what they do by (1) attacking them: “Vengeance for Abū Lu’lu’ah!”—as they do to an effigy of Umar that they fashion from plaster or some other material.
Abū Lu’lu’ah was an unbeliever by the consensus of the Muslims. He was a Magian and a fire-worshipper, and he was owned by al-Mughīrah ibn Shu’bah. He used to make mills (2) and owed al-Mughīrah a daily levy of four dirhams. He had seen what the Muslims had done to the protected non-Muslim peoples; when he saw their captives arriving in (3) Medina, resentment over it lingered (4) within him.
It is reported that he asked Umar to speak to his master about his levy. Umar held off, though he intended to speak to him. Abū Lu’lu’ah then killed Umar out of hatred for Islam and its people, love of the Magians, and vengeance on behalf of the unbelievers for what Umar had done to them when he conquered their lands, killed their leaders, and divided their wealth.
The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—foretold this in the authentic hadith, saying:
“When Khosrow perishes, there will be no Khosrow after him; and when Caesar perishes, there will be no Caesar after him. By Him in whose hand is my soul, their treasures will surely be spent in the way of Allah.” (5)
Umar was the one who spent the treasures of both, and this authentic hadith is among the proofs establishing the validity of