Great Esteem in the eyes of Hazrat Umar (ra)

Once, Hazrat Umar (ra) sent Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra) 4,000 dirhams and 400 dinar and told his emissary to take note of what Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra) did with that wealth. And so when this emissary took the wealth and gave it to Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra), he distributed it all amongst the people. The emissary narrated the entire event to Hazrat Umar (ra) and he stated, “We are thankful to Allah for He granted Islam people like Abu Ubaidah (ra).”

On one occasion, Hazrat Umar (ra) asked his companions to express their desire for something. One of them replied, “I wish this house be filled with gold, so I could spend it in the way of Allah as Sadaqah.” Another one stated, “I wish this house be filled with pearls and rubies, so I could spend it in the way of Allah as Sadaqah.” Hazrat Umar (ra) then asked them to further express what they desired. They submitted, “O Leader of the Faithful, we do not understand as to what it is that we should desire?” Hazrat Umar (ra) stated, “I wish that this house be filled with people like Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah(ra), Hazrat Mu‘az bin Jabal (ra), Salim (ra), freed slave of Abu Huzayfa (ra) and Hazrat Huzayfa bin Yaman (ra).”

(al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 252, Kitab Marifat al-Sahabah, Dhikr Manaqib Salim Maula Abi Huzayfa, Dar-ul-Kutub Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Thus, how fortunate were these people, who attained the pleasure of Allah the Almighty in this world and in the Hereafter.