World's lone super power of his time — Umar - the 2nd Caliph of Islam, cries in open court and accepts his mistake
Derived from Ahadith
The story happened to be that the house of Hazrat Abbas (rz) was next to Masjid-e Nabawi and the porch of his house was towards the masjid. When it rained, water would fall from the spout, splashing on the worshippers. Ameerul Momineen (the leader of all Muslims) Hazrat Umar Farooq (rz) saw the rainwater falling on the worshipers, so he pulled down the spout. When Hazrat Abbas (rz) came, he saw that the gutter of his house had been pulled down. Asked who took it down? He was answered that Ameerul Momineen saw the rainwater falling through it on the worshipers and then he removed it.
Hazrat Abbas (rz) filed a case before the Qazi. Ameerul Momineen Hazrat Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (rz) appeared in the court of Hazrat Ubai bin Ka'b (rz). The judge Ka'b (rz) was listening to people's cases and Hazrat Umar Farooq (rz) was waiting outside the court. After a long wait, when Umar (rz) appeared beforethe court, he initiated speaking, but Ubai Ibn Ka'b (rz) stopped him saying that the plaintiff has the right to present his claim first.
He was the Chief Justice of Umar's (rz) Caliphate and was addressing his own king, the leader of all Muslims and the then most powerful ruler in the world.
Hazrat Abbas (rz) claims that the porch of my house was facing the Prophet's Masjid from the beginning. After the time of the Prophet (saws), it remained the same during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (rz), but Umar (rz) removed the spout of my house in my absence without my permission. So I want justice.
The Chief Justice Hazrat Ubai bin Ka'b (rz) assured Hazrat Abbas (rz) and said, 'You should not worry, you will get justice.'
The Chief Qazi - Hazrat Ka'b asked Hazrat Umar Farooq (rz) why did you remove the gutter of Abbas's (rz) house?
The ruler of more than two million square miles area stands in the court and says that the house of Abbas (rz) was facing the Prophet's Masjid. When it rains, water flows from the spout and splashes fall on the worshipers, causing trouble and discomfort to the worshipers, so I removed it.
Ubai bin Ka'b (rz) saw that Abbas (rz) wanted to say something; he asked what do you want to say?
Then Abbas (rz) says that the place where my house is located now is where the Prophet Muhammad (saws) had marked it for me with his stick and I asked me to build a house in that place only. When it was turn to fix the Nala (spout), the Prophet (saws) said to me, 'Uncle, stand on my shoulder and install a spout in that place.' I denied to stand on the blessed shoulder of my nephew, but due to his insist, I stood on his shoulder and installed the pipe there, the pipe was installed the by the Prophet (saws), he emphasised.
The Qazi Hazrat Ubai bin Ka'b (rz) asked, do you have any witness for this?
Hazrat Abbas (rz) hurriedly went out and brought some Ansar Sahaba (those who were the natives of Madina and were helpers), inside the courtroom who testified that Abbas (rz) was telling the truth.
As soon as he heard this, Ameerul Momineen Hazrat Umar (rz) grew emotional and started crying, tears started pouring down from his eyes. His memories went back to his beloved Prophet (saws) and the scene of the Prophet's (saws) era began reflecting in his mind.
In front of everyone in the court, this ruler of two million square miles is standing with his head bowed, whose name used to make the palaces of Qaiser and Kisra tremble. He says to Abbas (rz), "I did not know that the Prophet (saws) has installed it himself, I have made a mistake, you come with me, just as the Prophet (saws) installed this channel, you should install it again."
The eyes of the people have witnessed that the supreme ruler of that time stood with both his hands resting on the wall of the house, just as the Messenger of Allah (saws) stood, Hazrat Abbas (rz) stood on the shoulder of Ameerul Momineen, the most powerful king of the world, Hazrat Umar Farooq (rz) and again fixed the spout on the same place.
Seeing this behavior of his ruler, Hazrat Abbas (rz) endowed (waqf) his house for Masjid-e Nabawi at the same time.
If we enter from Bab al-Salam of the Masjide Nabawi today, on the right side of the wall, there is still a sign of the location of this spout, despite the passage of more than fourteen hundred years.
(Reported by Ahmad bin Hanbal in Al-Musnad, 1/210, Hadith No.: 1790)
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