Hazrat Umar Farooq — Page 39
HADHRAT UMAR CARED FOR THE WELL BEING OF HIS PEOPLE After performing State duties Hadhrat Umar often used to go outside at night to see if there was anyone in need of something. Once he met a woman in the street who told him that she had lost her husband and had nothing to feed her ten children. She told him that she was daughter of Hadhrat Khafaaf, a Companion of the Holy Prophet. Hadhrat Umar listened to her, came home, loaded a camel with provisions and delivered it to her. He also ordered that she should be given an allowance from the State regularly. Someone commented that she was given more than she needed. Hadhrat Umar did not agree to this and said, “She deserved plenty. I know she is the daughter of such a great person and sister of such a noble man. ” Hadhrat Umar used to visit the families of those soldiers, who were fighting in the cause of Allah away from their homes, to buy daily needs for them, write letters for them and even deliver their letters to them personally. He was very anxious to know the condition of his people. Sometimes he would go alone in the dark in disguise to find out for himself how his people were getting on. On one occasion when Hadhrat Umar was passing through a street in the outskirts of Madinah at night, he heard some children crying. He went to the house and saw a woman cooking something while her children sat crying close by. Hadhrat Umar waited for a while, then went to the woman and said to her, “Why don’t you serve food to your children? It is getting too late. ” She replied that she had no food to give to her children and had placed the pot, full of water, on the fire in order to give them the impression that the food would be ready in a short time. Hadhrat Umar was very distressed to hear this. He rushed back to Bait-ul-Maal, picked up a bag of flour, meat, cooking oil and some dates and hurried back to the tent. His servant Aslam begged him to let him carry the load, but he refused saying, “No doubt you can carry this weight for me today, but who will carry my burden on the Day of Judgement?” Arriving at the house, he delivered the food to the woman and told her to prepare the meal. In the meantime the children had gone to sleep exhausted. Hadhrat Umar waited till the meal was ready and the children were awakened and fed. The woman thanked him for his kindness and said, “May God bless you, it would be far better if you were the Khalifah of the Muslims, instead of Umar who is not aware of the condition of his people. ” Hadhrat Umar said, “Well woman! Umar may not be so bad after all,” and left. Once when Hadhrat Umar was making a round at night, he saw a Bedouin sitting outside the door of his tent. He sat down beside him and began to talk to him. Suddenly he heard a groan from inside the tent. The man told him that his wife was in labour. Hadhrat Umar asked him if there was any woman with her to look after her. The man replied that there was none. Hadhrat Umar hastened back to his house, took his wife along with him and returned to the tent. In a short while a child was born and Umm-e-Kalsoom, wife of Hadhrat Umar, called out, “Ameer-ul- Momineen! Congratulate your friend on the birth of a son. ” When the man heard the words “Ameer-ul-Momineen”, he jumped up with surprise and stood respectfully before Hadhrat Umar. “ Never mind! Said Hadhrat Umar, “Come to see me tomorrow and I will sanction an allowance for the baby. ” 39