Hazrat Umar’s (ra) Concern about Protecting the Treasury

“Hazrat Uthman (ra) said to me, ‘Find out as to who this is!’ I replied by saying, ‘It is a man draped in a cloak who is pulling two young camels.’ When the man drew nearer, Hazrat Uthman (ra) again asked, ‘Who is this person?’ I saw and realised that it is was Hazrat Umar (ra) bin Al-Khattab. I submitted, ‘It is Amirul Momineen [the Leader of the Faithful].’ Hazrat Uthman (ra) stood up and peered out from the door when a searing gust of hot air caused him to withdraw his head, but he quickly turned in the direction of Hazrat Umar (ra) and submitted, ‘What has compelled you to leave your home at this hour?’ Hazrat Umar (ra) explained, ‘These two camels were left behind from among the camels for sadaqah [alms], and all other camels had been shepherded away. I wanted to take them to the pastures for fear that they may get lost and thus Allah would hold me accountable for them.’ Hazrat Uthman (ra) stated, ‘O Amirul Momineen, please come under the shade and have a drink of water, we are present here to serve you.” In other words, they would arrange for them to be sent. “Hazrat Umar (ra) replied, ‘Return and rest and be seated in your shade.’”

The freed slave of Hazrat Uthman (ra) continues to narrate, “I submitted, ‘We have that which is adequate for you also.’ Hazrat Umar (ra) replied to this and said, ‘Return to your shade.’ Following this, he departed. Hazrat Uthman (ra) then stated: ‘Whosoever desires to observe Al-Qawiyy and Al-Ameen’”, that is, the strong and trustworthy, “‘then he should look to this man.’”

In another narration, it is recorded that Umar bin Nafi narrates from Abu Bakr Isa, “I accompanied Hazrat Umar (ra) bin Al-Khattab, Hazrat Uthman (ra) bin Affan and Hazrat Ali (ra) bin Abi Talib when charity was being collected. Hazrat Uthman (ra) was sat under a shade while Hazrat Ali (ra) stood near him and repeated all the things Hazrat Umar (ra) was stating. Hazrat Umar (ra), undeterred by the severe heat of day, stood in the sun with two black cloaks, one used as a lower garment and the other as a head covering, while inspecting and noting down the age and colour of the camels that had been donated for charity. Hazrat Ali (ra) then said to Hazrat Uthman (ra), ‘Have you heard of this saying of the daughter of Shu‘aib in Allah’s book:

اِنَّ‭ ‬خَيْرَ‭ ‬مَنِ‭ ‬اسْتَاْجَرْتَ‭ ‬الْقَوِيُّ‭ ‬الْاَمِيْنُ‬‬‬‬‬

“That is, ‘The best man you can hire is the one who is strong and trustworthy’? Then, Hazrat Ali (ra) indicated toward Hazrat Umar (ra) and said, ‘He is very strong and a trustworthy man.’”

(Usdul Ghaba Fi Marifat Al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, p. 667, Dar-ul-Fikr Beirut Lebanon, 2003) (Umdahtul Qari Sharah Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 16, p. 279, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Alarabi, Beirut)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) narrates an incident related to this regarding Hazrat Umar (ra):

“Hazrat Uthman (ra) recounts, ‘I was once seated in my quarters and the heat was so severe that it was difficult to even muster the strength to open the door. In the meantime, one of my assistants told me that there was a man walking outside in the scorching heat. I moved the curtains to find a man whose face was burnt by the intense heat. I replied saying that he must be a traveller, but just a few moments later, that man arrived closer to my quarters and I realised that it was Hazrat Umar (ra). Upon seeing him, I became concerned and went outside and asked, ‘Where are you going at this time in this intense heat?’ Hazrat Umar (ra) said, “A camel from the treasury has been lost and I am out searching for it.”’”

(Tafsir-e-Kabir Vol. 8, pp. 314-315)

This is the incident of a camel that was lost, and it was mentioned once before as well.

Hazrat Umar (ra) was once distributing wealth from the treasury when his daughter came and took a dirham. Hazrat Umar (ra) stood to retrieve it from her which caused his cloak to dangle from one shoulder. Upon seeing this, the girl raced home crying and put the dirham in her mouth. Hazrat Umar (ra) used his finger to remove the dirham from her mouth and returned it to the treasury and said, “O people, Umar and his family, whether closely related or distantly, have the same rights as any Muslim does and nothing more.”

There is also another narration; Hazrat Abu Musa (ra) once donated a broom to the treasury and received a dirham. A young child of Hazrat Umar (ra) passed by and Abu Musa (ra) gave that dirham to the child. Hazrat Umar (ra) saw the dirham in the child’s hand and asked about it, and the child informed him that he received it from Abu Musa (ra). After learning that the dirham had come from the treasury, Hazrat Umar (ra) said, “O Abu Musa (ra), did you not find anyone amongst the dwellers of Medina more in need than the household of Umar? Did you desire that none should be left out from the ummah of Muhammad (sa) but that they should seek recompense from us for this wrong?” He then returned the dirham to the treasury.

(Izaalatul-Khulafa An Khilafat Al-Khualafa, translated by Istiaq Ahmad Sahib, Vol. 3, p. 286, Qadeemi Kutub Khana Araam Baagh Karachi)