blood gushed forth, and Quraysh quickly patched the matter up for fear of worse trouble breaking out. He continued: At that time the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was keeping out of sight in the house of al-Arqam b. Abī al-Arqam al-Makhzūmī, so Ḥamzah went to him and entered Islam.

Three days later I went out and met a certain man of the Makhzūm clan. I asked him, “Have you abandoned your fathers’ religion and taken up Muhammad’s?” He replied, “If I have, someone who has a greater right over you than I’ve ever had has already done the same.” I said, “And who might that be?” He answered, “Your sister—and your brother-in-law.”

I hurried over and heard voices murmuring inside. I entered and said, “What is this?” The conversation went back and forth until I seized my brother-in-law by the head, struck him, and drew blood. My sister leapt at me, grabbed my head, and said, “Yes indeed—it has happened in spite of your nose!” When I saw the blood I felt ashamed, sat down, and said, “Let me see that written page.” She answered, “None touches it save those who are purified.” I therefore rose, performed a full wash, and they brought me a parchment on which was written: “In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.” I said, “Fine, pure names indeed!” Then I read:

“Ta-Ha. We have not sent down the Quran to you that you be distressed, but only as a reminder for those who fear. A revelation from Him who created the earth and the lofty heavens—the All-Merciful, established upon the Throne. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and whatever is between them and whatever is beneath the soil. Whether you speak aloud, He knows the secret and what is even more hidden. Allah—there is no deity but He; to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.” (Taha 20:1-8)

Those words swelled in my breast, and I said, “From this it is that Quraysh has been running!” I accepted Islam there and then. “Where is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” I asked. She replied, “He is in the house of al-Arqam.”

I went and knocked at the door. The people inside gathered. Ḥamzah said to them, “What is the matter?” They answered, “ʿUmar is outside.” He said, “ʿUmar! Open the door for him. If he comes in peace we shall accept it; if he turns back we will kill him.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard this, came out, and I bore witness to the faith. The people in the house shouted the takbīr so loudly that those in the mosque heard it. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, are we not upon the truth?” He said, “Indeed.” I said, “Then why are we hiding?”

So we went out in two orderly ranks—Ḥamzah at the head of one and I at the head of the other—until we entered the mosque. Quraysh looked at me and at Ḥamzah and were overcome with deep gloom. On that day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ named me al-Farūq, the one who separates truth from falsehood.

Al-Wāqidī related: Muḥammad b. ʿAbd Allāh reported to us, from al-Zuhrī, from Ibn al-Musayyib, who said: ʿUmar embraced Islam after forty men and ten women had already done so, and once he had entered Islam, the religion became openly manifest in Mecca.