Witnesses

Narrated ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab:

People were (sometimes) judged by the revealing of a Divine Inspiration during the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle but now there is no longer any more (new revelation). Now we judge you by the deeds you practice publicly, so we will trust and favor the one who does good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret, for Allah will judge him for that; but we will not trust or believe the one who presents to us with an evil deed even if he claims that his intentions were good.

---

Taken from: Witnesses
Source: Volume 3, Book 48, Number 809 : Sahih Bukhari

On over-eating

Umar (ra) would encourage exercise, and was against obesity. He said:

'O people, beware of over-eating. Because it makes you lazy in your salah. And it makes your body weak. And it makes you unhealthy. And Allah dislikes the obese man. And you should be modest in your food. Because it is closer to righteousness, and further from excess; and makes you stronger in worshipping Allah. And you will perish when your desires become more likeable to you than Allah (or religion).'

Note: Obesity here refers to obesity caused by over-eating.

---

Source: Umar ibn AlKhattab His Life & Times, Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki

Umar's acceptance was an opening

Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: We did not cease to become mighty since the acceptance of Islam by 'Umar.

Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Islam of 'Umar was an opening, his emigration was a help and his imamate was a mercy. I saw us unable to pray towards the House until 'Umar accepted Islam. When 'Umar accepted Islam, he fought them until they left us alone and we prayed.

Hudhayfah said: When 'Umar accepted Islam, Islam was like the man advancing towards you, only increasing in nearness. When 'Umar was killed, Islam was like the man backing away from you, only increasing in distance.

Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: The first man to be open about Islam was 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Suhaib said: When 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, accepted Islam, he was open about it, invited people to it openly; we sat around the House in circles, we made circuits around the House, we took our rights from whoever was tough with us, and we retaliated against him for some of what he brought us.

Aslam the freed slave of 'Umar said: 'Umar accepted Islam in Dhu'l-Hijjah of the sixth year of prophethood while he was twenty-six years old.

---

Source: The History of the Khalifahs