Advanced Arabic reading

The Just Caliph in Arabic

الخليفة العادل

The Just Caliph is a Advanced-level Arabic reading text about a traditional account of Umar accepting responsibility for a hungry family. Its fully vocalized Arabic helps learners read each word accurately, while the sentence-by-sentence English translation supports understanding. The story also includes optional Arabic audio, useful vocabulary, comprehension practice and a focused language point. It works well for independent reading, a short classroom lesson or shared practice with a parent.

Read the Arabic story with English translation

Read each Arabic sentence from right to left. Use the speaker button to hear the sentence, then check its English meaning underneath.

تُرْوَى حِكَايَةٌ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، تُبَيِّنُ شُعُورَهُ بِمَسْؤُولِيَّتِهِ عَنِ النَّاسِ.

A story is told about Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, showing his sense of responsibility towards the people.

خَرَجَ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ مَعَ أَحَدِ مُرَافِقِيهِ لِيَتَفَقَّدَ أَحْوَالَ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ.

One night, he went out with a companion to check on the people of the city.

وَبَيْنَمَا كَانَا يَسِيرَانِ، سَمِعَا بُكَاءَ أَطْفَالٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ خَيْمَةٍ بَعِيدَةٍ.

As they walked, they heard children crying from a distant tent.

اِقْتَرَبَ عُمَرُ، فَرَأَى أُمًّا تُحَرِّكُ قِدْرًا فَوْقَ النَّارِ، وَأَطْفَالَهَا يَنْتَظِرُونَ الطَّعَامَ.

Umar approached and saw a mother stirring a pot over the fire while her children waited for food.

سَأَلَهَا عَنْ سَبَبِ بُكَائِهِمْ، فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُمْ جِيَاعٌ، وَإِنَّ الْقِدْرَ لَا يَحْوِي إِلَّا الْمَاءَ.

He asked why they were crying, and she said they were hungry and that the pot contained only water.

كَانَتْ تُحَاوِلُ أَنْ تُهَدِّئَهُمْ حَتَّى يَغْلِبَهُمُ النُّعَاسُ، لِأَنَّهَا لَمْ تَجِدْ مَا تُطْعِمُهُمْ.

She was trying to calm them until sleep overcame them because she had nothing to feed them.

عَادَ عُمَرُ مُسْرِعًا إِلَى مَخْزَنِ الطَّعَامِ، وَجَمَعَ دَقِيقًا وَزَيْتًا وَبَعْضَ التَّمْرِ.

Umar hurried back to the food store and gathered flour, oil, and some dates.

عَرَضَ مُرَافِقُهُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ الْكِيسَ، لَكِنَّ عُمَرَ أَصَرَّ عَلَى حَمْلِهِ بِنَفْسِهِ.

His companion offered to carry the sack, but Umar insisted on carrying it himself.

قَالَ: «أَتَحْمِلُ عَنِّي مَسْؤُولِيَّتِي يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ؟» ثُمَّ عَادَ إِلَى الْخَيْمَةِ.

He said, “Will you carry my responsibility for me on the Day of Judgement?” Then he returned to the tent.

أَعَدَّ الطَّعَامَ بِيَدَيْهِ، وَبَقِيَ حَتَّى أَكَلَ الْأَطْفَالُ وَهَدَأَ بُكَاؤُهُمْ.

He prepared the food with his own hands and stayed until the children ate and stopped crying.

لَمْ تَعْرِفِ الْأُمُّ فِي الْبِدَايَةِ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي خَدَمَهَا هُوَ الْخَلِيفَةُ.

At first, the mother did not know that the man who had served her was the caliph.

تُذَكِّرُنَا الْحِكَايَةُ بِأَنَّ الْعَدْلَ لَا يَقْتَصِرُ عَلَى الْقَوَانِينِ، بَلْ يَتَطَلَّبُ الْإِصْغَاءَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ وَتَحَمُّلَ الْمَسْؤُولِيَّةِ.

The story reminds us that justice is not limited to laws; it requires listening, compassion, and accepting responsibility.

New Arabic words from the story

These words all appear in the story. Listen, repeat and find each one in the text above.

مَسْؤُولِيَّةٌ Responsibility
يَتَفَقَّدُ Checks on
مُرَافِقٌ Companion
قِدْرٌ Cooking pot
جِيَاعٌ Hungry
يَغْلِبُهُمُ النُّعَاسُ Sleep overcomes them
دَقِيقٌ Flour
أَصَرَّ Insisted
الْإِصْغَاءُ Attentive listening
يَتَطَلَّبُ Requires

Reading comprehension questions

Choose one answer for each question. Your score updates after every first attempt.

Score: 0 / 5

1. لِمَاذَا خَرَجَ عُمَرُ لَيْلًا؟

2. مَاذَا كَانَ فِي الْقِدْرِ؟

3. لِمَاذَا أَصَرَّ عُمَرُ عَلَى حَمْلِ الْكِيسِ؟

4. مَتَى غَادَرَ عُمَرُ الْخَيْمَةَ؟

5. كَيْفَ تُقَدِّمُ الْقِصَّةُ مَعْنَى الْعَدْلِ؟

Learn Arabic from this story

The passive voice can foreground a reported story

A story is told about Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, showing his sense of responsibility towards the people.

تُرْوَى is a passive present verb: “is told.” It focuses on the transmitted account without naming a particular narrator.

Another example: تُرْوَى قِصَّةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ. — An old story is told.

For parents and teachers

Read the story in sections and discuss the ideas connected with justice, compassion and public responsibility. Ask the learner to summarize each section, explain character motives or causes, support inferences with evidence from the Arabic, answer the comprehension questions, and finish with a short written or creative response.

Questions about The Just Caliph

What level is The Just Caliph?

The Just Caliph is marked Advanced. The full tashkīl, English translation and sentence audio provide extra support for developing readers.

What can learners practise in The Just Caliph?

Learners practise connected reading, listening, comprehension and vocabulary related to justice, compassion and public responsibility.

How should this Arabic story be used?

Read one sentence at a time, listen to the audio, repeat the Arabic aloud, check the English only when needed, and then answer the questions from memory.

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