Umar ibn al-Khattab

 Umar ibn al-Khattab 





Umar ibn al-Khattab ibn Nufail al-Qurashi al-Adawi, also known as Abu Hafs, and his mother is: Hantmah bint Hashim ibn Mughira al-Makhzumiya, and in one of the narrations it is mentioned that she is Abu Jahl's sister Hantmah bint Hisham

Umar ibn al-Khattab was one of the great Companions, the advisor of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the successor of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. He migrated from Makkah to Medina and participated in all the invasions and battles with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and did not miss any of them, and he honored the rites of God and feared his limits, he received the caliphate after Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and ruled for 10 years, and the Islamic countries expanded during his reign, and was martyred in 23 for the Hijrah.

His life in Jahiliyyah and his attitude towards Islam

Umar was known for his position in the Quraysh, like his father and grandfather, because of his moral qualities, strength, strength, courage and hardness. He was feared by his enemies, and he was the Quraysh ambassador to the tribes when war or dispute occurred, due to his soundness of mind and the correctness of his opinion.

However, like his people, he adhered to the religion of paganism and idolatry, rejecting Islam and monotheism, so he resisted the spread of the religion, harmed those who became Muslim with the Prophet Muhammad, and tortured the weak and some of the slaves who believed.

It is narrated that he said, “I went out to seek the Messenger of Allah before I became a Muslim, and I found him preceding me to the mosque, so I stood behind him, and he opened Surah al-Haqqa, so I wondered at the composition of the Qur'an, and I said, ‘This, by Allah, is a poet, as the Quraysh said,’ and he read: {I said: “It is not the saying of a poet.” He said: “It is not the saying of a priest.” He said: “If he had told us some sayings, we would have taken him by the right hand and then we would have cut him off, and none of you would have been able to prevent him.” To the end of the surah, Islam fell into my heart.

Islamic history witnessed a great presence of Umar ibn al-Khattab in uniting the Muslims and putting an end to the sedition that was close to entering the fire between them, as Al-Farouq gathered the Muslims to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Sadiq to succeed the Messenger of Allah, and there is no doubt that Ibn al-Khattab offered all his knowledge and wisdom in serving and helping Abu Bakr al-Sadiq after he became the successor of the Messenger of Allah.

Umar ibn al-Khattab's Jihad with the Prophet

Al-Farouq Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) participated with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in all scenes and invasions, as he did not miss any battle with the Prophet of Allah, and he had many positions in his participation in jihad in the way of Allah, which are summarized as follows:

Al-Faruq killed his uncle al-'As ibn Hisham in the Battle of Badr, emphasizing that the bond of faith is stronger than the bond of blood. Al-Faruq's high vigor, determination, and firmness appeared in critical situations in which the Muslims were defeated or almost defeated, such as the Battle of Uhud, the Trench, and the Battle of Bani al-Mustaslaq, where he confronted the polytheists and hypocrites with full force, and in moments of Muslim weakness, such as when he confronted Abu Sufyan while boasting about the defeat of the Muslims in the Battle of Uhud. Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) set out at the head of a company ordered by the Messenger of Allah to Hawazin, one of the strongest and toughest tribes, indicating the reliance of the Prophet of Allah on al-Farouq in difficult situations, and his military wisdom was that he marched at night and lay in ambush during the day; he won the victory by fleeing the enemy, and did not pursue others in accordance with the orders of his commander, which is evidence of his discipline. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab stood with a group of companions in the Battle of Hunayn with the Messenger of Allah - may Allah bless him and grant him peace - when the Muslims retreated after the enemies surprised them, before Allah, the Almighty, descended tranquility on them and gave them victory. Al-Faruq (may Allah bless him) donated half of his wealth in the Battle of Tabuk, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) listened to his opinion on praying for blessings for the people when they suffered from famine in that battle.


His role in the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

After the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), there was a dispute between the Muhajireen and the Ansar as to who should be the caliphate, and the Ansar pointed out that there were two caliphs, but 'Umar bin al-Khattab asked Abu Bakr al-Siddiq to extend his hand to pledge allegiance to him, so he was the first to pledge allegiance to him, followed by the Muhajireen and then the Ansar.

When the apostasy and the withholding of zakat occurred, 'Umar disagreed with Abu Bakr in his opinion, then returned after Abu Bakr showed him the right thing to do, so he was his supporter and helper in his wars.

Conquests during his reign

The Muslims conquered Damascus during the reign of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, and the army was led by Khalid ibn al-Walid before he was deposed, and the Roman commander was Bahan, and after heavy fighting, the Roman army retreated to Damascus and closed the gates, so some of the Companions sneaked in and opened the door for the army, and the Muslims entered Damascus.

Jerusalem was also conquered during his reign after a four-month siege, as armies led by Amr ibn al-As, Khalid ibn al-Walid and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah gathered there, and its inhabitants surrendered, and 'Umar came to it and received the keys from the Romans.

Al-Mada'in was conquered during the reign of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, as well as Nahawand and Ahwaz. These conquests were helped by Umar's interest in fighting ability, preparing the army, the physical strength of the soldiers, teaching them various combat skills, raising their fitness, fearing for the army and soldiers, caring for their lives, and recognizing their merit and status.

Omar was keen to equip armies well, prepare them and supply them with equipment and materiel. He always urged soldiers and army commanders to be patient, to rely on God, not to despair, to be sure of victory, and to be brave and courageous.

Umar is considered the first to establish the Diwan of Soldiers at the invitation of the Companions to ensure the rights of the soldiers and to distribute the bounty and give the people justice.

His martyrdom

'Umar ibn al-Khattab was leading the Muslims in the morning prayer when Abu Lu'lu'a stabbed him with a poisoned knife, stabbed 13 Muslim men while trying to flee and martyred 7 of them, then killed himself after he was surrounded. Umar asked to call a doctor to see his wound, so the doctor came and gave Umar wine that came out of the wound, and the doctor confused the color of the wine with blood, so another doctor came and gave Umar milk that came out of the wound in a white color, and the doctor asked Umar to reign because his time was approaching.

Umar nominated 6 of the companions for succession, namely Uthman, Ali, Abdul Rahman bin Auf, Talha, Zubair and Saad, and recommended them to fear God and asked them to pledge allegiance to Abdul Rahman bin Auf, and whoever refuses to pledge allegiance to him, his neck will be struck, and Umar ordered his son Abdullah to pay off his debt, and ask Aisha's permission to be buried in her house next to his two companions; the Prophet, peace be upon him and Abu Bakr al-Sadiq.

Umar ordered his son Abdullah to pay his debts and ask Aisha to bury him in her house next to his two companions, the Prophet and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. The duration of his caliphate was 10 years, 5 months and 21 nights, may Allah be pleased with him.