Umar bin AI-Khattab Accepts Islam

Only three days after Hamzah's conversion to Islam, Umar became a Muslim.  Umar, a tall and powerful man, had been a staunch enemy of the Muslims. He was known for his fierce temper and his love of poetry and strong drink. The story of how Umar embraced Islam is one of the most interesting episodes in the history of Islam.

Umar had heard the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) reciting verses of the Qur'an at the Ka'bah, and some of the verses he overheard moved him. However, his heart remained firmly opposed to Islam and the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam). His opposition grew to the point that one day he picked up his sword and decided to kill the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Fortunately, Umar did not succeed in carrying out his intention.

With his sword gripped in his hand and his mind made up, Umar met Nu'aym bin Abdullah who asked him, "Where are you going?"

"I am going to slay Muhammad," he replied.

"How will you save yourself then from Banu Hashim and Banu Zuhra?"

Angered at this question, which seemed like a challenge to him, ‘Umar replied,  "It seems as if you have forsaken our faith."

"Umar!" Nu'aym countered. "The amazing thing is that your sister and brother-in-law have also renounced your faith."

Umar was furious, and his attention was diverted from the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) to his own family.  In a rage, he headed straight for his sister’s house. At that moment, Khabbab bin Aratt was at Umar's sister's house teaching her and her husband Surah Ta-Ha. When they heard Umar outside the door, Khabbab hid himself, and Fatimah, Umar's sister, quickly hid the sheets of paper upon which the Qur'anic verses were written.

"What was that babble I heard?"

They could see that Umar was enraged and armed with a sword. "Nothing, we were just talking."

"Maybe, both of you have renounced your faith," Umar said.

Umar's brother-in-law said, "Well, tell me, Umar. What if the truth lies far from your religion?" Umar's response to this question was swift and violent. He pounced upon his brother-in­ law and beat him mercilessly.  When his sister tried to disengage the two in defense of her husband, Umar hit her hard on the face. Blood ran down her cheek, but at this point Fatimah was not to be deterred    from speaking the truth. Echoing her husband's question, she challenged the wisdom of Umar’s faith. "Umar! What if the truth lies far from your religion?"

Then  in  front  of her brother, she declared her own faith, using the same  words  every  Muslim   utters  as  solemn testimony  about the Oneness  of Allah and the Prophethood  of Muhammad  is.  She said, "I bear witness that none is worthy of worship other than Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah."

When Umar heard his sister's proud affirmation of her faith, he was overwhelmed     with shame. "Show me what you were reading from," he said.

His sister retorted, "You are unclean, and only the pure and clean can touch it. Go wash yourself."

A chastened Umar bathed and then took the pages of Surah Ta-Ha in his hand and recited Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful).

"These are pure names," Umar said. He continued reading:

"Verily, I am Allah-there is no god but I, so worship Me and offer prayers in remembrance of Me." (Surah Ta-Ha, 20: 14)

Umar exclaimed in awe at the sublimity of the verses. "Where can I find Muhammad?"   he asked.

When Khabbab heard this, he came out of hiding and said, "O Umar! Rejoice. I prayed that Allah would bless you. Thursday night I heard the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) praying to Allah, saying: “O Allah, strengthen Islam by Umar bin Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham!"

When Umar heard that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was at Dar AI-Arqam, he rushed there hoping to find him. He knocked on the door, and one of the Prophet's Companions peeped through a chink to see Umar, sword in hand, looking very agitated. The Companion rushed into the back of the house with the alarming news.

"What's the matter?" Hamzah (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) asked.

"Umar is at the door," the Companion reported.

"Is that all?" exclaimed Hamzah. "If he comes in peace, fine. If not, we simply kill him with his own sword."

Muhammad (sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam), meanwhile, was in the midst of receiving a revelation from Allah, and upon completion of the revelation he came   into the sitting room.  There sat Umar. The Prophet (sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) caught him by his clothes and sword belt and said to him urgently, "Umar!  Will   you  not  turn  back  from  your  path  unless Allah Almighty sends  down  on you  such chastisement as He  did on  Waleed bin Mugheera? O Allah!  This is Umar   bin Khattab. O Allah! Bestow power and glory on Islam through this Umar bin Khattab."

After the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) ended his supplication, Umar said, “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship   other than Allah, and that you are the Prophet of Allah."

Those present in the house cried, "Allahu Akbar!"  (God is the Greatest!)  so loudly that their cry resonated  around  the Ka'bah.