recited any Scripture before We revealed this one to you; you never wrote one down with your hand. If you had done so, those who follow falsehood might have cause to doubt. But no, this Qurʾan is a revelation that is clear to the hearts of those endowed with knowledge. No one refuses to acknowledge Our revelations but the evildoers.»42
He also heard him recite:
«Those who disbelieve say, “You have not been called as a Messenger.” Say, “God is a sufficient witness between me and you: all knowledge of Scripture comes from Him.”»43
ʿUmar waited for the Messenger of God until he had finished the saying of “Peace!” at the end of the ritual prayer.44 The Messenger of God set off to see his followers, and ʿUmar walked after him hurriedly when he saw him go. Then ʿUmar said, “Wait for me, Muḥammad!” The Prophet said, “I seek refuge in God from you!” ʿUmar said, “Wait for me, Muḥammad! O Messenger of God!” The Messenger of God waited for him, and ʿUmar believed in him and acknowledged the truth of his message.
1.9.4
فلمّا أسلم عمر رضي الله عنه، انطلق حتّى دخل على الوليد بن المغيرة.١ فقال: أي خالي! أشهد أنّي أؤمن بالله ورسوله وأشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم. فأخبرْ بذلك قومك!
فقال الوليد: ابن أختي! تثبّت في أمرك! فأنت على حال تُعْرَف بالناس. يصبح المرء فيها على حال ويمسي على حال.
فقال عمر: والله قد تبيّن لي الأمر، فأخبرْ قومك بـإسلامي!
فقال الوليد: لا أكون أوّل من ذكر ذلك عنك.٢
فدخل عمر مجالسهم.٣ فلمّا علم عمر أنّ الوليد لم يذكر شيئًا من شأْنه، دخل على جميل بن معمر الجمحيّ. فقال: أخبر أنّي أشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله.
١ في الأصل: خالد بن الوليد بن المغيرة.
٢ مم: عندك.
٣ مم: فاستالناليا؛ القراءة علاه لزكار.
Once ʿUmar had become a Muslim, he left to visit al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah. He said: “O Uncle! I bear witness that I believe in God and His Messenger, and I testify that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger! So go inform your people of this!”
But al-Walīd said, “My nephew! Remain firm in your stance toward Muḥammad. Your stature among the people is well known. Will a man rise amid his people in the morning in one state and begin the evening in another?”
“By God,” retorted ʿUmar, “the matter has become clear to me, so inform your people that I have become Muslim.”
“I will not be the first to tell them this about you,” said al-Walīd.
ʿUmar then entered the elders’ assemblies, and once he ascertained that al-Walīd had not mentioned anything about him, he went to Jamīl ibn Maʿmar al-Jumaḥī and said, “Spread the news: I testify that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is his servant and Messenger.”
1.9.5
قال: فقام جميل بن معمر يجرّ رداءه من العجلة جرًّا حتّى تتبّع مجالس قريش. فقال: صبأ عمر بن الخطّاب! فلم ترجع إليه قريش شيئًا. وكان عمر سيّد قومه، فهابوا الإنكار عليه. فلمّا رآهم لا ينكرون ذلك عليه، مشى حتّى أتى مجالسهم، أكمل ما كانت، فدخل الحِجْر، فأسند ظهره إلى الكعبة. فقال: يامعشر قريش! أتعلمون أنّي أشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله! فثاروا، فقاتله رجال منهم قتالاً شديدًا وضربهم عامّة يومه حتّى تركوه. واستعلن بـإسلامه وجعل يغدو عليهم ويروح، يشهد أن لا إله إلّا الله وأنّ محمّدًا عبده ورسوله. فتركوه، فلم يؤذوه بعد ثورتهم الأولى. فاشتدّ ذلك على كفّار قريش فعدوا١ على كلّ رجل أسلم، فعذّبوا من المسلمين نفرًا.
١ [فعدوا] أنا؛ ساقطة من مم.
Jamīl ibn Maʿmar stood up, hurriedly picking up his cloak, and the assemblies of the Quraysh followed him. “ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb has abandoned his religion!” declared Jamīl,45 but the Quraysh said nothing in reply, for ʿUmar was an esteemed leader of his tribe, and they were afraid to denounce him. When ʿUmar saw that they did not denounce him because of what he had done, he headed straightaway to their assemblies,46 which were as well attended as they had ever been. He then entered the walled enclosure of the Kaaba, pressed his back up against the Kaaba, and cried out, “O company of Quraysh! Do you not know that I testify that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is his servant and Messenger?” Then they rose up in a fury, and some of their men attacked him fiercely. He spent most of that day fighting them off, and eventually they left him alone. Thus did he seek to announce his acceptance of Islam, walking to and fro in their midst and testifying that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger. Eventually they left him alone, for they had failed to harm him after being incited against him the first time. This greatly distressed the infidels of the Quraysh, so they began persecuting47 every man who embraced Islam, and even tortured a number of the Muslims.
1.10
قال معمر: قال الزهريّ:
وذكر ضلال آبائهم الّذين ماتوا كفّارًا، فشقَوْا رسولَ الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم وعادَوه. فلمّا أُسْرِيَ به إلى المسجد الأقصى، أصبح الناس يخبر أنّه قد أسري به. فارتدّ أناس ممّن كان قد صدّقه وآمن به، وفتنوا وكذّبوا به. وسعى رجل من المشركين إلى أبي
