Thousands of people are seen in every age who attained the nearness of God Almighty by following the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and benefited others from their blessings.
Once, during the time of ‘Umar, the Caesar developed a severe headache. Despite all kinds of treatments, he was not cured. Someone advised him to write his situation to Hazrat ‘Umar and ask him for benediction and have some relic brought.
“He will pray for you and will also send you benediction,” he was advised. “You will certainly be cured by his prayer.”
The Caesar sent his ambassador to ‘Umar.
Hazrat ‘Umar thought, “These are haughty people. He would not have come to me, but now that he has a problem, he has sent his ambassador to me. If I send something of significance, he may not use it thinking it to be inferior. So I should send him something which may be used as a benediction but which would also remove his haughtiness.”
He sent him one of his old hats as benediction. The hat had marks on it and was discolored due to weathering.
When the Caesar saw the cap, he felt bad and he did not wear the hat. But Allah, the High, wanted to show him that at that time he could attain blessings only through Muhammad, the prophet of God, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He had such a severe headache that he asked his servants to bring the hat sent by ‘Umar so that he could put it on his head. He put the hat on his head and his headache went away.
He used to have the headache every few days. So it became usual for him to sit in the court donning that soiled hat of Hazrat ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him.
This sign, which Allah, the Almighty, showed him, had another matter hidden in it. A companion of the Holy Prophet was imprisoned by the Caesar. He had ordered to feed him pig-meat. The companion accepted starvation and did not go near the bacon. After many days of fasting, when he was about to die, Caesar gave him bread. When he had gained some strength, he again ordered him to be fed pig-meat. He neither let him die nor live.
Someone said to him, “You have this headache because you have imprisoned that Muslim. Its remedy is that you request ‘Umar to pray for you and send for benediction from him.”
When Hazrat ‘Umar sent him the hat and his headache subsided, he was so impressed that he released that companion of the Holy Prophet.
Now observe that a Caesar hurts a companion, and Allah, the High, initiates pain in his head as a punishment. Someone else advises him to send for benediction from ‘Umar and request him to pray. Hazrat ‘Umar sends the relic and the headache goes away. In the same way, Allah, the Almighty, creates circumstances for the release of the Companion and manifests the truth of Muhammad, prophet of God, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.