Abdullah ibn Umar
Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab () (610–693 CE) was companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and son of the second Caliph Umar. He was a prominent authority in "hadith" and law. He didn't give allegiance to Ali and remained neutral in the first Islamic Civil war (656–661). Muhammad's era — 610 to 632. Abdullah ibn Umar was born 610 in Mecca, the son of Umar ibn al-Khattab and Zaynab bint Madhun. His full siblings were Hafsa and Abdurrahman. His paternal brothers, born to his stepmother Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal, were Zayd and Ubaydullah. He had  another stepmother, Qurayba bint Abi Umayya, but she had no children of her own. The young Abdullah had vivid memories of his father's conversion to Islam. He remembered following him around the town as Umar declared his conversion to the neighbours and on the steps of the Kaaba. Ibn Umar asserted, "Although I was very young at the time, I understood everything I saw." His mother Zaynab also became a Muslim, but his two stepmothers did not. The family emigrated to Medina in 622. A few months later, just before the Battle of Uhud in March 625, Muhammad called  Ibn Umar, who was then fourteen years old, to present himself. But when Ibn Umar appeared, Muhammad would not allow him to fight in the battle. Two years later, as the Battle of the Trench approached, Muhammad again called Ibn Umar, and this time he decreed that the youth was old enough because he was mature and reached puberty. He was also present at the Battle of Al-Muraysi in 628. Ibn Umar's sister Hafsa married Muhammad in 625. Muhammad once told her: "Abdullah is a good man. I wish he prayed the night prayers." After that, every night  Abdullah would pray much and sleep but a little. Family. After his father became Caliph in 634, Ibn Umar married Safiya bint Abu Ubayd, and they had six children: Abu Bakr, Abu Ubayda, Waqid, Umar, Hafsa and Sawda. He had a number of other sons by Ummul Walad, including Abdurrahman, Salim and Hamza. Political interests. Ibn Umar was reportedly present at the guardians of the house of Caliph Uthman () along with Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali. Ibn Umar participated in battles in Iraq, Persia and Egypt, but he remained neutral throughout the first  civil war. In 656, he prevented his sister Hafsa from following Aisha to the Battle of the Camel. Following the peace-treaty that ensued between Hasan ibn Ali and Mu'awiyah, Abdullah ibn Umar, along with the rest of the Muslims agreed to pledge his allegiance to Muawiyah I so that he may accede to the Caliphate in 661/41 AH. While in Medina during the Second Fitna of the 680s, Ibn Umar, together with Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and Ibn Abbas, advised Husayn ibn Ali to make Mecca his base and fight against Yazid I from Mecca. Husayn did not  take this advice but chose Kufa. Death. Abdullah ibn Umar died in Mecca in 693 (74 AH). Legacy. Abdullah ibn Umar was the second most prolific narrator of "ahadith", with a total of 2,630 narrations. It was said that he was extremely careful about what he narrated and that he narrated with his eyes full of tears. He has a positive reputation among Sunni Muslims. "In spite of the great esteem and honour in which he was held by all the Muslims and notwithstanding the suggestion repeatedly made to him to stand up for the caliphate (which he obstinately refused ), he kept himself entirely aloof from party strife, and throughout these years led an unselfish, pious life. He is known for his neutrality."