Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا

Shining Stars

Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا

Maulana Adnan Ahmad Attari

Some people possess knowledge whose light spreads in every direction. They do things that are impactful. Their love for the Prophet ّٰ صَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is such that it touches the hearts of others. This description is befitting for the famous Companion Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا : a man who possessed countless excellent qualities. Below is a concise introduction to him and details of some events of his life.

Acceptance of Islam

He was the eldest son of Sayyiduna Umar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ . Before the age of adolescence, he accepted Islam alongside his father. They migrated towards Madinah together.^[1]

Wars (Ghazawaat)

When the Battle of Badr took place, he was not permitted to fight because he was under the age of 13. Likewise, during the Battle of Uhud the following year, he came forward but was not permitted to fight. Eventually, in 5 AH, he participated in the Battle of Khandaq.^[2] He partook in all the wars (ghazawaat) thereafter. He also participated in the Battle of Mutah and the conquests of Egypt and Africa.^[3]

Appearance

He had a wheatish complexion and was tall. His hair were at a length whereby they almost reached his shoulders.^[4] He would wear a turban (Imamah) and keep its tail (Shimlah) in between his shoulders at the back.^[5] He would apply a pale dye to his beard, which was a fistful; any hair beyond this were cut. He would trim his moustache, such that the whiteness of his skin could be seen.^[6]

Habits

Whenever he would eat, there would always be an orphan with him on the dining mat.^[7] He would use a Miswak before going to sleep and also before and after dawn.^[8] A night would not pass in which he did not keep his will with him. Greeting everyone with salaam was a habit of his. On one occasion, he passed by a place and forgot to give salaam. Therefore, he returned, said ‘السَّلامُ عَلیکم’ and mentioned that he forgot to give salaam.^[9]

Worship

Before praying, he would ensure his face, hands and feet are in the direction of the Ka’bah. He would spend the time between Zuhr and Asr Salah in worship.^[10] He would spend the night in as much worship as possible before lying on his bed and having a light sleep. After this, he would perform Wudu and offer Salah. He would do this four or five times during the night. If he was unable to pray Isha in congregation, he would spend the rest of the night in worship.^[11]

Love for the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Whenever he remembered the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, tears would flow from his eyes.^[12] He would place his hand on the pulpit where the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stood and then pass his hand over his face.^[13] During a journey, he would camp at the places where the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم camped. Wherever the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم prayed, he too prayed at the same location. The places where the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would seat his camel, he too would seat his camel in the same spot.^[14] He would ride along the same paths that the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم rode upon. When asked as to why he did this, he would say: ‘I wish for my ride to come into contact with any of the areas which the Prophet’s ride came into contact with.’^[15]

On one occasion, the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was beneath a tree. After some time, Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا began to look after the tree lest it wither away.^[16] When returning from a journey, he would first visit the grave of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and the graves of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا. When doing so, he would say: ‘اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ الـلّٰـهِ اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا اَبَا بَكْرٍ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا اَبَتَاهُ’.^[17] Once, he passed by a place and proceeded alone. Someone asked him the reason for travelling separately, to which he replied: ‘I saw the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـلـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم do this, and so I did the same.’^[18]

Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا would wear shoes with no fur on them. He was asked the reason for this, to which he replied that he saw the Prophet ّٰصَلَّى الـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم wear shoes without fur, which is why he also preferred to wear such shoes.^[19] Once, his foot became numb. Somebody said: ‘Call out to the one you love the most and the numbness in your foot will disappear.’ He immediately said, ‘O Muhammad.’ As soon as he said this, the numbness went away.^[20]

Giving in the Way of Allah

On one occasion, Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا was impressed by the gait of a certain camel. He made the camel sit and said to his servant: ‘Remove its reigns and saddle, mark it and cover it with a cloth. Then, include it amongst the other sacrificial animals.’^[21] He once had a donkey that he sold. Somebody said: ‘It would have been better if you did not sell the donkey.’ He replied: ‘Having the donkey was very beneficial and helpful. However, a part of my heart became occupied with matters relating to it. I do not desire for my heart to become occupied in anything.’^[22]

Kindness

Whenever Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا witnessed a slave of his busy in the masjid worshipping Allah, he would free that slave. Somebody said that the slaves were deceiving him. He رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا replied: ‘Whoever tries to deceive us in the matter of Allah, then we accept his deceiving.’^[23] He freed 1,000 slaves or more.

Generosity

Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا was so generous that nothing remained with him. If a person returned to him for the second time asking for something again, Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا would take a loan from those he had distributed his belongings to and give it to the one asking. One day, he wished to eat fish. After it had been grilled and placed in front of him, a beggar came by. Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا ordered for the fish to be given to him. On another occasion, Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا fell ill and six or seven grapes were purchased for him for one dirham. A beggar came by, so he ordered for them to be given to the beggar.^[24]

Scholarly acumen

Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا excelled in his piety and was considerably knowledgeable. From amongst the companions رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا, he knew the most rulings pertaining to Hajj. He issued verdicts (fatwas) for 60 years,^[25] albeit with a lot of care. A man asked Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا a question and the latter lowered his head and did not give an answer. The man said, ‘Did you not hear my question?’ He رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا replied: ‘Of course I did! It is as if you people who ask me questions think that Allah will not question me about this. Do not speak so that I can fully comprehend your issue.’

Somebody once asked a question to which he replied, ‘I do not know.’ Then, he said: ‘How wonderful was the response of Ibn Umar! He said he did not know in response to what he was unaware of.’^[26]

Narrations

Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا has narrated 1,630 Hadith. Of them, 170 have been mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim. Additionally, there are 81 which Imam al-Bukhari mentioned alone and 31 that Imam Muslim mentioned.^[27]

Death

On the command of the tyrant Hajjaj Bin Yusuf, somebody struck the foot of Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا with a poison-tipped spear. Due to this, he passed away after a couple of days in Makkah. Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar passed away in 73 AH in Sha’ban or Ramadhan two or three months after Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Zubayr رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا was martyred.^[28]