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Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Radia-allahu anhu - His Life and Times
Dr Ali Muhammad As-Sallabi
His name, lineage and nicknames
His full name was 'Umar ibn al-Khattab ibn Nufayl ibn 'Abdul-'Uzza ibn Riyah ibn 'Abdullah ibn Qurut ibn Razah ibn 'Adiyy ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib al-Qurashi al-'Adawi.
His Lineage converges with that of the Messenger of Allah in Ka'b Ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib.
He was known as Abu Hafs and earned the nickname of al-Farooq (the Criterion) because he showed his Islam openly in Makkah and through him Allah distinguished (farraqa) between disbelief and faith.
His Birth and Physical characteristics
'Umar was born thirteen years after the Year of the Elephant. With regard to his physical characteristics, he was white with a reddish complexion, with handsome cheeks, nose and eyes, and large hands and feet. He was muscular, tall, solid and bald. He was taller than average, as if he was riding on a mount. He was very strong, not weak or puny. He used to dye his hair with henna and the ends of his moustache were long. When he walked, he walked quickly, when he spoke, he spoke clearly, and when he struck, he caused pain.
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1.At-Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa'd, 3/265; Mahd as-Sawdb by Ibn 'Abdul- Hadi, 1/131.
2.Mahd as- Sawab Fee Fada'il Ameer al-Mumineen Umar Ibn al Khattab 1/131
3.Ibid 1/131.
4.Saheeh at- Tawtheeq fee Seerah wa Hayat al Farooq 'Umar ibn al Khattab p 15.
5.Ibid
6.Ibid
7.Tareekh al-Khulafa' by as-Suyooti, p.133.
8.Al-Khaleefah al-Fdrooq 'Umar ibn al-Khattab by al-'Ani, p.15.
9.If he was angry or upset he would take hold of them and twist them.
10.Tahdheeb al-Asma' by an-Nawawi, 2/14; Awwaliyat al-Farooq by al-
Qurashi, p. 24.
His family
His father was al-Khattab ibn Nufayl. 'Umar's grandfather Nufayl ibn 'Abdul-'Uzza was one of those to whom Quraysh used to refer for judgement.
His mother was Hantamah bint Hashim ibn al-Mugheerah, and it was said that she was the daughter of Hashim and the sister of Abu Jahl. The view of most historians is that she was the daughter of Hashim and the paternal cousin of Abu Jahl ibn Hisham.
With regard to his wives, sons and daughters: During the Jahiliyah, he married Zaynab bint Madh'oon, the sister of 'Uthman ibn Madh'oon, and she bore him 'Abdullah, 'Abdur-Rahman the elder and Hafsah. And he married Maleekah bint Jarwal, who bore him 'Ubaydullah. He divorced her at al-Hudaybiyah, and after that she married Abu al-Jahm ibn Hudhayfah. And he married Quraybah bint Abi Umayyah al-Makhzoomi, and divorced her at al-Hudaybiyah; after that she married 'Abdur-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr. And he married Umm Hakeem bint al-Harith ibn Hisham, after her husband 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl was killed in Syria. She bore him Fatimah, then he divorced her; and it was said that he did not divorce her. And he married Jameelah bint 'Asim ibn Thabit ibn Abi al-Aqlah of al-Aws. And he married 'Atikah bint Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, who had previously been married to 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr. When 'Umar was killed, az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam married her and it was said that she was the mother of his son 'Iyad. And Allah knows best.
He proposed marriage to Umm Kulthoom, the daughter of Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq, when she was still young. He spoke to 'A'ishah Radia-allaha anha concerning her, but Umm Kulthoom said: "I have no need of him." 'A'ishah asked, "Are you rejecting the Ameer al-Mu 'mineen? She said, "Yes, for he lives a rough life." 'A'ishah sent word to 'Amr ibn al-'As, who told 'Umar not to marry her and suggested instead that he marry Umm Kulthoom bint 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, whose mother was Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah so she was descended from the Messenger of Allah So he asked 'Ali for her hand in marriage, and he married her to him. 'Umar gave her a dowry of forty thousand. She bore him Zayd and Ruqayyah.
And he married Luhyah a woman from Yemen who bore him 'Abdur-Rahman the younger, and it was said, the middle one. Al-Waqidi said: "She was an umm walad (a concubine who bore her master a child) and not a wife." They said: "He also had a concubine call Fakeehah, who bore him Zaynab." Al-Waqidi said: "She was the youngest of his children."
The total number of his children was thirteen. Their names were: Zayd the elder, Zayd the younger, 'Asim, 'Abdullah, 'Abdur-Rahman the elder, 'Abdur-Rahman the middle one, 'Abdur-Rahman the younger, 'Ubaydullah, 'Iyad, Hafsah, Ruqayyah, Zaynab and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them all). The total number of his wives whom he married during the Jahiliyah and in Islam, whom he divorced or died and left behind, was seven.'Umar married in order to produce offspring and have many children.
He said: "I do not come to women because of desire. Were it not for children, I would not care if I never saw a woman with my own eyes." And he said: "I force myself to have intercourse, hoping that Allah will bring forth from me a soul who will glorify and remember Him.
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11.Nasab Quraysh by az-Zubayri, p. 347.
12.Awwaliyat al-Farooq by al-Qurashi, p. 22.
13.Ibid.
14.Al-Biddyah wa an-Nihdyah, 7/144. "
15.Ibid.
16.Tarteeb wa Tahdheeb al-Biddyah wa an-Nihayah Khilafat 'Umar by as-Sulami, p.7.
17.Ibid.
I8.Al-Kamil fee at-Tareekh, 2/212.
19.Tareekh al-Umam wa al-Mulook by at-Tabari, 5/191.
20.Ibid, 5/192.
21.Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah, 7/144.
22.Ash-Shaykhan Abu Bakr wa 'Umar, ed. Dr. Ihsan Sadaqi, p. 227.
23.Fawd'id al-Kalam li'l-Khulafa' al-Karam by Qasim 'Ashoor, p. 112
His life during the Jahiliyah
'Umar spent half of his life in the Jahiliyah, and grew up like his peers of Quraysh, except that he had an advantage over them in that he was one of those who had learned to read, of whom there were very few. He bore responsibility at an early age, and had a very harsh upbringing in which he knew no type of luxury or manifestation of wealth. His father al-Khattab forced him to tend his Camels. His father's harsh treatment had a negative effect on 'Umar Which he remembered all his life. 'Abdur-Rahman ibn Hatib spoke of that and said: "I was with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab in Dajnan and he said, 'I used to tend (livestock) for al-Khattab in this place, and he was very harsh. Sometimes I would tend (the livestock) and sometimes I would gather firewood.'"
This was a period of hardship during 'Umar's life, and he Would often remember it. Sa'd ibn al-Musayyab tells us:" 'Umar Radia-allahu anhu went for Hajj, and when he was in Dajnan he said, 'There is no god but Allah, the Most High, the Most Great, the One Who gives Whatever He wills to whomever He wills. I used to tend the camels of al-Khattab in this valley, wearing a woollen garment. He was harsh; he would exhaust me when I worked and beat me if I fell short. And how here I am, with no one between me and Allah.'"
The son of al-Khattab did not tend livestock for his father only; rather he used to tend the livestock of his maternal aunts of Banu Makhzoom. This was narrated to us from 'Umar himself, when he was pondering one day the fact that he had become the caliph, so who could be better than him? In order to remind himself of what he was as he thought he stood before the Muslims and announced that he was no more than a shepherd, who used to tend the flocks of his maternal aunts of Banu Makhzoom. Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Makhzoomi narrated that his father said:" 'Umar ibn al-Khattab Radia-allahu anhu called out that prayer was about to begin, and when the people had gathered and said takbeer, he ascended the minbar and praised and glorified Allah as He deserves, and sent blessings and peace upon His Prophet, then he said: "O' people, I remember when I used to tend the flocks of my maternal aunts of Banu Makhzoom, and they would give me a handful of dates or raisins, which would be sufficient for the day, and what a day that was!"
Then he came down, and 'Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf said to him: "O' Ameer al-Mu'mineen, all you did was to denigrate yourself." He said, "Woe to you, O' son of 'Awf! I was alone and I started to think. I said to myself, 'You are the caliph, who is better than you?' So I wanted to remind myself of what I am." According to another report: "I noticed something in myself, and I wanted to bring myself down a rung or two."
Undoubtedly this job tending livestock which was the constant work of 'Umar in Makkah, before he entered Islam, caused him to acquire good characteristics, such as forbearance, patience and toughness. But tending sheep was not the only work that the son of al-Khattab did during the Jahiliyah. From his early youth he also excelled in all kinds of sports, such as wrestling, riding and horsemanship. He enjoyed and narrated poetry, and he was interested in the history and affairs of his people.
He was keen to attend the great fairs of the Arabs, such as 'Ukaz, Mijannah and Dhu al-Majaz, where he would make the most of the opportunity to engage in trade and learn the history of the Arabs, and the battles and contests that had taken place among the tribes. These events were discussed in a literary fashion by the masters of eloquence before the prominent figures of the tribes, which meant that Arab history was instantly being discussed and was unlikely to be forgotten. Sometimes these literary contests would spark wars, and 'Ukaz itself ; a direct cause of four wars which were known as the wars of al-Fijar.
'Umar engaged in trade and profited, which made him one of the rich men of Makkah. He became acquainted with many people in the lands that he visited for the purpose of trade. He travelled to Syria In the summer and Yemen in the winter. He occupied a prominent position in Makkan society during the Jahiliyah, and played an effective role in shaping events. He was helped by the outstanding history of his forefathers. His grandfather Nufayl ibn 'Abdul-'Uzza one to whom Quraysh referred their disputes for judgement and his ancestor Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy was held in high esteem by the Arabs. They had recorded their history from the year of his death Until the Year of the Elephant.
'Umar inherited this status from his forefathers which brought him a great deal of knowledge about the life and circumstances of the Arabs, in addition to his own smartness ind intelligence. So they would come to him to resolve their disputes. Ibn Sa'd said: " 'Umar used to judge between the Arabs regarding their disputes before Islam."
'Umar Radia-allahu anhu was wise, eloquent, well spoken, strong, forbearing, noble, persuasive and clear of speech, which made him qualified to be an ambassador for Quraysh, to speak up for them before the other tribes.
Ibn al-Jawzi said: "The role of ambassador fell to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. If there was a war between Quraysh and another tribe, they would send him as an ambassador, and if another tribe was boasting against them, they would send him to respond in kind, and they were pleased with him."
He used to defend all the traditions, acts of worship and systems to which Quraysh were accustomed. His nature was one of sincerity which led him to defend all that he believed in to the bitter end. So 'Umar resisted Islam in the beginning, because he feared that this new religion would shake the system that was well established in Makkah and which gave Makkah a special status among the Arabs. For it was the location of the House to which people came on pilgrimage, which gave Quraysh a unique status among the Arabs, and brought spiritual and material wealth to Makkah. This was the reason for the city's prosperity and its people's wealth. So the rich men of Makkah resisted this religion and persecuted the weak among its converts, and 'Umar was at the forefront of those who persecuted these weak ones.
He kept on beating a slave woman who had become Muslim, until his arms grew tired and the whip fell from his hand, then he stopped to rest. Abu Bakr passed by and saw how the slave woman was being tortured, so he bought her from him and set her free.
'Umar lived during the Jahiliyah and knew it inside out. He knew its true nature, its customs and traditions, and he defended it with all the strength he possessed. Hence when he entered Islam, he understood its beauty and true nature, and he understood the great difference between guidance and misguidance, disbelief (kufr) and faith, truth and falsehood, and he spoke the famous words: "The bonds of Islam will be undone one by one when there will be a "generation brought up in Islam who do not know what Jahiliyah is.
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24. Al-Iddarah al-Islamiyah fee 'Ahd 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, by Farooq al-"Majdalawi, p. 90.
25. Dajnan is a mountain some distance from Makkah. It was said that it is 25
km away.
26. Narrated by Ibn 'Asakir in his Tareekh, 52/268; Halaqat ibn Sa 'd, 3/266.Dr. 'Atif Lamadah said: its isnad is saheeh.
27. At-Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa'd, 3/293; there are corroborating reports
which strengthen it.
28 Al-Farooq ma'a an-Nabi, p. 6.
29. At-Tareekh al-Islami al-'Am, by 'Ali Hasan Ibraheem, p. 226; al-Iddrah al-
Islamiyah fee 'Ahd 'Umar ibn al-Khattdb, p. 90.
30. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab: Hayatuhu, 'Ilmuhu, Adabuhu, by Dr. 'Ali Ahmad al-Khateeb, p 153.
31.'Umar ibn al-Khattab, by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Abu an-Nasr, p. 17.
32. "Al-Khaleefah al-Farooq 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, by Dr. al-'Ani, p. 16
33. Tareekh Khaleefah ibn Khayyat, Pp. 1/7, quoting from Dr. al-'Ani, p. 16
34. Al-Khaleefah al-Farooq by Dr. al-'Ani, p. 16
35. Op.cit.
36. Manaqib 'Umar, p. 11.
37. Al-Farooq 'Umar, by 'Abdur-Rahman ash-Sharqawi, p. 8.
38. Ibid
39. Al-Fatawa, 15/36; Fara'id al-Kalam li'l-Khulafa' al-Karam, p. 144.
Edited by swords_of_sunnah, 10 March 2010 - 05:16 PM.
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