Takhrij Hadith 667: "‘Umar ibn al-Khattab met a…"

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab met a woman named Khawlah while he was walking with a crowd of people. She asked him to stop, so he stopped for her, drew close to her, and tilted his head to listen to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders until she had finished stating her need and went on her way. A man said to him: “O Commander of the Faithful! Have you held up the men of Quraysh for this old woman?!” ‘Umar replied: “Woe to you! Do you even know who this is?” The man said: “No”. ‘Umar said: “This is a woman whose complaint Allah heard from above seven heavens. This is Khawlah bint Tha‘labah. By Allah, if she had not turned away from me until nightfall, I would not have left until she had completed her need.