Umar bin al-Khattab
the second companion of the Prophet Muhammad, he was the person who first converted to islam, he was Umar Bin Al-Khattab's brief biography about him
' Umar , also spelled Omar ( Arabic : عمر بن الخطاب , . ` Umar ibn al - Khattab , Umar son of Al - Khattab , who was born 579 - died 3 November 644 M ) , a Muslim is one of the most powerful and influential Caliph ( ruler ) in history . He was a Sahabi , or companion of the Prophet Muhammad SAW . He succeeded Abu Bakr ( 632-634 ) as the Khilafah Rashidah Rashid second on 23 August 634 . He is an expert on Islamic law expert and famous for its pious and just , which earned him the title of Al - Faruq ( " one who distinguishes between right and wrong " ) . He is sometimes referred to as a historian of Islam Umar I , the Umayyad caliph since then , Umar II , also bore the name.
Under Umar , Rashidun Caliphate growing at an unprecedented rate , govern the entire Sasanian Empire and more than two -thirds of the Byzantine Empire . His attacks against the Sassanid Persian Empire Persian conquest resulted in less than two years . It was Umar , according to Jewish tradition , which ruled out a ban on the Christian Jews and allow them to Jerusalem to worship .
Umar was born in Mecca to the Banu Adi clan , which was responsible for the arbitration between the tribes . His father was Khattab ibn Nufayl and his mother is Hantama bint Hisham , from the tribe of Bani Makhzum . He is said to have belonged to a middle class family . In his youth he used to tend to his father's camels in the plains near Mecca . His father was famed for his intelligence among his tribe . She is a high class merchant and is believed to be a ruthless and emotional pagans often treated Umar badly . As is obvious from Umar 's own statement regarding his father during a political power in the future , Umar said , " My father Al - Khattab was a cruel man He used to make me work hard . If I do not succeed he used to beat me and he used to work I was exhausted . "
Although literacy is uncommon in pre-Islamic Arabia , Umar learned to read and write in his youth . Though not a poet himself , he developed a love for poetry and literature . According to the tradition of Quraish , while still in his teenage years , Umar learned martial arts , horse riding and wrestling . He's tall , physically strong and will soon become a famous wrestler . Umar was also a gifted orator , and due to intelligence and remarkable personality , he succeeded his father as an arbitrator of conflict between tribes .
In addition , Umar followed the traditional profession of Quraish . He became a merchant and made several trips to Rome and Persia , where he is said to have met various scholars and analyzed the Roman and Persian societies closely . However , as a merchant he is believed to have never succeeded . Drinking alcohol is very common among the Quraish , and Umar was also fond of drinking in pre - Islamic days of his .
During Muhammad's Initial hostility of Islam
In 610 Muhammad began to preach the message of Islam . Umar , alongside others in Makkah , opposed Islam and threatened to kill Muhammad . He decided to keep the traditional , polytheistic religion of Arabia . He was adamant and cruel in opposing Muhammad and very prominent in persecuting the Muslims . Umar was among the first to conclude that Muhammad should be killed in order to finish Islam . He is very confident in the unity of the Quraish and saw the new faith of Islam as a cause of division and discord among the Quraish .
Due to the persecution at the hands of the Quraish , Muhammad ordered his followers to migrate to Abyssinia . As a small group of Muslims migrated Umar became worried about the future unity of the Quraish and decided to have Muhammad assassinated .
Conversion to Islam
Umar converted to Islam in 616 , one year after the Migration to Abyssinia . The story is narrated in Ibn Ishaq's Sirah . On his way to murder Muhammad , Umar met with Nuaim friend who had secretly converted to Islam but not tell Umar . When Umar told him that he had set out to kill Muhammad , Nuaim fear worst.While ' Umar was at home in a state of fear , there came Al - ' As bin Wail As - Sahmi Abu ' Amr which is an open enemy to Muhammad , dressed in embroidered robes and shirts which has a silk hem . He was of the tribe of Bani Sahm who our allies during the pre - Islamic period of ignorance . Al - ' As said to ' Umar " What is wrong with you ? " He said , " Your people claim that they would kill me if I become a Muslim . " Al - ' As said , " No one will harm you after I have given protection to you . " So Al - ' as went out and met people flowing across the valley . He said , " Where you going ? " They said , " We want Ibn Al - Khattab who has embraced Islam . " Al - ' As said , " There is no way for anyone to touch it . " So the people retreated . Umar is a person of his word and will try to do what he said . So in order to distract him , Nuaim told him to ask about his own home where his sister and her husband had converted to Islam . Upon arriving at her house , Umar found the brother and sister -in-law Saeed bin Zaid ( Umar 's cousin ) reciting verses from the Koran sura Ta - ha . He started quarreling with his brother -in-law . When his sister came to rescue her husband , he also started quarreling with her . But they still kept saying " you may kill us but we will not give up Islam " . Upon hearing these words , Umar slapped his sister so hard that she fell to the ground bleeding from her mouth . When he saw what he did to her sister , she is calm from the guilt and asked his sister to give him what he read . His brother responded negatively and said "You are unclean , and no unclean person can touch the Holy Scriptures . " He insisted , but his sister was not prepared to allow him to touch the page unless he wash his body . Omar finally gave in. He washed his body and then began to read the verses : Verily , I am Allah : there is no god but I , so worship Me (Alone ) , and establish regular prayer for My remembrance ( Quran 20 : 14 ) . He wept and declared , " Surely this is the word of God . I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah . " On hearing this , Hadhrat Khabbab out from inside and said : " . O , Omar Glad tidings to you yesterday Muhammad prayed to God , " . O , Allah strengthen Islam with either Omar or Abu Jahl , whoever you Likest " It seems that his prayer has been answered in your favor . He then went to Muhammad with the same sword he intended to kill him with and accepted Islam in front of him and his friends . Umar is 27 when he accepted Islam .
After his conversion , Umar went to inform the chief of Quraish , Amr ibn Hisham , on his acceptance of Islam . According to one account , Umar openly prayed at the Kaaba as the Quraish leaders , Amr Ibn Hisham and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb , reportedly watched in anger. This further helped the Muslims to gain confidence in carrying Islam openly . At this stage Umar even challenged anyone who dared to stop the Muslims praying , although no one dared to interfere with Umar when he was openly praying .
Conversion of Umar Islam gave power to the Muslims and Islam in Mecca . It was after this that Muslims offered prayers openly in Masjid al - Haram for the first time . Abdullah bin Masoud said ,
Umar converted to Islam is our victory , the migration to Medina is our success , and he ruled the blessing of God . We do not pray in the Mosque of Al - Haram until Umar had accepted Islam . When he accepted Islam , the Quraish were forced to tell us to pray in the mosque .
