Part 16

He spent his long, blessed life and his firm loyalty adhering to the Prophet's Sunnah to the extent that a time came when the virtuous Muslims were asking Allah, "O Allah, save Ibn ‘Umar as long as I live so that I can follow him. I don't know anyone still adhering to the early traditions except him."

Similar to that strong and firm adherence to each of the Prophet's steps and practice (Sunnah) was Ibn “Umar's respect for the Prophetic traditions (Hadith). He never related a hadith unless he remembered it to the letter. His contemporaries said, "None of the Companions of the Prophet was more cautious not to add or subtract something from a hadith than ‘Abd Allah Ibn *Umar."

In the same way he was very cautious when giving a fatwah (legal formal opinion in Islamic Law). One day somebody came to ask him a fatwah . When he put forward his question, Ibn “Umar answered, "I have no knowledge concerning what you are asking

about.” The man went his way. He had hardly left the place when Ibn ‘Umar rubbed his hands happily saying to himself, "Ibn ‘Umar has been asked about what he doesn't know, so he said, ' I don't know! "

He was very much afraid to perform ijtihaad (independent judgment in a legal question) in his fatwah, although he was living according to the instructions of a great religion, a religion which grants a reward to the one who makes a mistake and two rewards to the one who comes out with a correct righteous fatwah. However, Ibn ‘Umar's piety deprived him of the courage to make any fatwahs.

In the same way he refrained from the post of judge. The position of a judge was one of the highest positions of state and society, guaranteeing the one engaged in it wealth, prestige, and glory. But why should the pious Ibn ‘Umar need money, prestige, and glory? The Caliph “Uthmaan once sent for him and asked him to hold the postion of judge but he apologized. ‘Uthmaan asked him, "Do you disobey me?" Ibn “Umar answered, "No, but it came to my knowledge that judges are of three kinds : one who judges ignorantly: he is in hell; one who judges according to his desire: he is in hell; one who involves himself in making ijtihaad and is unerring in his judgment. That one will turn empty-handed, no sin committed and no reward to be granted. I ask you by Allah to exempt me.” ‘Uthmaan exempted him after he pledged him never to tell anyone about that, for “Uthmaan knew Ibn “Umar's place in people's hearts and he was afraid that if the pious and virtuous knew his refraining from holding the position of judge, they would follow him and do the same, and then the Caliph would not find a pious person to be judge.

It may seem as if Ibn “Umar's stance was a passive one. However, it was not so. Ibn “Umar did not abstain from accepting the post when there was no one more suitable to hold it than himself. In fact a lot of the Prophet's pious and virtuous Companions were actually occupied with fatwah and judgment.

His restraint and abstention would not paralyze the function of jurisdiction, nor would it cause it to be held by unqualified ones, so

Ibn ‘Umar preferred to devote his time to purifying his soul with more worship and more obedience. Furthermore, in that stage of Islamic history, life became more comfortable and luxurious, money more abundant, positions and authoritative ranks more available. The temptation of money and authoritative ranks began to enter the hearts of the pious and faithful , which made some of the Prophet's Companions — Ibn “Umar among them — to lift the banner of resistance to that temptation by means of making themselves models and examples of worship, piety, and abstention, refraining from high ranks in order to defeat their temptation.

Ibn “Umar made himself a "friend of the night", praying at night, crying, and asking forgiveness during its latter hours before daybreak. He had once, during his youth, seen a dream. The Prophet interpreted it in a way which made the night prayer “Abd Allah's utmost hope and a means of his delight and joy.

Let us listen to him, while he narrates the story of his dream: During the Prophetic era, | saw a dream in which I was riding a piece of brocade which let me fly to any place in Paradise I wished. Then I saw two approaching me, intending to take me to hell, but an angel met them saying, "Don't be afraid," so they left me. My sister Hafsah narrated the dream to the Prophet (PBUH), who said, "What an excellent man “Abd Allah is. If he is praying at night, then let him pray

From that day until he met with Allah, he never stopped performing his night prayer, neither while staying in one place nor while traveling. He was frequently praying, reciting the Qur'aan, and praising Allah. Like his father, his tears rolled down abundantly whenever he heard a warning verse in the Qur'aan.

“‘Ubaid Ibn ‘Umar said: I was once reading to “Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar this verse: <How will it be for them when We bring from every nation a witness, and bring you to witness over them all? On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will

wish the earth to be split open and swallow them, but they will never conceal from GOD any of their saying > (4:41-42) Ibn “Umar began to cry till his beard was wet from his tears. One day he was sitting among his brothers reading < Woe to those who give insufficient measure, who when others measure for them they make full measure, but when they measure out, or weigh out for others, they give less than due. Do such not think that they shall be raised up on a Mighty Day? The Day when all mankind shall stand before the Lord of the Worlds > (83:1-6). Then he repeated again and again < The Day when all mankind shall stand before the Lord of the Worlds > while his tears were rolling down like heavy rain falls from the sky until he fell down because of his tremendous sorrow and crying.

His generosity, asceticism and piety all worked together in complete harmony to shape the most magnificent merits of that great man. He gave out abundantly because he was generous. He granted the fine halaal things because he was pious, never caring if his generosity left him poor because he was ascetic.

Ibn “Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who had high incomes. He was a successful, honest merchant for a greater part of his life, and his income from the treasury (Bait AlMaal) was abundant. However, he never saved that money for himself, but always spent it copiously on the poor, the needy, and beggars.

Ayub Ibn Waa’'il Ar-Rassiby tells us about one of his generous acts: One day Ibn “Umar was granted 4,000 dirhams and a piece of velvet. The next day Ayub Ibn Waa’'il saw him in the market buying his camel some fodder on credit. Ibn Waa’il went to his house asking his close relatives, "Wasn't Abu ~Abd Ar-Rahman (i.e. “Abd Allah Ibn “Umar granted 4,000 dirhams and a piece of velvet yesterday?" They said, "Yes." He then told them that he had seen him in the market buying fodder for his camel and could not find money for it. They told him, "He didn't go to sleep before distributing all of it, then he carried the velvet on his back and went out. When he returned it wasn't with him. We asked him about it, and he said, ‘I gave it toa poor person.'"

Ibn Waa'il went out shaking his head until he entered the market. There he climbed to a higher ground and shouted to the people, "O merchants, what do you do with your life? Here is Ibn “Umar who's been granted 4,000 dirhams, so he distributes them, then the next morning he buys fodder for his camel on credit?!"

The one to whom Muhammad (PBUH) was tutor and “Umar his father must be a great man, deserving all that is great.

Ibn “Umar's generosity, asceticism, and piety, these three qualities demonstrate how sincere his imitation of the Prophetic model was and how sincere his worship.

He imitated the Prophet (PBUH) to the extent that he stood with his camel, where the Prophet had once stood saying, "A camel foot may stand over a camel foot." His respect, good behavior, and admiration towards his father reached also to a far extent. ‘Umar's personality forced his foes, his relatives, and, above all, his sons to pay him respect. I say, the one who belongs to that Prophet and that kind of father should never be a slave of money. Large amounts of money came to him but soon passed, just crossing his house at that moment.

His generosity was never a means of arrogance. He always dedicated himself to the poor and needy, rarely eating his meal alone: orphans and poor people were always present. He often blamed some of his sons when they invited the rich, and not the poor ones, to their banquets, thereupon saying, “You leave the hungry behind and invite the sated ones." The poor knew his tenderness, felt his kindness and sympathy, so they sat down across his path for him to take them to his house. When he saw them he was like a sweet scented flower surrounded by a drove of bees to suck its nectar.

Money in his hands was a slave, not a master, a means for necessities and not luxury. Money was not his alone. The poor had a right to it, a mutually corresponding right, with no privilege kept to

himself. His self-denial helped him to reach such great generosity that he never stored, endeavored, or had a vivid interest toward the worldly life. On the contrary, he never wished to possess more than a gown to cover his body and just enough food to keep him alive.

Once a friend coming from Khurasan presented him with a fine, delicate ,jhandsome, embellished and decorated gown, saying to him, "I've brought you this gown from Khurasan. I would be pleased to see you take off this rough gown and wear this nice one." Ibn ‘Umar said, "Show it to me then. " He touched it asking, "Is it silk?” His friend said, "No, it's cotton." “Abd Allah looked at it for a while then pushed it away with his right hand saying, "No, I'm afraid to tempt myself. I'm afraid it would turn me into an arrogant, proud man. Allah dislikes the arrogant, proud ones."