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Umar was dressed in simple,
patched garments as he was wont to wear in the time of the Holy
Prophet. Becoming Caliph had made no difference to his austere and
unspoiled way of life, and he continued to abhor luxury and ostentation.
Recovering from their discomfiture, Khalid
and Yazeed hastily opened their robes and showed the armour and
weapons which they wore underneath. "O Commander of the
Faithful!" they cried. "These are only garments.
We still carry our weapons". 1
Umar was sufficiently mollified by this reply. Now Abu Ubaidah walked
up, dressed as simply and unaffectedly as always, and the Caliph
and the Commander-in-Chief shook hands and embraced each other.
From Jabiya, Umar proceeded to Jerusalem,
accompanied by his generals and the escort. His arrival at Jerusalem
was a great moment for the Muslim soldiers, and they rejoiced at
the sight of their ruler.
Next day, at about noon, Umar sat with a
large group of Companions, talking of this and that. Soon it would
be time for the early afternoon prayer. Bilal the Negro was also
present. Bilal, who has been mentioned in the second chapter of
this book, had suffered many tortures in the early days of Islam
at the hands of the unbelieving Qureish, but had remained steadfast
in his faith. When the institution of the Adhan (the Muslim call
to prayer) was adopted in 2 Hijri, the Prophet appointed Bilal as
the Muazzin; and thereafter, five times a day, the powerful and
melodious voice of Bilal could be heard at Madinah, calling the
Faithful to prayer. Over the years Bilal had risen in stature as
a saintly Muslim, and had become one of the closest and most venerated
Companions of the Prophet. But on the death of the Holy Prophet,
Bilal had fallen silent; he would not call the Adhan any more.
It now occurred to some of the Companions
that perhaps the conquest of the holy city of Jerusalem was an important
enough occasion for Bilal to break his silence. They asked Umar
to urge him to call the Adhan, just this one time! Umar turned to
Bilal: "O Bilal! The Companions of the Messenger of Allah
implore you to call the Adhan and remind them of the time of their
Prophet, on whom be the blessings of Allah and peace."
2 For a few moments Bilal remained lost
in thought. Then he looked at the eager faces of the Companions
and at the thousands of Muslim soldiers who were gathering for the
congregational prayer. Then he stood up. Bilal would call the Adhan
again!
The glorious voice of the illustrious Muazzin
beat upon the vast multitude. As he called the opening words, Allah
is Great, the minds of the Faithful turned to memories of the
dearly loved Muhammad and tears welled up in their eyes. When Bilal
came to the words, Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah, his
audience broke down and sobbed.
1. Tabari: Vol. 3, p. 103.
2. Waqidi: p. 165.
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