Hazrat Umar Farooq — Page 11
Safwaan assured him, “I shall be responsible for your debts and your children. You must go and carry out your plans. ” Having agreed to this, Umair went home, dipped his sword in poison, and set out to Madinah. When he arrived in Madinah, Hadhrat Umar saw him and became worried. He went to the Holy Prophet and informed him about Umair’s arrival in Madinah and expressed his concern. The Holy Prophet asked Umar to bring Umair to him. Hadhrat Umar went to find Umair. On his way he met some of the Companions of the Holy Prophet whom he told to go and sit with the Holy Prophet and be on the alert. When Umair came, the Holy Prophet asked him to sit next to him and inquired about his visit. Umair said, “You are holding my son as a prisoner and I have come to obtain his release. ” “Then why this sword?” asked the Holy Prophet. Umair said, “The sword is of no use. What did the swords do for us at Badr?” The Holy Prophet asked, “Tell me the true purpose of your visit. ” Umair gave the same reply. The Holy Prophet inquired, “Haven’t you conspired with Safwaan in the courtyard of the Ka ‘ bah to kill me?” Umair was astounded, but insisted that he had not conspired with anyone. The Holy Prophet said to him, “If you have come to kill me, God will frustrate your design. ” Umair remained quiet for a while and then said, “You are right. We did conspire against you, but it seems that God is with you, as there was no other person present when Safwaan and I spoke to each other, and yet you have come to know of our intentions. Perhaps God had designed it so that I can become a believer. ” The Holy Prophet was pleased and addressing the Companions he said, “Umair is now your brother. Instruct him in the teachings of Islam and release his son. ” Umair remained in Madinah for some time until he became fully instructed in the teachings of Islam and became so devoted that he requested the Holy Prophet to allow him to go to Makkah and preach Islam to the Makkans. The Holy Prophet granted him the permission. He went to Makkah and persuaded several people to embrace Islam. HADHRAT UMAR IN THE BATTLE OF UHUD To take revenge of the defeat of Badr the Makkans attacked Muslims again. This time the Makkans raised an army of three thousand warriors. They reached the outskirts of Madinah and stopped near the mountain of Uhud. The Holy Prophet confronted this army with seven hundred of his followers. Hadhrat Umar was also with him. The Holy Prophet posted fifty of his men to guard a strategic narrow hilly pass so as to prevent the enemy’s attack from behind and faced the enemy with the rest of the force. Soon after the battle began the enemy was driven away. The Muslims ran after them, even some of the guards at the pass left their post and went in pursuit of the enemy in spite of Holy Prophet’s specific instructions to remain there. Two enemy Commanders Khalid bin Waleed and Amr bin Al-Aas, saw the poorly guarded pass, gathered their fleeing soldiers and attacked the Muslims from behind. The Muslim soldiers were scattered all over the battlefield and therefore could not assemble to repel the enemy’s attack. There were only twenty Muslims left around the Holy Prophet who made a protective ring in order to save him from the enemy. But the attack was so severe that the Holy Prophet fell injured and became 11