Umar ibn al-Khattâb: His Life and Times (2 Vols.) -IIPH

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)

The life of the first Rightly-Guided Caliph, Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) is a valuable roadmap for the Muslims of today. One of the first people to believe and embrace the Prophet’s Message of Islam, Abu Bakr remained a close companion of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) throughout the Prophet’s life. Appointed as the Prophet’s successor on the basis of consultation, Abu Bakr proved to be a great leader who, with Allah’s help, steered the Ummah through difficult times. He faced numerous challenges within Arabia: some people apostatized, others refused to pay zakâh, and quite a few individuals emerged as false prophets, attracting many followers. Outside Arabia, the Persians and Byzantines keenly observed these developments, looking for an opportunity to crush the new state. Abu Bakr employed effective strategies to deal with these challenges and had remarkable success in doing so. Thus, he paved way for the Islamic conquests that toppled tyrants and carried the message of Islam to the entire world. His leadership should be a great source of inspiration for the Muslims today.

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 2-volume set of books is far more than a biography, as it discusses major issues that have their origins in the early decades of Islam, the repercussions of which are still felt today. In this biography, Dr. Sallâbi guides the reader through a myriad of hadiths and reports, peeling away the centuries-old layer of fabrications and distortions through which hostile elements both in the Muslim world and beyond sought to conceal the truth. What emerges is a clear picture of the first great turmoil that engulfed the Muslim world and how the noble Companions of the Prophet and the members of his family (may Allah be pleased with them) worked together to resolve these momentous issues, following the guidance and teaching brought by the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him). The true battle for hearts and minds is that which is raging in the Muslim world today, where many vested interests are seeking to distort the very self-image of the Muslims. It is high time for us to reclaim our history and to stop letting others tell it for us. This work is of great importance as it sets the record straight on a period of our history that is of major significance. Every Muslim who cares about the big issues faced by Islam and Muslims should read this book. This biography is sold only as set of two volumes (704 & 766 pages).