Caliph Umar and the Sack of Flour

Umar was the caliph, that is, the leader of the Muslims. He governed a very powerful state but lived a simple life. At night he would put on plain clothes and walk the streets of the city, to see whether people had any troubles.

One night, while walking with a friend, he saw a small tent outside the city. In front of the tent a woman was boiling a pot over a fire. The sound of children crying came from inside the tent. Umar came closer: "Peace be upon you. Why are the children crying?"

The woman said, "They are hungry. I am boiling only water in the pot. So that they fall asleep while waiting, thinking food is cooking." Then she sighed: "The caliph Umar knows nothing about us."

Umar's eyes filled with tears. Without saying a word, he hurried back to the city. He took a sack of flour and a jar of oil from the state storehouse. His friend said, "Give it to me, I'll carry it." Umar said, "Will you carry my burden on the Day of Judgement? This is my duty," and he lifted the sack onto his own back.

When he reached the tent, he gave the flour and the oil to the woman. He himself blew on the fire and stirred the food. The smoke filled his beard, but he did not mind. When the food was cooked, he fed the children with his own hands. Once the children were full, they began to laugh and play. Umar watched them laughing, and only then did he leave.

The woman called after him, "May God be pleased with you. You deserve to be caliph more than Umar." She did not know that he was Umar. Umar just smiled.

This story tells us: true greatness is treating other people's troubles as your own. When we help, we do not wait to be praised. And a child's laughter is the greatest reward.