AL-FAROUQ OMAR IBNUL- KHATTAB

Omar's
Martyrdom

The enemies of Islam would not leave a
man like `Omar to carry on his wonderful achievements in the service of Islam
and the Muslims. And the venomous Rancours that were
still existent in the hearts of the Persian and Byzantine slaves would never
make them forget that it was `Omar who had caused them to lead that life of
servility.   

`Omar was one day walking in Madinah when
a Persian youth, named "Fairouz" and surnamed
"`Abu-Lu'lu'ah", met him. That youth was a slave under
"Al-Mugheerah- ibn-Shu'bah", and had been taken captive after the
conquest of Nahawand. To the Commander of the Faithful, he complained of his
master saying that he had imposed upon him four dirhams to be paid every day.
`Omar asked him about his job, and the answer was that he worked as a
carpenter, a blacksmith and a house painter. Then `Omar remarked that the tax
his master had imposed upon him was quite fair, but the youth was not happy
with that remark, and went away full of indignation. This story is nothing more
than a spurious pretext which might have been plotted to kill the
Commander of the Faithful.

 `Omar met that youth again while he was in the company of
some friends of his. He called him and said: "I have been informed that
you claim to be able to make a mill that grinds by the power of
the wind." The youth asserted that he was. So `Omar said to him:
"Then make us one," to which the youth answered: "I will
certainly make you a mill that will be the chit-chat of all the people
in the cities." When the youth went away, `Omar said to those with him:
"The slave has threatened me already."

`Omar could not do anything against that
abominable Magian because, according to the Islamic law, a man can never be
convicted on
the basis of suspicion or uncertainty. So one day, one of the blackest days in
the history of mankind, at dawn in the mosque, when `Omar started to lead the
Muslims in prayer saying: "Greater is Allah" (Allahu Akbar), that
devil, "`Abu-Lu'lu'ah," came unnoticed out of his hiding place in a
dark corner of the mosque, as a venomous serpent coming out of its dark pit,
without being noticed. He went straight towards `Omar, and, with a dagger in
his hand, aimed three deadly stabs at the pure body in the back, at which the
Commander of the Faithful fell down on the ground with a heavy effusion of
blood. Above all things, what concerned him was the continuation of the prayer.
He took the hand of `Abdur-Rahman-ibn-'Awf and sent him ahead to lead the
prayer. Then he said: "Catch that dog; he has killed me," as though
he knew it was that Magian dog who had committed the hideous crime.

 `Omar was afterwards carried to his home. He was out of his
senses. One of the people around said: "Wake him up so that he may say his
prayer." The call to prayer brought him back to his senses; he said:
"Oh yes! the prayer! No fortune in Islam for him who abandons his
prayer!'' Then he demanded to be helped to perform ablution, after which he
said his prayer. When he was assured that his murderer was
"`Abu-Lu'lu'ah," he said: "Praise be to Allah Who has not
ordained my murder to be committed by a man who can argue with me before Allah
on the plea that he has once prostrated  to Him."

 When the last hour approached, and there was no single hope
of recovery, `Omar commanded his son `Abdullah to go to `Aa'ishah, the Mother
of the Faithful, and ask her permission to have him buried beside his favourite
brothers: the Prophet, Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, and Abu-Bakr,
Allah be pleased with him. She gave him that permission.

The martyrdom of `Omar-ibnul-Khattab, as
we have said at the beginning of this chapter, came to answer for the venomous
rancours that filled the hearts of the Persian and Byzantine slaves. It is
always related that `Abu-Lu'lu'ah" used to stroke  with his hand the heads of any Persian
captives whenever he met them, and say: "These Arabs have devoured my
liver.  This statement shows the bitter hatred
that Magian dog bore against Islam and the Muslims. No wonder, then, that he
frequented the dwelling-places of "Al-Hormozan" the ex-governor of
"Al-Ahwaz" who was conquered by the Muslims, and "Jufainah Al-'
Anbari", so that the three of them might take revenge from the Commander
of the Faithful under the banner of whose religion, and within the scope of
whose justice, they were living in safety.

It has been related that the Prophet,
Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, one day seeing `Omar with a shirt on,
asked him: "Is your shirt a new one or has it been previously worn?"
When `Omar said, "It has been previously worn, o Messenger of Allah,"
the Prophet said, "Wear the new, live benignly  and die a martyr. And may Allah offer
you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter."

And `Omar died a martyr reciting these
words from the Glorious Qur'an:

{ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ قَدَراً مَّقْدُوراً}  الأحزاب38

"And the Command of Allah is a decree
determined." (Al Ahzab:33:38)