1347 — Abū Bakr Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Hamīd al-Wāsitī narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Rizq Allah al-Kalwadhānī narrated to us, saying: Ishāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Hunaynī narrated to us, saying: Usāma ibn Zayd ibn Aslam al-Madanī said: My father narrated to me from my grandfather, who said:
Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—said to us, “Would you like me to tell you how I first embraced Islam?”
We replied, “Yes.”
He said, “I was one of the people most hostile toward the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him. One day, as I was walking along one of the roads of Mecca in the scorching midday heat, a man from Quraysh saw me and asked, ‘Where are you going, son of al-Khattāb?’
“I replied, ‘I am going after this man.’
“He said to me ⦗1877⦘, ‘How astonishing, by Allah, son of al-Khattāb! This matter has entered your own household, yet you speak like this!’
“I asked him, ‘What do you mean?’
“He replied, ‘Your sister.’
“I turned back in a rage and went to knock at her door. Whenever someone who possessed nothing embraced Islam, the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—would assign one, two, or several such men to someone who would provide for them. He had assigned two of his Companions to my sister’s husband.
“When I knocked at the door, someone asked, ‘Who is it?’
“I replied, ‘Umar.’
“They had been sitting together, reading a written text they held in their hands. When they heard my voice, they rose and hid themselves away, leaving the document where it lay. When my sister opened the door for me, I said, ‘You enemy of your own soul! Have you changed your religion?’ I raised something I had in my hand and struck her on the head with it, causing blood to flow.
“She wept and said to me, ‘Son of al-Khattāb, do whatever you intend to do, for I have embraced Islam.’
“I entered and sat upon the couch, and there in the middle of the room lay a sheet. I asked her, ‘What is this sheet doing here?’
“She replied, ‘Son of al-Khattāb, leave it alone. You neither bathe after major ritual impurity nor purify yourself, and none may touch this except those who are purified.’
“I continued insisting until she gave it to me. I looked at it and saw: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.’ I was startled and dropped the sheet from my hand. Then I regained my composure and read from it:
“‘Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.’
“Whenever I came across one of the names of Allah Most High, I was startled and dropped the sheet from my hand. Then I would regain my composure and continue reading until I reached:
“‘Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend from that over which He has made you successors’ [al-Hadīd: 7].
“He continued ⦗1878⦘: “I said, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’
“The men rushed out and proclaimed Allah’s greatness, rejoicing at this. They said, ‘Rejoice, son of al-Khattāb! On Monday, the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—supplicated, saying: “O Allah, strengthen Your religion through whichever of these two men is more beloved to You: Umar or Abū Jahl ibn Hishām.” We hope that you are the answer to the Messenger of Allah’s prayer—peace and blessings be upon him.’
“I said to them, ‘Lead me to the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him. Where is he?’
“When they recognized my sincerity, they directed me to the house in which he was staying. I went there and knocked at the door. Someone asked, ‘Who is it?’
“I replied, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb.’
“They knew how fiercely hostile I had been toward the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and they did not yet know that I had embraced Islam. None of them dared open the door for me until the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said to them, ‘Open the door for him. If Allah intends good for him, He will guide him.’
“The door was opened for me. Two men seized me by my upper arms and brought me in until I drew near to the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said to them, ‘Release him,’ so they let me go.
“I sat before him. He grasped me by the front of my shirt and said, ‘Embrace Islam, son of al-Khattāb. O Allah, guide him!’
“I replied, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.’
“The Muslims then proclaimed Allah’s greatness with a cry that was heard throughout the streets of Mecca. Until then, they had been keeping themselves hidden. Whenever a man embraced Islam, those people would set upon him and beat him.
“I went to my maternal uncle’s house and knocked at his door. He asked, ‘Who is it?’
“I replied, ‘Umar.’
“He came out to me, and I said, ‘Have you heard that I have embraced Islam?’
“He asked, ‘Have you really?’
“I replied, ‘Yes, I have.’
“He said to me ⦗1879⦘, ‘Do not do that,’ then entered the house and slammed the door in my face.
“I then went to one of the leading men of Quraysh and called out to him. He came outside, and I said, ‘Have you not heard that I have embraced Islam?’
“He asked, ‘Have you really?’
“I replied, ‘Yes.’
“I thought to myself, ‘This is no good! I see the Muslims being beaten, while I am neither beaten nor subjected to anything.’
“A man asked me, ‘Would you like your conversion to Islam to become known?’
“I replied, ‘Yes.’
“He told me, ‘When the people gather in the Hijr, go to so-and-so and tell him privately, “Have you heard that I have embraced Islam?” He seldom keeps a secret.’
“I went to him after the people had gathered in the Hijr and said to him privately, ‘Have you heard that I have embraced Islam?’
“He asked me, ‘Have you really?’
“I replied, ‘Yes.’
“He cried out at the top of his voice, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb has forsaken his religion!’
“Those people immediately rushed at me and continued beating me while I fought back. My maternal uncle asked, ‘What is happening?’
“They replied, ‘Umar has forsaken his religion!’
“He stood upon the Hijr, raised his voice, and gestured with his sleeve, saying, ‘Hear me! I have placed my sister’s son under my protection, so let no one touch him!’
“They then drew back from me. Wherever I looked, however, I saw Muslims being beaten. I said to myself, ‘This is no good! I see people being beaten while I am not beaten and nothing happens to me.’
“When the people had gathered in the Hijr, I went to my maternal uncle and asked, ‘Can you hear me?’
“He replied, ‘I can.’
“I said, ‘I hereby return your protection to you.’
“He said, ‘Do not do that.’
“I said to him ⦗1880⦘, ‘I hereby return your protection to you.’
“He replied, ‘Then do as you wish.’
“I continued to strike and be struck until Allah—Majestic is His Glory—made Islam prevail.”