The Precious Pearls (H/B)

The second caliph of Islam, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb faced more struggles than any other Muslim leader in the early onset of Islam. His life began in a time of ignorance and ended during the Golden Age of Islam. Under his leadership, the Muslim world was witnessing some of its most notable conquests in the history of Islam. The strength and resilience of Islam’s leaders were being tested, and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb’s true commitment to Allah shone to reveal an Islamic spirit unlike that found in any other Muslim leader. The standards by which he lived can teach us a lot about determination, hardship, and success. The two books which compose ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb: His Life and Times are sold together as a set. They belong in Part II of the Islamic History Series, as the second set of The Rightly Guided Caliphs. The Table of Contents for Volume 1 of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb: His Life and Times may be viewed via the ‘View Table of Contents’ link located above. This book was translated into English by Nasiruddin al-Khattab. From the Translator: For those who would be leaders, this book offers the model of an ideal Muslim leader, one who felt responsible before Allah for the well being of all those under his rule, including his troops, women, infants, non-Muslim subjects and even animals. ‘Umar was a ‘hands on’ leader who kept himself informed and consulted scholars and experts before every major decision. For the rest of us, this book offers a window into an exciting and important period of Islamic history, and it also reminds of an important lesson, that our strength comes not from wealth or money or status, but from our submission to Allah and our commitment to the path of Islam.

Description from the publisher:
These 178 companions are those who accepted Islam in their childhood and spent it being around Prophet صلی الله علیه وآله وسلّم and getting benefits from his teachings and learning from his manners. The Prophet used to love the children and his behaviour with them is model to follow. He taught them the manners of eating, talking to theirs elders, behaving with other children, along with guiding them to the basic points of Islamic teachings.

It includes the biography of the following companions:

Hasan bin ‘Ali رضی الله عنه

Husain bin ‘Ali رضی الله عنه

Abdullah bin Zoubir رضی الله عنه

Abdullah bin ‘Abbas رضی الله عنه

Abdullah bin Ja’far رضی الله عنه

Abdullah bin ‘Umar رضی الله عنه

Abdullah bin ‘Amr رضی الله عنه

Usamah bin Zaid رضی الله عنه

Anas bin Malik رضی الله عنه

Sa’eed bin Al-‘Aasرضی الله عنه

This book describes, among other things, the principles based upon which ‘Umar ibn al-khattab governed the Muslims during his caliphate; among those principles were mutual consultation, justice, equality among people, and honoring of freedoms.

With the turn of every page, the reader will come to appreciate the fact that Umar was exceptional in his faith, distinguished in his knowledge, profoundly wise in his thinking, remarkable in his eloquence, noble in his manners and great in the contributions he made to this nation.

Allah (swt) said about the Prophet’s Companions: “And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun and the Ansar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well pleased with Him.” (9:100)

By Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallabi

In today’s crisis-ridden world, amidst the numerous internal and external forces striking at the roots of Islam, Muslims are truly hard pressed to find strong and competent leaders. This has not always been the case, though. Examples of first-rate leaders are plentiful in Islamic history.

The life and times of Uthmân ibn Affân, as detailed in this book by Dr. Ali M. Sallâbi, truly illustrate the characteristics of exemplary leaders along with the commendable qualities of those under them. This account of how Uthmân ibn Affân, the third Rightly-Guided Caliph, expanded the Islamic state, compiled the Qur’an into a single edition, and, finally, dealt with the turmoil that engulfed the Ummah, makes for a very enlightening read. The author has also given us insight into the life of Dhun-Noorayn (Uthmân, the ‘Possessor of the Two Lights’) before he became the caliph. Readers discover his attachment to the Prophet (sa), his relationship with the Qur’an and his generous financial contributions towards the founding of the Islamic state. All in all, this book will prove to be a valuable resource on Islamic history.