THE SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS BROTHERHOOD 2 Human Brotherhood
There is a story of Khalif Omar, that he was greatly hated by a certain criminal; and on a certain day this man came to the town and asked where Omar was. He was told that the Khalif was in the forest, looking after his cattle.
The assassin thought this a splendid opportunity to accomplish his plan. As he approached Omar he saw no warrior there to protect him, but he was sitting alone clad in a worn out robe. The assassin could hardly believe that the Khalif was so near and within his power; he could not trust his eyes that the Khalif whom he had pursued so long was now so near, unprotected. But the nearer he approached, the more nervous did he become, so much so that when he was quite near the dagger fell out of his hand.
Omar said. "Peace be unto you; what do you want?" to which the assassin answered, "Tell me why I tremble before you." Omar said, "Just as I tremble before God when I think of doing wrong, so dost thou tremble before me."
Another story told about Omar is that after a war, at the peace negotiations Omar represented the armies of Islam. The enemies were told by their astrologers that they must make peace when Omar arrived. But as the enemies had never seen him before, they asked "How shall we know him?" The reply was: "You can recognize him when you see a slave on the camel, and Omar walking at the side."
In fact he came as had been foretold; and the first question put to him was, "Why were you walking and your slave on the camel?" to which he replied, "I have not walked all the way. The first part I rode; and the second part it was my slave's turn to ride and mine to walk."
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