One night, Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) was on rounds, when he heard sounds of singing and dancing from a house. Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) knocked at the door of the house, but the inmates were so busy in singing and dancing that they could not even listen to the knocking.
At last, Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) jumped over a wall and entered the house. There he saw that the inmates were drinking wine along with a woman and were singing and dancing. They were frightened on seeing the awe-inspiring face of Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him). Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) scolded them: O enemies of the Lord! Do you think that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) will hide such a sin of yours?”
Those people knew that Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) was very just and would not never get angry in such a situation. A person made so bold so as to say: O Commander of the faithful! Please don’t be hasty. We have committed only 1 sin, but you have committed 3:
1. Firstly, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) has ordered in the Holy Quran not to be curious about other people and you have been curious.
2. Secondly, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) has ordered in the Holy Quran to enter the houses from the doors and you entered the house over a wall.
3. Thirdly, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) orders in the Holy Quran not to enter the house without permission and to greet with Salaam on entering. You entered the house without permission and did not even greet us with Salaam.
Look at the just nature and selflessness of Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) that in spite of being a great Caliph on whose name itself great kings would shake with fear, shook with the fear of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) and submitted to the commands of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala). He said: I repent from my sins. If I forgive your mistake, then will you repent from your past sins? They said: Yes, O Commander of the faithful! We will repent and we will never ever even go near such a sin. He forgave them and they repented.
Hadhrat Muhammad bin Ka’ab (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says: Justice is that for the Muslim who is younger than you, you should be like a father. For the Muslim older than you, you should be like a son. For a Muslim of your age, you should be like a brother. Give only that much punishment which the crime demands and the criminal can bear. Be careful! Do not ever use the lash with anger, otherwise your place will be in hell.
Taken from Mawaaiz-e-Hasana of Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)
