One day, Umar (RA) was sitting in his house in Medina, waiting for the arrival of some tribal leaders whose names had been submitted to him so that he could appoint one of them as governor. He knew well that choosing someone to be governor was not an easy task. Even if a person was known to be experienced and intelligent, it was not always certain that they would combine those qualities with gentleness and compassion.
Umar ibn Al-Khattab
Then, one of the men arrived with an impressive and handsome entrance. He said: "Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah." Umar noticed that he bore the marks of royalty, had a praiseworthy bearing, and was wearing a fine crown.
The Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, told him to sit down, and without wasting time, the man sat on a mat near Umar (RA), took a date from those prepared for guests, and ate it. After speaking with him for a while, Umar (RA) became convinced that this man could be a skilled and clever leader suitable for the position of governor.
Shortly after they finished their conversation, the second man arrived in a hurry, apologizing for not coming on time. As he came, he was brushing the dust that had covered his clothes and straightening his turban, which had slipped over one of his ears. "O Commander of the Faithful! Forgive me for not arriving earlier. On my way here, I came across an old woman with her donkey. The donkey's foot was stuck between two rocks. I could not pass by without helping her. I assure you, it was a difficult task, and so I feared that I was a little delayed."
Umar (RA) accepted his apology and indicated that he should not worry. Upon hearing this, the first candidate laughed and said, "Now, let me ask you, which is more important—the governor's seat or the donkey's foot?"
At that very moment, one of Sayyidina Umar's (RA) children came running out of a room and fell at Umar's feet. Umar (RA) embraced the child with his arms and kissed him twice on the head.
The first man could not hide his displeasure at seeing this. He said: "I have never done that, O Commander of the Faithful. I have ten children, but they are not even allowed to come close to me, and I have certainly never kissed them."
Umar (RA) looked at the man, shook his head, and said: "I can do nothing about you if Allah has hardened your heart against kindness. But remember, Allah shows mercy to those who show mercy to His creation."
Then Umar noticed that the second man was smiling shyly, so he asked him what was the matter.
The man said: "You see, O Commander of the Faithful! I have the opposite problem. I have five children, but they are always all over me. Before I even came here, my youngest daughter, Layla, did not want me to leave. She kept clinging to me, wanting me to pick her up, and that is what made her dirty my clothes with dust."
Then Umar (RA) smiled and looked at his secretary, who was waiting to hear from Umar (RA) which man he had decided to appoint as governor. Then Sayyidina Umar (RA) said: "Write the letter of appointment for this second man as governor. I am confident that he is the one suited for this job."
When the first man heard the decision Umar (RA) had made, he was immediately overwhelmed with grief and distress. Then Umar (RA) said to the first man: "You cannot be a leader, for you are an arrogant man. The tribal chief who is to become governor should be compassionate, and he should be willing to take time to help others. This second man is a good man, and ever since he arrived, he has shown me that he possesses these two good qualities."
The first man, who could barely hold back his tears, tried hard to understand what Umar (RA) was talking about, but since Allah had constricted his heart, he left without grasping even a single thing. All that mattered to him was the governor's seat.
Thus, Sayyidina Umar (RA) gave the position of governor to the man who came with dusty clothes, the one who cared about children, donkeys, and old women.