Umar (radiAllahu anhu), who was the second Caliph, received the same salary as Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu). He used to dress simply and eat frugally. He used to wear old clothes, which had patches and were threadbare. His shows often had holes in them. He often had nothing to eat but barley bread and olive oil.
And yet, under him, the Islamic government extended as far and as wide as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and even North Africa. The Roman and Iranian empires crumbled and their riches and treasures flowed into Madinah.
Umar was a wise, just and popular Caliph. He has many friends who loved him because he was such a good man. But even so, his friends could not understand why he dressed so badly and sate so poorly. ‘It is not right,’ they used to say. ‘Don’t you see how he dresses and how he lives. We Muslims have entered Iran and Iraq. We now rule over fertile lands. We have wealth and riches. There is no need for our Caliph to go around in old clothes and have almost nothing to eat. Kings and princes and ambassadors and deputations come here from many lands and mighty empires and they wear tunics of the finest silk. Why cannot our Caliph be like them? Umar has just got to say the word and our tailors will make him the finest clothes in the world. And our cooked will cook the finest foods which will be brought to him in the morning and in the evening.’
One day an ambassador of the Roman Empires came to Madinah. He wanted to obtain an audience with Umar. He was used to palaces and kings. So he asked people in the streets, ‘Where does your king live?’
‘We have no king’ said the Muslims to whom he had put the question.
‘But you have someone who is the head of your government?’ asked the bewildered ambassador.
‘Yes, we have appointed one from amongst us who looked after the affairs of state. If you go up this road you might find him somewhere.’
The Roman ambassador went up the rod to which he was directed. Finally, he found Umar (radiAllahu anhu) resting under the shade of a tree wearing two garments, one of which had twelve patches.
Finally, people could not take it any longer. Knowing that Umar (radiAllahu anhu) was facing extreme hardship, they assembled and began discussing the matter.
‘I think we should propose to Umar (radiAllahu anhu) that his salary be increased so that he may dress more appropriately, thereby making a better impression on visiting ambassadors and deputations. Also, he would be able to buy and prepare good food for himself as well as for others who come to visit him,’ said Zubair, one of the close followers of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam).
‘I fully agree with you. I was also thinking along the same lines,’ said Ali (radiAllahu anhu).
Believing that Ali (radiAllahu anhu) would be the most suitable man to talk to Umar (radiAllahu anhu) about this matter, they asked Ali to place the matter before him. But Ali (radiAllahu anhu) said, ‘I certainly do not dare go to Umar (radiAllahu anhu) and talk to him about this.’
So Uthman (radiAllahu anhu) came forward with a suggestion, ‘We all know how Umar (radiAllahu anhu) is. He will hardly like the idea of taking more from the treasury. Let us first somehow find out how he will take the proposal. Let us go to Hafsa (radiAllahu anha) his daughter and seek her help.’ All those present agreed with Uthman (radiAllahu anhu)’s suggestion, and so they went to find Hafsa.
Now, Hafsa (radiAllahu anha) had also been one of the wives of the blessed Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). For this reason, they felt that Hafsa could persuade her father to give up wearing old clothes, or at least she could find out how he would react to their proposal. Hafsa (radiAllahu anha) listed to them and said, ‘I agree with you. But even I do not find the courage to go to him and talk about this matter. I want to help you but let us seek the help of A'isha.’
A'isha (radiAllahu anha) was the daughter of Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) and had also been one of the wives of the Blessed Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). Umar (radiAllahu anhu) greatly respected her. They found her in agreement with their proposal as she also realised the hardships which Umar (radiAllahu anhu) was facing. 'I shall go to Umar and have a word with him and find out how he feels about this proposal,' said A'isha (radiAllahu anha).
'I don't think he will ever agree,' added Hafsa (radiAllahu anha), 'but at least we shall know.'
'Don't tell him who we are,' they requested as they left.
The next day, A'isha and Hafsa went to Umar (radiAllahu anhu). Hafsa, seeing her father sitting there in clothes which were old and patched, shook her head and signed.
A'isha said to Umar, 'O chief of Muslims, do i have permission to talk to you about a certain matter?'
'Yes, with great pleasure, O mother of Muslims,' said Umar (radiAllahu anhu).
A'isha (radiAllahu anha) chose her words carefully. 'Allah has blessed you with the conquest of the treasures and cities of heraclius, the emperor of Byzantium, and Chosroes, the emperor of Persia. Ambassadors from Important foreign powers and deputations from within Arabia come to visit you, and stay with you. And you are wearing a cloak which has twelve patches. If only you would wear fine, handsome clothing and serve more succulent meals, you would make a better impression on those who visit you.'
'Father,' said Hafsa (radiAllahu anha). 'Please frgive me for interupting, but I have a serious question to ask you.'
'Please ask your question, my child,' replied Umar (radiAllahu anhu).
'Dear father, what i want to know is this,' she said. 'Why ever do you wear such old clothes? Why do you go about with clothes that are patched and threadbare? When people come to the Caliph they expect to see someone dressed like a Caliph. And what is more, you don't seem to notice that you are wearing old clothes!'
For a while Umar (radiAllahu anhu) kept silent. A'isha and Hafsa (radiAllahu anhuma) thought that the Caliph surely must be angry. Then tears began to well up in Umar's eyes. He wiped away the tears with his sleeve and then smiled sadly. He knew how much courage it took for A'isha and his daughter to speak out to him like this. For a long while he said nothing. Then he looked at them carefully and said to them, 'You were the wives of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). If anyone knows how he lived, you do.'
Then he turned to A'isha (radiAllahu anha), 'Tell us, O mother of Muslims, did the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) ever eat wheat bread for three days running? Was his stomach ever full? Or did he ever have complete meals both in the morning and in the evening?'
'No,' said A'isha (radiAllahu anha), 'Not til the day he died.
'And you know, A'isha, that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) had a cloak without a lining which he used to put on in the daytime and on which he used to sleep at night?' said Umar.
'Yes,' said A'isha (radiAllahu anha)
Umar continued, 'And there was a mat in his house on which the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used to sit in the daytime and when night came, he used to sleep on the same mat?'
A'isha (radiAllahu anha) could not contradict him. 'Yes, you are right, Umar.
And then Umar turned to Hafsa (radiAllahu anha). 'Tell me, when the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) went to sleep, what did he use for a bed? Didn't you tell me, Hafsa, something like this: "I had a mat in my room. When the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) wanted to go to sleep I used to spread the mat out on the floor. So he would lie down on that mat. But the mat was rough and the floor hard. Very often he woke up with the marks from the mat on his back. In fact, I felt he did not sleep at all well on the mat."
And didn't you, Hafsa (radiAllahu anha), also tell me: "One night I folded the mat over double to make it more comfortable for him to sleep on. And that night the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) slept so well, in fact, that he did not et up for the pre-dawn prayer. Only when Bilal called the Adhan did he wake up. As soon as he woke up he asked me, 'O Hafsa, what did you do with the mat last night?' When I told him, he asked me not to fold the mat over double again. He wanted to sleep on the mat as it was before."
'And don't you know, Hafsa, that all the Propeht's errors were forgiven. Still he used to be hungry when evening came, and used to stand and bow and prostrate himself before Allah for long hours during the night.
'You have both been the wife of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). You both are the mothers of Muslims,' said Umar to A'isha and Hafsa (radiAllahu anhuma). 'Have you come to me in order to lead me to the comforts of this world, to give up the rewards of the Hereafter? The only example I would like to follow is the example of my two friends, Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu). I know I wear old clothes and I know my friends all talk about me for doing so. My clothes are unconfortable and look awful. So is my food which many do not want to share with me. But I also know that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) lived a very simple life and cared little for their own comfort.
'So answer me this question. When the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) lived like this caring so little for his own comfort, how can we his followers want to live in luxury? And can't you see I do this for the love of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala)?'
'And finally, will you tell me who sent you to me with this proposal?' asked Umar.
'This I cannot tell you,' said Hafsa. But neither A'isha nor Hafsa (radiAllahu anhuma) could say a single word. Nor could any of the Caliph's friends who were told of what Umar (radiAllahu anhu) has said.