‘Umar and the Eloquent Woman

Ash-Sha’bi (ra) reported that Ka’b Bin Sur was sitting with ‘Umar when a woman came and said, “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen! I have never seen a man better then my husband. By Allah, he prays the night and fasts the day.” Upon hearing this, ‘Umar praised the woman and supplicated for her, and she shyly departed. Ka’b then said, “O Ameer al-Mu’mineen! Shouldn’t you have considered her accusation against her husband, for she indeed was quite eloquent in her complaint!” ‘Umar replied, “Why do you not judge between them, for you have understood about her situation that which I did not.”
[After he judged], ‘Umar said, “By Allah, your first understanding (of her situation) is not more amazing then the second (the judgement). I hereby appoint you as judge over Al-Basrah, and indeed, you are a remarkable judge.”

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Source: Recorded by Ibn Abi Shaybah and others
Taken from: Al’ ilmun Nafi’

Making the Qur'an ones greatest preoccupation

Whenever officials were to be despatched on missions, Umar would make them promise not to ride on Turkish horses, eat fine flour or wear silken clothes, and not to close their doors to the needy. He warned them that if they fell into any of these errors, they would be punished. Then, having extracted this promise from them, he would send them off. If Umar had to relieve some official of his duties, he would say to them:
"I did not appoint you to lord over the Muslims so that you could indulge in carnage and despoil them of their honour and their property. I appointed you to establish prayer, to distribute the spoils of war and to make just decisions concerning them"

[Al Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan Al Kubra]

Abu Hasin relates how Umar used to tell newly appointed officials to make the Qur'an their greates preoccupation and to place less emphasis on relating the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad: "And I am with you," he would add.

[Al Tabarani]

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Source: Pg 254, An Islamic treasury of virtues by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Wealth can be of use in this world and the next

Umar entrusted some official duty to Abu Ubaydah ibn Jarrah for which he gave him one thousand dinars. The latter returned the sum, saying: "Ibn Khattab, I did this work, not for you, but for the sake of Allah; I will not, therefore, accept any payment." Umar then said to Abu Ubaydah: "When the Prophet used to send us on errands, he would recompense us, and if we showed reluctance to accept what he gave, he told us we ought not to demur as it would be of assistance to us in matters pertaining both to our worldly affairs and to our religion." On hearing this, Abu Ubaydah accepted what Umar offered him.

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Source: Al Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan Al-Kubra, Pg 198, An Islamic treasury of virtues by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Thriving on criticism

Addressing Abu Ubaidah and Muadh, the second Caliph Umar ibn Khattab said, "Keep a watch on me: I am ever in need of your vigilence"

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Source: Pg 188, An Islamic treasury of virtues by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Daughter of Islam

Caliph Omar was a leader in the city of Madina, in Saudi Arabia. At night he would walk around the city to see if everything was okay or if something was wrong. He would try to fix things so that everybody would be okay. One night, he went in a costume so that people wouldn't know it was him. (He did it all the time.) He went with a friend named Ibn Abbas, and they went to all parts of the city, and finally to a neighborhood where very poor people lived.
When he was walking by a very small house, he heard a mother telling her daughter to put water in the milk to sell it so that they would get more money. The daughter told her mom that she did that before they were Muslims, but now that they are Muslim, they cannot add things to the milk. The mother told her to put water in the milk. The daughter said, "No. The Caliph said that we should not add things to the milk."

The mother said, "We are too poor. It is the only way we can get money for even some bread. The Caliph has forgotten us, and he won't know what we did."
The daughter said, "But it is against the law, and I won't break the Caliph's rules, and fool other Muslims."

The daughter wouldn't let her mother put water in the milk because, she knew in her own heart that it was wrong, and she knew that Allah would know.

The mother did not say anything so they both went to sleep.

The next day, Caliph Umar sent a man to buy milk from the girl. The milk didn't have water added to it. The girl did what she knew was right.

Caliph Umar said to his friend, "The girl stayed strong even when her mother wanted her to do something wrong. She deserves a reward. What reward should I give her?'

"She should be paid some money," said lbn Abbas.
Caliph Umar said, "A girl like her would be a great mother. She doesn't stop doing what is right even if she will get money for it. Because she is so good, she should be given the greatest gift in the nation, because everyone in the nation should learn how to be good like her."

The Caliph sent for the girl and her mother to come to his court. The mother shivered because she was afraid when she stood before the mighty ruler, but the girl stood boldly and without fear. She was beautiful, and she stood straight and tall.

Then, in front of everyone, Caliph Umar told how he had overheard the mother and the daughter talking about adding water to the milk, and how the girl had done what was right, even when her mother told her not to.

Someone said that the mother should be punished, but the Caliph said that usually he would, but he had forgiven her because her daughter was so good. Then he turned to the girl and said, "Islam needs daughters like you and as a Caliph of Islam, it is my job to reward you, and I would like to reward you by having you as my daughter."

Then the Caliph called his sons and said to them, "Here is a wonderful girl who would make a great mother. I want one of you to take this girl as a wife. I don't know a better bride than this girl who is so good."

Abdullah and Abdur Rhaman, the oldest sons of the Caliph were already married. Asim, the third son wasn't married yet, and he offered to marry the girl. When the girl and her mother agreed, Asim married the girl and the milkmaid became the daughter-in-law of the Caliph.

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Source: Stories from Around the World, written in the words of Aisha, Bilal and Omer Choudhry - ages 9, 7 and 7 :)

Umar's fear

`Umar bin Khattab he was so firm in his practice of Islam that he usually could sense what was right or wrong before the Prophet (pbuh) had informed others of it. He used to say to his friends: If a mule stumbles near the Euphrates River, I fear being questioned by Allah as to why I had not paved the road for it.

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Source: Umar bin Al-Khattab: The Second Caliph of Islam -The Golden Series of the Prophet's Companions

Justice to all, even enemies

"If someone disobeys God in matters that concern you, the best thing to do in return is to obey God in matters that concern him." So said Umar ibn Khattab

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Source: Pg 104, An Islamic treasury of virtues by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Ibn Kathir Tafseer

A few days before his death...

Narrated 'Amr bin Maimun:
I saw 'Umar bin Al-Khattab a few days before he was stabbed in Medina. He was standing with Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman and 'Uthman bin Hunaif to whom he said, "What have you done? Do you think that you have imposed more taxation on the land (of As-Swad i.e. 'Iraq) than it can bear?" They replied, "We have imposed on it what it can bear because of its great yield." 'Umar again said, "Check whether you have imposed on the land what it can not bear." They said, "No, (we haven't)." 'Umar added, "If Allah should keep me alive I will let the widows of Iraq need no men to support them after me." But only four days had elapsed when he was stabbed (to death) ..

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Source: Farewell of a nobleman