Besides being the son of Umar and one of the major jurists among the Companions, Abdullah Bin Umar was a man that we would all love to be. His life and his adherence to the Sunnah are quite exceptional. The following narrations collected in Adh-Dhahabi’s Siyar A’lam An-Nubala (4/346-373) and Ibn al-Jawzi’s Sifat As-Safwah (1/214-222) give a glimpse of Ibn Umar’s character:

1 – Life as a youth
Ibn Mas’ud said: “From the most disciplined youth of Quraish in the face of the dunya was Abdullah Bin Umar.”

Jabir Bin Abdullah said: “None of us experienced the dunya, but it affected him, except for Ibn Umar.”

Nafi’ said that Ibn Umar presented himself to fight in Uhud when he was 14 years old, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) refused to allow him. He then presented himself during the Battle of the Trench when he was 15, and he was allowed to fight.

2 – Disciplined adult
Ibn Shihab said that Ibn Umar was about to curse one of his servants, and said: “O Allah, cu-,” but he stopped without completing the word, and then said: “I don’t like to say this word.”

3 – Imitating the Prophet in everything
Zayd Bin Aslam said: “Ibn Umar would dye his beard with saffron until his clothes were colored with it. He was asked about this, and said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) dye his hair with it.”

Ayesha said: “I never saw anyone holding tighter to the original affair than Ibn Umar.”
Malik said that someone informed him: “Ibn Umar would imitate the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and follow his traces and lifestyle and be very keen in this, to the point that we feared for his sanity because of his keenness in this.”

Nafi’ said: “Ibn Umar used to follow the traces of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in every place he prayed. This was to the point that there was a tree that the Prophet would sit under, and Ibn Umar would frequent this tree and water its trunk so that it wouldn’t weaken.”

Nafi’ said that Ibn Umar told him that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told him: “If only we could leave this door (of the mosque) for the women.” So, Ibn Umar never used that door until the day he died.