you believe.” [Al-Ḥāqqah 69:40–41]—and those verses lodged Islam in my heart completely.
Abu Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated: Yahyā ibn Yaʿlā al-Aslamī told us, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Muʾammal, from Abū al-Zubayr, from Jābir, who said:
“The first sign of ʿUmar’s Islam was that ʿUmar himself related: ‘One night my sister was seized by the pangs of childbirth, so I left the house and slipped in among the hangings of the Kaʿbah on a bitterly cold night. The Prophet ﷺ came, entered the Ḥijr, wearing only a waist-cloth, and prayed for as long as Allah willed. He then left, and I heard a sound the like of which I had never heard before. He went out and I followed him. He asked, “Who is that?” I replied, “ʿUmar.” He said, “O ʿUmar, you will not leave me alone by night or by day.” Fearing that he might supplicate against me, I declared, “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.” He said, “O ʿUmar, keep it to yourself.” I replied, “No, by Him who sent you with the truth, I shall proclaim it just as openly as I once proclaimed idolatry.”’”
Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd Allāh ibn al-Munādī reported: Isḥāq al-Azraq told us; he said: al-Qāsim ibn ʿUthmān al-Baṣrī narrated to us, from Anas ibn Mālik, who said:
“ʿUmar—wearing his sword—set out and was met by a man from Banū Zuhrah who asked, ‘Where are you heading, ʿUmar?’ He replied, ‘I intend to kill Muḥammad.’ The man said, ‘How will you be safe from Banū Hāshim and Banū Zuhrah once you have killed Muḥammad?’ ʿUmar retorted, ‘It seems you too have abandoned the faith!’ The man said, ‘Shall I not tell you something astonishing? Your brother-in-law and your sister have forsaken your religion.’
“ʿUmar went straight to them, and Khabbāb was with them. When Khabbāb heard ʿUmar’s approach he hid in the house. ʿUmar entered and said, ‘What is this low murmuring I hear?’—for they had been reciting ‘Ṭā Hā’. They answered, ‘Nothing but a conversation between us.’ He said, ‘Perhaps the two of you have turned away from our faith?’ His brother-in-law replied, ‘O ʿUmar, what if the truth lies in a religion other than yours?’ ʿUmar leapt upon him and trampled him severely. His sister came to defend her husband, and he struck her a blow that bloodied her face. In her anger she said, ‘Even if the truth is in a religion other than yours, I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and that Muḥammad is His servant and messenger.’
“ʿUmar said, ‘Bring me the parchment you have so I may read it’—and he could read. His sister replied, ‘You are impure, and none may touch it except the purified, so go and wash or perform ablution.’ He rose, performed ablution, then took the sheet and read: ‘Ṭā Hā’ until he reached, ‘Indeed I am Allah; there is no deity but Me. So worship Me and establish the prayer for My remembrance’ [Ṭā Hā 20:1–14]. ʿUmar then said, ‘Lead me to Muḥammad.’
“When Khabbāb heard this he came out and said, ‘Rejoice, O ʿUmar! I hope you are the answer to the Messenger of Allah’s supplication for you on Thursday night: “O Allah, strengthen Islam through ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb or through ʿAmr ibn Hishām.”’
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in the lower courtyard at the foot of Ṣafā. ʿUmar set off until he reached the house; at its door stood Ḥamzah, Ṭalḥah, and others. Ḥamzah said, ‘Here is ʿUmar. If Allah intends good for him he will accept Islam; if He intends otherwise, killing him will be easy for us.’
“The Prophet ﷺ was inside receiving revelation. He came out, seized the front of ʿUmar’s cloak and the straps of his sword, and said, ‘Will you not desist, O ʿUmar, until Allah sends down upon you the disgrace and punishment that He sent upon al-Walīd ibn al-Mughirah? This is ʿUmar! O Allah, strengthen Islam through ʿUmar.’ ʿUmar said, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity except—’