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`ABD ALLAH IBN `UMAR
The Persistent and Repentant to Allah
When he was at the peak of his long life he said, " I swore the oath of allegiance to the Prophet
(PBUH). I never broke my oath, nor have I turned to something else to this day. I never swore allegiance
to those in civil strife, nor did I awake a sleeping Muslim."
These words are a summary of the life of that virtuous man who lived past the age of 80. His
relationship with Islam and the Prophet began when he was only 13 years old, when he accompanied his
father to the battle of Badr, hoping to have a place among the Mujaahiduun, but he was sent back by the
Prophet due to his young age. Since that day - and even before that when he accompanied his father on
his Hijrah to Al-Madiinah - that young boy who possessed premature manly merits began his relation
with the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).
From that day till the day he passed away at the age of 85, we will always find him persistent,
repentant, never deviating from his path, not even by a hairbreadth, never breaking the oath of allegiance
which he had sworn, nor breaking a pledge he had made. The merits of `Abd Allah Ibn `Umar, which
dazzle people's vision, are abundant. Among these are his knowledge, modesty, the straightness of his
conscience and path, his generosity, piety, persistence in worship, and his sincere adherence to the
Prophet's model. By means of all these merits and qualities did Ibn `Umar shape his unique personality,
his sincere and truthful life.
He learned a lot of good manners from his father, `Umar Ibn Al khattaab, and together with him,
they learned from the Prophet (PBUH) all the good manners and all that can be described as noble
virtues.
Like his father, his belief in Allah and His Prophet was perfect; therefore, the way he pursued the
Prophet's steps was admirable. He was always looking at what the Prophet was doing in every matter and
then humbly imitating his deeds to the finest detail. For example, wherever the Prophet prayed, there also
would lbn `Umar pray, and on the same spot. If the Prophet invoked Allah while standing, then lbn
'Umar would invoke Allan while standing. If the Prophet invoked Allah while sitting, so also would lbn
`Umar invoke Allah while sitting. On the same particular route where the Prophet once dismounted from
his camel and prayed two rak'ahs, so would lbn `Umar do the same while traveling to the same place.
Moreover, he remembered that the Prophet's camel turned twice at a certain spot in Makkah before
the Prophet dismounted and before his two rak'ahs of prayer. The camel may have done that
spontaneously to prepare itself a suitable halting place, but lbn `Umar would reach that spot, turn his
camel in a circle, then allow it to kneel down. After that he would pray two rak'ahs in exactly the same
manner he had seen the Prophet (PBUH) do. Such exaggerated imitation once provoked the Mother of
the Believers `Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to say, "No one followed the Prophet's steps in
his coming and going as lbn `Umar did."
He spent his long, blessed life and his firm loyalty adhering to the Prophet's Sunnah to the extent
that a time came when the virtuous Muslims were asking Allan, "O Allah, save lbn `Umar as long as I
live so that I can follow him. I don't know anyone still adhering to the early traditions except him."
Similar to that strong and firm adherence to each of the Prophet's steps and practice (Sunnah) was
lbn `Umar's respect for the Prophetic traditions (Hadith). He never related a hadith unless he remembered
it to the letter. His contemporaries said, "None of the Companions of the Prophet was more cautious not
to add or subtract something from a hadith than `Abd Allah lbn `Umar."