Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was the second successor of the Ummah and therefore the first Muslim leader to be called the Commander of the Faithful. After the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his dearest friend Abu Bakr became his Caliph and helm the Muslims for around two years. When Abu Bakr felt his own death close, he discussed his most intimate friends and advisers around him and notified them that their loyalty to him was over. Abu Bakr hoped that these men could select his successor from among themselves. Though after much discussion, Abu Bakr’s companions returned to him and asked him to settle on for them for they trusted his choice undoubtedly. Abu Bakr chose Umar.
Abu Bakr considered Umar to be the best among them. He started his reign by addressing the people and instantly explaining his expectancies for himself. Umar acknowledged the people were cautious of his reputation for stiffness and toughness and he discussed this issue. He stated, “Oh people know that I even have been nominated to manage your affairs, so realize that my hardness is now lost, but I will can still be harsh and rough on the people of tyranny and trespass and able to put their cheeks into the earth. Know further that I will can put my very own cheek into the earth to protect the people of loyalty.”
How was the commander of the Faithful?
Umar assumed himself a standard Muslim but history has registered that he was anything but ordinary. He was powerful, spiritually and physically, he was munificent, noble, and lived a life of modesty. Umar followed within the footsteps of his beloved Prophet Muhammad, he followed his example and upheld his traditions. Umar’s being was directed at pleasing God; he worried about God’s punishment but hoped for Paradise. Umar was able to differentiate between reality and falsehood, he felt hurt when the Ummah or any member of it had been hurting, and he felt joy when those under his care were content and happy worshipping their Lord. Umar was one among four rightly guided Caliphs. Even today, he remains to be a task model for strength, love, justice, and mercy.
The capture of Al Quds :
By 637, Muslim armies started to seem within the vicinity of Jerusalem. Responsible of Jerusalem was Patriarch Sophronius, a representative of the Byzantine government, further as a leader within the Christian Church. Although various Muslim armies under the command of Khalid ibn al-Walid and Amr ibn al-Aas began to surround the town, Sophronius refused to surrender the town unless Umar came to just accept the surrender himself.
Having heard of such a condition, Umar ibn al-Khattab left Madinah, traveling alone with one donkey and one servant. When he arrived in Jerusalem, he was greeted by Sophronius, who undoubtedly must are amazed that the caliph of the Muslims, one among the foremost strong people within the world at that time. Umar was given a tour of the town, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. When the time for prayer came, Sophronius called Umar to pray inside the Church, but Umarrefused. He asserted that if he prayed there, later Muslims would use it as an excuse to convert it into a mosque – thereby depriving Christendom of 1 of its holiest sites.
Conversion of Omar bin Al-Khattab to Islam :
Omar converted to Islam in 616, a totality year after the Migration to Abyssinia. The story was reported in Ibn Ishaq’s Sīrah. On his way to killing Muhammad, Omar met his ally Nua’im bin Abdullah. When Omar notified him that he had begun to kill Muhammad, Nua’im said, “By God, you’ve got deceived yourself, O Omar! Does one believe that Banu Abd Manaf will let you go around alive once you had killed their son Muhammad?
Then Nuaimal Hakim told him to ask about his own house where his sister and her husband had changed to Islam. Upon reaching her house, Omar found his sister and brother-in-law Saeed bin Zaid (Omar’s cousin) reciting the verses of the Quran He began struggling together with his brother-in-law. When his sister came to save her husband, he further started struggling with her. Yet they kept on saying “you might kill us but we’ll not hand over Islam”.
He washed his body then started to read the verses that were: Verily, I’m Allah: there’s no God but Me; so serve me (only), and establish proper prayer for my remembrance (Quran 20:14). He sobbed and declared, “Surely this is surely the word of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is that the Prophet of Allah.”
How was the effect of the Conversion of Omar bin Al-Khattab to Islam?
Umar’s embracing Islam was our triumph; his migration to Medina was our victory, and his reign a blessing from Allah. We didn’t submit prayers in Al-Haram Mosque until Umar had agreeable Islam. When he accepted Islam, the Quraysh were enforced to allow us to pray within the Mosque.
