User:Striver/Hadith of Umar adopting Islam


 * ''This is a sub-article to Umar

Introduction
Umar was among the most bitter opponents of Islam in early days.

Date
He accepted Islam in the "sixth year of prophecy",, when he was twenty-seven years old , being around the fiftieths or sixtieth or so person to do so.

The conversion of �Umar took place in the fifth year of Muhammads mission (nine years before the Hijrah) soon after the departure of the emigrants to Abyssinia. At that time the surah Ta Ha was already written down and in circulation.

Killing Muhmmad
When Muhammad first declared his message of Islam, `Umar resolved to defend the traditional religion of the Quraish (regarded by Muslims as idolatry). `Umar was most adamant in opposing Muhammad and very prominent in persecuting the Muslims.

he set out one day, sword in hand, with the intention of killing Muhammad �this Sabaean who has split the unity of the Quraish, calls their ideals foolish and their religion shameful, and blasphemes their gods� �

Sa'd ibn abi waqqas
When a friend who met him dissuaded him, reminding him that if he slew Muhammadhe would have to deal with the vengeance of a powerful clan: �Thinkest thou that the Banu �Abd Manaf would let thee walk on the earth if thou hadst slain Muhammad?� For tribal pride survived religious difference. �It is not better for thee to return to the folk of thine own house and keep them straight?� �Umar asked, �Which the folk of my house?� �Thy brother-in-law and cousin, Sa�id bin Zeyd, and thy sister, Fatimah daughter of al-Khattab, for, by allah, they are Muslims and followers of Muhammad in his religion. so look thou to them.�

Umar is said to have resolved to assassinate Muhammad. A Muslim he met on the way told him to set his own house in order first, as his sister had converted to Islam.

Sisters house
Umar went to her house and found her reciting verses of the Qur'an. He became infuriated and hit her. When he saw her bleeding, he was sorry for what he had done and to please her, said he would read the sūrah, Ta-Ha, that she had been reading. He was so struck by the sūrah that he accepted Islam that day.

Then �Umar returned, enraged against his sister and brother-in-law, and there was with them in the house Khabab ibn �Arit. having with him a leaf on which was written surah Ta Ha which was read aloud to them. When they heard the noises of �Umar�s coming, Khabab hid in a closet that they had in the house and Fatimah took the leaf and hid it under her thigh. But �Umar had heard the sound of Khabab�s reading as he drew near the house, and when he entered he said: �What was that mumbling which I heard?� They said: �Thou heardest nothing.� �Umar said: �ye, by Allah! And I have already been informed that ye are become followers of Muhammad in his religion.� Then he attacked his brother-in-law Sa�id bin Zeyd, but Fatimah sprang to keep him off her husband and he struck and wounded her. And when he had done that, his sister and his brother-in-law said to him: �Yes, we are Muslims and we believe in Allah and His messenger, so do what thou wilt!� But when �Umar saw the blood upon his sister he was sorry for what he had done and he said to his sister: �Give me that leaf from which I heard you reading just now, that I may see what this is that Muhammad has brought.� And �Umar was a scribe. When he said that, his sister said: �We fear to trust thee with it.� he said: �Fear not!� and swore by his gods that he would return it to her when he had read it. and when he said that, she hoped for his conversion to Islam but said: �O my brother, thou art unclean on account of thine idolatry and none may touch it save the purified.�

ibn Hisham?
Then �Umar went out and washed himself, and she gave him the leaf on which the surah Ta Ha was written and he read it. And when he had read it he said: �How excellent are these words!� and praised it highly. And when he heard that, Khabab came out to him and said, �O Umar, I hope that allah has brought you an answer to the prayer of the Prophet, for only yesterday I heard him saying: �O Allah! strengthen Islam with Abu al-Hakam ibn Hisham or �Umar ibn al-Khattab; and Allah � Allah, O �Umar!� At that he said: �O Khattab, direct me to Muhammad that I may go to him and make surrender.�

Fighting
After that, he was as determined and impetuous in defending Islam as he had been in persecuting it. The meaning of the Qur'an

Sunni view
Another popular belief is that when he came to his house, His sister and her husband who were reciting the Quran were so scared that they hid the Holy Quran by throwing it into a burning food cooker. When Umar came entered the house, he asked his sister about the quran, and started searching for it. He found the Quran untouched within burning flames, he converted after seeing that miracle.

Sunni state that it was only after Umar accepted Islam that Islam was shown openly in Mecca, and that the Muslims rejoiced in him.