Part 44

Undeniably, non-Muslims whose homelands were conquered and whose glory was vanquished, were embittered and rancorous towards all who brought them to their knees, on top of whom was ~Umar it Al-Khattaab. Feeling absolutely helpless and hand-tied against the tidal wave of Islam that swept over borders and washed away all Kingdoms, they therefore saw their only hope in the evil plots they concocted, the most vicious of which was assassinating “Umar, may Allah be pleased with him.

The whole episode started as such. While ~Umar was walking in the marketplace, he met Fayrooz Abu Lo'lo'ah, who was one of the Magian captives of the battle of Nahawand and was a slave under Al-Mugheerah Ibn Shu’ bah. Abu Lo'lo'ah was full of indignation as he loathed the Arabs for what they did to him. It is narrated that he would pass by young Persian captives, pat them on the head, cry and say: "The Arabs have devoured my liver." Those words of his betray the grudge he bore against Islam and Muslims. When ~Umar met Abu Lo'lo'ah, the latter was visibly upset. He said to ~Umar: "O Commander of the Faithful, I need your help for Al-Mugheerah has imposed on me an enormous Kharaj." “Umar asked: "How much is your Kharaj?” The man replied: "Two Dirhams a day." *Umar then asked: "What do you do for a living?" He returned: "I am a carpenter, a blacksmith and a painter." “Umar rejoined: "I do not think the Kharaj is overestimated given all the jobs

you can do. I was told that you said you can make a mill that grinds by the power of the wind." He said, "I did." He then rejoined: “I will certainly make you a mill that people in the East and the West will talk about." He then left. ~ Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, remarked: "The slave has already threatened me." “Umar next went home. The following morning, the Bishop came to see “Umar and told him: " Beware, for you will die in three days, Commander of the Faithful." “Umar asked: "How do you know?" The Bishop answered; "I read it in our Holy Book, the Torah." ~Umar asked: "Oh?! Is “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab mentioned in the Torah?" He answered: "No, but I did read your description and I learned that your life is drawing to an end." ~Umar suffered from no malady then and felt no pain and all. The next day, the Bishop came again and said: "A day has passed by and you have only two left." The following day, the Bishop came to meet *Umar again and told him: "Two days have gone and you only have a_ single day uptill next morning." At dawn, ~ Umar went out to pray. He had appointed people to straighten rows in the mosque, so that when they were ready, he would walk in repeating, “Allah is the Greatest." That morning, Abu Lo'lo'ah stealthily stepped into the mosque among Muslims holding a two-edged dagger with the handle in the middle. He headed straight for “Umar and stabbed him six times, one of which was aimed below his navel and it eventually killed him. Though seriously wounded and bleeding, finishing prayer was the first thing on ~Umar's mind. The moment he fell to the ground, he said: "Is *Abdur-Rahmaan among the people?" People answered: "He is, Commander of the Faithful. There he is.” “Umar said: "Step forward and lead people in prayer." So *Abdur-Rahmaan did while “Umar was lying down on the floor. He was then carried to his house. As for Abu Lo'lo'ah, he killed himself after murdering six other Muslims. (Reported by At-Tabarani.)

~Umar was greatly concerned with finding out who murdered him. He therefore said: "Go find out who killed me, ‘Abdullah Ibn *Umar." He replied: "You were stabbed by Abu Lo'lo'ah, the slave of Al-Mugheerah." ~Umar thereupon returned: "Praise be to Allah that I was not killed by one who could argue with me before Allah on the grounds that he once kneeled down in prostration before Him." (Reported by Ibn Sa‘ d.)

Similarly, ~ Umar was interested in knowing what people thought of his assassination. That is why he asked Ibn ~ Abbaas to ask Muhajireen (the Emigrants) and Ansaar (Medinan Helpers) and about what had befallen him. Ibn * Abbaas went out and did as ~Umar asked him to. People said: "We swear that we wish Allah would take years of our lives and add them to his." It is also reported that whenever Ibn ~ Abbaas passed by people, he found them weeping, as if each had lost his eldest child. Ibn *~Abbaas remarks: "I saw signs of joy on ~Umar's face (i.e. when he learned of that)."

~Umar's assassination was, in every sense, meant to be a stab in the back of Islam. It was perpetrated by Abu Lo'lo'ah, Al-Hurmuthaan, the captured king of Al-Ahwaaz, who was released by *~Umar as well as Jufaynah Al-Anbari, the Christian. The Bishop may also have been in on it. The fact that ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab never had guards around him, like rulers always do, made the assassin's job far easier.

Ibn Sa’ d reports that * Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn * Awf saw the dagger with which ‘Umar was killed with Al-Hurmuthaan and Jufaynah. He also reports that ~Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abi Bakr As-Sideeq said when “Umar was stabbed: "I passed by Abu Lo'lo'ah ~Umar's murderer, while he was secretly talking to Al-Hurmuthaan and Jufaynah, one of the Christians of AlHayrah. When 1 caught them off guard, they were startled and

dropped a two-edged dagger with its handle in the middle. So see whether it is the one." They discovered that the dagger with which “Umar was stabbed was exactly the one ~ AbdurRahmaan Ibn Abi Bakr As-Sideeq described.

*“Amr [bn Maymoon narrates: "I saw ~Umar Ibn AlKhattaab a few days before he was stabbed in Madinah. He was standing with Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Yaman and *Uthmaan Ibn Hunayf to whom he said: ‘What have you done? Do you think that you have imposed more taxation on the land (of As-Swaad ie. fraq) than it can bear?’ They replied: 'We have imposed on it what it can bear because of its great yield." ~ Umar again said: ‘Check whether you have imposed on the land what it can not bear.' They said, ‘No, (we haven't).' “Umar added: 'If Allah should keep me alive, I will let the widows of Iraq need no men to support them after me.’ But only four days had elapsed when he was stabbed (to death ). The day he was stabbed, I was standing and there was nobody between me and him (i.e. “Umar) except ~Abdullaah Ibn ~Abbaas. Whenever ~Umar passed between the two rows, he would say, ‘Stand in straight lines." When he saw no defect (in the rows), he would go forward and start the prayer with Takbir. He would recite Surat Yusuf or An-Nahl or the like in the first Rak*ah so that the people may have time to join the prayer. As soon as he said Takbir, | heard him saying: ‘The dog has killed or eaten me," at the time he (i.e. the murderer) stabbed him. A non-Arab infidel proceeded on carrying a double-edged knife and stabbing all persons he passed by on the right and left (till) he stabbed thirteen persons out of whom seven died. When one of the Muslims saw that, he threw a cloak on him. Realizing that he had been captured, the non-Arab infidel killed himself, ~ Umar held the hand of ~ Abdur-Rahman Ibn * Awf and let him lead the prayer. Those who were standing by the side of ‘Umar saw what I saw, but the people who were in the other parts of the mosque did not see anything, but they lost the voice of ~ Umar

and they were saying, 'Subhan Allah! Subhan Allah\ (i.e. Glorified be Allah).' ~ Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn * Awf led the people in a short prayer. When they finished, ~Umar said, "O Ibn *Abbaas! Find out who attacked me." Ibn * Abbaas kept on looking here and there for a short time and came to say, "The slave of Al-Mugheerah." On that ‘Umar said, ‘The craftsman?' Ibn ~ Abbaas said, 'Yes.' “Umar said: ‘May Allah curse him. I did not treat him unjustly. Praise be to Allah Who has not caused me to die at the hand of a man who claims himself to be a Muslim. No doubt, you and your father (* Abbaas) used to love to have more non-Arab infidels in Madinah." Al-- Abbaas had the greatest number of slaves. Ibn ~ Abbaas said to ~ Umar: ‘If you wish, we will do.' He meant, 'If you wish we will kill them.' “Umar said: 'You are mistaken (for you cannot kill them) after they have spoken your language, prayed towards your Qiblah (i.e. the direction towards which Muslims turn in prayer), and performed Hajj like yours."

Then * Umar was carried to his house, and we went along with him, and the people were as if they had never suffered a calamity before. Some said: ‘Do not worry (he will be alright soon).’ Some said: ‘We are afraid (that he will die).' Then an infusion of dates was brought to him and he drank it but it came out (of the wound) of his belly. Then milk was brought to him and he drank it, and it also came out of his belly. People realized that he would die. We went to him, and the people came, praising him. A young man came saying, "O Commander of the Faithful, receive the glad tidings from Allah to you due to your company with Allah's Messenger and your superiority in Islam which you know. Then you became the ruler (i.e. Caliph) and you ruled with justice and finally you have been martyred." “Umar said: ‘I wish that all these privileges would counterbalance (my shortcomings) so that I will neither lose nor gain anything.’

When the young man turned back to leave, his clothes seemed to be touching the ground. ~ Umar said, ‘Call the young man back to me.' (When he came back) “Umar said: 'O son of my brother! Lift your clothes, for this will keep your clothes clean and save you from the Punishment of your Lord.’ “Umar further said: "O ~ Abdullaah Ibn ~ Umar! See how much I am in debt to others." When the debt was checked, it amounted to approximately eighty-six thousand. “Umar said: 'If the property of ~Umar's family covers the debt, then pay the debt thereof, otherwise request it from Bani ~ Adi [bn Ka‘ b, and if that too is not sufficient, ask for it from Quraysh tribe, and do not ask for it from any one else, and pay this debt on my behalf.’