon the earth?
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Who was the recipient of this good news, and who was the bearer of it?
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It is a wonder beyond imagination!
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On the night of the Prophet’s Ascension (Mi'raj) to the heavens, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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He entered Paradise
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And saw a palace made of gold,
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Reaching the utmost pinnacle of beauty and perfection,
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With maidens of the fair houris all around it.
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked,
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"Whose palace is this?"
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The accompanying angel replied,
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"It belongs to a young man from Quraysh."
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The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, thought
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That this palace was his own,
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Due to its sheer magnificence, grandeur, and breathtaking beauty.
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But he asked,
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"Who is this fortunate Qurayshite young man?"
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The angel said,
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"It belongs to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab."
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, returned
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To Mecca after the journey of the Isra' and Mi'raj—
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That miraculous and wondrous journey—
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Bearing with him great news,
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Among which was these glad tidings for 'Umar.
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He said,
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"O Abu Hafs,
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Were it not for what I know of your protective jealousy (ghayrah),
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I would have entered that palace."
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'Umar wept and said,
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"Could I ever feel protective jealousy against you, O Messenger of Allah?"
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Who is this 'Umar ibn al-Khattab,
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The owner of that palace?
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What was his life like?
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How did he grow up before Islam, and how was he after embracing it?
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How did he attain such extraordinary bliss in Paradise?
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These are questions that cross our minds
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And require answers.
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So join us as we turn the pages of history
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To explore the biography of this great man,
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Who was promised Paradise through the words of the Noble Messenger,
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Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Yes, my dear listeners,
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He is 'Umar ibn al-Khattab ibn Nufayl
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Ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza al-'Adawi al-Qurashi.
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He was born in Mecca after the Year of the Elephant—
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Thirteen years after the Year of the Elephant.
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'Umar's home in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah)
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Was at the foot of the mountain known today as Mount 'Umar,
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Which was called al-'Aqir during the Jahiliyyah,
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Where the dwellings of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b were situated.
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He grew up among Quraysh,
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Raised in a pagan environment
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Under the guardianship of his father, al-Khattab,
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Who was harsh with him, burdening him with strenuous labor
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And beating him severely whenever he fell short in his tasks.
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This harsh treatment left a deep impact on his personality.
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He mastered horsemanship and combat
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Until he became one of the foremost champions of Quraysh in the Jahiliyyah,
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Possessing an awe-inspiring presence and an intimidating demeanor,
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Fiercely defending the worship of idols.
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He excelled in writing, oratory, and tribal debates;
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He had a refined taste for poetry and recited it extensively,
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Attaining an elevated status among the Quraysh in the Jahiliyyah.
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Thus, he was entrusted as their envoy and champion in tribal contests of honor.
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Among the accounts illustrating his remarkable horsemanship
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Is that he would grab his left ear with his right hand
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And leap directly onto the horse's back, seating himself firmly.
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In the Jahiliyyah, 'Umar was a fierce defender of the paganism he adhered to,
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Ruthlessly persecuting those who believed in the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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From his own clan of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b.
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Among those who endured 'Umar's persecution for accepting Islam were his closest kin:
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His sister Fatimah and her husband, Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl.
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Sa'id, who was also 'Umar's cousin, said:
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"By Allah, I remember the time
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When 'Umar would bind me firmly for embracing Islam before he himself accepted it."
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It is also related that 'Umar severely tortured the slave-girl of Banu Mu'ammil,
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A clan of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b.
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'Umar would beat her relentlessly until he grew exhausted, then say:
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"I make no excuse to you
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Except that I have only stopped beating you out of weariness."
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Thereupon, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, purchased and emancipated her.
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Among the vices of the Jahiliyyah attributed to 'Umar during that period,
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Like many other people of Mecca,
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Was indulging in and drinking alcohol.
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He is reported to have said:
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"I was among the heaviest drinkers of wine in the Jahiliyyah."
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But when he embraced Islam and Allah revealed the prohibition of wine,
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Upon hearing it, 'Umar declared:
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"We have ceased! We have ceased!"
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Later in his youth, 'Umar worked as a camel shepherd.
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It is recorded that after becoming caliph, he passed by one of the mountain passes of Mecca;
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He halted, and the people halted with him.
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He said, "I used to be in this very valley tending the camels of al-Khattab,
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And he was a harsh, stern man;
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I would gather leaves for them at times and gather firewood at others.
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Yet today, I walk with people on every side and none above me except Allah."
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Then he recited this line of poetry:
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"Nothing you behold retains its pleasant delight;
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Allah alone remains, while wealth and children vanish."
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Later, he engaged in trade and earned a livelihood,
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Becoming one of the wealthy men of Mecca.
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Despite his initial adherence to paganism, his opposition to monotheism and its followers,
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And his reported consumption of wine
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Alongside other prevalent vices of the Jahiliyyah,
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He was nevertheless among those who revered the sacred rites of Allah
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And recognized their intrinsic sanctity.
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This was part of the surviving legacy of the religion of the Intimate Friend, Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
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Even though the degree of respect varied among individuals.
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For the Quraysh during the Jahiliyyah deeply venerated the Sacred House,
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Performing circumambulation (Tawaf), Hajj, and 'Umrah,
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Standing at 'Arafah and Muzdalifah, and offering sacrificial animals.
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After embracing Islam, 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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Concerning a vow he had made during the Jahiliyyah
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To perform spiritual retreat (I'tikaf) for a night in the Sacred Mosque.
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, instructed him to fulfill his vow.
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It is also narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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Said to 'Umar:
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"You were fiercely hostile against us, O Abu Hafs,
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So I prayed to Allah to strengthen Islam through you."
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Despite all that has been mentioned regarding 'Umar's sternness, intensity, and toughness,
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There remained a seed of goodness within his soul
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And a glimmer of light hidden deep within his heart.
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His neighbor, Umm 'Abdullah bint Abi Hathmah, recounted:
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"By Allah, we were preparing to depart for the land of Abyssinia,
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And my husband, 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah, had gone off on an errand,
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When 'Umar ibn al-Khattab approached and stood before me while still a polytheist—
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And we used to suffer great hardship at his hands.
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He said, 'Are you departing, O Umm 'Abdullah?'
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I replied, 'Yes, by Allah, we are surely setting out into Allah's earth,
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For you have harmed us and oppressed us,
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Until Allah grants us a way out.'
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He said, 'May Allah be your companion.'
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And I saw in him a gentleness that I had never seen before.
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Then he turned away, visibly saddened by our departure, as far as I could tell.
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When 'Amir returned from his errand,
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I said to him, 'O Abu 'Abdullah,
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If only you had seen 'Umar just now, and his gentleness and sorrow over us!'
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He asked, 'Have you developed hope that he might embrace Islam?'
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I said, 'Yes.'
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He replied, 'The one you saw will not accept Islam until the donkey of al-Khattab accepts Islam!'
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Despairing of him due to the harshness and severity he had always witnessed."
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This was a glimpse into 'Umar's life during the Jahiliyyah,
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Before Allah honored him with Islam.
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We may have elaborated on it slightly,
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But only to witness how Islam transformed this man
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And how he became a monumental turning point in our glorious history,
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To the extent that the Mother of the Believers, 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
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Would say, "Whenever the righteous are mentioned, then welcome indeed to 'Umar!"
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For they were the noble ones: Talhah, Ibn 'Awf, az-Zubayr, along with
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Abu 'Ubaydah, the two Sa'ds, and the Rightly Guided Caliphs.