Mohsin Aziz

It was almost six years since Mohammad ibn Abdullah had declared that he was a prophet and was inviting Makkans to Islam. Slowly the number of believers in his message was increasing and upsetting the social order of Makkah. Established power centers were worried. One of them was Umar Ibn Khattab. One day Umar decided that enough was enough and set out to kill the Prophet with a sword in his hand. On the way he was informed that his sister Fatima Ibn Khattab and her husband have already accepted the message and were Muslims. This enraged him no end and his anger was redirected towards his sister. He decided to first tackle his sister.

Furious Umar went straight away to his sister’s house and found them listening to the Quran. Seething with anger he stuck his brother-in-law and also hit his sister and injured her. Seeing blood dripping from her face, Umar was shaken. Fatima told him that he may kill her, but she would never leave Islam. Seeing her courage and blood he softened and asked her to let him read what they were reading. He read the following passage:

“Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.” (Quran, Surah TaHa:14)

Umars heart changed that moment. He asked to be taken to the Prophet. Umar accepted Islam that day. The rest is history. He went on to become the second caliph after the death of the prophet, and it was during his caliphate that the Roman and the Persian empires were defeated. From these victories emerged a new Islamic Civilization that transformed the economic, cultural and political map of the old world in way unmatched in world history.