that lay behind that fragile cover of pre-Islamic ignorance and mentality. His sharp temper and  excessive enmity towards the Prophet (Peace be upon him) led him one day to leave his house, sword  in hand, with the intention of killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him) . He was in a fit of anger and  was  fretting and fuming. Nuai ' m bin A ' bdullah, a friend of U ' mar's, met him accidentally half way. What  had  caused so much excitement in him and on whom was the fury to burst, he inquired casually. U ' mar  said  furiously: "To destroy the man Muhammad (Peace be upon him) this apostate, who has shattered the  unity of Quraish, picked holes in their religion, found folly with their wise men and blasphemed their  gods." "U ' mar, I am sure, your soul has deceived you, do you think that Banu 'Abd Munaf would let  you  walk on earth if you slain Muhammad (Peace be upon him)? Why dont ' you take care of your own  family first and set them right?"
"Which of the folk of my house?" asked U ' mar angrily. "Your brother -in-law and your sister have  apostatized meaning to say: They have become followers of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and  abandoned your religion."
U ' mar directed his footsteps to his sister's house. As he drew near, he heard the voice of Khabbab bin
Aratt, who was reading the Qur'ânic Chapter Tâ-Hâ (mystic letters, T. H.) to both of them. Khabbab,  perceiving the noise of his footsteps retired to a closet. Fatimah, U ' mar's sister, took hold of the leaf  and hid it. But U ' mar had already heard the voice. "What sound was that I have heard just now?"  shouted the son of Khattab, entering angrily. Both his sister and her husband replied, "You heard  nothing." "Nay," said he swearing fiercely, "I have heard that you have apostatized." He plunged  forward towards his brother-in-law and beat him severely, but Fatimah rushed to the rescue of her  husband. Thereupon, U ' mar fell upon his sister and struck upon her head. The husband and wife could  not contain themselves and cried aloud: "Yes, we are Muslims, we believe in Allâh and His Messenger
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) so do what you will." When U ' mar saw the face of his dear sister  besmeared with blood, he was softened and said: "Let me see what you were reading, so that I may  see what Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has brought." Fatimah was satisfied with the assurance,  but  said: "O brother, you are unclean on account of your idolatry, none but the pure may touch it. So go  and wash first." He did so, and took the page and read the opening verses of the Chapter Tâ-Hâ until  he reached:
"Verily! I am Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me  and offer prayers perfectly (Iqâmat-as-Salât), for My Remembrance." 20:14.
U ' mar read the verses with great interest and was much entranced with them. "How excellent it is,  and  how graceful! Please guide me to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ." said he. And when he heard  that,
Khabbab came out of concealment and said, "O U ' mar, I hope that Allâh has answered the prayer of  the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) , for I heard him say: 'O Allâh! Strengthen Islam through either U ' mar  bin
Al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham." ' U ' mar then left for a house in Safa where Muhammad (Peace be  upon him) had been holding secret meetings along with his Companions. U ' mar reached that place  with  the sword swinging by his arm. He knocked at the door. The Companions of the Prophet (Peace be  upon him) turned to see who the intruder was. One of them peeped through a chink in the door and  reeled back exclaiming: "It is U ' mar with his sword." Hamzah, dispelling the fears of his friends, said:
"Let him in. As a friend he is welcome. As a foe, he will have his head cut off with his own sword." The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) asked his Companions to open the door. In came the son of Khattab.
The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) advanced to receive the dreadful visitor, caught him by his garment and  scabbard, and asked him the reason of his visit. At that U ' mar replied: "O Messenger of Allâh (Peace  be  upon him), I come to you in order to believe in Allâh and his Messenger and that which he has  brought  from his Lord." Filled with delight, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) together with his Companions,  cried aloud: ' Allâhu Akbar ' (Allâh is Great).