Born in around 580 A.D, Hazrat Umar (R.A) belonged to Adi tribe of Qureysh in Makkah. He was about 10 years younger than the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and both also shared the same ancestors. His forefathers played a great role in settling disputes among the clans, the Adi family used to lead them as an Arbitrator. His father`s name was Khattab and his grandfather was Nufail, who were both well known for their rational and decision making abilities. His mother, Khantamah was a daughter of Hisham bin al-Mughirah, a highly ranked person among the Qureysh.
Life During Youth
He used to graze camels from his early age which increased his task handling capabilities and general aptitude. He also had to bear the hardships by facing wrath of his father whenever he tumbled in carrying out the assigned duties. Umar (R.A) was also one of the few educated persons in the entire Qureyshi tribe, who could both read and write. He also got familiar with the art and science of genealogy and knew the history of the Arabs. At youth, he was a physically strong person with tall stature. He could travel long distances on his feet without any problem. He was also considered among the top wrestlers due to his great athletic abilities and he also won most of the fights held at the annual fairs of Ukaz. He was also famous for his immaculate horse-riding skills. He was smart person, a well known public orator and successfully handled the ambassadorial role on part of Qureysh.
Acceptance of Islam
Despite the combination of his flawless intellectual and physical talent he possessed, unfortunately Umar had not accepted the Message of Allah SWT. He opposed the Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ and other Muslims to the degree that he even offered his services to kill) the Prophet ﷺ (God forbid when the Qureyshi tribes gathered in 6th year after first revelation. When he was on his way to executer this expedition, he came to know about embracing of Islam by his sister and brother and law from Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas. He went straight to his sister, Fatimah`s house where they were being taught Quran by Khabab (R.A). He was greatly moved by the Holy verses and approved them as the Word of God. On hearing Umar`s (R.A) agreement with the teachings of the Holy Book, Khabab told him that he had heard the Prophet ﷺ asking the Almighty about granting the companionship of either Umar or Abu Jahl. Then, he (R.A) asked where the Rasulullah ﷺ was, and finally embraced Islam at the hands of Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ. The other Muslims shouted with joy at this happening as they knew that it would significantly strengthen the believers` force against the disbelievers. The Apostle ﷺ of God has been narrated by Abdullah (R.A):
“We have become mighty since ‘Umar became Muslim.” (Bukhari)