374 – ‘Abdullāh narrated to us, saying: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ayyūb narrated to us: Ibrāhīm ibn Sa‘d narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishāq, from ‘Abdullāh ibn Abī Najīh al-Makkī, from his companions ‘Atā’ and Mujāhid—or from someone who related this from him—that among the accounts related of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb’s acceptance of Islam was that he used to say:

“I kept my distance from Islam. During the days of ignorance, I was fond of wine: I loved it and drank it. We had a gathering place where men of Quraysh would meet at al-Hazwara, near the house of ‘Amr ibn ‘Ā’idh ibn ‘Imrān ibn Makhzūm.

“One night, I went out to join those companions at our usual gathering place, but I found none of them. I said to myself, ‘Perhaps I should go to so-and-so—a wine merchant in Mecca, a man who sold wine. Perhaps I will find some wine with him and drink it.’ I went to him, but I did not find him either. Then I said to myself, ‘Why not go to the Kaaba and circle it seven times—or seventy?’

“I went to the mosque intending to circle the Kaaba, and there was the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, standing in prayer. When he prayed, he would face Syria, placing the Kaaba between himself and Syria. His place of prayer was between the two corners: the corner of the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner.

“When I saw him, I said to myself, ‘By Allah, why not listen to Muhammad tonight and hear what he says?’ Then I thought, ‘If I draw near to listen to him, I will surely startle him.’ So I approached the Kaaba from the side of the Hijr, slipped beneath its covering, and began moving slowly along. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was standing in prayer, reciting the Quran, until I stood directly in front of him, with nothing between us but the covering of the Kaaba.

“When I heard the Quran, my heart softened to it. I wept, and Islam entered my heart. I remained standing there until the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, finished his prayer and left. When he left, he would pass the house of Banū Abī Husayn; that was his route out to the Mas‘ā. He would then quicken his pace between the house of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and the house of Ibn Azhar ibn ‘Abd ‘Awf al-Zuhrī, then pass the house of al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq before entering his own home. His residence, peace and blessings be upon him, was in al-Dār al-Raqtā’, which was in the possession of Mu‘āwiya ibn Abī Sufyān.”

‘Umar said: “I followed him until he entered the passage between the house of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and the house of Ibn Azhar, where I caught up with him. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, heard me approaching, he stopped and recognized me. He thought that I had followed him only to harm him, so he rebuked me and then said, ‘What brings you here at this hour, son of al-Khattāb?’

“I replied, ‘To believe in Allah, His Messenger, and what has come from Allah, Mighty and Majestic.’

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, praised Allah and said, ‘Allah has indeed guided you, ‘Umar.’ Then he stroked my chest and prayed that I would remain steadfast. I then left the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he entered his home.”

Allah knows best which of these accounts was what actually happened.