Biography of Umar ibn al-Khattab 2 Volumes By Dr. Ali Mohammad al-Sallabi

Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the mightiest men to have walked the earth after the Prophets. He began his life in Jahiliyyah as an opponent of Islam fierce enough to be feared even by those around the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he ended it as the second Rightly-Guided Caliph whose rule expanded the Islamic state from Arabia into Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Persia. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If there were a prophet after me, it would have been Umar." That is the man this two-volume biography is about.

Biography of Umar ibn al-Khattab (2 Volumes) by Dr. Ali Muhammad as-Sallabi traces the complete life of the second caliph — from the pre-Islamic era through his conversion, his years at the side of the Prophet, and the full span of his ten-year caliphate that transformed the face of the ancient world.

What This Book Covers

From Jahiliyyah to Islam

Umar's conversion was a turning point for the early Muslim community. Before he entered Islam, the Muslims prayed in secret and feared open proclamation. After his shahada, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed publicly in front of the Kaabah for the first time. Volume One covers these early years — his character in Jahiliyyah, the story of his conversion, and his standing among the Companions from that day forward.

At the Side of the Prophet

Umar was among the closest and most active Companions. His questions to the Prophet became the occasion for revelation. His opinions sometimes aligned with what Allah later revealed. His relationship with Abu Bakr — the two close friends who balanced one another in temperament — shaped the early community in ways that outlasted both of them.

The Caliphate: Governance, Justice, and Expansion

Volume Two covers the ten years of Umar's caliphate in detail: the administrative structures he built from nothing, his approach to governance and accountability, his treatment of non-Muslims under Islamic rule, and the great conquests through which Islam spread to new lands. He was a leader who walked among his people, investigated conditions personally, and held himself and his governors to the same standard he held others.

His Character and Legacy

Umar was known for his toughness in upholding the truth, his weeping in private before Allah, his austere lifestyle despite leading the most powerful state of his time, and his extraordinary sense of personal responsibility. The biography captures the full picture of a man who understood that authority was a trust and governed accordingly.

About the Author

Dr. Ali Muhammad as-Sallabi is a contemporary scholar and historian whose biographies of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs are among the most comprehensive available in English, grounded in the classical sources throughout. Published by International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH).

Who This Book Is For

Essential reading for any Muslim serious about knowing Islamic history from its primary figures. Particularly valuable for students of knowledge, those interested in Islamic governance and leadership, parents raising children on the stories of the Companions, and anyone who wants to understand how the early ummah was built and why it succeeded.

Continue Reading

The same author's series on the Rightly-Guided Caliphs also covers Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq, Uthman ibn Affan and Ali ibn Abi Talib, and his life of the Prophet is The Noble Life of the Prophet. Browse all his titles in the Dr. Ali Mohammad al-Sallabi collection or the full Seerah and biography collection.