`Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)

Venerable Companions in lines of light (2)

Second Episode: `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)

The heart which combines the flowing kindness and justice. His stature was higher than mountains but he would  bend and humble himself to a small child or an old person. His eyes were sharp to terrify the enemies of Allah in daytime and a rainy cloud between the hands of the Creator at night.

He was very harsh and stone-hearted with the infidels, but merciful with poor and needy Muslims.

The worldly kings crowned him with the fine-justice medal and gave him certificate of bravery because he did not fear anything for the sake of Allah.

He was the hero of which Satan feared and escaped.

He migrated publically under the sight of the polytheists and thus he was a hero in his migration, in the battle of Badr, in the battle of Uhud, a hero in the middle of the night when he stood praying before his Lord, and a hero in daytime among his subjects. He used to advise saying: Do not indulge in things that do not concern you, know your enemy, and beware of your friend save the honest who fear Allah.

He was `Umar ibn Al Khattab ibn Nufayl Al `Adawy Al Qurashy who was born in Makkah forty years before migration and was nicknamed by Abu Hafs.

His conversion to Islam added more power to Islam, therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) named him with "Al Faruq" because he distinguished between disbelief and belief and was one of the ten men who were given glad tiding with Paradise.

• `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud said: "Indeed, the conversion of `Umar to Islam was an opening for Islam, his migration was a victory, and his principality was a mercy. We did not offer Salah at the Ka`bah but after `Umar had embraced Islam and when he embraced Islam, he fought Quraysh until he offered Salah at the Ka`bah and we offered it with him as well."

• He succeeded Abu Bakr in caliphate and was the first to be named "the emir of the believers."

• His caliphate was full of good and glory for Muslims because he was the first to establish the Hijri calendar (Islamic calendar), the first to invent the system of night watchmen, and the first to establish administrative offices in Islam such as the ministry of soldiers (ministry of defense) and the ministry of taxes. He opened Iraq, Persian, the Levant, and Egypt for Islam and during his rule Kufa and Basra were built in Iraq and Al Fustat was built in Egypt.

That was the life of `Umar Al Farouq which was bright spring that spread joy in people's souls and opened the chests. His caliphate that lasted for ten years and six months was an example of justice, truthfulness, asceticism, and humbleness. `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) kept achieving glories until the hand of an infidel Persian slave named Fayrouz and known as Abu Lu'lu'ah and killed him.

When `Umar knew who stabbed him, He said: "Thanks to Allah that he did not cause me to die by the hand of a Muslim." `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred in year 23 after migration and was buried next to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq.

May Allah be pleased with you, O `Umar Al Farouq, and may Allah reward you the best for what you offered for Islam.