Assalamu'alaykum warahmatullah,

This is article was left as a comment to the latest entry on the blog. Since, it is so much related to the current theme of the second part of the History Of Khulaafa' - Note Sharing Activity, I thought it would worthwhile to put it as an entry than a comment.

May Allah reward you (brother or sister) for your effort in putting this comment on our blog. Please keep them coming, insha'Allah if they are related to the theme of the note-sharing activity, we will publish them as an entry.

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Manhood: The Wish of Umar (ra)
Maajid Al-Fariyaan
Wednesday, November 23, 2005

First Khutbah

In one of the houses of Madinah, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allaah be pleased with him, was sitting with a group of his companions. He asked them: “Make a wish”, one of them said, “I wish to have as much gold as would fill this whole house, so that I could spend it in Jihaad”; then again ‘Umar asked: “Make a wish”, another man said, “I wished that this house was full of jewels and pearls so that I could spend it all in Jihaad and charity for the sake of Allaah”; ‘Umar asked for the third time: “Make a wish”, his companions said: “We don’t know what to say, O leader of the believers”; Thereupon ‘Umar said, “I wish that this house was full of men like Abu ‘Ubaydah Ibn Al-Jarraah, Mu’aadh bin Jabal and Saalim who works for Abu Hudhayfah in order to use them to spread the word of Allaah”

May Allah have mercy on ‘Umar - the inspired. He definitely knew how true civilizations are established, how great missions succeed and how to revive dead nations!

Although nations and missions need resources in order to be successful, they also need planners and those who have determined hearts in order to fully utilise these resources. In fact the greatest of all needs is that for real men.

O Muslims! Real men are very rare to find, they are as rare as precious minerals and jewels; to illustrate this, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Real men are as rare as a reliable strong camel that can endure the burden of long trips; you can hardly find one in a hundred” (Bukhaari)

Qualified righteous men are the backbone of missions, the spirit for progress and the focal point of reformation. There can be countless factories of weapons and ammunition, but if there are no men to use the weapons being produced, there will be no ability to fight. The finest educational curricula can exist, but it takes real men to implement and teach them; one can create many committees to carry out a project, yet these will accomplish nothing if there are no devoted men on these committees.

History speaks for itself; power is not measured by the amount of weapons possessed as much as it is by the number of strong hearted soldiers. Reformation and successful cultivation can only be achieved by men who experience and live it - and not merely by reading books on the subject. It is only men with zeal and devotion that accomplish projects, regardless of the number of committees that they may be members of. Indeed ‘Umar was wise to wish for high calibre men instead of silver, gold, pearls or jewels.

O Muslims! Sometimes, one fervent man can equal a thousand others; indeed one man can outweigh a nation, as the saying goes: “A devoted man can revive a whole nation”. In a military campaign, Khaalid Ibn Al-Waleed, may Allaah be pleased with him, surrounded Al-Heerah and requested supplies from Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, who only sent him Al-Qa’qaa’ Ibn ‘Amr At-Tameemi and said: “An army having men like Al-Qa’qaa’ will never be defeated”. Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, also used to say, “The mere voice of Al-Qa’qaa’ in the army is better than a thousand fighters”. When ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allaah be pleased with him, requested supplies from ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, during the Islamic conquest of Egypt, he (‘Umar) wrote: “I have sent you (the equivalent of) four thousand men; four men each of whom are equal to a thousand others: Az-Zubayr Ibn Al-‘Awwaam, Al-Miqdaad Ibn ‘Amr, ‘Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit and Maslamah Ibn Makhlad”

O Muslims! What type of men do we require? Is it anyone with a moustache and beard? If so, then we already have too many! Real manhood is not determined by age. There are many seventy year olds with the mentality and interests of seven year olds. They rejoice at ridiculous and insignificant events and are depressed and saddened by trivial matters; they are nothing but children trapped in the bodies of adults. On the other hand, you may find some youths whose speech, behaviour and intellect reflect maturity and manhood.

‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, passed by a group of young boys playing, when they saw him they all ran away except for one. (‘Abdullaah Ibn Az-Zubayr, may Allaah be pleased with him) ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked: “Why didn’t you run away along with your friends?” he replied, “O leader of the believers! I wasn’t doing anything wrong in order to be afraid (of you) and the road is not narrow; there is enough room for you to pass’.

A young boy entered into the palace of one of the Umayyid Khalifas to address him on behalf of his tribe. The Khalifah said: “Let an older man come forth to represent your people” the boy said, “O leader of the believers, if leadership was gained by virtue of age, then there would have been many others worthier than you for the Khilaafah”. These are fine examples of maturity despite tenderness of age and we Muslims have many such examples throughout history.

Manhood is not achieved by the mere possession of big and strong bodies. Allaah describes the hypocrites with that which translates to: “And when you see them, their bodies please you…” (Al-Munaafiqoon: 4) and yet He says that which translates to: “… They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They think that every cry is against them” (Al-Munaafiqoon: 4). In an authentic Hadeeth the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The sinful man who was huge in size in this life, will not even weigh the weight of a mosquito on the Day of Resurrection” Then he recited: “… And We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight.” (Al-Kahf: 105).

‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood was a frail man, one day his legs became uncovered (revealing how thin they were). Some of the Sahaabah saw this and laughed. Thereupon, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “You may laugh about his thin legs, but I swear by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, they will be heavier than Mount Uhud on the scales (on the Day of Judgement)”.

Real manhood is not attained by virtue of age, physical structure, wealth or position. Rather, it is determined by having a firm will and a strong personality. This would elevate a person’s character so that they would only concern themselves with important issues and stay far away for frivolities and trivial matters. Such characteristics would make someone mature despite their youth; it would make them content despite their poverty; strong enough to offer others what they have before asking others for what they have; mature enough to fulfil their duties before asking for their rights; and acutely aware of the responsibility that they have toward themselves, their Lord, their household, their religion and the Muslim Ummah. In short, real manhood is all about reaching high levels of morals, manners and integrity

The best thing which a government can do for its citizens is to do whatever it can with all means at its disposal to raise a generation with these characteristics. Those who are in charge of establishing educational curricula should take note, for there is nothing better to base their ideas on than this. As for other institutes and organisations, (such as schools, masjids and the media) they also cannot do anything more important than propagating and implementing these ideas.

A generation that possesses real manhood and righteousness can only be generated through being cultured on firm belief, strong morals and sound Islamically based customs. A generation that grows up surrounded with destructive doubts, immorality, disbelief and obscenity will never discover real manhood - just as plants will never grow without water, light and air.

The world did not see real manhood in its finest and definitive form except in the unique generation that was nurtured by the great Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. That generation experienced great fear; they were not materialistic; they were not deceived or seduced by temptation; they were not scared by warnings or threats from others; nor were they proud and arrogant after victories and they would never give up after suffering setbacks. Today, colonisation has polluted the environment with infidelity and obscenity; you see many males but you can hardly find any real men.

It is painful and shocking to hear someone who studied the teachings of Islam saying with sorrow: “What a great religion Islam is, if it only had real men to convey it”. This religion that lacks real men has more than one billion followers, but they are as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam described them: “As useless and powerless as the foam on the surface of a flood” (Ahmad).

O Muslims! What benefit is it to have Muslim men who are only concerned about themselves, controlled by their whims and desires and only do that which fulfils their own self-interests. They are neither sure of themselves, nor do they rely on their Lord. Greed unites them and fear shatters them. I swear by Allaah! It would be much more beneficial and useful for Islaam if Muslims could produce just one man out of every thousand who fulfils the qualities of real men, instead of producing the millions of useless characters that we are surrounded by.

O Muslims! If a person is blessed by Allaah to have firm faith in addition to fulfilling the qualities of manhood, then he can rescue a situation alone. For example, in the story of Moosa, peace be upon him, when he killed the Qibti, Allaah says that which translates to: “A man came from the farthest end of the city” (Al-Qasas: 20) Also, in the story of ‘the people of the village’ Allaah says that which translates to: “And there came from the farthest end of the city a man” (Yaa Seen: 20). In both verses the term used was ‘a man’ - in the singular form. One man rescued the situation; He had firmness of faith and did not feel lonely and vulnerable being the only believer in his family. The man mentioned in Soorah Al-Qasas went to Moosa and informed him about the plot of Pharaoh against him, and gave him a solution to the problem - which was to leave the village he was in on his own. The man mentioned in Soorah Yaa Seen challenged the leaders of misguidance and publicly announced in front of their followers that he supported the messengers – and that they should do likewise.

O Muslims! As important as it is to have collective and institutional projects that focus on enjoining righteousness and alternating the shouldering of collective responsibilities, this does not address the fundamental crisis, which is that in reality we lack the individuals who can carry out missions alone. Such persons are especially needed in this day and age because the Ummah is lost. There is no dedicated authority that discovers talent and distributes duties for the Ummah. In a situation such as this, the need for such men becomes even greater due to the fact a huge shortfall needs to be filled. Perhaps one day, all the current individual efforts will unite on a well studied plan that would deliver the Muslims from the miserable predicament that they are currently in. I do not say this to slight the importance of collective efforts or to belittle the fruitful efforts of group work, it is only to emphasise the importance of individually grasping initiatives.

Second Khutbah

Slaves of Allaah! Too many people are falling into the error of making luxury and extravagance part of their children’s upbringing, until it affects their personalities. To know the solution for this problem and avoid it in future generations, we must answer the following question: How do we build the qualities of manhood in our children?

This question represents one of the major problems of parenting in this age. The following are some of many Islamic points that will help to solve this problem and develop manhood in a child’s personality:

· Nicknames: Calling the child Abu so and so or Umm so and so is something that increases their sense of responsibility and makes them feel older than their actual age. This will make them feel equal to older people. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to give nicknames to children as Anas bin Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam had the finest manners; and I had a brother who was called Abu ‘Umayr who was just weaned; whenever he was around the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam would say: “O Abu ‘Umayr, what did the Nughayr do?” (Nughayr was a small bird he used to play with)” (Bukhaari). Umm Khaalid (the daughter of Khaalid), may Allaah be pleased with her, said: “The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam received some clothes as a gift which included a black silk garment, so he said: “Who do you think I should give this to?” he paused a little then said, “Bring Umm Khaalid” so the people carried her (this reflects how young she was) and brought her to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam who put the garment on her and said: “Wear it out”. The garment had a green or yellow mark on it so the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “O Umm Khaalid, this is Sanah” (Sanah is the word for nice in an African language)” (Bukhaari).

· Taking the child to the gatherings of adults is another thing which develops manhood in their personalities. These gatherings add richness to their understanding and improve their way of thinking. If a child starts talking to older people, he will spend less time playing. This was the practice of the Sahaabah who used to take their children to the gatherings of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Mu’aawiyah Ibn Qarrah narrated on behalf of his father: “Whenever the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam sat with his companions, each of them would bring his young child who would be behind his father’s back – then his father would seat him in front of himself.” (Nasaa’i).

· Relating to children historical stories, Islamic battles and heroic victories is another way of building courage and bravery in them, which is one of the most important factors of manhood. ‘Urwah Ibn Az-Zubayr said, “Az-Zubayr Ibn Al-‘Awwaam (his father) had two children. He took one of them to some of the battles and the other would play with the battle-wounds on his father’s shoulder (when he returned)”. Hishaam Ibn ‘Urwah the son of ‘Urwah Ibn Az-Zubayr said: “My father accompanied my grandfather in the battle of Yarmook and when the disbelievers were defeated he followed the injured ones who were trying to escape and killed them” (which reflects strength and courage from a young age).

· Teaching children to respect elders also develops manhood in the child. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “The younger ones (should) greet the elders.…” (Bukhaari).

· Respecting them in public. Sahl Ibn Sa’d said, “The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was brought a cup to drink from and he had a child to his right and elders to his left. After he drank he said to the child, “Do you permit me to give this to the elders before you?” the child replied, ‘I will not give up my right to drink (directly) after (you)’ so the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam gave it to him” (Bukhaari).

· Teaching children manly sports like swimming, horse riding and shooting. Abu Umamah Ibn Sahl, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: ’Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, wrote to Abu ‘Ubaydah Ibn Al-Jarraah, may Allaah be pleased with him, instructing: “Teach your children how to swim” (Ahmad).

· Avoiding things that would soften them up or make them resemble females, like music, dancing, wearing silk or gold and anything else that is feminine.

· Refraining from insulting them publicly, encouraging them to be participative and making them feel important.

· Greeting them with Salaam; Anas Ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam passed by a group of children and greeted them with Salaam” (Muslim).

· Taking and valuing their opinions.

· Giving them responsibilities which are suitable for their ability and age and telling them secrets. Anas bin Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam came to me while I was playing with other children and greeted me with Salaam, then he sent me on an errand which delayed me from getting to my mother on time. When I finally reached home she asked: ‘What delayed you?’ I replied: ‘The Prophet sent me on an errand’ she asked: ‘What was it?’ I replied: ‘It is a secret’ she said, ‘Do not tell the Prophet’s secret to anyone’” (Muslim). In another narration Anas bin Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam came to me while I was with some other children, so he greeted us, then he took me by the hand and sent me with a message to someone while he waited in the shade of a wall until I returned” (Abu Daawood).

Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “I was once playing with other children, I looked over my shoulder to find the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam approaching, so I thought to myself: ‘The Prophet only came because I am here.’ So I ran to hide behind the door of one of the houses. Suddenly I felt him grab me and gently and playfully slap me on my back. Then he said: “Go and call Mu’aawiyah for me.” Mu’aawiyah used to write for the Prophet, so I ran to Mu’aawiyah and said, ‘The Prophet needs you’” (Ahmad).

· Instilling courage in them by means such as by delivering speeches.

· Attaching great importance to chastity and decency and avoiding fashionable clothes, stylish haircuts, and modern ‘mannerisms’.

· Keeping them away from luxury, laziness, unnecessary rest and idleness. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “Toughen up, luxury does not last for ever”.

· Keeping them away from sinful gatherings that involve music and other prohibitions because this contradicts manhood and integrity.

These are some points that will develop and increase the qualities of manhood in a child’s personality, which where mentioned in a pamphlet by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Munajjid, may Allaah preserve him.
From AlMinbar.com

‘Umar Al-Farooq, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu
~ The Mountain of Justice~

“O Allaah, I am tough, please make me soft. O Allaah, I am weak, please make me strong. O Allaah, I am miserly, please make me generous.”
-- ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with him).

‘Umar’s Inauguration

“…and now, brethren, I have been nominated to manage your affairs. So be aware,
then, that that severity (he used to have at the time of the Prophet and Abu Bakr) has been weakened, but it will be used only against those who are oppressive and aggressive to Muslims. Yet, to those who seek Islam, safety and goodwill, I shall be more lenient than each of them is to others. I will never allow anybody to oppress or be aggressive to another; for, then, I would put his cheek to the ground and set my foot on the other cheek until he yields to the truth. After such severity, though, I will put my cheek to the grounds for those who are virtuous and content.
I will not levy any taxes on your products or on any of the booty Allah has bestowed upon you except what is due, and I will pledge not to expend it except where it should expended. It is incumbent upon me not to throw you into jeopardy, nor confine you to front posts in war; and I pledge that if you go away on missions, I will be responsible for your families until you return to them.
Therefore, fear Allah, slaves of Allah, and help me against yourselves by leaving me in peace; and help me against myself by ordering beneficence and forbidding abomination, and by giving me food counsel in all yours affairs that Allah has charged me with.

Conquest: Battle of Al Jisr (The Bridge)
· Details:
o Against the Persians
o Persian general: Rostom
o Muslim general: Abu ‘Ubayd (he was a tabi’een)
o Location: Iraaq
· One of the toughest armies he had ever faced
· His advice to the generals:
1. Don’t take Muslims to death because of treasures
2. Don’t sleep the night until you know the weak points of the area
3. Allah is testing you with me and me with you
4. Close your eyes on the Dunya and busy your heart with other things
5. Do not let the Dunya destroy you as it destroyed others before you.
· The Persians stood facing the Muslim army, separated only by a river across which a bridge was built.
· Abu ‘Ubayd commanded the Muslim army to cross the bridge and even destroyed the bridge so that victory will be the Muslims’ only choice.
· The Muslims obeyed their ruler, crossed the river and engaged in the ferocious fighting against ten thousand Persian soldiers who rode elephants with bells hung around their necks.
· The elephants started shouting towards the Muslims army and scared their horses and this reaction of the horse discouraged the Muslims.
· Abu ‘Ubayd ordered the Muslims army to focus killing the elephant first; so they killed almost all of the Persian elephants.
· The Persians had brought along to the battlefield a big white elephant and Abu ‘Ubayd stepped forward and chopped off its trunk.
· Engaged and furious, the elephant killed Abu ‘Ubayd and stepped on him
· A long line of successors he had named before the battle were killed, too.
· Finally, Al – Muthannah Ibn Harithah became in charge of the troops, as was planned by Abu ‘Ubayd.
· Just as the Muslims were about to conquer their enemies and declare themselves victorious, frailty got over them and they showed their heels.
· The Persians hurried in their pursuit killing many of them and the situation was, in every sense, grave.
· The Muslims had no choice but the reconstruct the bridge and cross the Euphrates.
· Al – Muthannah stood by the bridge and addressed his troops saying, “O people take your time. I will wait here by the bridge till everyone has crossed the river.”
· So when everyone did, Al – Muthannah led his troops till they reached their first stop.
· He stayed all night, along with some intrepid Muslims to guard his soldiers, many of whom were seriously wounded.
· Others chose to wander aimlessly in the wilderness.
· Others yet, panic-stricken as they were, headed straight for Madinah to break the news to the Commander of the Faithful.
· ‘Umar however did not reproach the defeated Muslims for retreating and explained, “I am your troops (that you can retreat to), in accordance with Allah’s verse:

“If any do turn his back to them on such day unless it be in a stratagem of war,
or to retreat to a troop (of his own) he draws on himself the wrath of
Allah, and his abode is Hell, an evil refuge (indeed)!” (Al – Anfaal: 16)

· This battle is reported to have taken place in Sha’baan, 13 AH, 40 days after the Battle of Yarmook.
· Following this battle is the Conquest of Al Bowaib in which the Muslim brought back their honor in victory.

‘Umar Al-Farooq, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu
~ The Mountain of Justice~

“He(‘Umar) is the closed gate on Fitnah”

--Rasool Allaah, sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam.

“ O Allaah, I am tough, please make me soft. O Allaah, I am weak, please make me strong. O Allaah, I am miserly, please make me generous.”

-- ‘Umar, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu.

“Whenever Shaytaan sees ‘Umar taking a path, he fleeds to other path away from him.”

-- Rasool Allaah, sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam.

Who he was?
The youngest of Khalifah ( 13 years younger than ar-Rasool)

Became the Khalifah at the age of 53 years.

He was not among the aristocrats of Mecca (same with Abu Bakr). This proves the justice of Islaam.

During the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, when the Muslims chose ‘Umar to be the envoy of the Muslimeen in dealing with the Quraishites, he went to the Prophet, sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam, and asked the Prophet to send someone with higher status than him. Thus, ‘Uthmaan, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu, was chosen as the envoy.

He was from the tribe of Banu ‘Adee.

His kunya was Abu Hafs (the Father of the Lion). This kunya was given to him due to his toughness.

He used to be a shepherd when he was young. He was also a businessman before becoming the Khalifah.

He was 30 years old when the Prophet,sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam, received the first wahy (revelation) from Allaah, subhaanahu wa ta’aala.

He was tall and large. It was narrated that whenever he rode a horse, his feet would be dragging on the ground. Subhaan Allaah, this shows us how big he was!

He was very well known for his zuhd(asceticism), justice, mercy, knowledge and eloquence in speech.

He had 12 children. Among them were ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar (the famous young sahaabah) and Hafsa (the Prophet’s wife).

He used to walk quickly, similar to the Prophet’s walk.


‘Umar’s Love for Mecca
He had such a deep love on Mecca and its inhabitants.

He used to attack Islaam before he became a Muslim out of his patriotism on Mecca. He perceived Islaam as a religion that had caused division between the families, had sparked enmity between tribes, and had gradually stripped off the peaceful environment of Mecca.

He would be torturing those who became Muslims while Abu Bakr tried very hard to protect them (by freeing the slaves,etc).

During the migration of the Muslims to Habasyah (Abyssinia), a woman sahaabah named Umm ‘Abdillaah was leaving mecca. ‘Umar met her on her way and asked, “ Are you leaving to Habasyah?” She said, “ Yes as you’ve tortured us so much.” Then, ‘Umar made du’aa, “ May you have a safe journey.” Umm ‘Abdillaah was touched with his du’aa despite of his persecution of the Muslims. When she returned back to Mecca after few months, she said, “ I think ‘Umar will become a Muslim.”

And by the Will of Allaah, Umm ‘Abdillaah was right.


His Islaam was a Muslim victory!
The Prophet used to make du’aa to Allaah : “ O Allaah! Give strength to Islaam, especially through either of the two men You love more: ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl Ibn Hishaam.” ‘Umar, obviously, was the one who merited the privilege.

As the wave of Islaam gained energy day by day in Mecca, ‘Umar realized that something has to be done to stop this wave. Otherwise, Islaam would gain upperhand in Mecca.

‘Umar got so upset that he decided to kill the Prophet, sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam.

When he found out that his sister has embraced Islaam, by the will of Allaah, Islaam entered his heart.

Therefore, he went to the place where the Prophet and his companions had gathered (Daar al-Arqam in Safa Mountain) for secret meetings. Hamza, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu, was with the Prophet. He said, “ If ‘Umar is going to kill the Prophet, wallaahi, I will kill him with his own sword.” When ‘Umar reached the house, the Prophet asked his companions to back up. The Prophet said to ‘Umar, “ Is it the time for you to become a Muslim ya ‘Umar?” He replied, “ Ya Rasool Allaah, I only come here for that reason.”

After he became a Muslim, he asked the Prophet, “ Ya Rasool Allaah, are we on the right path?” The Prophet answered, “ Indeed ya ‘umar.” He asked another question, “ Do we have the truth with us?” The Prophet replied, “ Yes, we do!.” Then, he said, “ Why then are we hiding our Islaam?”

Now, every Muslim would not hesitate to publicly announce their faith. How can that happen? Because ‘Umar was there to defend them. Who out there was dare enough to go against ‘Umar?

‘Umar:: The Mountain of Knowledge
In more than one occasion, ‘Umar would suggest something to the Prophet and the wahy(revelation) would come down afterwards,exactly as what he has suggested.

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah : Allah's Apostle said, "Among the nations before you there used to be people who were inspired (although they were not Prophets). And if there is any of such a person amongst my followers, it is 'Umar."

[Sahih Bukhari]

He asked the Prophet, “ Shall we not take the Maqam of Ibrahim as the place of prayer?” Allaah then revealed verse 125 in Suratul Baqarah, confirming ‘umar’s suggestion.

In another occasion, ‘Umar asked the Prophet, “ Shouldn’t Ummuhaatul Mu’mineen (Mothers of the Believers) be covered properly, as there’re many people who came to your house everyday to meet you?” Allaah then revealed verse 32-33, commanding the Prophet’s wives to be covered.

‘Umar was one of the writers of the wahy revealed to the Prophet. Once, he was writing the wahy and as he was contemplating and reflecting over the verse that he’s writing, he said, “ Fatabaraakallahu ahsanul khaaliqeen”[Al-Mu’minoon,23:14]. The Prophet responded saying, “ You should write that down ya ‘Umar, because it was revealed to me!”.

“ ‘Umar has the capability of leading the army, like Khaleed. But, I keep him here help me organize the affairs of the Ummaah in Madinah.” -- Abu Bakr, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu.

‘Umar used to make du’aa to Allaah, “ O Allaah, let me die shaheed in Madinah.”

Narrated by Anas bin Malik : The Prophet once climbed the Mountain of Uhud with Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthmaan. The mountain shook with them. The Prophet said (to the mountain), "Be firm, O Uhud! For on you, there are no more than a Prophet, a Siddeeq and two martyrs(‘Umar & ‘Uthmaan).

The companions were puzzled with his du’aa. How can you die shaheed in Madinah? And we all know that Allaah has answered his du’aa as ‘Umar was murdered when he was leading the fajr prayer, and thus, shaheed in Madinah.

He is from the People of Jannaah

Narrated by Abu Moosa : While I was with the Prophet in one of the gardens of Madinah, a man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet said to me, "Open the gate for him and give him the glad tidings that he will enter Paradise." I opened (the gate) for him, and behold! It was Abu Bakr. I informed him of the glad tidings the Prophet had said, and he(Abu Bakr) praised Allah. Then, another man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet said to me "Open (the gate) and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." I opened (the gate) for him, and behold! It was 'Umar. I informed him of what the Prophet had said, and he(‘Umar) praised Allah. Then another man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet said to me. "Open (the gate) for him and inform him of the glad tidings, of entering Paradise with a calamity which will befall him. " Behold ! It was 'Uthman, I informed him of what Allah's Apostle had said. He praised Allah and said, "I seek Allah's Aid."
[ Sahih Bukhari]

The palace for ‘Umar in Jannah::

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah : While we were with Allah's Apostle, he said, "While I was sleeping, I saw myself in Paradise, and suddenly I saw a woman performing ablution beside a palace. I asked, 'For whom is this palace?' They replied, 'It is for 'Umar.' Then I remembered 'Umar's Ghira (self-respect) and went away quickly." Umar wept and said, “O Allah's Apostle! How dare I think of my ghira (self-respect) being offended by you?”

[Sahih Bukhari]

Narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri : I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "While I was sleeping, the people were presented to me (in a dream). They were wearing shirts, some of which were merely covering their (chests). and some were a bit longer. 'Umar was presented before me and his shirt was so long that he was dragging it." They asked, "How have you interpreted it, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet said, "It is a symbol of faith."

[Sahih Bukhari]

Narrated by Hamza's father: Allah's Apostle said, "While I was sleeping, I saw myself drinking (i.e. milk), and I was so contented that I saw the milk flowing through my nails. Then I gave (the milk) to 'Umar." They (i.e. the companions of the Prophet) asked, "What do you interpret it?" He said, "Knowledge."

[Sahih Bukhari]

Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, radhiyallaahu 'anhu
~ The Mountain of Truthfulness~

"As you see, (sickness) has befallen me and I do not think this shall be other than my farewell ... so nominate a leader for yourselves whom you wish. For verily if you choose the leader while I am still alive, it shall be more likely that you will not disagree after me."
- Abu Bakr, radi Allahu 'anhu

Abu Bakar's Death :: The Final Moments
- Abu Bakr was the khalifa for the shortest of time among the 4 khulafaa
- Discussed and chose the next ameer ('Umar) while he was alive so that he would be in shura and to avoid confusion among the people if they were to wait until he died
- Abu Bakr did not appoint Umar, for he was chosen through shura
- On his deathbed, Abu Bakr asked that the same amount of the allowance he has been receiving to be taken from his inheritance and given to Baitul Maal

- Umar's statement regarding this, "He (Abu Bakr) places hardships on those who come after him (due to his sincerity)."
- Abu Bakr died on 12 Jamadil Akhir, 13 AH
- He held the khilafah for 2 years and 3 months during which he unified all Muslims and even managed to conquer Iraq.
- He was buried beside Rasul sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam. "Soheebuhu fid dunya wal akhirah." (His friend in the world and in the hereafter.)

The Legacy of Abu Bakr :: The Compilation of the Qur'an
- Decided to compile the Qur'an after the battle of al-Yamamah
- The task was given to Zaid b. Thabit.
- Initially he did not want to do it because it had never been done during the Rasul's sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam time.
- The compilation was started after they made shura, istikhara, etc.
- Zaid put a condition that:
Each verse must have 2 narrators who memorized directly from Rasul sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam. Every verse fulfilled this condition except the last 2 verses of Surat Taubah which was narrated by *Abu Khuzaima r.a only.

Hadith of Abu Khuzaima:
Someone accused Rasul sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam that he sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam took his camel without paying. Abu Khuzaima then testified that Rasul sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam has paid. When Rasul sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam later asked him if he saw him sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam paid, his answer was, "I believe u of the wahy, how can I not believe you in this matter?" Thus his shahadah was counted as 2 shahadahs by Rasul sal Allahu 'alayhi wasallam. Therefore, this hadith clarified that Zaid's condition is fulfilled.

Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu
~ The Mountain of Truthfulness~

By Allaah, I shall cause the Romans to forget the whispers of shaytaan through Khaleed!”
-- Abu Bakr , radhiyallaahu ‘anhu.

“ Khaleed, you are the Sword of Allaah which has been made to annihilate the Kuffaar!”
-- Ar-Rasool, sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam.

“ O my companions, advance! The cool breezes of Jannatul Firdaws are waiting to welcome us, and triumph and glory are reserved for us!”
-- Khaleed Ibn Al-Waleed,radhiyallaahu ‘anhu.

Battle of Yarmook
o The biggest battle every fought by the Muslims, and the last battle took place in the lifetime of Abu Bakr, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu.

o Took place in the year of 15H, after the campaign of Damascus.
o Yarmook is the name of a river in Jordan.

Pre-Battle Period
o The Muslim troops were consist of 24,000 men; 1000 were Companions of the Prophet, and 100 of them fought in the Battle of Badr.

o The Roman sent 120,000 armies to fight the Muslims.

o Both troops were divided into 4 main groups:
1. Jirjah Ibn Budhayha vs. Yazeed Ibn Abi Sufyan
2. Ad-Daraqas vs. Sharhabeel ibn Hasnah
3. Tudraaq vs. ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas
4. Al-Qayqulaan vs. Abu ‘Ubaydah Ibn Al-Jarrah

o The Romans camped at one side of the river, while the Muslims were on the other side.

o Khaleed had not joined the army yet as he was fighting in ‘Iraaq. When he received command from Abu Bakr to go to Yarmook, he brought ½ of his troops (chose all sahaabah to join his team) to Yarmook.

o When Khaleed arrived, the Muslim armies whisper among themselves as they’re terrified by the roman armies, and their emotions got swayed.

o Khaleed then said, “ In this battle, how I wish that my horse was handicapped, that my sword was blunt and the number of roman armies was multiplied more times,” only to blaze the fire of courage among the muslims.

o The battalions camped in Yarmook for 1 month before the battle actually began.

o It is the custom for the Muslim army that before any battle takes place, a group of Al-Wa’idzoon is sent to each battalion to remind them about the Hereafter. After the khatib has finished the short khaatirah, the qurra’ then will come and recite Suratul Anfaal in order to elevate their spirit of fighting for the sake of Allaah.

o In this battle, Abu Sufyaan Ibn Harb was appointed by Khaleed as the khatib, and Al-Miqdaad ibn Al-Aswad as the qurra.

o Khaleed then joined the 4 groups of Muslim armies under 1 commander, and each of the commanders would take turn to lead the battle. Khaleed was the first one to lead.

o Strategies employed by Khaleed in this battle:-
1. Arranged 36-40 battalions, each consisting of 100 men.
2. Abu ‘Ubaydah à leader of the center
3. ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas à leader of the right wing
4. Yazeed Ibn Abi Sufyaan à leader of the left wing

o Muslim women: at the back of the armyà supply water for the men, and dress their wounds.

In the Light of the Battle
o Khaleed’s stirring speech to his armies:

O Mujaahideen! This is a memorable day. It is the day on which our faith will be tested and tried. Today, we should avoid every kind of arrogance, pride and not contend for individual glory or egoistic bragging.

O Mujaahid of Islaam! Fight only to gain the Goodwill of Allaah. In the Muslim army today, there are many great generals; each of them is worthy and can be entrusted with the permanent command of this army. Today, you have assigned me with this honour of commanding the Muslim army. So, I hope that for the honour and victory of Islaam, today we will enter the battlefield of Jihaad as one. Allaah will be our Supporter and Defender.”

o As both armies confronted at Yarmook, the Roman general, Mahan scornfully addressed his counterpart, Khaleed and said, “ It looks as if poverty, nakedness and starvation have compelled you to come here. If you wish, I am willing to give each of you ten dinars, expensive clothes and good food. You can take these things and leave. Next year too, I can send you these things; you do not have to take the trouble to come here.”

o Khaleed was enraged on hearing these scornful, arrogant words. He answered, “ Mahan, listened to me very carefully! You are mistaken about the reason why we are here. We are the people who drink the blood of our opponents. We have heard that the Roman blood is very delicious. So, we have come here only to enjoy it!”

o He spurred his horse on. Waving the flag of Islaam, he shouted, “ Allaahu akbar!” and ordered his troop to attack the enemy.

o One of the Romans general, Jarjah, became a Muslim, after having a debate with Khaleed about Allaah & Rasool Allaah, sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam.

The Beauty of Brotherhood In Islaam
Three severely injured Mujaahideen were gasping for water, exhausted and parched with thirst. One of the other Mujaahid ran and fetched some water and gave it to one of them. He had hardly reached for the bowl when he lifted up his eyes and saw his companions in the same position. He said that he may be suffering more deeply and asked the water to be given to his companion first. The second Mujaahid saw the thrid one gasping with thirst and preferred that water to be given first to his friend, and he did not even touch it. When the man ran to the third Mujaahid, his soul had thrown of its mortal coil, and flown to Jannah. When the man returned back to the second Mujaahid, he had already passed on to Jannah, and so, for the first thirsty Mujaahid.

So, none of them in their love of each other, had died without quenching their thirst. Such is the proof of sacrifice and brotherhood that is unparalleled in the human history.

The True Soldier of Allaah, Khaleed.
o Abu Bakr passed away in Madinah, in the middle of the battle. ‘Umar, the Ameerul Mu’mineen, sent letter to Khaleed, asking him to step down from the position of the Ameer, and Abu ‘Ubaydah was appointed as the new Ameer.

- ‘Umar did this because he realized that Khaleed had such a powerful influence on the armies to the extend that every single muslim army would desire to be behind no other commander, except Khaleed.
- In order to avoid any fitnah in the future, and as ‘Umar knew by his heart that Khaleed could still perform excellently even as a regular soldier, he decided to remove Khaleed from the position.

o Khaleed read the letter and preferred to keep the news secret until the battle finished, lest it would discourage the army and cause them to lose heart at this critical time.

o Khaleed informed Abu ‘Ubaydah about the new command from ‘Umar. Khaleed hid the message in his clothes, and continue to fight as a regular soldier in the battle until the battle ended with triumph achieved by the Muslims.

o Khaleed’s dismissal became known to the Muslim armies after the battle was over. Someone asked him, “ How is it that the news did not dampen your spirit at all?” Khaleed replied, “ I was not fighting for the sake of ‘Umar. It doesn’t matter if I’m an Ameer or a regular soldier as I was fighting solely for the cause of Allaah.”

The Battle Ends, the Victory is achieved
o During the battle, 1 of the Roman general, Tudraaq, was killed and the army of the Roman retreated due to confusion and fear.

o Muslim won the battle and the announcement of Abu Bakr’s death was made.

o They wept to their hearts out of their immense love to the Khalifaah.

o Abu ‘Ubaydah was announced as the new Ameer, and they (the Muslim army) waited for the next command from ‘Umar, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu.

So many lessons to be learned from this battle, many more on the beautiful, magnificient akhlaaq of the beloved companions of the Prophet, sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam.

As Abu Bakr pointed out in his speech to the Muslim army, “ You will not be defeated because of your small number, but you may be defeated because of your sins.”

In essence, the victory is granted only for those who have pure emaan to Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’aala. May Allaah include us among them, aameen.

Abu Bakr As Siddeeq (May Allah be pleased with him)
~ Mountain of Truthfulness ~

Al Fatih Al Islami: The Islamic Conquest
o It was from the sincerity of the Muslim that they spread the Deen
o The did not accept the money offer (Some of the empires did offer money to the Muslim so that they will stay with their religion and never be disturbed again)
o The conquest was made not to convert people but to close the obstacle of the people from hearing the truth
o When they hear the truth, they will choose Islam

Brigade Specs
o Army was made up of volunteers
o Muslim general would get up in khutbah and call for mujaheed (fighter)
o Spoils were divided among fighters
o Commoners were constantly trained for the art of the war
o The Christians were fighting not because of their beliefs but of their connection to some Al-Mala’ (Political Leaders)
o The Muslims were fighting because of their connection to Allah (Ma Shaa’ Allah)
o The Muslim army progressively gets larger and larger
1. Roles of converts to Islam
2. As soon as the conquest started
o The armies were encouraged to bring the latest technology to the battlefield
1. War horses were encourage
2. Army with horses: 2 shares (of the war spoils)
3. Army w/o horses: 1 shares (of the war spoils)
o Standards (Flags with La ilaaha illaa Allaah written on it)
1. Liwaa’ (white): Carried by the learder of the army
2. Rayaa’ (black): Carried by the armies
3.To organize themselves
4. When the flag went down, they knew the lost (the leader of their army has died)

Abu Bakr’s Implementation
o No murtad (those who apostated and repented later) dude was allowed to join the army
=> He didn’t want bad examples to be in the Muslim army
o The conquered lands were under the responsible of the leader of the Muslim army
1. The scholars would go there to teach the new Muslims about Islam
2. In modern days, those lands will be destroyed after they were conquered
3. Some areas were conquered more than once because the people rebelled

Battle Strategies
o The armies were divided into 2 groups and will meet up at Al-Hirah (in ‘Iraaq, the first conquered to be land)
o The learder of the army who reached Hirah first will lead the army of the other army
o Benefits of these strategies:
1. Competition between ameers (to work stronger for the sake of Allaah)
2. To cut up the strength of the Persians
3. Assist one another (as back up army)
4. Ease the water and food supply (it takes time to feed HUNGRY PEOPLE)
o They will not conquer are area until the Khalifa’ has given permission to it

Conquest: ‘Iraaq
o 1st group of armies : Armies lead by Khalid Al Waleed
o 2nd group of armies: Armies lead by Iyaad ibn Ghanim
o Both armies were to gather at Al Hirah
o First venue: Al Ubullah against the Persian
1. The persian armies were tied up with chain so that they would not run away (they did not have eeman to ‘connect’ their ranks)
2. Harmaz (the leader of the Persian armies) arrogantly challenged Khalid for a one-to-one fight and was defeated by the first stroke of Khalid’s sword
3. His (Harmaz) armies was panicked seeing that their leader was killed even before the battle had started
4. The Muslim won and gained huge war spoils
5. 20% of those spoils were to be distributed among the Muslim armies
o Second venue: Kadhimah against the Persian
1. The Persian armies had a retreat plan (logically, if an armies have a retreat plan they will retreat)
2. Khalid saw this and thoght that the Persian would retreat
3. 30, 000 Persian armies were killed and the rest escaped with boat
4. The Muslim armies had eeman in their hearts that it was impossible for them to escape from the Battlefield (Giving up Jannah? No way!!)
o Third venue: Walijah and Ullays
1. Muslim won the battle in Walijah
2. The battle at Ullays was among the toughest that Khalid made an oath for several times to motivate himself
3. “The river will turn red” – Khalid
o Fourth venue: Al-Hirah (The capital of ‘Iraaq)
1. It took the Muslim armies four months to reach Al Hirah
2. Al Hirah was the first one who gave the Muslims the jizyah
3. If the people chose war instead of jizyah and lose, they might get killed and lose their wealth
4. Khalid assisted Iyaad ibn Ghanim in his (Iyaad) first battle (‘Ayn Al – Tamar)
5. Iyaad sent a letter to Khalid to ask for help and Khalid’s armies were already moving to Iyaad’s place at the same time as the letter were reaching them
6. When Khalid received the letter from Iyaad, his armies were already there!
7. Khalid then surrounded the town (‘Ayn Al - Tamar) and took care the outside while Iyaad and his armies took care of the inside
8. Khalid managed to conquer ‘Iraaq in four months, SubhanAllah.
9. ‘Iraaq then became the Center of Knowledge where everyone from around the world came to learn.
10. Look what happened to ‘Iraaq now, after it has been conquered by the Kuffar?
11. Totally devastated...!!

The Battle of Yarmook, will soon begin…stay tuned!!

Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (May Allah be pleased with him)

~Mountain of Truthfulness~

The battle against Musaylimah
o Muslim army: 11000, Musaylimah's army: lowest estimate was 40000
o Musaylimah's army backed into a garden and sealed it. The garden became known in history as the Garden of Death because of the many people killed there on that day.
o One Muslim soldier asked to be thrown into the garden so that he could open the door from the inside. Who was this very courageous soldier?

This man was al-Baraa ibn Malik al- Ansari, the brother of Anas ibn Malik, the personal aide of the Prophet. He was thin and wiry with so little flesh on his bones that it was painful to look at him. Yet in single- handed combat he defeated and killed many opponents and in the thick of battle he was an outstanding fighter against the mushrikeen. During the battle against Musaylimah, al-Baraa went forward and addressed his company, "Put me on a shield. Raise the shield on spears and hurl me into the garden near the gate. Either I shall die a martyr or I shall open the gate for you." He sustained numerous wounds before he could open the gate.(taken from "Companions of The Prophet", Vol.1, By: Abdul Wahid Hamid)

o The Muslim army charged into the garden through the open gate. Finally the Muslim army came upon Musaylimah and he was killed.

Conclusion on the story of Musaylimah
o 53 huffaaz were killed in the battle. That was when Abu Bakr decided to compile the Quran.
o Musaylimah had all the "ingredients" to be a prophet. But he lacked one important thing which is THE TRUTH.

Riddah conflict in Yemen and Bahrain
o Al-Aswad al-Ansee claimed to be a prophet.
o He possessed a great eloquence and a convincing speech. He was also a soothsayer who practiced magic arts. Those he could not win through trickery, he would try to buy with money.
o Not everyone in his tribe left Islam. There were those who fought against him.
o The fitnah ended when he was killed in a mission led by Fayruz ad-Daylami. (click on the link for details about Fayruz ad-Daylami and the story about the defeat of Al-Aswad Al-Ansee)
o Al-'Alaa ibn Hadhrami was sent to Bahrain. The people of Bahrain accepted Islam under him. Then some of them became apostates. Al-'Alaa was sent to be the leader of Bahrain since he already had an influence there.

"Gems": amazing points from this topic
o Leaders who returned to or accepted Islam were allowed to maintain their leadership. This kept the leaders and the tribes happy, and also as a gift to the leaders.
o Abu Bakr r.a. brought everybody back into Islam in TWO YEARS