During the period of his khilaafah, Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had passed a law prohibiting milk merchants from diluting their milk with water. The reason for this law was that many merchants would not inform people that the milk was diluted. Hence, the people would be deceived into thinking that the milk was pure and undiluted, and would thus pay the full price for it, whereas it was actually diluted.

One night, when Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was conducting his routine patrol through the streets of Madeenah Munawwarah, he felt a little tired. He thus paused his patrolling and rested for a few moments by leaning against a wall. While he was leaning against the wall, he overheard a mother instruct her daughter saying, “It is nearly morning already! Why are you not mixing the water into the milk?”

The daughter replied, “O my mother! Are you not aware of the law which Ameerul Mu-mineen passed today?” The mother asked, “What law did he pass?” The daughter answered, “He instructed someone to announce that mixing water into milk is not allowed.” Hearing this, her mother responded, “O my daughter! Go and mix the water into the milk, for you are in a place where neither ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) nor his announcer can see you! Furthermore, all the people are mixing water into their milk!”

Her daughter replied, “By Allah! I will not obey ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) in public and defy him in private! If ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) does not know, then the Rabb of ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) (certainly) knows!”

Unbeknownst to the mother and daughter, Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had overheard every word of their conversation. He turned to his freed slave, Aslam (rahimahullah), and said, “Mark this door and make a note of this location.” Saying this, Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) resumed his patrol.

The following morning, Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said to Aslam (rahimahullah), “Go to that place and find out the identity of the one speaking, as well as the one spoken to, and find out whether there is any male in their home.” When Aslam (rahimahullah) made the relevant enquiries, he learnt that it was an unmarried daughter speaking to her mother, and there was no man in the home.

After receiving the report of Aslam’s (rahimahullah) enquiries, Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) summoned his sons and asked them, “Do any of you need to get married? There is a certain girl who is such that if I had the need to get married, I would have been the first to marry her.” Two sons of Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), ‘Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and ‘Abdur Rahmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), both replied that they were already married. However, his other son, ‘Aasim (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), replied, “O my father! I am unmarried, so marry me to her!”

Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) also mentioned to ‘Aasim (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “Select her to be your wife, for I have hope that through her, Allah Ta‘ala will bless you (in your progeny) with a pious child like her that will become the leader of the Arabs.”

The proposal was then sent and the nikaah was performed. From this union, a daughter named Ummu ‘Aasim was born. She married ‘Abdul ‘Azeez bin Marwaan, who instructed his financial manager when marrying her, “Give me four hundred dinaars (gold coins) from the purest wealth that I possess, for I wish (to use it) to marry a woman who hails from a household of piety.” It was from this marriage that ‘Umar bin ‘Abdil ‘Azeez (rahimahullah) was subsequently born.

(Taareekh Ibni ‘Asaakir vol. 70, pgs. 25 -254, Seerah ‘Umar bin ‘Abdil ‘Azeez – Ibnu ‘Abdil Hakam pg. 23)

Lessons:

1. Despite being the khaleefah of the Muslims, Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) would personally patrol through the streets at night, faithfully serving his subjects. The reason for Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) doing this was that he feared accountability and responsibility before Allah Ta‘ala regarding the welfare of his subjects, and hence he wished to personally ensure that all was in order. In a similar manner, when we have children, then we will be accountable and responsible regarding their upbringing. In this regard, we need to show the same level of concern displayed by Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

2. The quality the girl possessed, that impressed Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), was her consciousness of Allah Ta‘ala. Whether in private or public, behind closed doors or out in the open, she was fully conscious of Allah Ta‘ala.

3. When the mother reasoned saying, “All the people mix water into the milk,” it did not deter, sway or influence the daughter. She understood that instead of looking at what people were doing, she needed to look at what Allah Ta‘ala wanted her to do.

4. When choosing a marriage partner, the quality of piety should never be overlooked. Rather, it should be the main motivating factor in the choice we make.

5. Purity begets purity. Thus, ‘Abdul ‘Azeez bin Marwaan ensured that his nikaah was performed using pure wealth, as he wanted this nikaah to produce purity. The result speaks for itself, as ‘Umar bin ‘Abdil ‘Azeez (rahimahullah) was born from this union of purity.