Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه — “Today I will beat Abu Bakr, if ever I beat him”
Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه — "Today I will beat Abu Bakr, if ever I beat him"
Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه — "Today I will beat Abu Bakr, if ever I beat him"
Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه himself told this story, and he told it against himself.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had ordered the Companions to give in charity. And it so happened that this time, Umar had wealth with him.
So Umar said to himself:
"Today I will beat Abu Bakr, if ever I beat him."
He went and brought half of his wealth.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him:
"What did you leave for your family?"
Umar answered:
"The like of it."
Meaning: I brought half, and I left half.
Then Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه came — with everything he had.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him:
"O Abu Bakr! What did you leave for your family?"
Abu Bakr answered:
> «أَبْقَيْتُ لَهُمُ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ»
"I left Allah and His Messenger for them."
Umar heard this, and the race ended — not with disappointment, but with honesty. He said:
> «وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَسْبِقُهُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ أَبَدًا»
"[By Allah] I will never be able to beat him to something."
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🌿 Stop and Think About This Scene
Umar did not give a small gift. He gave half of everything he owned — a huge sacrifice by any measure.
And he did not hide his motive. He wanted, just once, to pass Abu Bakr in good.
But Abu Bakr did not bring half. He brought all of it — and left his family in the care of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
Two men, two enormous gifts. Yet one man's trust in Allah stood at a level the other openly admitted he could not reach.
And notice: Umar carried no bitterness away from that day. He carried respect.
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❤️ The Greatest Lesson
In Umar's own words, the race ended with: "[By Allah] I will never be able to beat him to something." Competing in good deeds is beautiful — but when someone passes you, the heart of a believer does not turn to envy. It turns to admiration, and to learning what made that person greater.
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📚 Important Lessons From This Hadith
1. Umar aimed high in charity and said it openly: "Today I will beat Abu Bakr, if ever I beat him."
2. The Prophet ﷺ asked both men the same question: "What did you leave for your family?" — giving is measured together with responsibility.
3. Umar gave half his wealth and left its like: "The like of it."
4. Abu Bakr gave everything he had and said: "I left Allah and His Messenger for them."
5. Umar admitted the truth about himself without envy: "[By Allah] I will never be able to beat him to something."
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🏠 How Can We Apply This Hadith in Our Daily Lives?
When we give charity, we can ask ourselves the Prophet's ﷺ question first: what am I leaving for my family? Islam does not ask us to neglect those under our care — and it also does not cap our generosity at what is comfortable. And when we see someone outgive us, out-pray us, or out-serve us, we can follow Umar: no jealousy, no belittling — just honest admiration and a fresh desire to grow.
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🌹 The Most Beautiful Message
Half of a man's wealth was placed before the Prophet ﷺ — and it was not enough to win the day, because another man had placed all of it. But the real beauty of this story is Umar's heart: he told the ummah himself about the day he could not win, so that we would know what a winner looks like.
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📖 Authentic Reference
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3675 — Chapter: Regarding the Virtues Of Both Abu Bakr and Omar, May Allah Be Pleased With Them Both — Grade: Hasan (Darussalam) — Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3675