Arrival at Baitul Maqdis

Hazrat Umar (ra) then arrived at Baitul Maqdis. In regard to this, it is written that after granting protection to the people of Ilya, Hazrat Umar (ra) stationed the army there and then travelled from Jabiya to Baitul Maqdis. It is written that when Hazrat Umar (ra) mounted upon his horse, he realised that the horse was limping owing to an injury to one of its hoofs. A horse of Turkish breed was brought before Hazrat Umar (ra). When Hazrat Umar (ra) mounted it, it began to prance and so he dismounted.

A few days later, Hazrat Umar (ra) called for his original horse, which he was not using as it was being treated. Hazrat Umar (ra) mounted upon the horse and travelled on it to Baitul Maqdis.

(Tarikh al-Tabari translated, Vol. 2, Chapter 2, p. 809, Nafis Academy, Karachi, 2003)

When they reached near Baitul Maqdis, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra) and a few other army chiefs came out to receive him. Hazrat Umar (ra) was wearing an extremely simple and modest attire and thinking what the Christians might say upon seeing him in this manner, they presented him with an expensive garment. However, Hazrat Umar (ra) stated, “The honour Allah the Almighty has conferred upon me is that of Islam and that is sufficient for me.” The Christian priests themselves handed over the keys to the city gates to Hazrat Umar (ra).

Hazrat Umar (ra) first went to Masjid Aqsa and then went to the church of the Christians and began to observe it and toured the church. When it was time for prayer, the Christians permitted Hazrat Umar (ra) to offer his prayers in the church. However, Hazrat Umar (ra) came outside and offered his prayer lest people who come later took this as a justification to annex the Christian churches.