I never really thought much of my name and what it really means to me. I was indifferent to it. I liked it because it was the name my parents had given to me and that it was nice and simple - just 4 letters that were easy to pronounce. But today in English as we talked about identity and how names can possibly have influence over identity I decided to dig deeper into myself and begin to understand one of the essential parts of my master identity.
The story of my name begins in 579 A.D with the birth of Omar Ibn Al Khattab, a tall physically powerful man renowned for his skills in horse riding, swordsmanship, wrestling, and literacy. Once strongly opposed to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, - he came close to assassinating him - Ibn Al Khattab eventually became one of the closest friends of the Prophet and was the one who inspired the Muslims to practice their religion openly. On the day of his conversion he stood in front of his polytheist tribe and prayed openly and dared anyone to stop him or other Muslims from doing so, his power was so great such that not a single person dared to come closer. He went on to become the second leader or caliph of the Islamic world after the death of the Prophet and came to be known for his kindness, intelligence but most of all his bravery. He led his army all the way to the far reaches of Spain spreading the religion of Islam peacefully. In fact, he ordered his army to leave the natives of the land in peace and allowed them their freedom of religion. Before becoming Caliph, Ibn Al-Khattab was the master architect of the Islamic world and built many cities to form the caliphate. It was no doubt that Omar Ibn Al-Khattab was a great man, listed #52 on the list of the 100 most influential men in history it is impossible to negate his legacy amongst the Arab world.
Now to find a connection between the name and my personality. Personally, I feel that I have a strong connection between my personality and my name based on some of Omar Ibn Al Khattab's Characteristics and ideas. I believe that I embody some important aspects of his personality such as intelligence and kindness and dedication to culture and religion.
The story of my name begins in 579 A.D with the birth of Omar Ibn Al Khattab, a tall physically powerful man renowned for his skills in horse riding, swordsmanship, wrestling, and literacy. Once strongly opposed to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, - he came close to assassinating him - Ibn Al Khattab eventually became one of the closest friends of the Prophet and was the one who inspired the Muslims to practice their religion openly. On the day of his conversion he stood in front of his polytheist tribe and prayed openly and dared anyone to stop him or other Muslims from doing so, his power was so great such that not a single person dared to come closer. He went on to become the second leader or caliph of the Islamic world after the death of the Prophet and came to be known for his kindness, intelligence but most of all his bravery. He led his army all the way to the far reaches of Spain spreading the religion of Islam peacefully. In fact, he ordered his army to leave the natives of the land in peace and allowed them their freedom of religion. Before becoming Caliph, Ibn Al-Khattab was the master architect of the Islamic world and built many cities to form the caliphate. It was no doubt that Omar Ibn Al-Khattab was a great man, listed #52 on the list of the 100 most influential men in history it is impossible to negate his legacy amongst the Arab world.
Now to find a connection between the name and my personality. Personally, I feel that I have a strong connection between my personality and my name based on some of Omar Ibn Al Khattab's Characteristics and ideas. I believe that I embody some important aspects of his personality such as intelligence and kindness and dedication to culture and religion.
You mention that Omar Ibn Al Khattab is "a tall physically powerful man renowned for his skills in horse riding, swordsmanship, wrestling, and literacy." Do you feel as though, by having the same name as him, you have to live up to his legacy? Or do you feel like your name is your own and it shouldn't be connected to somebody else's life?
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