The Conversion of Umar

Perhaps the most dramatic chapter of the oppression of the converts by the Quraish is provided by the pre-Islamic attitude of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and it may be said to his credit that his conduct before Islam and after was not motivated by any material consideration but just as it was his duty to preserve the existing social structure and thereafter in the sincere service of the new cause he had espoused. That he accepted the truth as soon as he comprehended it shows that he was a realist and not biased by any extraneous consideration. He was a young man of 27 when Islam was proclaimed and it soon penetrated into his own house. His brother-in-law Saeed had already embraced Islam and through him his wife Fatima, the sister of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), also accepted the new faith. An influential member of the family, Nuaim bin Abdullah had also responded to the call of Islam. At first Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was unaware of these developments but as soon as he was informed about it, his rage knew no limits. We have already described how mercilessly he beat his slave girl Lubaina and now he resolved to strike at the very root of Islam and kill the Prophet. So he started, sword in hand, determined to kill the Prophet. On the way he met Nuaim bin Abdullah to whom he mentioned what he was going to do, on which Nuaim told him first to take care of his own house.  Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) immediately rushed to his sister’s house. She was reading verses of the Qur'an and on hearing Omar’s footsteps she stopped and concealed the material on which the verses were written. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked her what she was reading and when she tried to evade him he burst out and said that he had learnt that both she and her husband had forsaken their religion. Then he feels upon his brother-in-law. When his sister intervened, she received such a severe beating that she began to bleed and with blood stains all over her body she cried out, “Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) , you may do whatever you like but cannot give up Islam.” A blood-stained woman, and that too his own sister, in tears and declaring such firm determination, conquered the strength of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his heart was moved. He asked her to recite before him what she was reading. She brought out the verses of the Qur'an and began to recite and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was at once transformed when his sister reached the verse: “Declare your faith in God and his Prophet.” Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) called out: “I witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His servant and Prophet.” Thus enlightened with true faith, he walked to the house of Arqam which was the centre of Islam and gave his pledge to the Prophet. The conversion of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) raised the morale of the Muslims.

It may be noted here that so long as  Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)  was against Islam he worked sincerely and zealously to oppose it, but when he joined the faith, he devoted himself with equal sincerity and zeal in its service. Thus the conversion of a man of such character was a great acquisition and a turning point in the history of Islam. It may also be noted that although his confrontation with his sister and brother-in-law was the immediate cause of his conversion, there were also other factors in the background which gradually helped to change his mental attitude. He was not a blind witness to the affairs of Makkah; there were many incidents that touched his heart and prepared the ground for his conversion. He was receiving daily reports of the progress of the Islamic mission and the character of the Prophet and his followers and the mean and fraudulent game of his opponents. There was much discussion in Makkah which also should have influenced his frame of mind.

Besides these general features there were also some particular incidents which must have touched his feelings. One of those was when umm-e-Abdullah, daughter of Abi Hashma, was preparing to depart for Abyssinia with the caravan of the migrants, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went to see her and tried to dissuade her from leaving. But when she said that the cruel persecution was now beyond endurance and she resolved to leave, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was so moved that everyone who saw him at the time felt pity on him. It is not unlikely that this shock might have prepared the ground for his ultimate conversion.

The conversion of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was of great significance because it took place at a time when the forces of oppression working against the Muslims were at their peak and his conversion created a great stir in Makkah, because Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) immediately challenged the opponents of Islam. He selected Jamil bin Mamar Jamhi, and announced through him that he had joined the new faith. This man went to the gate of the Kaabah and cried aloud that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had become a Sabi.  Umar who was just behind shouted that he was wrong.

He had become a Muslim and confessed that there is one Allah and Muhammad is His servant and Prophet. The Quraish then attacked him and beat him with all severity and released him only when Aas bin Wail Sahmi rescued him and took him under his protection.  Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)  also went to the house of Abu Jehl and knocked at his door and when he came out he informed him of his conversion on which Abu Jehl immediately shut his door saying “God’s curse on you and your news!” Then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) advanced further and offered the prayer in the Kaabah publicly along with other Muslims. Before this Muslims used to pray secretly.  Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was again beaten for this but the way was cleared for Muslims to pray openly in the Kaabah itself.

Thus, while the oppression against the Muslims was mounting with ever-increasing intensity, new converts were coming to its fold and important personalities were being weaned away from the group of oppressors. One event of importance in this connection is the conversion of Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him). This man, the only one among the surviving uncles of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who was intelligent, brave and influential despite religious differences, was very affectionate towards the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Being just two or three years older than the Prophet (Peace be upon him), the uncle and nephew were friends from the childhood. Once Abu Jehl assaulted the Prophet (Peace be upon him) near the mountain of Safa and abused him which the Prophet (Peace be upon him) patiently bore and did not retaliate. Incidentally, the slave girl of Abdullah bin Judan who was an eye-witness to the whole incident reported it to Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) who was returning from the hunting with bow and arrow, and remarked! “Oh! I wonder how you would have felt if you had seen the pitiable condition of your nephew.” Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) went straight to the meeting where Abu Jehl was sitting with other. He struck the head of Abu Jehl with his bow, saying, “Did you abuse Muhammad? If so, I also go over to his faith and I repeat whatever he says.” A man of Bani Makhzoom clan rose to support Abu Jehl who stopped him saying that he had much abused his nephew. Now with the conversion of Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) the importance of Islam was greatly enhanced.