The praise of Amir al Mu’minin ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu

There is no doubt regarding the amazing relationship between the Ahlul Bayt radiya Llahu ‘anhum and al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu. The signs of this relationship are clear in their reciprocatory praise of each other. It also becomes apparent in the marriage of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu to Umm Kulthum and in the Ahlul Bayt naming many of their children with the name ‘Umar.

It is narrated by al Bukhari regarding ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu:

أن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه، كان إذا قحطوا استسقى بالعباس بن عبد المطلب، فقال: «اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا فتسقينا، وإنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبينا فاسقنا»، قال: فيسقون

Whenever they were afflicted by a drought, ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu used to supplicate for rain using the intermediary of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

He used to say, “O Allah, We used to supplicate to you for rain mentioning our Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as an intermediary and you used to send rain for us. We now supplicate to you mentioning the uncle of our Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as an intermediary, so send rain for us.”

The narrator says, “Thereafter rain would fall.”[1]

Here we see how al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu mentioned the uncle of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as an intermediary when supplicating to Allah during his lifetime just as they used to mentioned the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as an intermediary when supplicating to Allah during his lifetime.

It is narrated in the book Tabaqat ibn Sa’d:

أن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه قال للعباس بن عبد المطلب والله لإسلامك يوم أسلمت كان أحبّ إليّ من إسلام الخطاب لو أسلم لأن إسلامك كان أحب إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من إسلام الخطاب

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu said to ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib radiya Llahu ‘anhu, “By Allah, it was more beloved to me to see you accepting Islam then if al Khattab (my own father) accepts Islam, because your accepting Islam is more beloved to the Rasul of Allah than al Khattab accepting Islam.”[2]

His praise for ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu has also been recorded by Imam Ahmed in his book Fada’il al Sahabah:

عن عروة بن الزبير، أن رجلا وقع في علي بن أبي طالب بمحضر من عمر، فقال له عمر: تعرف صاحب هذا القبر؟ وهو محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد المطلب، وعلي بن أبي طالب بن عبد المطلب، فلا تذكر عليا إلا بخير، فإنك إن أبغضته ” آذيت هذا في قبره

It is reported on the authority of ‘Urwah ibn al Zubair, “A person spoke ill about ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu in the presence of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu asked him, ‘Do you know the occupant of this grave? It is Muhammad, the son of ‘Abdullah, who is the son of ‘Abdul Muttalib, and ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu is the son of Abu Talib who is the son of ‘Abdul Muttalib. Therefore do not mention ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu except in praise because if you anger ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, then you have caused difficulty to the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in his grave.’”[3]

Ibn ‘Abdul Barr in his book, al Isti’ab, records the following statement from ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu:

اقضانا علي

The best in judgement amongst us is ‘Ali.[4]

The following has been recorded in Tarikh Dimishq by Ibn ‘Asakir:

أن عمر بن الخطاب لما دون الديوان وفرض العطاء الحق الحسن والحسين رضي الله عنهما بفريضة ابيهما مع أهل بدر لقرابتهما لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ففرض لكل واحد منهما خمسة آلاف

When the lists of names for the account books of the treasury were being recorded and stipends were being allocated, ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu put Hassan and Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhuma in their father’s category with those who had participated in the Battle of Badr. This was because of their relation to the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. So each of them were allocated a sum of fifty thousand Dirhams.[5]

Ibn Sa’d also mentions a lengthy version of this narration with a chain of narrators from Jubayr ibn al Huwayrith ibn al Naqid:

أن عمر بن الخطاب استشار المسلمين في تدوين الديوان فقال له علي بن أبي طالب: تقسم كل سنة ما اجتمع إليك من مال ولا تمسك منه شيئا. وقال عثمان بن عفان: أرى مالا كثيرا يسع الناس وإن لم يحصوا حتى تعرف من أخذ ممن لم يأخذ خشيت أن ينشر الأمر. فقال له الوليد بن هشام بن المغيرة: يا أمير المؤمنين قد جئت الشام فرأيت ملوكها قد دونوا ديوانا وجندوا جنودا فدون ديوانا وجند جنودا. فأخذ بقوله فدعا عقيل بن أبي طالب ومخرمة بن نوفل وجبير بن مطعم وكانوا من نساب قريش فقال: اكتبوا الناس على منازلهم. فكتبوا فبدؤوا ببني هاشم ثم أتبعوهم أبا بكر وقومه. ثم عمر وقومه على الخلافة. فلما نظر إليه عمر قال: وددت والله أنه هكذا ولكن ابدؤوا بقرابة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الأقرب فالأقرب حتى تضعوا عمر حيث وضعه الله.

قال: أخبرنا محمد بن عمر قال: حدثني أسامة بن زيد بن أسلم عن أبيه عن جده قال: رأيت عمر بن الخطاب حين عرض عليه الكتاب. وبنو تيم على أثر بني هاشم. وبنو عدي على أثر بني تيم. فأسمعه يقول: ضعوا عمر موضعه وابدؤوا بالأقرب فالأقرب فجاءت بنو عدي إلى عمر فقالوا: أنت خليفة من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أو خليفة أبي بكر وأبو بكر خليفة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قالوا: وذاك فلو جعلت نفسك حيث جعلك هؤلاء القوم. قال: بخ بخ بني عدي. أردتم الأكل على ظهري لأن أذهب حسناتي لكم. لا والله حتى تأتيكم الدعوة وإن أطبق عليكم الدفتر. يعني ولو أن تكتبوا آخر الناس. إن لي صاحبين سلكا طريقا فإن خالفتهما خولف بي. والله ما أدركنا الفضل في الدنيا ولا ما نرجو من الآخرة من ثواب الله على ما عملنا إلا بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم فهو شرفنا وقومه أشرف العرب

‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu consulted the Muslims when drawing up the account books of the treasury.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu told him, “Every year, distribute what you have accumulated and do not hold any of it back.”

‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan said, “I see a lot of wealth which will suffice the people even if it is not recorded to see who has taken and who has not, but I fear that matters will go out of hand.”

Walid ibn Hisham ibn al Mughirah said, “O Amir al Mu’minin, I have been to Sham and I saw the leaders of Sham draw up account books for the treasury and make groups. So, you too, draw up account books for the treasury and make groups.”

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu liked his opinion. He called ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib, Makhramah ibn Nawfal, and Jubayr ibn Mut’im. They were the genealogists of the Quraysh. He asked them to list people according to their status. They began writing and placed the Banu Hashim in the forefront. Thereafter they placed Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu and his tribe. Thirdly they placed ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu and his tribe. They based the list upon the succession of the Khilafah.

When ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu saw the list he said, “I, too, wish the sequence of the account books for the treasury to be in this way, but rather begin with the family of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam basing it on the one who is closest to the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and until you reach ‘Umar and place him where Allah has wanted him to be according to this sequence.”

Ibn Sa’d reports from Muhammad ibn ‘Umar from — Usamah ibn Zaid ibn Aslam who narrated — from his father who narrated — from his grandfather:

I saw ‘Umar ibn al Khattab when the list of the account books for the treasury was presented to him. Banu Hashim, Banu Tamim, and Banu ‘Adi had been placed on the list, respectively.

I heard him saying, “Place ‘Umar in his rightful place and begin with those who have the closest family relation to the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam instead.”

Banu ‘Adi came to ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu to place a complaint.

They said, “You are the Khalifah of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam or the Khalifah of Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu and Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu was the Khalifah of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

They said, “So based on that why do you not leave your name where it was put in the first place by these men (referring to ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib, Makhramah ibn Nawfal, and Jubayr ibn Mut’im).”

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu replied, “This is Excellent! O progeny of ‘Adi, you want to eat at my expense so that my good deeds be washed away for your sake. By Allah, never, until your rightful turn comes, even if it may be at the end of the list. I have two companions who walked a path. If I oppose their way, I will be rejected. By Allah, I have never found virtue in this world and neither do we hope for reward in the hereafter for the actions we have done except with the intersession of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He is the most honoured from amongst us and his nation is the most honoured of nations amongst the Arabs.”[6]

The following has been recorded in the book Siyar A’lam al Nubala’ by Al Dhahabi:

أن عمر كسا أبناء الصحابة؛ ولم يكن في ذلك ما يصلح للحسن والحسين؛ فبعث إلى اليمن، فأتي بكسوة لهما، فقال: الآن طابت نفسي

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu gave the children of the Sahabah a certain type of clothes to wear and he was not able to give Hassan and Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. So he sent for a cloth to be brought for them from Yemen. Only once it was brought then did ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu say, “Now do I feel happy.”[7]

See the worry ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu had regarding them whether it be their clothes too and they were not regarded as ordinary people in his eyes.

It is mentioned in Tarikh Dimishq of Ibn ‘Asakir:

ان عمر رضى الله عنه قال للحسين يا بني لو كنت تأتينا وتغشانا قال اي الحسين فجئت يوما وهو خال بمعاوية وابن عمر بالباب ولم يؤذن له فرجعت فلقيني بعد فقال لي يا بني لم أرك تأتينا فقال جئت وأنت خال بمعاوية ورأيت ابن عمر ابنك عبد الله رجع فرجعت فقال أنت أحق بالإذن من عبد الله بن عمر إنما أنبت في رؤوسنا ما ترى الله ثم أنتم قال ووضع يده على رأسه

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu said to Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu, “O My beloved child, why do you not come and partake of the evening meal with us?”

Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu related: So, one of the days, I came and found that that ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu was busy with Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu and Ibn ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma was at the door. Ibn ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma had not been given permission to enter so I also returned.

After a few days ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu met me and asked, “O My beloved child, Why do you not come to us?”

I replied, “Yes, I did come but I saw you were busy with Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu and I also saw that your son, Ibn ‘Umar, did not enter therefore, I also returned.”

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu said, “You have more of a right to enter than ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar. Allah has placed this responsibility on me as you see, and thereafter you, too, are my responsibility.”

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu thereafter placed his hand on my head.[8]

Look at the age of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu during the Khilafah of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu and despite that ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu still had that great amount of worry for him. Is this not a proof of the great love and concern of al Faruq radiya Llahu ‘anhu for them?

The praise of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu regarding ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhuma has been narrated in Sahih al Bukhari from Ibn ‘Abbas:

كان عمر يدخلني مع أشياخ بدر، فقال بعضهم: لم تدخل هذا الفتى معنا ولنا أبناء مثله؟ فقال: «إنه ممن قد علمتم»

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu used to include me in the elderly and respected scholars who participated in the Battle of Badr.

Some of them inquired, “Why do you include this youngster with us?”

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu replied, “He has the capabilities of those whom you know.”[9]

It has been narrated by Ibn ‘Abdul Barr from ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu that he used say regarding Ibn ‘Abbas:

نعم ترجمان القرآن عبد الله بن عباسوكان يقول اذا اقبل: جاء فتى الكهول، وذو اللسان السؤول ، والقلب العقول.

What a great commentator of the Qur’an is ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. When ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu used to see him coming from a distance he used to say, “A person is coming who is a youngster from the learned, an intelligent questioner, and is brilliant.”[10]

It has been narrated in al Mustadrak by al Hakim from ‘Ali ibn Hussain:

أن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه خطب إلى علي رضي الله عنه أم كلثوم، فقال: أنكحنيها، فقال علي: إني أرصدها لابن أخي عبد الله بن جعفر، فقال عمر: أنكحنيها فوالله ما من الناس أحد يرصد من أمرها ما أرصده، فأنكحه علي، فأتى عمر المهاجرين، فقال: ألا تهنئوني؟ فقالوا: بمن يا أمير المؤمنين؟ فقال: بأم كلثوم بنت علي وابنة فاطمة بنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، إني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: كل نسب وسبب ينقطع يوم القيامة، إلا سببي ونسبي

‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu asked ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu for Umm Kulthum’s radiya Llahu ‘anha hand in marriage.

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu said, “Grant me her hand in marriage.”

‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu said, “I was hoping for her to get married to my nephew, ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar.”

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu said, “Please grant me her hand in marriage because there isn’t anyone who was waiting for her hand in marriage like me.” So ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu married her to ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu then went to the Muhajirin and asked them, “Will you not congratulate me?”

They asked, “Regarding whom do you want us to congratulate you?”

‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu replied, “Umm Kulthum, the daughter of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu and the daughter of Fatimah—who is the daughter of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. I have heard the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saying, “Every lineage will be cut on the day of Qiyamah besides my lineage.”[11]

It is narrated in Siyar A’lam al Nubala’ by Al Dhahabi from Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hanafiyyah:

دخل عمر وأنا عند أختي أم كلثوم فضمني وقال: ألطفيه بالحلواء

Once, Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu entered and I was by my sister Umm Kulthum radiya Llahu ‘anha. ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu hugged me, and told Umm Kulthum radiya Llahu ‘anha, “Treat him with sweets.”[12]

Therefore, if ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu did not have love for ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu and his progeny he would not have hugged Muhammad ibn ‘Ali and asked Umm Kulthum to treat him with sweets.

NEXT⇒ The praise of Amir al Mu’minin ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan radiya Llahu ‘anhu

[1]Sahih al Bukhari, # 1010, Chapter regarding ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib

[2]Al Tabaqat al Kubra, pg. 23 vol. 4 and Al Bidayah wa al Nihayah, vol. 2 pg. 298

[3] Fada’il al Sahabah, #1089, the researcher of the book, Wasi Allah al ‘Abbas, has graded the narration Sahih.

[4] Al Isti’ab, Biography #1871

[5] Tarikh Dimishq, vol. 14 pg. 179

[6] Al Tabaqat al Kubra, vol. 3 pg. 295/6

[7] Siyar A’lam al Nubala’, vol. 3 pg. 285 and Tarikh Dimishq, vol. 14 pg. 180

[8] Tarikh Dimishq, vol. 14 pg. 179

[9] Sahih al Bukhari, # 4294, Chapter regarding the place of rest of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam on the day of the conquest of Makkah.

[10] Al Isti’ab, Biography #1447

[11] Al Mustadrak, #4684 vol. 3 pg. 153. Al Albani has classified this Hadith as Sahih in his book al Silsilat al Sahihah #2036 based upon its many chains of narrations.

[12] Siyar A’lam al Nubala’, vol. 4 pg. 115

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents