a man from ʿUmar’s line will assume authority and conduct himself as ʿUmar did.
He said: Bilāl, the son of ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar, had a blemish on his face, and people used to think that he was the one—until Allah brought forth ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz.
His mother was the daughter of ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar.
A number of transmitters reported this from him.
Juwayriya narrated from Nāfiʿ:
‘It has reached us that ʿUmar said, “Among my offspring there is a man with a mark on his face; he will come to power and fill the earth with justice.”’
Nāfiʿ said: I take him to be none other than ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz.
ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿUmar also related from Nāfiʿ that he said:
Ibn ʿUmar used to say, ‘Would that I knew who this man of ʿUmar’s progeny is—distinguished by a mark on his face—who will fill the earth with justice.’
This was transmitted solely by Mubārak ibn Faḍālah from him, and he is trustworthy.
Ḍamrah ibn Rabīʿah narrated from al-Sarī ibn Yaḥyā, from Riyāḥ ibn ʿUbīdah, who said:
ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz came out to the prayer while an elderly man was leaning on his arm. I said to myself, ‘That old man seems rather harsh.’
When he had prayed and returned inside, I followed him and asked, ‘May Allah set the governor aright—who was the old man leaning on your arm?’
He replied, ‘O Riyāḥ, did you see him?’
I said, ‘Yes.’
He said, ‘I think you are a righteous man. That was my brother al-Khidr; he came to me and informed me that I will take charge of the community’s affairs and that I will administer them with justice (1).’