Download PDF: [S] Hadrat ‘Umar’s Challenge to the Quraish (Islamic story)

He asked, “O Prophet of Allah, are we not on the right path and are the Mushriks not on the path of misguidance.”

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – replied, “Certainly.”

 

He then asked, “Is it not true that our martyrs will enter Jannah and their dead will enter Hell?”

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – replied, “Certainly, this is what will happen.”

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – declared, “If this is the case, why should we hide and pray. O Prophet of Allah, please lead us into the Haram. I swear by Allah Almighty that in whichever gathering I had praised and raised the respect of Laat and Uzzah, in those places also, I will raise the flag of Islam.”

 

These blessed words were uttered by the mighty conqueror of Islam and the light of Islam, namely ‘Umar bin Al Khattab Quryashi Aduwi – may Allah be pleased with him. This is that ‘Umar whose acceptance of Islam was a victory, whose migration was a victory, whose Khilafat was a victory and whose words and behaviour became a source of strength to other Muslims as a whole.

 

These early Muslims then left Daar Arqam in a small group flanked by Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – and Hadrat Sayyiduna Ameer Hamza – may Allah be pleased with him. They left the place of safety at the time of midday. All the time they were reading the Takbeer. When the elders among the Quraish saw this, all of them came out to see what was happening. They were shocked to see that Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – had also accepted Islam. They could only stand and watch and do nothing else. They could only bite their fingers and do nothing else.

 

One of them mentioned that these people had taken away half of their strength. In other words, the position and stature of Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – was such that it equalled half the belief of the Quraish!

 

Such is the blessing of Islam that when it becomes established in the heart of someone, then the path of success becomes clear and apparent. The person then walks forward without fear and apprehension all the time holding the flag of Islam.

 

Such was Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar’s – may Allah be pleased with him – immense bravery that he did not want that only a few people among the Quraish come to know of his conversion to Islam. He wanted all of them to know that he was now a Muslim.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – then asked people who was considered as the most powerful and influential person among the Quraish and he was informed that it was a person named Jameel bin Mu’amar Jahmi. When he heard this name, he went straight to the person and informed him about his conversion to Islam. All this person could do was stand up and walk towards the Haram and inform the other members of the Quraish what he had just heard. In other words, personally, he could do nothing about it. All the time Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – also walked behind this person to make sure that he informs everyone else.

 

Some of the Quraish who heard these words also attacked him in numbers, but Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – stood like a mountain. All the time, he kept mentioning to them that either Muslims will remain in this city or the Quraish will remain here.

 

We see that Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – was one of those eminent Muslims who publicly announced that he would be migrating to Madina Shareef. It is said that when he was preparing to leave, he prepared his sword and carried his bow in his hand and then approached the Quraish and declared to all of them, “O people of the Quraish! Those who wish to make their mothers weep for them or those who wish to make their children into orphans should follow me when I am migrating towards Madina Shareef.”

 

Suffice to say that not one of them had the courage to even follow him for a few paces leave alone all the way to Madina Shareef. (Al Khulud)