(Omar) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) by Sheikh Ataullah Khan

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• published: 02 Nov 2013
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His Physical Description: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) was born 11 years after the year of the Elephant and accepted Islam when he was 27 years old. He saw described as to be a towering figure. Whenever he would be with any group, he would be the tallest amongst them. It was said that if one would see him from a distance in a group, it would seem that he was riding his mount whilst everybody around him was standing. He was very well built. He wasn't over-weight but he had a lot of flesh on his bones but it was muscle. He was a wrestler in Jahiliyyah. His limbs were large. He was bald-headed. He was fair-skinned and there was some redness in his colour. He used henna in his hair. The tips of his moustache were long and he used to twist them in his fingers whenever he became upset. He was described as when he would walk he would walk fast, when he would speak you could definitely hear him and when he struck he would strike with strength. His presence was intimidating to his enemy and it would strike fear even in his friends. Once 'Umar (RA) was walking and he turned around and saw a pregnant lady, and she then had a miscarriage. The Sahabah (RA) were then debating that if 'Umar (RA) would have to pay blood money on that or not but 'Ali (RA) then said that blood money was required to be paid but from Bayt al-Maal. When the enemies of Allah (SWT) would hear the name of 'Umar (RA), their knees would shake and their hearts would tremble. His Parents: His father was al-Khattab bin Nufail. 'Umar (RA)'s father was a very tough man and had a very tough upbringing. When he (RA) became a caliph, he came to the place where he used to be a shepherd and said, "La Ilaha IllaLah The Most High and The Greatest who gives whatever He wants whatever He wants to whomever He wants. I used to be the shepherd for my father in this place and I would wear some harsh wool clothes. And my father was harsh and he would make me exhausted when I would work and he would beat me up if I don't work and today there is no one between me and Allah." Once 'Umar called people to the Masjid and when they all assembled, 'Umar stood on the pulpit and said, "I had some aunts and I would take their goats or sheep to this valley and I would come back at the end of the day and they would give me a handful of dates or raisins and I would have a miserable day." Then he came down from the pulpit. Abdul Rahman ibn 'Awf (RA) said, "You haven't done more than belittle yourself." 'Umar (RA) replied, "Woe to you son of 'Awf! My nafs was telling me that you are Ameer-ul-Mu'minin so you who is better than you? So I wanted to teach myself a lesson and let it know who it is." His mother was the cousin of Abu Jahl and her name was Himtimah bint Hisham. His Marriage: He married 7 or 8 in total: 1) Zaynab bint Madh'un during Jahiliyyah and she was the mother of 'AbduLlah, 'Abdul Rahman (the eldest) and Hafsah (RA) 2) Maleeka bint Jarwal and she was the mother of 'UbaydiLlah (RA) and he divorced her. 3) Quraybah bint Abi Makhzoom and he later on divorced who then married 'Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (RA). 4) Umm Hakim bin al-Harith (the wife of 'Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl {RA}) and 'Umar (RA) married her when 'Ikrimah (RA) died in battle of Yarmuk. She was the mother of Fatimah (RA) 5) Jamilah bint 'Asim bin Thaabit. 6) 'Aatiqah bint Zayd bin 'Amr bin Nufail who his relative and was married before to 'AbduLlah ibn Abi Bakr. When 'Umar (RA) died, she married az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. 7) 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) wanted to marry the youngest daughter of Abu Bakr (RA), Umm Kulthum who was born after the death of Abu Bakr (RA) but she refused. 'Aishah (RA) told her, "You don't want to marry Ameer ul-Mu'minin?" She said, "His lifestyle is harsh." So 'Aishah (RA) told 'Amr bin al-'Aas (RA) about her and he went to 'Umar (RA) and said, "I have a suggestion for you. Why don't you marry the Umm Kulthum, the daughter of 'Ali? Because by marrying her, you'll have a relationship into the family of RasuluLlah." So 'Umar (RA) asked her hand in marriage and she agreed and he married her. 8) Luhayyayah was either slave-girl or his wife, there's a difference of opinion on this. She bore him Abdul Rahman the youngest. 9) Fuqayhah was a slave-girl and she was the mother of Zaynab. His Children: He had 13 children in total: Zayd al-Akbar, Zayd al-Asghar (he named two of his sons Zayd because his elder brother was Zayd whom he used to love very much and who died as a shaheed), 'Asim, 'AbduLlah, 'Abdul Rahman al-Akbar, 'Abdul Rahman al-Awsat, 'Abdul Rahman al-Asghar (he name three of his sons 'Abdul Rahman because he used to love the name very much), 'Ayaad and 'UbaydiLlah. Hafsah, Ruqayyah, Zaynab and Fatimah (RA). His Work: His first work was as shepherd for his father and his aunts. He then started a business in which he was very successful. He would travel to Syria and Yemen and traded. He became one of the wealthiest men of Quraysh. He was also a wrestler and was unbeatable.