When he was at the peak of his long life
he said," I swore the oath of
allegiance to the Prophet (PBUH). I
never broke my oath, nor have I turned
to something else to this day. I never
swore allegiance to those in civil
strife, nor did I awake a sleeping
Muslim."
These words are a summary of the life of
that virtuous man who lived past the age
of 80. His relationship with Islam and
the Prophet began when he was only 13
years old, when he accompanied his
father to the battle of Badr, hoping to
have a place among the Mujaahiduun, but
he was sent back by the Prophet due to
his young age. Since that day - and even
before that when he accompanied his
father on his Hijrah to Al-Madinah -
that young boy who possessed premature
manly merits began his relation with the
Prophet of Islam (PBUH).
From that day till the day he passed
away at the age of 85, we will always
find him persistent, repentant, never
deviating from his path, not even by a
hairbreadth, never breaking the oath of
allegiance which he had sworn, nor
breaking a pledge he had made. The
merits of Abdallah Ibn ^Umar, which
dazzle people's vision, are abundant.
Among these are his knowledge, modesty,
the straightness of his conscience and
path, his generosity, piety, persistence
in worship, and his sincere adherence to
the Prophet's model. By means of all
these merits and qualities did Ibn 'Umar
shape his unique personality, his
sincere and truthful life.
He learned a lot of good manners from
his father, "Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab,
and together with him, they learned from
the Prophet (PBUH) all the good manners
and all that can be described as noble
virtues.
Like his father, his belief in Allah and
His Prophet was perfect; therefore, the
way he pursued the Prophet's steps was
admirable. He was always looking at what
the Prophet was doing in every matter
and then humbly imitating his deeds to
the finest detail. For example, wherever
the Prophet prayed, there also would Ibn
'Umar pray, and on the same spot. If the
Prophet invoked Allah while standing,
then Ibn'Umar would invoke Allah while
standing. If the Prophet invoked Allah
while sitting, so also would Ibn ^Umar
invoke Allah while sitting. On the same
particular route where the Prophet once
dismounted from his camel and prayed two
rak'ahs, so would Ibn 'Umar do the same
while travelling to the same place.
Moreover, he remembered that the
Prophet's camel turned twice at a
certain spot in Makkah before the
Prophet dismounted and before his two
raka'ahs of prayer. The camel may have
done that spontaneously to prepare
itself a suitable halting place, but Ibn
'Umar would reach that spot, turn his
camel in a circle, then allow it to
kneel down. After that he would pray two
raka'ahs in exactly the same manner he
had seen the Prophet (PBUH) do. Such
exaggerated imitation once provoked the
Mother of the Believers "'Aishah
(May Allah be pleased with her) to say,
"No one followed the Prophet's
steps in his coming and going as Ibn
"Umar did."
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, "0 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 'Abdallah
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 judgement 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 position
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
judgement. 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 judgement.
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 "Abdallah'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, I 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 'Abdallah
is. If he is praying at night, then let
him pray more."
From that day until he met with Allah,
he never stopped performing his night
prayer, neither while staying in one
place nor while travelling. 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 "Abdallah 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,or 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
Al-Maal) was abundant. However, he never
saved that money for himself, but always
spent it copiously on the poor, the
needy, and 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. 'Abdallah 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 to a 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, "0 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
behaviour, 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,
handsome, 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." "Abdallah 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."
On another day, a friend presented him
with a container filled with something.
Ibn 'Umar asked him, "What's
that?" He said, "Excellent
medicine, which I brought you from
Iraq!" Ibn "Umar said,
"What does it cure?" He said,
"It digests food." Ibn 'Umar
smiled and said to his friend,
"Digests food? I haven't satisfied
my appetite for 40 years."
He who has not satisfied his appetite
for 40 years has not curbed his appetite
due to need or poverty, but rather due
to self-denial and piety, and a trial to
imitate the Prophet and his father.
He was afraid to hear on the Day of
Judgement < You have wasted all your
good deeds for the enjoyment in the life
of this world > (46:20). He realized
that he was in this life just as a
visitor or a passer-by. He described
himself saying, "I haven't put a
stone upon another (i.e. I haven't built
anything) nor planted a palm tree since
the Prophet's death."
Maimuun Ibn Muhraan once said, "I
entered Ibn Umar's house and tried to
evaluate all that was inside such as the
bed, the blanket, the mat and so on.
Indeed, everything. I didn't find it
worth even 100 dirhams."
That was not due to selfishness; he was
very generous. But it was due to his
asceticism, his disdain of luxury, and
his adherence to his attitude of
sincerity and piety.
Ibn 'Umar lived long enough to witness
the Umayyid period, when money became
abundant, and land and estates spread,
and a luxurious life was to be found in
most dwellings, let alone most castles.
Despite all that, he stayed like a
firm-rooted mountain, persistent and
great, not slipping away from his paths
and not abandoning his piety and
asceticism. If life with its pleasure
and prosperity - which he always escaped
from - was mentioned, he said,
"I've agreed with my companions
upon a matter. I'm afraid if I change my
stance I won't meet them again."
Then he let the others know that he did
not turn his back to the worldly life
owing to inability, so he lifted his
hands to the sky saying, "O Allah,
You know that if it weren't for fear of
You, we would have emulated our clan in
the Quraish in this life."
Indeed, if it were not for his
God-fearing self, he would have rivalled
people in this life, and he would have
been triumphant. He did not have to
rival people. Life was striving towards
him and chasing him with its tempting
pleasure.
Is there any position more tempting than
the caliph's? It was offered to Ibn
"Umar several times, but he
refused. He was threatened with death if
he refused, but he continued his refusal
and his shunning.
Al Hassan (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: When 'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan
was killer, it was said to'Abdallah Ibn
"Umar, "You are the people's
master and the son of the people's
master. Go out so that people swear to
you the oath of allegiance." He
said, "By Allah, if I could,1 would
never allow a drop of blood to be shed
because of me." They said, You will
either go out or we 'will kill you in
your bed." He repeated his first
statement. They tried to tempt him by
frightening him, but all in vain!
After that, when time passed and civil
strife became rampant, Ibn "Umar
was always the hope of the people who
urged him to accept the caliph's
position. They were ready to swear to
him the oath of allegiance, but he
always and constantly refused.
His refusal may be seen as a
reprehensible act. However, he had his
logic and argument. After the murder of
"Uthmaan (May Allah be pleased with
him) the situation got worse and
aggravated in a dangerous and alarming
way.
Although he was very humble towards the
position of the caliph, he was ready to
accept its responsibilities and face its
dangers, but only on the condition that
he be voluntarily and willingly chosen
by all Muslims. However, to force one
single Muslim to swear the oath of
allegiance by sword was what he opposed,
and so he refused the post of caliph.
At that time, however, this was
impossible. Despite his merits and the
public consensus of love and respect for
him, the expansion into the different
regions, the long distances between
them, and the disputes which furiously
set fire between the Muslims and divided
them into sects fighting each other made
it impossible to reach such a consensus
set by Ibn "Umar as a condition for
his acceptance of the caliphate.
A man once met him and said, "No
one is more evil in the whole Muslim
community than you!" Ibn "Umar
said, "Why? By Allah, I've never
shed their blood, or divided their
community, or sowed dissension."
The man replied, "If you had wished
it, every single one would have agreed
upon you." Ibn "Umar said,
"I don't like to see it (the
caliphate) being offered to me while one
man says no and another one says
yes."
The people still loved him even after
events changed and the caliphate went to
Mu'aawiyah, then to his son Yaziid, then
to MiTaawiyah II, son of Yaziid, who
stepped down renouncing its pleasure
after a couple of days in office.
Even on that day, when Ibn "Umar
was an old man, he was still the
people's hope and the hope of the
caliphate. Thus Marwaan went to him
saying, "Give me your hand to swear
to you the oath of allegiance. You're
the master of the Arabs, and the son of
their master." Ibn 'Umar asked,
"What are we going to do with the
people of the east?" Marwaan said,
"Beat them until they swear the
oath." Ibn "Umar replied,
"I don't like to be 70 years old
and a man gets killed because of
me."
Marwawan went away singing: I can see
civil strife boiling in its pots and the
kingdom after Abi Laila (i.e. Mu'aawiyah
Ibn Yaziid) will end in the hands of the
victorious.
This refusal to use force and the sword
is what made Ibn "Umar hold a
position of neutrality and isolation
during the armed civil strife between
the parties of'Ally and Mu'aawiyah,
reciting these solemn words:
To the one who says, -"Come to
prayer," I will respond. And to the
one who says, "Come to
success," I will respond. But to
the one who says, "Come to kill
your Muslim brother to take his
money," I will say, "No."
But while remaining neutral and isolated
he never turned to hypocrisy. How often
did he confront Mu'aawiyah - while the
latter was at the summit of his
authority - with challenges which
confused and hurt him till he threatened
to kill him, and he was the one who
said, "If there is only a any hair
between me and the people it won't be
torn."
One day Al-Hajaaj stood preaching and
said, "Ibn Az-Zubair has distorted
the Book of Allah!" Hereupon Ibn
"Umar shouted in his face,
"You are lying! You are lying! You
are lying!" Al-Hajaaj was at a
loss, struck by surprise.
Everything and everyone was terrified
even by the mention of his name. He
promised Ibn "Umar the worst
punishment, but Ibn "Umar waved his
hand in Al-Hajaaj's face and replied,
while people were dazzled, "If you
do what you just promised, there is no
wonder about it, for you are a foolish
imposed ruler."
However, despite his strength and
bravery, he remained cautious until his
last days, never playing a role in the
armed civil strife and refusing to lean
towards either of the parties.
Abu Al-'Aaliyah Al Barraa' related: I
was once walking behind Ibn ^Umar
without his realizing it. I heard him
saying to himself, "They are
holding their swords, raising them high,
killing each other, and saying, 'O Ibn
"Umar, give us a hand!'?"
He was filled with sorrow and pain
seeing Muslims blood shed by their own
hands. As mentioned at the very
beginning, he never awoke a sleeping
Muslim. If he could have stopped the
fight and saved the blood he would have
done that, but the events were too
powerful; therefore he kept to his
house.
His heart was with 'Aliy (May Allah be
pleased with him), and not only his
heart but it seems his firm belief,
based on a narration of what he said in
his last days: "I never felt sorry
about something that I missed except
that I didn't fight on the side of
"Ally against the unjust
party."
However, when he refused to fight with
Imam 'Aliy, on whose side truth was, it
was not because he sought a safe
position, but rather because he refused
the whole matter of the dispute and
civil strife and refrained from a fight
not one in which Muslims fight
disbelievers, but one between Muslims
who cut each other into pieces.
He clarified this when Naaff asked him,
"0 Abu 'Abd Rahman, you are the son
of "Umar and the Companion of the
Prophet (PBUH) and you are who you are.
What hinders you from that matter?"
He meant fighting on "Ally's side.
He replied, "What hinders me is
that Allah has forbidden us to shed the
blood of a Muslim. Allah the Mighty and
Powerful said: < and continue
fighting them until there is no more
persecutions and GOD'S Religion prevails
> (2:193) and we did that. We fought
the disbelievers until Allah's religion
prevailed, but now, what is it we are
fighting for? I fought when the idols
were all over the Sacred House, from the
corner to the door, until Allah cleared
the land of the Arabs from it
(idolatry). Should I now fight those who
say. There is no god but Allah?"
That was his logic, argument, and
conviction.
Thus he did not refrain from fighting,
nor abstain from taking part in battle
to escape fighting, nor did he passively
refuse to determine the outcome of the
civil war within the Ummah of the
faithful. Rather he refused to hold a
sword in the face of a Muslim brother.
'AbdAllah Ibn 'Umar lived long and
witnessed the days in which life
"opened its gates to the
Muslims." Money became more
abundant, high positions more available,
while ambition and desires spread. But
his magnificent psychological capacities
changed the rules of his time. He
changed the era of ambition, money, and
civil strife into an era of asceticism,
humility, piety, and peace. He turned
persistently to Allah and lived
according to his worship, firm belief,
and humbleness. Nothing whatsoever could
affect his virtuous nature shaped and
modeled by Islam during his early years.
The nature of life changed within the
beginning of the Umayyid period. This
change was inevitable. It was a period
of expansion in every aspect of life, in
the ambition of the state as well as the
ambitions of individuals.
In the midst of the excitement of
temptation and the agitation of an era
lured by the idea of expansion with its
pleasure and booty, stood Ibn "Umar
with his merits, occupying himself with
his excellent spiritual progress.
He gained from his great excellent life
all that he desired, so that his
contemporaries described him by saying,
"Ibn 'Umar died while being like
'Umar in his merit."
Moreover, dazzled by the glitter of his
merits, his contemporaries liked to
compare him with his father 'Umar
saying, '"Umar lived in a time when
similar ones could be found, and Ibn
"Umar lived in a time when there
was no one similar to him."
It is an exaggeration which may be
forgivable because Ibn 'Umar deserved
it. But as for 'Umar, no one can be
compared to him. It is absolutely out of
the question that a similar one is to be
found in any period of time.
In the year A.H. 73, the sun sank and
the ship of eternity hoisted its sail
towards the next life carrying the body
of the last representative of the first
days of the Revelation in Makkah and
Al-Madiinah: 'Abdallah Ibn 'Umar Ibn
Al-Khattaab.*
� The last Companion to pass away
was Anas Ibn Maalik (May Allah be
pleased with him) who died in Al-Basra
in the year A.H. 91 or 93.
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas),
a West African Islamic Academic founded AWQAF Africa, of
which he's the first al Amir (i.e. President).
Sheikh Dr. Adelabu was studying Postgraduate Degrees in
Damascus early 1990's during when Syria reviewed its
national security after an �Oslo Accord'...
Syria like many other countries around the world
witnessed, during this period, the flood of refugees
from war troubled nations like Somalia, arrival of
people from Algeria during the brutal struggling between
the Mujahidun and the government, resettlement of the
Palestinians fleeing from sophisticated guns of the
Israelis as well as adventure of African migrants for
reasons uncountable�
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