Omar In Action
Unbeknownst to Omar, his sister Fatma and brother-in-law, Said bin Zayd, had covertly become Muslims. Some of his relatives like Nuaim bin Abdullah had also reverted to Islam yet none of had revealed their Islamic identity.
Omar was marching towards our Master determined to kill him, who happened to be at Erkam’s house at that point, accompanied by his uncle Hadhrat Hamza (ra), Abu Bakr (ra) and Hadhrat Ali, along with approximately 40 other Muslims…
While Omar was hysterically walking by the hill side, he bumped into Nuaym, his relative… Judging from Omar’s frenzy and the path he was on, Nuaym asked with conjecture:
“Where are you headed O Omar?”
“To Muhammad! The inventor of the new religion… The man who split Quraish into two! He dishonored us and degraded our forefathers! I’m going to kill him!”
Nuaym was horrified, “Omar, you’re succumbing to your ego and attempting to engage in an evil act… If you kill him, do you think the sons of Abdi Manaf will let you live?”
“I am now convinced that you too are of those who have gone astray! Am I correct?”
“Instead of questioning me, go and question with your own household first!”
“What about my household?”
“Your sister Fatma, your brother-in-law and your uncle have all become Muslims! So go and sort your family out first before meddling in others’ business!”
Omar released Nuaym whose shirt he had took hold of… He could not believe it! His own sister and brother-in-law had become Muslims? This couldn’t be correct! He changed his path and headed directly to his sister’s house…
At this point Habbab bin Arat was at his sister’s house, teaching her and his uncle Said the Quran…
When they heard the loud footsteps outside, they immediately stopped reciting the Quran and Fatma hid the piece of leather on which the Quran was written in her chest… However, Omar had already heard the Quran recitation…
The door opened with a forceful push and Omar walked inside with fury… He shouted, “What were you reading?”
“We were just conversing!” Said answered…
Omar wasn’t convinced:
“I swear that I have found out about your conversion to Muhammad’s religion! Now confess the truth!”
Said knew there was no use in prolonging it:
“O Omar! Can you still not see that the true religion is much different to the gods that you worship?”
Omar was a hot-headed, short-tempered man. These words were enough to make him knock his brother-in-law down, sit on his chest and relentlessly punch him… Fatma ran and tried to push Omar off her husband but this time Omar turned and slapped Fatma so hard that she too fell to the ground. Her nose started to bleed…
They had had enough… Both of them cried out “Hear the truth then! Yes, we have become Muslims! We bear witness that there is no god, only Allah and Muhammad is the Rasul of Allah! Now do as you like, only the ignorant and the deviants are unable to understand the reality of Islam!”
When Omar saw their ultimatum and the blood running down his sister’s face, he was taken aback… He settled down and started feeling bad for what he had done… With a softened tone he asked again…
“Please give me the page you were reading, let me see what it is that Muhammad has brought…”
Fatma didn’t trust him, “No! You will harm it! I cannot give it to you!”
Omar promised, “I swear I will not harm it; I only want to read it…”
Fatma was convinced of his sincerity, however she insisted:
“Only the pure can touch the Quran! You are filthy with the dirt of duality! Go and wash yourself first, then you can read it!”
Omar went home, took a bath and came back. His state had changed; his demeanor had completely softened… Omar was a literate man. They gave him the page on which chapter Ta-Ha and al-Hadid was written and Omar started to read it:
In the name of Allah, the Rahman, the Rahim…
O man (pure Muhammadan consciousness, the original Self metaphorically described as the totality of the Names taught to Adam and the Spirit that was blown into Adam)!
We did not reveal the Quran for you to be miserable.
It (the revealed knowledge) is only a reminder (of its reality) to a consciousness that is open to awe (perceptive to the might of Allah)!
It is sent down in parts from the creator of the earth (body) and the great heavens (the forms and levels of consciousness manifesting from the dimension of Names).
Rahman is established on the Throne (Rahman established His sovereignty by creating the worlds [the existential world created by the potential of the Names inherent in one’s brain] with His Names, i.e., in the quantum potential, Rahman observes His knowledge through His knowledge).
Whatever is in the heavens (consciousness) and the earth (manifest action) and everything in between (in one’s imagination) and beneath the earth (the depths of his body) is for Him (for the manifestation of His Names).