The Expeditions. Maʿmar ibn Rāshid
عليه وسلّم، وهو يصلّي ويجهر بالقراءة. فسمع رسولَ الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم يقرأ وَمَا كُنْتَ تَتْلُوا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنْ كِتـٰبٍ وَلاَ تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ حتّى بلغ الظَّالِمِيْنَ وسمعه يقرأها وَيَقُوْلُ ٱلّذين كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلاً حتّى بلغ عِلْمُ ٱلْكِتـٰبِ.
قال: فانتظر عمر رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم حتّى سلّم من صلاته. ثمّ انطلق رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم إلى أهله، فأسرع عمر المشي في أثره حين رآه. فقال: انظرْني يا محمّد! فقال النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: أَعوذ بالله منك! فقال عمر: انظرْني يا محمّد! يا رسول الله! قال: فانتظره رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم، فآمن به عمر وصدّقه.
After this ʿUmar left, carrying the shoulder blade with him, so that he might summon a reader to read it to him, for ʿUmar was illiterate. When the words were read to him, his heart quickened, and hearing the Qurʾan, Islam settled in his heart. When evening came, he went to see the Messenger of God, who was praying and reciting the Qurʾan in public. ʿUmar heard the Messenger of God recite aloud:
«You never recited any Scripture before We revealed this one to you; you never wrote one down with your hand. If you had done so, those who follow falsehood might have cause to doubt. But no, this Qurʾan is a revelation that is clear to the hearts of those endowed with knowledge. No one refuses to acknowledge Our revelations but the evildoers.»42
He also heard him recite:
«Those who disbelieve say, “You have not been called as a Messenger.” Say, “God is a sufficient witness between me and you: all knowledge of Scripture comes from Him.”»43
ʿUmar waited for the Messenger of God until he had finished the saying of “Peace!” at the end of the ritual prayer.44 The Messenger of God set off to see his followers, and ʿUmar walked after him hurriedly when he saw him go. Then ʿUmar said, “Wait for me, Muḥammad!” The Prophet said, “I seek refuge in God from you!” ʿUmar said, “Wait for me, Muḥammad! O Messenger of God!” The Messenger of God waited for him, and ʿUmar believed in him and acknowledged the truth of his message.
1.9.4
فلمّا أسلم عمر رضي الله عنه، انطلق حتّى دخل على الوليد بن المغيرة.١ فقال: أي خالي! أشهد أنّي أؤمن بالله ورسوله وأشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم. فأخبرْ بذلك قومك!
فقال الوليد: ابن أختي! تثبّت في أمرك! فأنت على حال تُعْرَف بالناس. يصبح المرء فيها على حال ويمسي على حال.
فقال عمر: والله قد تبيّن لي الأمر، فأخبرْ قومك بـإسلامي!
فقال الوليد: لا أكون أوّل من ذكر ذلك عنك.٢
فدخل عمر مجالسهم.٣ فلمّا علم عمر أنّ الوليد لم يذكر شيئًا من شأْنه، دخل على جميل بن معمر الجمحيّ. فقال: أخبر أنّي أشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله.
١ في الأصل: خالد بن الوليد بن المغيرة.
٢ مم: عندك.
٣ مم: فاستالناليا؛ القراءة علاه لزكار.
Once ʿUmar had become a Muslim, he left to visit al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah. He said: “O Uncle! I bear witness that I believe in God and His Messenger, and I testify that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger! So go inform your people of this!”
But al-Walīd said, “My nephew! Remain firm in your stance toward Muḥammad. Your stature among the people is well known. Will a man rise amid his people in the morning in one state and begin the evening in another?”
“By God,” retorted ʿUmar, “the matter has become clear to me, so inform your people that I have become Muslim.”
“I will not be the first to tell them this about you,” said al-Walīd.
ʿUmar then entered the elders’ assemblies, and once he ascertained that al-Walīd had not mentioned anything about him, he went to Jamīl ibn Maʿmar al-Jumaḥī and said, “Spread the news: I testify that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is his servant and Messenger.”
1.9.5
قال: فقام جميل بن معمر يجرّ رداءه من العجلة جرًّا حتّى تتبّع مجالس قريش. فقال: صبأ عمر بن الخطّاب! فلم ترجع إليه قريش شيئًا. وكان عمر سيّد قومه، فهابوا الإنكار عليه. فلمّا رآهم لا ينكرون ذلك عليه، مشى حتّى أتى مجالسهم، أكمل ما كانت، فدخل الحِجْر، فأسند ظهره إلى الكعبة. فقال: يامعشر قريش! أتعلمون أنّي أشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله! فثاروا، فقاتله رجال منهم قتالاً شديدًا وضربهم عامّة يومه حتّى تركوه. واستعلن بـإسلامه وجعل يغدو عليهم ويروح، يشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله. فتركوه، فلم يؤذوه بعد ثورتهم الأولى. فاشتدّ ذلك على كفّار قريش فعدوا١ على كلّ رجل أسلم، فعذّبوا من المسلمين نفرًا.
١ [فعدوا] أنا؛ ساقطة من مم.
Jamīl ibn Maʿmar stood up, hurriedly picking up his cloak, and the assemblies of the Quraysh followed him. “ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb has abandoned his religion!” declared Jamīl,45 but the Quraysh said nothing in reply, for ʿUmar was an esteemed leader of his tribe, and they were afraid to denounce him. When ʿUmar saw that they did not denounce him because of what he had done, he headed straightaway to their assemblies,46 which were as well attended as they had ever been. He then entered the walled enclosure of the Kaaba, pressed his back up against the Kaaba, and cried out, “O company of Quraysh! Do you not know that I testify that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is his servant and Messenger?” Then they rose up in a fury, and some of their men attacked