Stories from Early Islam — Page 166
166 very anxious to know about the condition of his people. So he would go about unattended in the dark to find out for himself. On one occasion, when he was walking in the dark, he heard some children crying. Attracted by the sound, he went to the tent from which it came. He saw a woman sitting before a fire. It appeared that the woman was cooking something, while her small children sat crying nearby. It was late for the children to have their meal. Umar stepped up to the woman and inquired, ‘What is in the pot on the fire?’ She explained that she had no food to give to the children and had placed the pot full of water and stones, on the fire in order to give them the impression that the food would be ready. Umar was distressed to hear this. He hurried back to the State Store, picked up a bag of flour, meat, cooking oil and some dates and rushed back to the tent. His servant begged him to let him carry the load, but he refused saying, ‘It is my responsibil- ity. You would not carry my burden on the Day of Judgement’. Arriving at the tent, he delivered the provisions to the woman and told her to prepare a meal. In the meantime the children had gone to sleep exhausted. Umar waited till the meal was ready and the children were awakened and fed. The woman thanked him for his kindness and by way of expressing grati- tude said, ‘It would be far better if you were the Khalifah of the Muslims, rather than that wretched Umar who is not aware of the condition of his people’.