Migration to Medina When the Muslims were ordered to migrate to Medina most of the Muslims left qu\Jy and secretly, but Hazrat Umai (Rad.A) declared it openly. He r-ut on lis arms and first went to the Ka’bah. After performing the Sal? i he amounced loudly: ”I am migrating to Medina. If anyone wants 10 check me, let him come out. I am sure that his mother would cry for his life.” Thi re was no man in Makkah to accept the challenge of Hazrat Umar (Rad.A).
Hazrat Umar’s Services to Islam before His Khilafat (Caliphate) Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) had great love for Allah and the Holy Prophet. He participated in almost all the big battles: Badr, Uhad, Azhab, Khayber, Hunain etc. In the expedition to ”Tabuk” he gave half of his wealth in the way of Allah. He was next to Ha/rat Abu Bakr (Rad.A) to sacrifice his belongings for the cause of Allah. 1 lie
230 Political and Cultmal History of Islam
Holy Prophet (PBUH) also had a deep love for him. Once he remirked. ”If there were any Prophet after me, he would have been Iltnar*’. In another tradition in Bukhiri, Hazrat Abu Hurairah rRad.A} narrated that the Holy Prophet said, ”In Bani Isra’il there were people who were not Prophets but Hiked to Allah, were anyone in my Urru.!ah like those persons, he would be Umar”.2
The death of Holy Prophet was gnat shock to him, and he could not believe it until Hazrat Abu Bakr t Rad.A) reminded him of clear verse of the Holy Qur’an on the subject. He then went to the Council Hal! alongwith H^-rat Abu Bakr (Rad.A) where the people of Medina had assembled to select the First Caliph. Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) was the first person to pledge loyalty (Rai’i’t) at the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakr (Rad.A), and hel”»e& him throughout the duration of
his rule.
