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An old man with a thick beard and with clothes having over 15 patches was

sitting with his head between his hands thinking deeply about a serious matter.

He was the man who was known as Ameer-ul-Muminin. Then suddenly, he got

up and said, I found it, I found it, I found it! The people said, Whats wrong

O Ameer-ul-Muminin? He was no other than Umar (RA) who was concerned

about the city of Hims. The city which was quite often the reason of Fitnah for

the Ummah. He had recently released his former governor, Muawiyah (RA) and

Umar (RA) wanted a man with Zuhd-a man who had divorced the pleasures ofthe dunya.

Ameer-ul-Muminin Umar (RA) came and asked for a man and when he was

brought he said to him, I assign you to become the Governor of the city of

Hims. The man replied, La Hawla Wala Quwata ILlah Billah! O Ameer-ul-

Muminin, do not test me through this. Umar (RA) said, You are putting it onmy neck and you want to walk away from it? Wallahi that will not happen! This

man was no other than Said ibn Aamir (RA) who accepted Islam afterthe Battle of Khaybar. He had no choice but to obey the Ameer-ul-Muminin

(RA). Umar (RA) gave Said (RA), a newlywed man, some money and said,Listen this is what you need for your travel and this will suffice and you will

not look in the wealth of the Ummah. With sadness and grief, he took what hewas given and went back to his house.When he reached home, his wife, who was waiting for him, asked, What is the

matter of Said? He (RA) told his wife what Ameer-ul-Muminin (RA) had given

him. She got excited. Said (RA) said, What if I give you a better deal than

this? She said, What can be better than this? Said (RA) said, We will invest

this money She said, Invest it? What if we lose it? Said (RA) said, No, the

One who is going to invest for us, He will guarantee it! She said, He is going

to guarantee it?! Said (RA) said, Yes, He is going to guarantee it. She

agreed. They went, the people of Hims were eager to receive their governor.

They knew that he was coming on a certain day so they were waiting for him

outside the city.

Every time they saw a traveller, they would ask him, Where are you from?

And if he replied that he was from the city of Madinah, the people would ask

him, Have you seen the governor? He should be here any minute! In that

process, they stopped one of the people who had this old skinny donkey with a

very humble outfit, with a wife who was covered from head to toe. And then

they asked him, Where are you from? The man said, I am from Madinah!They said, Have you seen the Amir who was sent by Umar ibn al Khattab? Helooked away and then turned to them and said, I am your governor! They

said, You?! Said (RA) said, The situation is what you see. They said, No!They were shocked. And in his daily life, they saw that this man was serving

them, and working for them left and right nothing of his desire. They would sayto him, Make sure you are kind to your family and your wife! Said (RA) would

reply, No, my aim is clear"

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People loved him so much so, much so that Umar (RA) sent a letter to Said

(RA) asking him why the people loved him so much. He (RA) replied, O

Ameer-ul-Muminin, I am one of them and I am a simple man. I clean the

Masjid with them and I serve them on their streets. Umar ibn al-Khattab(RA)

was never satisfied with the reports. He wanted to see for himself what exactly

was happening. He then gathered the people and said, O people of Hims, do

you have any problem with your governor here? The people looked around at

each other in amazement. They then said, O Ameer-ul-Muminin, we have 4problems with this young man. Umar (RA) was making this dua within

himself, O Allah do not disappoint me in this man. I only know that he is the

best of your servants. He (RA) then said, What are they? They said, Firstly,

he would not come out of his house until sun rises. Secondly, he would not

respond after the sunset. Thirdly, he takes two days off every month. Fourthly,

he periodically faints and we know that he has no control over this but wewould like to know the reason of this.Umar bin al-Khattab (RA) said to Said (RA), Respond to the accusations.

Said (RA) said, O Ameer-ul-Muminin, you dont need to know this since it isbetween me and Allah. Umar (RA) said, No, how could I? Said (RA) said,

O Ameer-ul-Muminin, as for the first one, I have no servant and my wife issick. I have to make the dough and I wait until I feed everyone in my

household and then I come out to them. Umar (RA) said, Allahu Akbar! Whatabout the second one? Then Said (RA) continued, O Ameer-ul-Muminin, the

day is theirs and the night is for my Lord. In the day, I serve them but at night

I pray to my Lord! Umar (RA) again said, Allahu Akbar! What about the third

one? Said (RA) then said, O Ameer-ul-Muminin , I only have one thawb, so I

wash it twice a month. Umar (RA) then said, Allahu Akbar! What about the

fourth one? Said (RA) then said, O Ameer-ul-Muminin, I witnessed when

Quraysh killed Khubaib bin Adi (RA). And when they were killing him, they

said, O Khubaib, would you rather be with your family, safe and Muhammad

(Salalahu Alayhi wa Salaam) in your place? Khubaib (RA) replied, No, Id

rather be here than Muhammad (SAW) be pricked by a thorn! And this was

after he had performed Salah, and he looked at us and made a powerful dua

against Quraysh. Whenever I think of this, I think that Allah (SWT) would never

forgive my sins and He will hold me on the day of Judgement and I cant

imagine this so thats why I faint O Ameer-ul-MumininUmar ibn al-Khattab (RA) s beard was wet with tears and he said, All praise

be to Allah who did not disappoint me in this man!

By Sheikh Said Rageah