371 — ‘Abdullāh narrated to us: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ayyūb narrated to us: Ibrāhīm ibn Sa‘d narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishāq, from someone not suspected of falsehood, from ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Āmir ibn Rabī‘ah, from his mother, Umm ‘Abdullāh bint Abī Hathmah, who said:

“By Allah, we were preparing to leave for Abyssinia, and ‘Āmir had gone out on an errand for us, when ‘Umar approached and stopped beside me. He was still a polytheist, and we had suffered harm and ill-treatment at his hands. He said, ‘So you are leaving, Umm ‘Abdullāh?’

“I replied, ‘Yes, by Allah. We shall go forth into Allah’s earth—you have harmed and oppressed us—until Allah provides us with a way out.’

“He said, ‘May Allah be with you.’ I saw in him a tenderness I had never seen before. Then he left, saddened, as it seemed to me, by our departure.

“When ‘Āmir returned from that errand, I said to him, ‘Abū ‘Abdullāh, if only you had seen ‘Umar just now, his tenderness and his sorrow for us!’

“He asked, ‘Have you begun to hope that he will embrace Islam?’

“I replied, ‘Yes.’

“He said, ‘The man you saw will not embrace Islam until al-Khattāb’s donkey does!’ He said this out of despair, because of the harshness and hardness he had seen in ‘Umar’s opposition to Islam.”

The account of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb’s conversion to Islam, as it has reached me, is that his sister Fātimah bint al-Khattāb, who was married to Sa‘īd ibn Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl, had embraced Islam, as had her husband Sa‘īd ibn Zayd. They concealed their Islam from ‘Umar. Nu‘aym ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Nahhām, a man of his own clan, Banū ‘Adī ibn Ka‘b, had also embraced Islam and likewise concealed it for fear of his people. Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt used to visit Fātimah bint al-Khattāb to teach her the Quran.

One day, ‘Umar set out with his sword slung about him, seeking the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and a group of his Companions. He was told that they had gathered in a house near al-Safā, numbering nearly forty men and women. With the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, were his uncle Hamzah ibn ‘Abd ⦗280⦘ al-Muttalib, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, and Abū Bakr al-Siddīq ibn Abī Quhāfah, among other Muslims who had remained with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in Mecca and had not left with those who emigrated to Abyssinia.

Nu‘aym ibn ‘Abdullāh met him and asked, “Where are you going?”

He replied, “I am going to Muhammad, this renegade who has divided Quraysh, derided their judgment, disparaged their religion, and reviled their gods, to kill him.”

Nu‘aym said to him, “By Allah, you have deceived yourself, ‘Umar! Do you think Banū ‘Abd Manāf will leave you walking the earth after you have killed Muhammad? Why not go back to your own household and put their affairs in order?”

He asked, “Which members of my household?”

He replied, “Your brother-in-law and cousin, Sa‘īd ibn Zayd, and your sister, Fātimah bint al-Khattāb. They have embraced Islam and followed Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in his religion. Attend to them first!”

‘Umar turned back and headed for his brother-in-law and sister. Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt was with them, carrying a sheet containing Surah Tā Hā, which he was teaching them to recite. When they heard ‘Umar approaching, Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt hid in an inner chamber belonging to ‘Umar, or in some other part of the house. Fātimah bint al-Khattāb took the sheet and placed it beneath her thigh. As ‘Umar drew near the house, he had heard Khabbāb reciting to them. Upon entering, he asked, “What was that murmuring I heard?”

They replied, “You heard nothing.”

He said, “Yes, by Allah! I have been told that you two have followed Muhammad in his religion.” He then attacked his brother-in-law, Sa‘īd ibn Zayd. His sister Fātimah rose to restrain him from her husband, but he struck her and wounded her.

When he did this, his sister and brother-in-law said to him, “Yes, we have embraced Islam and believe in Allah and His Messenger. Do whatever you please.”

When ‘Umar saw the blood on his sister, he regretted what he had done and checked himself. He said to her, “Give me that sheet which I heard you reciting just now, so that I may see what Muhammad has brought.” ‘Umar could read and write.

His sister replied, “We fear what you might do to it.”

He said, “Do not be afraid,” and swore to her by his gods that he would return it after reading it. When he said this, she began to hope that he would embrace Islam. She said to him, “My brother, you are impure while you remain a polytheist, and only one who is pure may touch it.”

‘Umar rose and bathed. She then gave him the sheet, which contained Surah Tā Hā, and he read it. After reading its opening portion, he said, “How beautiful and noble these words are!”

When Khabbāb heard this, he came out to him and said, “‘Umar, by Allah, I hope that Allah has singled you out through His Prophet’s supplication, peace and blessings be upon him, for I heard him say, ‘O Allah, ⦗281⦘ strengthen Islam through Abū al-Hakam ibn Hishām or through ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb.’ So heed Allah, heed Allah, ‘Umar!”

‘Umar then said to him, “Then show me where he is, Khabbāb, so that I may go to him and embrace Islam.”

Khabbāb replied, “He is in a house near al-Safā, with a group”—meaning some of his Companions.

‘Umar took his sword, slung it about him, and made his way to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions. He knocked at their door. A man saw him with his sword slung about him and returned in alarm to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saying, “Messenger of Allah, it is ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, with his sword slung about him!”

Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib said, “Let him in. If he seeks good, we shall grant it to him; if he seeks evil, we shall kill him with his own sword.”

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Let him in.”

The man admitted him, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, rose to meet him in the chamber. He seized him by his waistband, or by the gathered folds of his cloak, then gave him a forceful tug and said, “What has brought you here, son of al-Khattāb? By Allah, I do not think you will desist until Allah brings a calamity upon you.”

‘Umar replied, “Messenger of Allah, I have come to you believing in Allah, His Messenger, and what you have brought from Allah.”

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then exclaimed, “Allah is the Greatest!” so loudly that his Companions in the house knew that ‘Umar had embraced Islam.

The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, dispersed from that place, feeling strengthened by ‘Umar’s acceptance of Islam alongside that of Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. They knew that these two would protect the Messenger of Allah and that, through them, they could secure redress against their enemies.

This, then, is the account transmitted by the narrators of Medina concerning how ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb embraced Islam, may Allah be pleased with him.