Rich and Poor were Equal to Umar

She replied that they were hungry. Then Umar inquired about the pot on the stove. She said, “I have put pot filled with water on the stove to trick them so they are comforted and may fall asleep.” Umar started crying bitterly. Then he went to the house of treasury and started stuffing a large bag with flour, butter, dates, clothes, dirhams and other essentials until it was completely full. Then he said to Zayd ibn Aslam, “Put this sack on my shoulders.” Zayd ibn Aslam offered to carry the bag. Umar replied, “Will you also answer on my behalf on the day of judgement?” Then Umar carried everything himself to the woman‟s shack. He took the pot from the woman, put ingredients in it and placed the pot on fire himself and kept on blowing the fire to keep it going until the food was cooked. Then he himself fed the children until they were satiated and fell asleep. The grateful woman then said, “May Allah bless you! You deserve to be the Caliph more than Umar.” He told the woman, “Go to the Caliph in the morning, I will be there as well, and will get you the monthly allowance for your children.”

A famous Christian ruler of Syria, Jabalah ibn al-Aiham converted to Islam. While he was circumambulating Kaaba, someone accidently stepped over a corner of his shawl. Jabalah slapped him but the other man slapped him back. Jabalah complained to Umar who told him, “You got what you gave.” Jabalah was proud of his sovereignty, therefore he said, “I belong to the class that the person disrespectful towards us is bound to be killed.” Umar replied, “Yes that was the case in the times of ignorance, but Islam has given equality to the superior and the inferior.” Jabalah said, “If Islam is the religion which does not distinguish between the status of rich and poor (treats both equal) then I am