Umar’s Islam (Part 2)
Umar (RadiAllahu Anhu) reached the house of his sister and heard words from behind her door. Both Fatima and her husband Saeed Ibn Zayd were reciting Qur’an under the tuition of Khabab Ibn Arat.
When Umar knocked on the door and they saw that it he was there, the immediately stopped reciting, Khabab Ibn Arat hid himself and Fatima hid the scroll of upon which Qur’an was written, under her thighs.
Umar came in and demanded what was the humming sound he had heard. They said it was nothing. He repeated his question and demanded to know if they had become Muslim and left the religion of their tribes. Saeed Ibn Zayd replied:
“Well what if Islam is better than your religion?”
At that point Umar (RadiAllahu Anhu) attacked Saeed Ibn Zayd. He threw him to the ground, sat on top of him and began to beat him. Fatima, seeing her husband being attacked in this way, tried to intervene in vain to help him, and was struck in her face by Umar (RadiAllahu Anhu). She began to bleed as a result and so she rebuked her brother:
“You enemy of Allah! You hit me just because I believe in Allah. Whether you like it or not, I bear witness that there is no God except Allah and Muhammed is His Messenger. Do whatever you like!”
Seeing the bleeding face of his own sister and hearing the strength and conviction in her voice, Umar (RadiAllahu Anhu) calmed down and became silent. He regretted his actions and felt sorry for her. He moved away from Saeed and sat down. He asked her to hand over the scrolls to him. Fatima refused. He told her that her words, had struck a cord in his heart and he promised that he would return them to her safely. She replied:
“No. You are a Mushrik (see glossary), you are in a state of impurity, so you have to go and make ghusl (see glossary) first.”
Umar (RadiAllahu Anhu) did so and took the scrolls from his sister, sat down and recite the verses of Qur’an written upon them. He recited the first verses of Surat TaHa from Qur’an which are translated as follows:
“Ta Ha. We have not revealed the Quran to you that you may be unsuccessful. Nay, it is a reminder to him who fears: A revelation from Him Who created the earth and the high heavens. The Beneficent Allah is firm in power. His is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth and what is between them two and what is beneath the ground. And if you utter the saying aloud, then surely He knows the secret, and what is yet more hidden. Allah – there is no god but He; His are the very best names.” – Surat TaHaa (1-8:20)
Umar was quiet and reflective. He said upon reading these verses:
“Is this what Quraish and the other tribes are fighting …? The one who has spoken these words (Allah, The Almighty) needs to be worshipped. Where is Muhammed?”
They told him the location where the Prophet Muhammed (SalAllahu Alayhi WaSallam) was meeting with his companions. So Umar left to meet with him, now… in a completely different frame of mind.
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