Loyalty and Forgiveness

Two young men came to Umar ibn Alkhatab gripping a man by hand and they said to Umr:

"This man killed our father."

"Did you kill their father?" said Umr

"Yes, I did", said the man

"Why?", asked Umar

"Because he let his camel into my pasture and when I rebuked him for that he defiantly didn't observe my rights in my pasture." Said the man

"How did you kill him?" Asked Umar

"I belted him with a stone which killed him." Said the man

So it is retribution ….execution.

In fact, as you see, Umr didn't ask the man about his lineage or his tribe or his status  among people, these are matters that equal zero when righteous ruler take into consideration when they put God's law into effect.

Seeing that Umr will surely put God's words into effect the man said:

"I ask you in the name of God, who created the heaven and the earth to let me go home in the desert, I will just stay for one night to tell my wife and my children that I will be killed and I will come back to you, they don't have any sustainer but God and me."

Here Umr said to the congregation around him:

"Who is ready to guarantee for me that he would go to the desert where his family lives and that he will come back to me?"

People around him were silent, it wasn't a guarantee for money or something similar, and moreover they didn't know where his house exactly was, nor did they know which tribe he belonged to, it wasn't a guarantee for a home, a camel or something similar. It was a guarantee for a neck to be cut.

No one could object to Umr's decision especially when it is connected with God' legislation and none could dare to meditate over something concerning God's legislation. All were in overwhelming silence and Umr was in difficult situation.

Should he kill the man and his children would die of hunger or should he leave the man go and the blood of the murdered man would go without retribution.

"What about forgiving the man?" Said Umr

"No, who killed our father should be killed." said the two young men

Umr kept looking towards the ground, he was at loss, and then he talked to the people.

"O' people who could guarantee that the man would come?"

Abu-Zar stoop up, his face was bespeaking piousness, he said:

I bear the responsibility that he would come.

"He is a murderer." Umr said

"Even if he is a murder." Said Abu-Zar

"Do you know him?" Umr asked

"I don't know him." Said Abu-Zar

"So how can you bear such responsibility?" Umr asked

"I read in his face the features and signs of the believers, so I concluded that he are not a liar." Abu-Zar

"Do you think that if he didn't come after three days, I would leave you?" Umr asked

"Allah is the best supporter." Said Abu-Zar

So Umr allowed the man to go to prepare himself and to do whatever he could for his children.

After three days, Umr called for congregational prayer and people assembled, among them was the two young men and Abu-Zar, this congregational prayer was to put God's order into effect.

"Where is the man, Abu-Zar?" Umr asked

"I don't know." He was gazing at the sun which was setting so fast.

It was a matter of time and Abu-Zar would be killed

It was only a few minutes before the sun could completely set and the man appeared.

"O' man unless you come back to us, we won't be able to know where you are" Said Umr

"Here am I, I have come to be killed, I left my children without food or water. How could I hide myself from God, if I hide myself from you?"

"What made you keep you promise." Said Umr

"I kept my promise lest people should say that loyalty in keeping promises has gone." Said the man

‏"So why did you bear the responsibility of guaranteeing him, Abu-Zar?"

"I did that lest people should say goodness has gone." Said Abu-Zar

Umr turned to the two young men and said" what's your opinion?"

The two men sobbed and said" We have forgiven the man lest it should be said that forgiveness among people has gone."