"God has placed truth upon Umar's tongue
and heart. (Hadith)"
'Umar's Life
During his last illness Abu Bakr had
conferred with his people, particularly the more eminent among them. After
this meeting they chose 'Umar as his successor. 'Umar was born into a
respected Quraish family thirteen years after the birth of Muhammad (peace
be on him). Umar's family was known for its extensive knowledge of
genealogy. When he grew up, 'Umar was proficient in this branch of knowledge
as well as in swordsmanship, wrestling and the art of speaking. He also
learned to read and write while still a child, a very rare thing in Mecca at
that time. 'Umar earned his living as a merchant. His trade took him to many
foreign lands and he met all kinds of people. This experience gave him an
insight into the affairs and problems of men. 'Umar's personality was
dynamic, self-assertive, frank and straight forward. He always spoke
whatever was in his mind even if it displeased others.
'Umar was twenty-seven when the Prophet
(peace be on him) proclaimed his mission. The ideas Muhammad was preaching
enraged him as much as they did the other notables of Mecca. He was just as
bitter against anyone accepting Islam as others among the Quraish. When his
slave-girl accepted Islam he beat her until he himself was exhausted and
told her, "I have stopped because I am tired, not out of pity for you." The
story of his embracing Islam is an interesting one. One day, full of anger
against the Prophet, he drew his sword and set out to kill him. A friend met
him on the way. When 'Umar told him what he planned to do, his friend
informed him that 'Umar's own sister, Fatima, and her husband had also
accepted Islam. 'Umar went straight to his sister's house where he found her
reading from pages of the Qur'an. He fell upon her and beat her mercilessly.
Bruised and bleeding, she told her brother, "Umar, you can do what you like,
but you cannot turn our hearts away from Islam." These words produced a
strange effect upon 'Umar. What was this faith that made even weak women so
strong of heart? He asked his sister to show him what she had been reading;
he was at once moved to the core by the words of the Qur'an and immediately
grasped their truth. He went straight to the house where the Prophet was
staying and vowed allegiance to him.
Umar made no secret of his acceptance of
Islam. He gathered the Muslims and offered prayers at the Ka'aba. This
boldness and devotion of an influential citizen of Mecca raised the morale
of the small community of Muslims. Nonetheless 'Umar was also subjected to
privations, and when permission for emigration to Medina came, he also left
Mecca. The soundness of 'Umar's judgment, his devotion to the Prophet (peace
be on him), his outspokenness and uprightness won for him a trust and
confidence from the Prophet which was second only to that given to Abu Bakr.
The Prophet gave him the title 'Farooq' which means the 'Separator of Truth
from False hood.' During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, 'Umar was his closest
assistant and adviser. When Abu Bakr died, all the people of Medina swore
allegiance to 'Umar, and on 23 Jamadi-al-Akhir, 13 A.H., he was proclaimed
Caliph.
'Umar's Caliphate
After taking charge of his office, 'Umar
spoke to the Muslims of Medina:
"...O people, you have some rights on me
which you can always claim. One of your rights is that if anyone of you
comes to me with a claim, he should leave satisfied. Another of your
rights is that you can demand that I take nothing unjustly from the
revenues of the State. You can also demand that... I fortify your
frontiers and do not put you into danger. It is also your right that if
you go to battle I should look after your families as a father would while
you are away. "O people, remain conscious of God, forgive me my faults and
help me in my task. Assist me in enforcing what is good and forbidding
what is evil. Advise me regarding the obligations that have been imposed
upon me by God..."
The most notable feature of 'Umar's caliphate
was the vast expansion of Islam. Apart from Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine
and Iran also came under the protection of the Islamic government. But the
greatness of 'Umar himself lies in the quality of his rule. He gave a
practical meaning to the Qur'anic injunction:
"O you who believe, stand out firmly
for justice as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your
parents, or your kin, and whether it concerns rich or poor, for God can
best protect both." [4:135]
Once a woman brought a claim against the
Caliph 'Umar. When 'Umar appeared on trial before the judge, the judge stood
up as a sign of respect toward him. 'Umar reprimanded him, saying, "This is
the first act of injustice you did to this woman!"
He insisted that his appointed governors live
simple lives, keep no guard at their doors and be accessible to the people
at all times, and he himself set the example for them. Many times foreign
envoys and messengers sent to him by his generals found him resting under a
palm tree or praying in the mosque among the people, and it was difficult
for them to distinguish which man was the Caliph. He spent many a watchful
night going about the streets of Medina to see whether anyone needed help or
assistance. The general social and moral tone of the Muslim society at that
time is well-illustrated by the words of an Egyptian who was sent to spy on
the Muslims during their Egyptian campaign. He reported:
"I have seen a people, every one of whom
loves death more than he loves life. They cultivate humility rather than
pride. None is given to material ambitions. Their mode of living is
simple... Their commander is their equal. They make no distinction between
superior and inferior, between master and slave. When the time of prayer
approaches, none remains behind..."
'Umar gave his government an administrative
structure. Departments of treasury, army and public revenues were
established. Regular salaries were set up for soldiers. A popuation census
was held. Elaborate land surveys were conducted to assess equitable taxes.
New cities were founded. The areas which came under his rule were divided
into provinces and governors were appointed. New roads were laid, canals
were lug and wayside hotels were built. Provision was made for he support of
the poor and the needy from public funds. He defined, by precept and by
example, the rights and privileges of non-Muslims, an example of which is
the following contract with the Christians of Jerusalem:
"This is the protection which the servant of
God, 'Umar, the Ruler of the Believers has granted to the people of Eiliya
[Jerusalem]. The protection is for their lives and properties, their
churches and crosses, their sick and healthy and for all their
coreligionists. Their churches shall not be used for habitation, nor shall
they be demolished, nor shall any injury be done to them or to their
compounds, or to their crosses, nor shall their properties be injured in any
way. There shall be no compulsion for these people in the matter of
religion, nor shall any of them suffer any injury on account of religion...
Whatever is written herein is under the covenant of God and the
responsibility of His Messenger, of the Caliphs and of the believers, and
shall hold good as long as they pay Jizya [the tax for their defense]
imposed on them."
Those non-Muslims who took part in defense
together with the Muslims were exempted from paying Jizya, and when the
Muslims had to retreat from a city whose non-Muslim citizens had paid this
tax for their defense, the tax was returned to the non-Muslims. The old, the
poor and the disabled of Muslims and non-Muslims alike were provided for
from the public treasury and from the Zakat funds.
'Umar's Death
In 23 A.H., when Umar returned to Medina from
Hajj;, he raised his hands and prayed,
"O God! I am advanced in years, my bones
are weary, my powers are declining, and the people for whom I am
responsible have spread far and wide. Summon me back to Thyself, my lord!"
Some time later, when 'Umar went to the mosque to lead a prayer, a Magian
named Abu Lulu Feroze, who had a grudge against 'Umar on a personal
matter, attacked him with a dagger and stabbed him several times. Umar
reeled and fell to the ground. When he learned that the assassin was a
Magian, he sid, "Thank God he is not a Muslim."
'Umar died in the first week of Muharram, 24
A.H., and was buried by the side of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him).
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas),
a West African Islamic Academic founded AWQAF Africa, of
which he's the first al Amir (i.e. President).
Sheikh Dr. Adelabu was studying Postgraduate Degrees in
Damascus early 1990's during when Syria reviewed its
national security after an ‘Oslo Accord'...
Syria like many other countries around the world
witnessed, during this period, the flood of refugees
from war troubled nations like Somalia, arrival of
people from Algeria during the brutal struggling between
the Mujahidun and the government, resettlement of the
Palestinians fleeing from sophisticated guns of the
Israelis as well as adventure of African migrants for
reasons uncountable…
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