As-salaamu'alaykum,
Umar possessed the quality of wara to such an elevated degree that he sometimes refused to take was what rightfully his or even what he most desperately needed. One day, Umar fell ill and a group of doctors told him that he needed to take some honey as medicine. It just so happened that the Muslim treasury contained some honey that had arrived from a land that Muslims had recently conquered. In spite of the advice of his doctors and it spite of the availability of honey, Umar refused to take the honey since it belonged to all Muslims. But when his condition did not improve, he climbed the pulpit in a obviously frail and weak state. He then said to the people who were gathered before him,
“If you give me permission (I will take some of the honey as medicine); otherwise, it is haraam (unlawful) for me.”
The people who were gathered collectively broke down into tears, feeling mercy and compassion for their humble, pious, brave and wonderful leader. They all granted him permission to take the honey and they began to say to one another,
“How good Umar is! He has indeed set a very difficult and hard-to-follow precedent for the Khaleefahs who will come after him.”
(Faraaid al-Kalaam lil-Khulafaa al-Kiraam, pg. 113 and al-Farooq by ash-Sharqaawi, pg. 275)
Umar possessed the quality of wara to such an elevated degree that he sometimes refused to take was what rightfully his or even what he most desperately needed. One day, Umar fell ill and a group of doctors told him that he needed to take some honey as medicine. It just so happened that the Muslim treasury contained some honey that had arrived from a land that Muslims had recently conquered. In spite of the advice of his doctors and it spite of the availability of honey, Umar refused to take the honey since it belonged to all Muslims. But when his condition did not improve, he climbed the pulpit in a obviously frail and weak state. He then said to the people who were gathered before him,
“If you give me permission (I will take some of the honey as medicine); otherwise, it is haraam (unlawful) for me.”
The people who were gathered collectively broke down into tears, feeling mercy and compassion for their humble, pious, brave and wonderful leader. They all granted him permission to take the honey and they began to say to one another,
“How good Umar is! He has indeed set a very difficult and hard-to-follow precedent for the Khaleefahs who will come after him.”
(Faraaid al-Kalaam lil-Khulafaa al-Kiraam, pg. 113 and al-Farooq by ash-Sharqaawi, pg. 275)