Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab

Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), commonly known as Ibn Umar, was a companion and brother-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the most known son of the second Caliph Umar. The most prolific hadith narrator after Abu Hurayra, Ibn Umar remained neutral during the events of the first Fitna (656–661).

Early life Abd Allah ibn Umar (kunya Abu Abd al-Rahman ) was born in 610 in Mecca, three years after the beginning of Muhammad's message. He remembered following his father around the town as Umar declared his conversion to the neighbours and on the steps of the Kaaba. Abd Allah asserted, "Although I was very young at the time, I understood everything I saw." His mother Zaynab also became a Muslim, but his two stepmothers did not.

Family and personal life Abd Allah ibn Umar's sister, Hafsa bint Umar, married Muhammad in 625, making Ibn Umar his brother-in-law.

Following his father's accession as Caliph in 634, Ibn Umar married Safiya bint Abu Ubayd al-Thaqafi, the sister of the commander Al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi.

"Safiyyah bint Abu Ubayd, the wife of Abdullah bin Umar" (names marked in red) in a hadith manuscript of 866 CE.

Military career under Muhammad Following the Hijrah in 622, Ibn Umar's family emigrated to Medina, He later served in the Battle of Mu'tah (629) against the forces of the Byzantine Empire. Ibn Umar acted as a key witness to the battle's aftermath, famously narrating that he found the body of the commander Ja'far ibn Abi Talib with approximately ninety wounds, all located on the front of his body.

In the final months of Muhammad's life, Ibn Umar was enlisted in the Expedition of Usama bin Zayd, a force prepared for a strategic campaign into Syria.

Service under the Rashidun Caliphate

During the caliphate of his father, Umar, Abd Allah served as a consultant to the newly created council; however, Umar strictly prohibited him from standing as a candidate for the caliphate following his father's death. This neutral stance was evidenced in 656, when he successfully prevented his sister Hafsa from joining Aisha at the Battle of the Camel.

Following the Battle of Siffin, during the Arbitration of Adhruh, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reportedly nominated Ibn Umar for the caliphate as a compromise candidate, though Amr ibn al-As objected to the proposal. Decades later, during the Second Fitna in the 680s, Ibn Umar remained in Medina and, alongside Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and Ibn Abbas, advised Husayn ibn Ali to remain in Mecca. Although Husayn ultimately declined the advice and departed for Kufa, Ibn Umar's counsel reflected his continued commitment to avoiding civil strife within the community.

Death Abd Allah ibn Umar died in Mecca in 693 (74 AH), after being hit by a poisoned spear from Hajjaj's army during the siege in some reports.

Legacy Abd Allah ibn Umar was the second most prolific narrator of Hadith, with a total of 2,630 narrations. It was said that he was extremely careful about what he narrated and that he narrated with his eyes full of tears. He was very cautious in life and thus was also cautious in his judgement.