Cap blessed by him for the Byzantine Emperor

There is also an incident about a cap blessed by Hazrat Umar (ra) for the Byzantine Emperor. Regarding this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) writes:

“During the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (ra), the Byzantine Emperor suffered from severe headaches, and despite all efforts to cure the ailment, he was unable to find relief. Someone suggested to him, ‘You should write to Hazrat Umar (ra) about your condition and request something blessed by him. He will not only send you something blessed but will pray for you as well. Perhaps through the prayer of Hazrat Umar (ra), you will be cured.’

“He sent an emissary to Hazrat Umar (ra). Hazrat Umar (ra) thought to himself that these people were arrogant, and it was very unlikely for them to be inclined towards him, and only due to the Emperor’s anguish had he sent a representative. Hazrat Umar (ra) thought that if he sent a blessed object, the Emperor might think of it as insignificant and not utilise it. For this reason, he thought that he should send something that fulfilled the function of a blessed object and also broke the Emperor’s arrogance. Therefore, as a blessed object, Hazrat Umar (ra) sent an old and ragged hat that had stains all over it and had changed colour due to the accumulation of dirt.

“When the Emperor saw the hat, he was very displeased and did not wear it. However, God Almighty desired to convey to him the message that now he could only attain blessings by means of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). He suffered from such a severe headache that he was forced to summon his servants and asked them to bring the hat sent by Hazrat Umar (ra) so he could wear it. He wore the hat and his pain began to ease. Because his headache would return every eight to 10 days, it became routine for him to wear the ragged and dirty hat sent by Hazrat Umar (ra) whilst seated in his royal court.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) further states:

“This sign shown to the [Byzantine] Emperor by Allah the Almighty has another hidden aspect. A companion of the Holy Prophet (sa) had been imprisoned by the Emperor and he ordered for him to be fed the meat of swine.

“He would endure starvation, rather than going near swine meat. Although Islam has permitted that if one is driven by absolute necessity, one can consume swine, but he would say that he was a companion, and thus would not do so. When many days of starvation would pass, and he would be close to death, the Byzantine Emperor would give him something to eat. Then, as he regained some strength, he would again instruct that he should be given swine to eat. Thus, he would not let him die, nor would he let him live in peace. Someone said to him that he was experiencing severe headaches because he had imprisoned a Muslim, and now the only solution was to ask Umar to pray for him, and request him for a blessed object. When Hazrat Umar (ra) sent his hat, and this eased his [Emperor’s] pain, this had such an impact on him that he freed the Companion. Observe how the Emperor had imprisoned a Companion, and as a punishment, Allah the Almighty caused an ailment in his head. Someone then suggested to him that he should seek a blessed object from Umar, and request him to pray for him. Hazrat Umar (ra) sent that blessed object, and the Emperor’s ailment was cured. Thus, Allah the Almighty ensured the means for the freedom of that Companion, while also proving the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet (sa) to the Emperor.”

(Sair-e-Ruhani [4], Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 19, pp. 536-537)

It is recorded in Tafsir al-Razi that the Byzantine Emperor wrote to Hazrat Umar (ra), saying, “I am experiencing pain in my head and I have been unable to find a cure, so please send me a remedy.”

Thus, Hazrat Umar (ra) sent him a hat. Whenever the Emperor wore the hat, the pain would be cured, and as soon as he removed the hat, the pain would return. This bewildered him, and so he examined the hat, and found in it a piece of paper with the following words written on it:

بِسۡمِ‭ ‬اللّٰهِ‭ ‬الرَّحۡمَنِ‭ ‬الرَّحِيمِ

“In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful.” This has been recorded in Tafsir al-Razi.

(Tafsir Kabir li Imam Razi, Vol. 1, p. 143, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)