A means of Hazrat Umar (ra) Accepting Islam
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has written in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin:
“Only a few days had passed after the acceptance of Hazrat Hamza (ra), when Allah the Exalted blessed the Muslims with another instance of happiness, in other words, Hazrat Umar (ra) who was a vehement enemy, accepted Islam. The disposition of Hazrat Umar (ra) enclosed a kind of stiffness, which was further increased by his enmity towards Islam. Therefore, prior to his acceptance of Islam, Umar (ra) subjected poor and weak Muslims to great torture on account of their Islam. But when he was exhausted of inflicting this agony and saw no signs of their return, he thought, ‘Why not finish the founder of this very fitna’, i.e. the Holy Prophet (sa). Upon this thought, he took hold of his sword and set out in search of the Holy Prophet (sa).
“On the way, when someone noticed him walking with an unsheathed sword in his hand, he enquired, ‘O Umar [ra], where to?’ Umar (ra) responded, ‘I have set off to slay Muhammad [sa].’ He replied, ‘Why do you not look after your own home first? Your sister and brother-in-law have accepted Islam.’
“Hazrat Umar (ra) immediately turned and started walking towards the home of his sister Fatima (ra). As he approached the home, he could hear the sound of the recitation of the Holy Quran from inside, which Khabbab (ra) bin Arat was reciting very melodiously.
“When Hazrat Umar (ra) heard this voice, he was further enraged and entered the home. As soon as Khabbab (ra) heard his footsteps, he hid somewhere and Fatima (ra) (his sister) also hid the various pages of the Holy Quran here and there. When Hazrat Umar (ra) entered, he shouted (at Hazrat Fatima (ra) and Hazrat Saeed (ra)) that, ‘I heard that you have left your faith!’ Then, he attacked his brother-in-law Saeed (ra) bin Zaid. Fatima (ra) was also wounded as she moved forward, in an attempt to save her husband and after that very courageously said, ‘Yes Umar! We have become Muslim. Do as you wish, we shall not leave Islam.’”
“When he heard the courageous words of his sister, he cast a glance upon her and noticed that she was covered in blood. This sight had an inexplicable impression upon the heart of Hazrat Umar (ra). After a short silence, he said to his sister, ‘Show me the word that you were reading.’ ‘I shall not,’ responded Fatima (ra), ‘for you will destroy the pages.’ Umar (ra) replied, ‘Nay, Nay! Please show me, I shall indeed return them to you.’ ‘But you are unclean,’ said Fatima (ra), ‘and the Quran should be touched in a state of purity. First bathe, then read.’”
“When Umar (ra) had taken a bath, Fatima (ra) placed the pages of the Quran before him. When he took hold of them and saw, they were the opening verses of Surah Ta Ha. Hazrat Umar (ra) began to read them with an awe-inspired heart and every single word deeply impressed the heart of this well-natured man” and the Holy Prophet (sa) had prayed for him as well. “While reading, Hazrat Umar (ra) reached the following two verses:
إِنَّنِیٓ أَنَا ٱللَّہُ لَآ إِلَٰہَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعۡبُدۡنِی وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰۃَ لِذِکۡرِیٓ إِنَّ ٱلسَّاعَۃَ ءَاتِیَۃٌ أَکَادُ أُخۡفِیہَا لِتُجۡزَىٰ کُلُّ نَفۡسِ بِمَا تَسۡعَىٰ
“‘Verily, I am Allah; there is no God beside Me. So serve Me, and observe Prayer for My remembrance. Surely, the Hour is coming; I am going to manifest it, that every soul may be recompensed for its endeavour.’ (Ch.20: V.15-16)
“When Hazrat Umar (ra) recited this verse, it was as if his eyes were opened and his latent disposition was suddenly aroused. He powerlessly said, ‘What a strange and holy word this is!’
“When Khabbab (ra) heard these words, he immediately came out from where he was hiding, thanked God and said, ‘This is due to the prayer of the Messenger (sa) of Allah. By God, it was only yesterday I heard the Holy Prophet (sa) pray that, “O Allah! Do bless either Umar bin al-Khattab or Amr bin Hisham (Abu Jahl) with Islam.’
“And so Hazrat Umar (ra) said to Khabbab (ra), ‘Tell me the way to Muhammad (sa) at once.’ In the fervour of his excitement, he kept his sword unsheathed.” He did not even remember to place the sword back in its cover.
“During this time, the Holy Prophet (sa) was in Dar-e-Arqam; as such, Khabbab (ra) gave him the location. Hazrat Umar (ra) went there and firmly knocked on the door. When the companions (ra) peered through the crack in the door and saw Hazrat Umar (ra) holding an unsheathed sword, they were reluctant in opening the door, but the Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘Open the door.’ Hazrat Hamza (ra) who was also present there also said, ‘Open the door. If he has come with pure intentions then well and good, otherwise, if his intentions are evil, by Allah, I shall sever his head by his own sword.’
“The door was opened and Hazrat Umar (ra) entered with an unsheathed sword in hand. Upon seeing him, the Holy Prophet (sa) moved forward and taking hold of Umar’s (ra) mantle, pulled it, saying, ‘O Umar, with what intention have you come? ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah,’ responded Hazrat Umar (ra), ‘I wish to become a Muslim.’
“When the Holy Prophet (sa) heard these words, in the fervour of his happiness, he said, ‘Allahu Akbar!’ and his companions (ra) called out the slogan of ‘Allahu Akbar’ so loudly that the mountains of Mecca began to resonate.”
(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 157-159)
Thus, this was Hazrat Saeed (ra) who became a means of Hazrat Umar (ra) accepting Islam.