Intense Love for the Holy Prophet (sa)

Hazrat Umar’s (ra) intense love for the Holy Prophet (sa) can be gauged from the following incident – which has already been mentioned in a previous sermon as well. Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrates in this regard that when the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away and the news reached Hazrat Umar (ra), he stood up and said, “By God! The Holy Prophet (sa) has not passed away.” Hazrat Aisha (ra) said that Hazrat Umar (ra) would say, “By God, this was how I felt.” He truly thought that Allah would awaken the Holy Prophet (sa), so that he would cut off the hands and feet of some people. Then, when Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)arrived, he recited verse 145 of Surah Al-e-Imran [chapter 3 of the Holy Quran], and implored Hazrat Umar (ra) to see the reality, after which the matter was resolved.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada‘il Ashab al-Nabi (sa), Bab Qaul al-Nabi (sa) Law Kunta Muttakhidhan Khalila, Hadith 3667-3668)