UMAR (may Allah be pleased with him) A HARD, BUT SOFT LEADER : One day, Umar bn AlKhattab (RA) was with the companions of the Holy Prophet, his cabinet of advisers and other people by the Mosque of the Holy Prophet in Madinah, discussing its expansion. Umar was saying, “People have indeed increased in number due to the numerous Arabs who come to settle in Madinah. The Prophet’s mosque has become too small for them. I think we should expand it and rebuild it so that it is more solidly founded and well protected from rain. So, what do you think?” One of them said, “Well, extension is necessary. But how big?” Umar turned to the man and said, “I have looked into the matter. I think it should be ten yards at the Qiblah side, twenty yards to the west and the north…” He did not finish when a man came running towards them. He came through the crowd to Umar and said to him, panting, “Ameerul Mumineen [Leader of the Muslims]. Come with me and help me, for Ubaidah ibn Saad has been unjust to me. Umar bn AlKhattab gently pushed him with his stick and said, “Don’t you see that I am busy with companions? You leave Umar when he comes to you, but when you see him busy with the Muslim state affairs you come to him?” The man turned and left, saying to himself, “What wrong have I done? What wrong have I done?" When the man left, one of the people said to Umar, “You were saying to the north…” But he ignored the man and muttered to himself, “All power and wisdom belong to God alone. Umar what have you done? He then called on Aslam from the crowd, saying, “Aslam, run fast after that man and bring him back to me now!” Even as Aslam ran after the man, Umar continued to muttered, “All power and wisdom belong to God alone.” When Aslam eventually brought back the man, Umar gave him his stick and said to him, "Take up the stick and hit me as I hit you.” People started to murmur as they could not believe their ears. Umar repeated to the man his instruction, “Do as I told you. Do not let me bear this sin before God.” The man was dumbfounded, looking at the people around. He collected the stick, came close to Umar and said, “No. Ameerul Mumineen. I leave it for God’s sake and your sake.” “Not like that” said Umar. “You either leave it for God’s sake and in hope of His reward or hit me back.” The man said, “I leave it for God’s sake and I forgive you.” Late in the night, Umar bn AlKhattab could not sleep, he was repeatedly saying to himself, “O ibn AlKhattab. You were a humble man and God elevated you; you were going astray but God gave you guidance; you were humiliated and He gave you strength. He then gave you the authority over the Muslim state. Then a man came to complain to you but you hit him. What will you tell your Lord when He questions you?” His wife was hearing him. So she came out of her room and saw him crying and saying, “My Lord, unless you forgive Umar, Umar is ruined.” She cut him, “It is enough, Umar. You have been fair to the man and he has forgiven you. May God forgive you and him.” Umar turned and looked at her, his eyes filled with tears. He said to her, “But I have not forgiven myself. I have softened myself before people, until it was said that I would never be hard. Then I hardened myself before them, until it was said that I would never be soft. What else should I do?” Then he burst out crying. He said, still shedding tears, “May God have mercy on Abubakar. May God have mercy on Abubakar. I would have been better without all this. I wish I come out of this with a clean record, neither for, nor against me.”
Posted on: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:35:10 +0000
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