This paper will argue that the conversion stories of 'Umar and Hamza in Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah were written primarily as political and evangelical tools, and were in this way similar to Christian conversion parables. In light of numerous revolts in frontier regions of the empire at the time the text was written, often sparked by what was considered unfair treatment of non-Arab Muslims, stories of the strength of Islam (as demonstrated by personal conversion narratives) had a clear purpose. 'Umar and Hamza's conversion stories are comparable to Christian ones, such as the Biblical story of Paul, and writings by Christian scholars such as St. Augustine. The story of Paul is essentially the story of 'Umar: both are strong figures in society and view the new religion as a threat to their status. The events that lead to their conversions, then, must be inwardly focused: 'Umar, hidden from view, hears the Prophet praying at the Ka'ba and does not speak about it until he has decided to convert. Saul is struck blind, essentially rendering him unable to see himself in relation to the rest of society, and his initial conversion is completed with the return of his sight. Paul's and 'Umar's subsequent outer conversions are a signal to others of the rise of Christianity and Islam; their next act is to proclaim their new faith loudly to their religion's opponents. St. Augustine's conversion happens on several levels over time and is comparable to Hamza's twofold conversion. Both immerse themselves in their faith by doing what they were known for before converting: Hamza, a warrior, returns from hunting and strikes Abu Jahl with his bow; Augustine, a scholar, continues to study but focuses upon Christianity. Hamza and Augustine, therefore, represent the Everyman convert, one who needs not change other aspects of his life to maintain his new faith. At the time the Sira was written, Islam was still expanding and defining itself under the 'Abbasid dynasty. The text was written in Arabic, implying that its target audience already understood Arabic. Therefore, we may argue that the conversion stories of 'Umar and Hamza were not conversion tools, but rather ones used to convince non-Arab Muslim groups to maintain their faith. They were intended to depict Islam as the dominant religious movement in the Near East at a time when some groups' commitment to the new faith was very much in question.