مِنَ المُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا

Which means: {Among the Believers are men who have been true to their Covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least}

Allah said:

من المؤمنين رجال صدقوا ما عاهدوا الله عليه، وكلامنا اليومَ بإذنِ الله ربِ العالمينَ عن رجلٍ من هؤلاءِ الرجالِ الرجال، حَسَنِ الخَلق والخُلُق، حريصٍ على العدل، وافرِ( كثير) العلم،  ظاهرِ الذكاء والفهم، عابد لله، ناطقٍ بالحقِ، عُدَّ عندَ أهلِ العلمِ منَ الخلفاءِ الراشدين والعلماءِ العاملين، كان حافظا زاهدا عابدا إماما  إنه عمرُ بن عبد العزيزِ، رحمه الله، ورضي عنه.

There are men among the believers, who were honest in the oath they made to Allah. Our speech today by the will of Allah; the lord of the worlds, is about those men whom Allah endowed them with the qualities of true men, attributed with good features and character, adhering to justice, very knowledgeable, manifesting intelligence and comprehension. He was a worshiper of Allah, articulate (supportive) of the truth, considered among the scholars as the guided caliphates and practicing scholars. He was a Hafidh, detached from the worldly pleasures, he is  ^Umar Ibn ^Abdul-^Aziz ; may Allah bestow his mercy and grace upon him.

كان رضي الله عنه أبيضَ رقيقَ الوجهِ جميلاً نحيفَ الجسمِ حسنَ اللحية، بجبهته أثرُ حافرِ دابّةٍ، فلذلك سُمي أشجَّ بني أميةَ.

^Umar was white in colour, handsome and slim, with an awe and a nice beard.  An animal hit him once leaving a scar in his face. That is why he was called أشج بني أمية

meaning; the one with the scar on his face.

عمرُ بنُ عبد العزيز بكى وهو غلامٌ صغير، فأَرسَلَتْ إليه أمُّه وقالت: ما يُبكيك؟ قال: ذَكرتُ الموتَ. ذَكَرَ الموتَ فبكى

When ^Umar Ibn ^Abdul-^Aziz was a young child he was found crying. His mother approached him and said: Why are you crying my son? He replied: I was remembering death.

He remembered death and he started to cry.

وفي زمنِ خلافته رضي الله عنه كانتِ الغنمُ والذّئابُ ترعى في مكانٍ واحدٍ، فلقد جاء في كتابِ حِليةِ الأولياءِ أن رجلا قال: كنتُ أحلِبُ الغنمَ في خلافة عمرَ بنِ عبد العزيزِ فمَرَرْتُ براعٍ وفي غنمِه نحوٌ من ثلاثينَ ذِئبا، فحسِبتُها كلابا، ولم أكن رأيتُ الذئابَ  قبلَ ذلك، فقلتُ يا راعي ما ترجو بهذه الكلابِ كُلِها؟ فقال يا بنيَّ إنها ليست كلابا إنما هي ذئابٌ. فقُلتُ سبحانَ اللهِ، ذئبٌ في غنمٍ لا تضُرُّها؟! فقال يا بُنيَّ إذا صلَحَ الرأسُ فليس على الجسدِ بأسٌ.

During his caliphate, may Allah bestow his grace upon him; the sheep and wolves used to be grazed in the same place. It was mentioned in the book حِليةِ الأولياءِ

that a man said: I used to milk the goats during the caliphate of ^Umar Ibn ^Abdul-^Aziz, and I passed by a herder. Amongst his goats were about 30 wolves, I thought that they were dogs, I had not seen the wolves before that: so I said to the herdsman: “O herdsman what do expect from all of these dogs”. The herdsman replied to me: “ O my son, they are not dogs they are wolves”.

So I said   سبحانَ الله

Wolves amongst goats and they don’t harm them? He replied back to me “ O my son إذا كان الخليفة عادلا ظهر أثر عدله

دخل عمرُ بنُ عبد العزيز وهو أميرُ المؤمنين على امرأتِه فاطمةَ بنتِ عبدِ الملك قائلا لها: عندكِ درهمٌ أشتَرِي به عِنَـبًا؟ قالت لا، قال عندكِ فُلوسٌ أشتري بها عنبا؟ قالت لا ، فأَقبَلَتْ عليه فقالت أنت أميرُ المؤمنين، لا تقدِرُ على دِرهمٍ ولا فلوسٍ تشتري بها عنبا؟ قال هذا أهونُ علينا من معالجةِ الأغلالِ غدا في نارِ جهنّم.

^Umar Ibn ^Abdul-^Aziz  once said to his wife Fatimah Bintu ^Abdul Malik :  Do you have a DirHam so I can buy grapes? She said: No. He then said: Do you have money so I can buy grapes? She said no. She then approached him and said to him: You are the leader of the believers and you have no DirHam or money to buy grapes? He said, that is easier for us than  being chained in the hellfire.

وعن مَسْلَمةَ بنِ عبدِ الملك قال دخلتُ على عمرَ بنِ عبد العزيز أعودُهُ في مرضه، فإذا عليه قميصٌ وَسِخٌ، فقلتُ لفاطمةَ بنتِ عبد الملك: يا فاطمةُ، اغسِلي قميصَ أميرِ المؤمنين، قالت: نفعلُ إن شاء الله، ثم عدتُّ فإذا القميصُ على حالِه، فقلتُ: يا فاطمةُ، ألم ءامُرْكم أن تغسِلوا قميصَ أميرِ المؤمنين؟ فإن الناسَ يعودونَه، قالت: واللهِ ما له قميصٌ غيرُه.

Maslamata Ibn ^bdilmalik said: I visited ^Umar Ibn ^Abdul-^Aziz during his illness. He had a Garment and a (skew) on his body, So I said to Fatimah Bintu ^Abdul Malik: O  Fatimah, wash the garment of the leader of the believers. She replied. I will Insha-Allah. Then I came back and I saw the garment as it was, I said: O  Fatimah, didn’t I ask for the garment of the leader of the believers to be washed? The people are visiting him. He said: I swear by Allah he has no other garment than that one.

إخوة الإيمان،  إنَّ عمرَ بنَ عبدِ العزيزِ لما حضَرَتْهُ الوفاةُ ردَّدَ مرارا قولَ اللهِ تعالى [تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الآَخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ] .

Omar bin Abdulaziz while on his deathbed he started reciting repeatedly the following ayah:

تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الآَخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

Which means: {That Home of the Hereafter we shall give to those who seek not oppression, corruption or mischief on earth: and the End is (best) for the righteous}

أيها الأحبة، كم هو عظيمٌ أن نقتديَ بهؤلاء الرجالِ، وعند سماعِ سِيَرِهِم ومناقبهم نزدادُ ورعا وإقبالا على الآخرةِ، وإدبارا عن هذه الدنيا الزائلة، والله تعالى يقول : [وَالآَخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى] اللهم زهّدنا في هذه الدنيا  وأخرجنا منها وأنت راضٍ عنا إنك على كلِ شيء قدير .

How great is to imitate these men, and upon mentioning their conducts and virtues we should increase our fulfillment in obeying Allah, and to improve our preparation for the hereafter. Allah said: [وَالآَخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى]

Which means: Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

We ask Allah to make us among those who renounce worldly pleasures and to end our life with Islam.