Alhamdulillah, today we have reached the end of this episode in the biography of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him). To conclude, I would like to highlight the main theme discussed today—about the end of his life, his concerns, and the impending trials (fitan) that he foresaw.
One day, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting with his companions and asked them, “Who among you remembers the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding fitan (trials)?” Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (may Allah be pleased with him) responded, “I remember, O Commander of the Faithful.” Hudhayfah was known for his deep knowledge in this subject, as he was the Companion who specifically asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about trials and calamities when others would ask about blessings and ease. In this subject, Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) was like an encyclopedia among the Companions.
The Arabic word fitnah has many meanings, including tribulation, hardship, and moral testing. ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Hudhayfah, “Tell me what you know.” Hudhayfah replied, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Any trial that befalls a believer—whether it affects his wealth, self, children, or neighbors—can be expiated through acts such as prayer, fasting, charity, and commanding good and forbidding evil. These actions serve as expiation for one’s sins.”
However, ʿUmar clarified, “That is not the kind of fitnah I am asking about. I am asking about the fitan that will come like the waves of the sea—one after another, overwhelming and constant.” Hudhayfah responded with a profound answer: “O Commander of the Faithful, between you and those fitan is a closed door.” Meaning: the era of fitnah would not begin as long as ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) was alive. He was a barrier preventing their arrival.
Then ʿUmar asked a crucial question: “Will the door be opened, or will it be broken?” Hudhayfah answered, “It will be broken.” This answer deeply troubled ʿUmar because breaking a door is not like opening it—it means it can never be shut again. If the door had merely been opened, it could potentially be closed again. But once broken, the trials would continue until the Day of Judgment.
Thus, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) understood that he himself was that door. As long as he lived, the Muslim Ummah was united, protected from internal discord, sectarianism, and chaos. But after his martyrdom, the doors to division and fitnah were thrown open. Later generations witnessed the rise of deviant groups like the Qadariyyah, Jabriyyah, and others. The martyrdom of ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) marked the beginning of internal strife, and the Ummah had to face trials continuously from that point onward.
The Tabiʿīn, such as Masrūq (may Allah have mercy on him), recognized Hudhayfah’s unique knowledge in this area. They were hesitant to ask him directly but eventually inquired through intermediaries to confirm the identity of the “door.” Hudhayfah confirmed it—“That door was none other than ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him).”
Even the Shayṭān feared ʿUmar, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If ʿUmar walks on one path, Shayṭān walks on another.” After ʿUmar’s death, the waves of fitnah began to break upon the Ummah—division, differing sects, political conflicts, and spiritual confusion.
So we conclude this episode by reflecting on the strength, foresight, and unique role of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him)—a man whose presence shielded the Muslim Ummah from waves of tribulation, whose leadership preserved unity, and whose martyrdom marked the beginning of an era of trials that continue to affect us today.
Indeed, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was not only a strong leader who stood like a door blocking the wave of fitan (trials), but he also actively protected the Muslim community from intellectual and spiritual confusion. If anyone harbored doubts about matters of Islam—whether about verses of the Qur’an or complex rulings—ʿUmar would clarify them and eliminate those doubts with wisdom and firmness. We have discussed such examples in previous parts of his biography.
Among the remarkable aspects of ʿUmar’s life was his supplication, which was unlike most others. It seemed, on the surface, to ask for two contradictory things: he would pray, “O Allah, grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and let it be in the city of Your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).” At first glance, this seems impossible. After all, martyrdom typically occurs on the battlefield, far from cities—and certainly not within the security of Madinah. But ʿUmar knew that for Allah, nothing is impossible. His dua was accepted exactly as he asked: he was martyred in Madinah, during the Fajr prayer, while leading the Muslims in the Prophet’s Mosque.
This teaches us a vital lesson: we should never feel restricted in our prayers to Allah. Let us ask Him with full hope and sincerity, for His treasures are infinite, and He is capable of all things. ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) made a dua that might seem far-fetched to the world, but Allah accepted it in a way that astonished all.
As for the story of his impending caliphate and martyrdom, it was something even seen in the dreams of righteous companions. One such dream was narrated by ʿAwf ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him). He saw a rope descending from the sky, and people tried to grasp it, but only one man succeeded. That man was taller than others by three hands or three cubits—and he alone was able to hold onto it. When asked about this vision, he was told: “That is because ʿUmar will be the Caliph of Allah on this earth. He will not fear the blame of any blamer, and he will die a martyr’s death.”
The next day, ʿAwf went to Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), who was gifted in interpreting dreams. Abu Bakr listened carefully, and then said: “Call ʿUmar to me.” When ʿUmar arrived, ʿAwf began recounting the dream. But when he reached the part where he said, “ʿUmar will be the Caliph of Allah on this earth,” ʿUmar interrupted him, saying: “How much can a person see in his sleep?”—meaning that dreams are not to be relied on too heavily. This was his way of dismissing the idea, out of humility and modesty.
Years later, after ʿUmar had indeed become the Caliph and was giving a sermon, he called ʿAwf and reminded him of that old dream. He said, “Do you remember the dream you told me—the one I dismissed?” ʿAwf replied, “Yes, I remember.” ʿUmar then said, “I only dismissed it then because Abu Bakr was present, and I felt shy. How could I accept in front of him that I would be Caliph, when he was our teacher, our leader, and I was merely a student and servant?” This reveals the depth of ʿUmar’s humility—he had no ambition for power or position. He did not seek leadership; it was entrusted to him by the Ummah and decreed by Allah.
In the end, it was by Allah’s will that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb became the Caliph. He ruled with justice, strength, and deep concern for the Ummah, until his life was taken by martyrdom—just as he had prayed.
After ʿAwf ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated his dream in front of the Muslims, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) turned to the people and addressed them with great sincerity. He said:
“As for the first part of the dream—that I will be the Caliph of Allah on this earth—you can see with your own eyes that this has been fulfilled.
The second part, which said that I will not fear the blame of any blamer in the path of Allah—I hope that I have lived by that. I do not care about the criticism of people as long as I am on the truth. And I also hope that Allah, the Most High, knows this about me.”
Then ʿUmar paused.
He came to the third part of the dream—the most mysterious and touching part. He said:
“As for the part that says I will die a martyr’s death… how can that happen? I am in the land of the Arabs, in the very heart of the Muslim world. The Arabian Peninsula is the most secure and protected place for the Muslims.
Who would kill ʿUmar here? In Madinah? Among the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ)?
How would a martyrdom happen here?”
These were the thoughts that weighed on ʿUmar’s mind. Outwardly, he questioned how such a thing could happen. But inwardly, he entrusted the matter to Allah. He had already prayed for it:
“O Allah, grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and let it be in the city of Your Prophet.”
This was his hope. And indeed, it came to pass.
In the most unexpected way, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred in the Prophet’s Mosque, during Fajr prayer, stabbed by a fire-worshipping assassin—a man who was not a Muslim, a foreigner among the ranks of servants. Allah accepted ʿUmar’s supplication in the exact form he requested: martyrdom in Madinah.
This moment shows the remarkable depth of ʿUmar’s character—his humility, his honesty, his fear of Allah, and his total reliance upon Him. It also teaches us the power of sincere duʿā’, and how Allah can bring about what seems impossible to the human mind.
We now move on to the next part. A distinguished companion, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him), who was a respected governor during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saw a similar dream. He saw that he was going towards a mountain with several horses. Then he tried to climb the mountain, but it was very slippery. Gradually, the number of horses started decreasing. In the end, only one horse remained with him. He almost reached the top of the mountain, and at that moment, he saw two people sitting at the peak of the mountain. Who were they? They were Islam and Abu Bakr as-Ṣiddīq.
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed at Abu Musa al-Ashʿarī in the dream and said to him, “Tell ʿUmar to come to me.” So Abu Musa al-Ashʿarī understood from this dream that the time of ʿUmar’s death was near. He knew his end was close. This was very touching. ʿUmar himself had also seen a dream. He delivered the Friday sermon on the last day of his life. In that sermon, he mentioned this dream to the Muslims, and this is an authentic narration, recorded in Musnad Aḥmad.
It is narrated in Musnad Aḥmad that he said: “I saw a dream, and in interpreting the dream I realized that my death is very near. I saw a rooster pecking me twice. Then some people came and told me to appoint a successor. I replied that Allah, the Most High, will not allow this Caliphate to be mismanaged. So if anything happens to me, the next caliph will be appointed by these six people with whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased at the time of his death.” After that, he gave glad tidings and left the matter in the hands of the six companions. These six companions would form a council or committee and appoint the next caliph.
That Friday was the last Friday in the life of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him). So from this, we understand that we are now in the final week of his life. He had already received an indication from Allah through his dream that his time was near. Even in such a condition, he did not stop fulfilling his responsibilities towards the Muslim Ummah. There is a narration about an event that took place four days before his death. At that time, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was still engaged in his work. He met with the companions Hudhayfah and Shahriyār, and he assigned them the responsibility of going to Iraq to survey the land and report on the Kharāj (land tax) that had been imposed there.
ʿUmar said, “I hope that the kharāj (land tax) has not become burdensome for the people of Iraq — meaning, they are only being asked to give what they can afford.” ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb did not want to impose any kind of spiritual or financial hardship upon them. Even the non-Muslims living in those regions were not to be unjustly taxed. The Companions went and conducted a full survey, then returned and reported that they had left those people with more than what they had taken. In other words, no injustice was being committed against them. Upon hearing this, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said, “By Allah, if Allah grants me life and keeps me safe, I will ensure that no widow or any other woman in Iraq will be dependent on anyone. I will personally take care of their affairs, such that they will not need to turn to anyone else for help.”
Four days after this statement, ʿUmar was martyred. We now come to that event — and there is some background to it.
First, we should know that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed by a slave. He was very strict when it came to upholding the laws of Islamic Sharia and governing according to justice. He was not concerned with appearances, and he showed no signs of leniency in enforcing what was right. At that time, some non-Muslims were living in Madinah for various reasons. Most of them were prisoners of war, and many were kept as slaves. Although the number of non-Muslims in Madinah was low, there was still a mixed population of Muslims and non-Muslims. But ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb wanted to keep Madinah free from such a mixture.
He did not want Madinah — the center of Islamic knowledge and the pure city of the Prophet — to become like the border regions where Muslims were still new to Islam and fighting wars with non-Muslims. In those places, Muslim and non-Muslim populations lived close to each other. ʿUmar wanted Madinah to remain purely Muslim. He did not want non-Muslim slaves or free non-Muslims to live there without permission.
From past history, we also know that whenever non-Muslims lived among Muslims, problems arose. One example is the Jews of Madinah, who frequently plotted against the Muslims and tried to harm them. Even though slaves were not free — they were considered property won in war, and their ownership was lawful — the increase in the number of non-Muslims in Madinah made the Muslims uncomfortable.
At this point, it’s important to clarify what is meant by the term “slave” in the Islamic context. The concept and practice of slavery in Islam was entirely different from that practiced by the Europeans. European slavery was based on race — people of one skin color enslaving another and denying them all rights. But in Islam, slavery was not based on race, and the rules concerning slaves protected their dignity and rights. In fact, slaves in the Islamic world had opportunities for freedom, respect, and even social mobility. In many ways, being a slave was closer to having a job or a position of service rather than being subjected to oppression. The comparison is not fair at all — the two systems were entirely different.
Now we come to the specific reasons behind the assassination of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him). Though he wanted non-Muslims to leave Madinah, some companions objected to this and lobbied him to allow them to stay. These companions had employed many slaves in their businesses and trades and had come to rely on their services. Among them, the one who owned the most slaves was ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. He personally requested ʿUmar to allow the non-Muslim slaves to remain. ʿUmar, though reluctant, eventually agreed and gave permission.
Among these slaves was a Persian non-Muslim who was highly skilled. He was a craftsman and laborer who worked with metals and other materials. In the Persian regions, even before the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there existed advanced technology — such as water mills and windmills — used for grinding grain or drawing water. This particular slave, named Abū Luʾluʾah (or Fīrūz), was one of those engineers. One day, he came to ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb with a complaint. He said, “My master al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah is demanding too much tax from me. O Caliph, can you ask him to reduce it?”
Now, the actual matter was that al-Mughīrah employed him in work and required a certain amount of income from him as his slave. The slave had to hand over a portion of his earnings to his master. This was common practice. When he came with the complaint, ʿUmar followed the standard method of resolving such disputes. He would usually advise both sides, urging them to be fair and God-conscious. So when the slave came, ʿUmar advised him to fear Allah and to treat his master well.
But this advice displeased the slave. He turned away, upset, and returned with resentment in his heart.
Abu al-Wali narrated this incident. He said that one day, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by while a man was working. ʿUmar knew that this man, Abu Luʾluʾah, had the skill to build a special kind of mill powered by the wind, capable of grinding grains like wheat. So ʿUmar said to him, “I have heard that you can make a mill powered by the wind that grinds wheat.” Abu Luʾluʾah replied, “Yes, I can — and I will make a mill for you that people will speak about everywhere.”
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb was a man of sharp intellect and deep insight. When he heard that statement, he understood the hidden meaning behind it. What Abu Luʾluʾah actually meant was not that he would build a mechanical mill — rather, he was making a veiled threat. He was saying, in essence, “I will make you into a mill — you will be crushed by what I make.” ʿUmar understood it as a threat to his life. After he left that meeting, he remarked, “That slave has threatened to kill me.”
Even though he had clearly understood the threat, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb did not take any additional security measures. He was not concerned with protecting his own life. His thoughts were always with the security of the Muslim Ummah — the orphans of Arabia, the widows of distant Iraq. Personal matters never concerned him. He had never appointed bodyguards for himself, neither before nor after that incident.
Abu Luʾluʾah, being skilled in metalwork, began preparing a special knife. He forged a blade with two sharp edges and a central handle. Then he soaked the blade in a deadly poison until the metal had absorbed it fully. Once the poison had settled into the blade, he let it dry.
Around this time, there was a Persian man named Hormuzān, once an emperor in the Persian region who had been captured and later brought to Madinah. He accepted Islam and lived there as a Muslim. Abu Luʾluʾah showed Hormuzān the knife he had made and asked what he thought of it. Hormuzān said, “Don’t ever strike anyone with this — if you even touch someone with it, they will die.”
Abu Luʾluʾah had now fully prepared for his attack, and he waited for the right moment. The day finally came — the day on which ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred. The narration is mentioned in detail in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, and we will now relate the main part.
It was during the Fajr prayer. ʿUmar entered the mosque, as he usually did, to lead the congregation in prayer. Before starting, he would personally straighten the rows with his hands and call out, “Istawū, iʿtidilū” (Straighten the rows, stand aligned). He would also count the people in the congregation. Amr ibn Maymūn, the narrator of this hadith, was present that day. He said, “I was standing so close that there was nothing between me and ʿUmar except ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās. We were in the first row, directly behind ʿUmar.”
ʿUmar began the prayer and recited long passages, as was his practice during Fajr. He often recited lengthy sūrahs such as Sūrat Yūsuf, allowing the congregation to experience the full depth of the Qur’ān during this early prayer. Sometimes, by the time the prayer was over, daylight would have already spread across the land.
As the prayer began and ʿUmar said “Allāhu Akbar,” suddenly Abu Luʾluʾah appeared from behind and stabbed him multiple times — striking his shoulder and then piercing his lower abdomen and side. These deep wounds, especially the one in the stomach, would eventually lead to ʿUmar’s death.
ʿUmar, unaware of who attacked him, cried out, “The dog has attacked me!” He didn’t see the attacker, as he was struck from behind. But Abu Luʾluʾah didn’t stop there. After stabbing ʿUmar, he began attacking others around him. He lunged at anyone within reach, slashing to his right and to his left. In total, thirteen people were wounded, and seven of them were martyred on that day.
The scholars later said that the knife had been poisoned, which made the wounds even more lethal. The weapon itself was deadly, but the attack also revealed a deep-seated hatred in Abu Luʾluʾah’s heart — as detailed by Shaykh ʿAlī in his commentary on the incident.
At that time, no one came to the mosque carrying weapons. It was the Fajr prayer — a peaceful gathering. There was also no security posted to protect the caliph. ʿUmar had always refused to be guarded. Abu Luʾluʾah used this to his advantage and went on stabbing those around him until eventually, a cloth or sheet was thrown over him. Realizing he would now be caught and not escape, Abu Luʾluʾah immediately turned the blade on himself and committed suicide.
ʿUmar once said to ʿAbbās, “You and your father used to come to me, lobbying that I should allow more non-Muslim slaves to live in Madinah.” In ʿUmar’s eyes, the character of ʿAbbās was among the least aligned with Islamic values in that matter. Hearing this, Ibn ʿAbbās replied, “If only you would permit me, I would deal with them myself.” What he meant was, “I would kill them now.”
But ʿUmar responded, “You are mistaken. That opportunity no longer exists. Now they speak your language, they pray the way you pray, they perform Ḥajj like you do, and many of them have embraced Islam. You cannot just kill them.” What ʿUmar was emphasizing was that these people had integrated into the Muslim community. They were no longer foreign enemies — they were part of the same society.
In the beginning, they were prisoners of war. Islam offers several rulings regarding prisoners captured during war. One option is execution, particularly if the captives had directly fought against the Muslims. Another option is to exchange them for Muslim prisoners, to free them in return for a ransom, to grant them freedom without condition, or to retain them as slaves. The Caliph could choose from among these options, depending on the situation and what served the public good.
But ʿUmar pointed out that those early options no longer applied — too much time had passed. Many of these former slaves had embraced Islam, had become fluent in Arabic, and were now indistinguishable in faith and practice from the rest of the Muslim community. There was no legal or moral justification for killing them now.
At this time, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb was critically wounded, lying sick and bedridden. People brought him different kinds of food and drink, hoping he might recover some strength. But whenever he drank anything, including milk, it would come out from the wound in his stomach. The injury had torn through his abdomen so severely that his stomach could no longer hold food, much less digest it.
Seeing this, those around him realized that his time was near. Death was approaching quickly. Yet even in this final state — in pain, wounded, and unable to eat — ʿUmar did not neglect his duties. He remained conscious of his responsibilities to the Ummah. He prepared himself mentally and spiritually for death, accepting that the end was near.
Despite his suffering, he continued to make decisions, give guidance, and fulfill his obligations as Caliph. He did not allow personal agony to distract him from the greater good of the Muslims.
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed a committee of six companions and entrusted them with the responsibility of choosing the next Caliph. Who were those six individuals?
They were:
- ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān
- ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib
- Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ
- Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbaydillāh
- Az-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām
- ʿAbdur-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf
— may Allah be pleased with all of them.
If you look them up, you will find that out of the ten companions who were given the glad tidings of Paradise (the Asharah Mubashsharah), six were part of this very committee. The first two among those ten were of course Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq and ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb themselves, who had already passed. From the remaining two of the ten, one was Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ (may Allah be pleased with him), who had already been martyred—he passed away during the plague of ‘Amwās.
That left one more: Saʿīd ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). So why wasn’t Saʿīd ibn Zayd included in this committee, even though he too was among those promised Paradise?
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) intentionally chose not to include him. The reason was that Saʿīd ibn Zayd belonged to the same tribe as ʿUmar — the tribe of Banū ʿAdī. ʿUmar feared that if he included him, people might accuse him of tribal favoritism, of nepotism — that he had appointed someone from his own clan to influence the decision in his favor. So, in order to prevent any suspicion or claims of bias, he excluded Saʿīd ibn Zayd from the committee.
This shows the deep sense of justice and integrity that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb upheld, even in his final days, when he was near death. His concern was not about loyalty to tribe, but about preserving the unity and trust of the Muslim Ummah.
These six individuals were among those with whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased until his final moments. The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away while being pleased with them. Therefore, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said that whoever is to become the next Caliph must be selected from among these six companions.
He further instructed that if, during the selection process, the group ended up divided—three companions supporting one candidate and the other three supporting another—then in that case, the tie-breaking vote should go to ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar. And if even that did not resolve the matter, then the final decision should follow the opinion of ʿAbdur-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf (may Allah be pleased with him).
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb emphasized that if the people chose not to accept ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar’s decision, then they must follow the judgment of ʿAbdur-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf, because of his wisdom and piety. He said about him: “Jabbar ar-Raḥmān (i.e. Allah) protects him. He is a wise man, mature and guided—so accept his advice.”
ʿAbdur-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf was among ʿUmar’s close and trusted advisors. He held great insight and was highly respected for his integrity and decision-making ability. ʿUmar valued his opinion tremendously.
Additionally, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered that fifty strong men from the Anṣār should be kept ready to intervene if needed, in case of any dispute or chaos during the appointment of the new Caliph. He placed them under the command of Abū Ṭalḥah al-Anṣārī (may Allah be pleased with him). ʿUmar instructed them that once the six-member council had agreed upon a new Caliph, if anyone rose in opposition to their decision, these men should take action and strike down the rebellion.
Reflecting on all of this during the final moments of ʿUmar’s life, we learn two major lessons:
First, the deep-rooted hatred some non-Muslims hold in their hearts toward the Muslim community. Allah mentions this clearly in the Qur’an, warning us that this animosity exists, even when it is hidden. In another verse, Allah says: “The Jews and Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their religion.”
This enmity is not new—it has always been there. It’s something the Ummah must remain aware of.
Second, the unmatched fear of Allah that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) carried throughout his life. This quality of taqwā—God-consciousness—is what placed ʿUmar ahead of most others. Despite being promised Paradise, despite being the Caliph of the Muslim Ummah, his heart remained full of humility and fear of standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment.
He is famously known to have said:
“If I were given the option that all my good deeds be taken away from me and I would not be asked about any of my wrongs—just allowed to leave this world without any reckoning—I would accept that.”
Imagine that. This statement came from someone whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) had guaranteed Paradise. He was the leader of the Islamic world. And yet, his fear of accountability before Allah remained greater than his trust in his own deeds.
How many incidents of his righteousness, justice, and elevated status have we already seen throughout this series? His character was defined not by pride in his rank, but by constant accountability to Allah.
