Scene 1: The Streets of Madina
Location: Madina, early morning, 75 AH (694 CE)
The first light of dawn crept over the palm groves surrounding Madina. The call to prayer echoed softly from the Prophet's Mosque, carried by the cool desert breeze.
Umar bin Abdul Aziz walked beside his father through the narrow, sandy streets. Merchants were still arranging their goods—dates, figs, goatskins of water—while bakers lit their clay ovens.
Unlike the bustling and opulent Damascus, Madina moved at a gentler rhythm. People greeted one another with warmth, their lives tied to the mosque at the city's heart.
"Father," Umar said, adjusting the strap of the water-skin slung over his shoulder, "Madina feels… different. Quieter."
Abdul Aziz smiled. "This city is not just a place, Umar—it is a memory. Every stone here has heard the footsteps of the Prophet, peace be upon him."
They passed an old man mending sandals under a date palm. He rose and bowed his head. "Governor Abdul Aziz, may Allah keep you just."
Abdul Aziz nodded respectfully. "And may Allah grant you ease, Abu Saeed."
Umar noticed something: here, his father walked without guards, without ceremony, without fear. People approached him freely, even interrupting him mid-step.
That morning, they entered the Prophet's Mosque for Fajr prayer. Umar's eyes lifted to the wooden beams, the simple lamps, and the rows of scholars seated against the walls with their students. This was no palace of marble or gold—yet it felt richer than Damascus.
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Scene 2: The Scholar in the Shade
Location: Courtyard of the Prophet's Mosque, mid-morning
After prayer, Umar sat cross-legged in a shaded corner. Beside him, a tall, dignified man with a white beard spoke in a calm, deliberate voice.
"Children," the man began, "knowledge is not in the ink, but in the heart. You may memorize a thousand hadiths, but if your tongue lies and your hands oppress, what use is your knowledge?"
This was Salim ibn Abdullah ibn Umar—grandson of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab and one of Madina's most respected scholars.
Salim turned to Umar. "Young Umar, do you know why this mosque has no gold or marble like those in Damascus?"
Umar hesitated. "Because the Prophet preferred simplicity?"
"Not only that," Salim replied. "It is because faith, not stone, is the foundation. If faith is strong, even a tent will stand like a fortress. But if faith is weak, no palace will hold it."
Umar listened intently as Salim recited hadiths about justice, humility, and the dangers of greed.
At one point, another student asked, "O Shaykh, can a ruler be truly just?"
Salim's gaze drifted toward the Prophet's grave nearby. "A ruler can be just," he said slowly, "but only if he fears standing before Allah more than losing his throne."
Those words lodged in Umar's heart.
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Scene 3: Bread and Books
Location: Umar's family home, afternoon
Umar returned home to a small, sunlit courtyard where Fatima bint Abdul Malik, his young wife, was kneading dough. Though she was a princess—daughter of the Caliph—her hands worked without hesitation.
"How was your lesson today?" she asked, sprinkling flour on the table.
"I learned," Umar said, "that a man can lose his soul even if he wins the world."
Fatima glanced up. "And do you believe it?"
"I do," Umar replied, "but I also see how hard it will be to live by it."
Fatima placed the dough to rise. "Then you must surround yourself with those who will remind you when you forget."
They shared bread, olives, and goat's milk for lunch. Afterward, Umar withdrew to his small library—a single wooden shelf holding scrolls and parchments. Most were religious texts, but a few contained records of past rulers.
He copied hadiths by hand, pausing often to think about their meaning. His father encouraged him to study both religion and administration, saying, "The sword protects the borders, but justice protects the heart of the people."
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Scene 4: The Dispute in the Market
Location: Madina's central market, late afternoon
One day, while walking through the market, Umar saw a commotion. A merchant accused a farmer of selling spoiled dates.
"You cheat me!" the merchant shouted.
The farmer held up his hands. "By Allah, they were fresh this morning!"
A small crowd gathered. Umar stepped forward. "Peace, brothers. Let us not shout in the street."
The merchant turned on him. "Who are you to judge?"
"Just a student," Umar said, "but one who knows that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: The buyer and the seller have the option to cancel or confirm the deal so long as they have not parted."
He took a handful of the dates, examined them, and asked the farmer, "Would you be willing to replace the bad ones?"
The farmer nodded. The merchant agreed to forgive the dispute if given a fresh batch. The crowd dispersed.
As Umar walked away, a boy ran up to him. "My father says you should be a judge!"
Umar smiled faintly. "Better to learn justice before judging others."
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Scene 5: A Night with the Scholars
Location: Madina, courtyard of a scholar's house, evening
The moonlight fell across the courtyard where a group of men sat in a circle. Some were elderly scholars, others young students. Oil lamps cast a golden glow on their faces.
Salim ibn Abdullah spoke of the Caliphs who came after the Prophet, their trials, and their errors. "It is not enough to pray in the mosque," he said. "A ruler must walk the streets at night to see the hunger in his people's homes."
Another scholar, Urwah ibn Zubair, added, "And he must spend from his own wealth before taking from the treasury."
They began to speak about the temptations of the Umayyad court—lavish banquets, costly garments, and foreign luxuries.
Umar asked, "If a man is born into such wealth, how can he avoid being corrupted by it?"
Salim looked at him for a long moment. "By remembering that his grave will be the same size as that of the poorest man."
Laughter and nods of agreement followed, but Umar felt the words like a weight pressing on his chest.
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Scene 6: The Memory of a Grave
Location: Al-Baqi Cemetery, midnight
One night, unable to sleep, Umar slipped out of his house and walked to Al-Baqi Cemetery. The city was silent, save for the rustle of palm leaves in the wind.
He wandered among the simple mounds, some marked only by stones. Here lay companions of the Prophet, men who had led armies, governed provinces, and recited the Quran from memory.
Yet now, the same earth covered them all.
Kneeling by one grave, Umar whispered, "You once ruled, and now you wait. I, too, may rule one day. What will I bring to this place?"
The moonlight fell across the gravestones, pale and cold. Umar shivered, though the night was warm.
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Scene 7: A Father's Guidance
Location: Abdul Aziz's study, following day
The next morning, Umar found his father writing letters to the Caliph in Damascus. Wax seals lay ready beside him.
"You were out late last night," Abdul Aziz said without looking up.
"I was at Al-Baqi," Umar admitted.
His father finally looked at him. "Good. Remember what you saw there. It is the only cure for the disease of power."
Abdul Aziz then handed him a letter. "Read this."
It was an order to reduce taxes on farmers struggling after a drought.
"Justice," his father said, "is not spoken in sermons alone. It must appear in the marketplace, in the fields, and in the homes of the poor."
Umar nodded, tucking the lesson into his heart.
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