Jami' al-Saghir / Jam' al-Jawami' (al-Suyuti) 2-2460b

Translation

Machine translation, not reviewed

"From Aslam, that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab walked around one night and came upon a woman in the inner part of her house, and around her were children crying, and a cooking pot on the fire filled with water. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab approached the door and said: O servant of Allah! (What) is the crying of these children? She said: Their crying is from hunger. He said: What is this pot on the fire? She said: I have put water in it, with which I keep them occupied until they sleep, and I make them imagine that in it is something (flour) ( ). 'Umar wept, then went to the house of charity and took a sack ( ) and put in it some flour, ghee, fat, dates, clothing and dirhams, until he filled the sack. Then he said: O Aslam! Carry it on my behalf. I said: O Commander of the Believers, shall I carry it for you? He said to me: May you have no mother, O Aslam! Rather I will carry it, for I am the one who will be held accountable for them in the Hereafter. So he carried it until he brought it to the woman's home. He took the pot and put in it flour and some fat and dates, and he began stirring it with his hand and blowing under the pot. I saw the smoke coming out through the gaps of his beard, until he cooked for them. Then he began ladling with his hand and feeding them until they were satisfied. Then he went out and lay down opposite them (until) ( ) like a beast, and I feared to speak to him. He remained like that until the children played and laughed. Then he stood and said: O Aslam! Do you know why I lay down opposite them? I said: No. He said: I saw them crying, and I disliked leaving them until I saw them laughing. When they laughed, my soul was content."

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