MOSQUE OF OMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB (CENTER)
The caliph who made empires tremble.
The Eid Prayer Complex
This mosque is part of the complex of five mosques dedicated to the four first caliphs (plus the Mosque of Al-Ghamama), built at the traditional location of the Musalla (outdoor prayer area) where the Prophet ﷺ prayed for Eid. (Sahih al-Bukhari no. 956)
Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه)
Umar was the second caliph of Islam (13-23 AH / 634-644 CE). Under his rule, the empires of Persia and Byzantium were defeated. Jerusalem, Damascus, Cairo, Ctesiphon — all fell under the authority of Islam.
The Prophet ﷺ said about him: "If a prophet were to come after me, it would be Umar ibn al-Khattab." (Sunan at-Tirmidhi no. 3686 — hasan chain)
And: "Allah placed the truth on the tongue of Umar and in his heart." (Sunan at-Tirmidhi no. 3682)
The Justice of Umar
Umar was nicknamed Al-Faruq — "the one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood." His reign is considered the golden age of Muslim justice. He would walk at night through the streets of Medina to ensure that no one was hungry.
When his wife was cooking and he smelled meat, he would cry: "How could I eat meat, while perhaps a Muslim does not have any?" (Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd)