As-salaamu'alaykum,
A group of soldiers from Ash-Sham (Syria and surrounding regions) entered Madeenah; but they intended to stay for only a short while; they were only passing through on their way to Yemen.
When Umar (radiyAllahu anh) performed the afternoon prayer, he would place a number of trays of food on the ground. One of the visiting soldiers sat down and began to eat with his left hand. Upon seeing the soldier do that, Umar said,
"Eat with your right hand."
When the man did not heed Umar's command, Umar said for a second time,
"Eat with your right hand."
"O Leader of the Believers, my right hand is busy."
- answered the man. When the man finished eating, Umar beckoned to him, inviting him to come closer to him. Umar then asked,
"What made your right hand so busy (that you were not able to use it to eat)?"
The man took out his right arm, and Umar was taken aback when he saw that it was severed somewhere above his hand. Umar asked him how his hand had been cut off, and the man replied,
"My hand was cut off on the Day of Yarmook (i.e., during battle against polytheist enemies)."
"Then who helps you perform ablution?"
- Umar asked.
"I use my left hand, and it is Allah Who helps me,"
- replied the man.
"Where are you going?"
- Umar asked.
"To Yemen,"
- the man replied.
"I am going to my mother, who I have not seen for such and such number of years."
"And (beyond having been injured in the way of Allah) you are dutiful (to your mother) as well?"
Umar ordered that the man be given a servant and five camels that were earmarked for charity; and before the man left, Umar loaded the camels with supplies.
(Ash-Shaikhaan: Abu Bakr and Umar, by way of the narration of Al-Balaadhiree, pgs. 174, 175)
A group of soldiers from Ash-Sham (Syria and surrounding regions) entered Madeenah; but they intended to stay for only a short while; they were only passing through on their way to Yemen.
When Umar (radiyAllahu anh) performed the afternoon prayer, he would place a number of trays of food on the ground. One of the visiting soldiers sat down and began to eat with his left hand. Upon seeing the soldier do that, Umar said,
"Eat with your right hand."
When the man did not heed Umar's command, Umar said for a second time,
"Eat with your right hand."
"O Leader of the Believers, my right hand is busy."
- answered the man. When the man finished eating, Umar beckoned to him, inviting him to come closer to him. Umar then asked,
"What made your right hand so busy (that you were not able to use it to eat)?"
The man took out his right arm, and Umar was taken aback when he saw that it was severed somewhere above his hand. Umar asked him how his hand had been cut off, and the man replied,
"My hand was cut off on the Day of Yarmook (i.e., during battle against polytheist enemies)."
"Then who helps you perform ablution?"
- Umar asked.
"I use my left hand, and it is Allah Who helps me,"
- replied the man.
"Where are you going?"
- Umar asked.
"To Yemen,"
- the man replied.
"I am going to my mother, who I have not seen for such and such number of years."
"And (beyond having been injured in the way of Allah) you are dutiful (to your mother) as well?"
Umar ordered that the man be given a servant and five camels that were earmarked for charity; and before the man left, Umar loaded the camels with supplies.
(Ash-Shaikhaan: Abu Bakr and Umar, by way of the narration of Al-Balaadhiree, pgs. 174, 175)
