Umar Al Farooq - The Great Caliph - Part Six: A Moral Innovator
By
Moin Qazi, New Age Islam
21 August
2023
Amongst the nations before your time, there
have been inspired people(who were not Prophets), and if there is one amongst
my Ummah, he is Umar
- Prophet Muhammad
A Moral
Innovator
Tarawih Prayers
In the
month of Ramadan, it was the practice with the Prophet that he would stay in
the mosque after the night prayers and offer extra prayers. One night as the
faithful saw the Prophet offering different prayers, they also prayed as the
Prophet did. The following night, more Muslims stayed in the mosque after the
night prayer to offer extra prayers. On the third night, there was a more
extensive gathering of Muslims to perform the different prayers. On the fourth
night, when a large number of the faithful assembled to offer the extra
prayers, the Prophet introduced a tradition of extra prayers after the night
prayers during Ramzan.
When Umar
became the Caliph, he saw that many Muslims in the Prophet’s Mosque to offered
extra prayers after the night prayers. Each person prayed according to his own
discretion, and there were no specifications about the number of Rakahs (units)
to be offered. Umar felt that it would be a reform in the proper direction if
the prayers were offered in the congregation and the number of Rakahs(units)
was fixed. After consulting the Companions, Umar issued instructions in 635
A.D. that such extra prayers should be offered in a congregation under the
imamate of a Qur’an reader who should recite a considerable part of the Qur’an
each night so that the entire Qur’an was completed during a week or so. It was
laid down that these prayers should comprise ten Taslima (total units), each
containing two Rakahs and that after every four Rakahs there should be a Rawih’
or a pause. Because of such pauses, these extra prayers came to be known as
tarawih.
These
instructions were circulated throughout the Muslim dominions. Some felt that as
the Prophet had not prescribed such prayers, it was unlawful to prescribe such
prayers after the death of the Prophet. Umar explained that he was not
prescribing these prayers as a compulsory ritual; it was a discretionary prayer
and it was left to people to decide. Offering such prayers would enhance his
piety, but if anybody did not do so, that would not bring him any discredit.
Umar and
the Holy Qur’an
The Holy
Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet in instalments over 23 years. Whenever the
Prophet received the revelation, he would dictate it to one of his scribes who
would record it on a piece of leather, date skin, or even bones and stones.
The
principal scribe of the Prophet was Zaid bin Thabit. Many Companions committed
the entire Qur’an to memory and these ‘Huffaz’ could recite the Qur’an
as a whole any time. The Prophet kept all the pieces of leather, date skins,
and other materials on which the verses of the Qur’an had been written in his
custody.
During the
lifetime of the Prophet, the revelation was a continuous process, and there was
no occasion for compiling them into a compendium. After the death of the
Prophet, the process of revelation came to a close, and a need was felt for
some compilation to preserve the Word of God.
In the
battle of Yamama, most of the Companions who had learned the Holy Qur’an by heart
got martyred. Umar realised a strategy to ensure the preservation of the
Qur’an. There was also the danger that lapse of time might inadvertently allow
some interpolations in the text or even deliberately.
Despite the
reservation of Abu Bakr who was then the caliph, Umar convinced and persuaded Abu
Bakr to formulate a strategy that would need a team for memorizing the Qur’an
and making this approach a permanent means of ensuring the preservation of the
Qur’an. Zaid b. Thabit was commissioned to head the task of collating all the
verses of the Holy Qur’an and compiling them in the form of a compendium. Zaid
was reluctant but finally decided to agree to the project of Abu Bakr and Umar.
A
proclamation was made that whosoever had learned any portion of the Qur’an from
the Prophet should produce such a bit. Two witnesses had to attest the
genuineness of the verses. When all the verses had been collected, a committee
was set up of which Umar was a member. This committee supervised the
compilation of the Qur’an. Sad b. al As dictated the Quran and Zaid bin Thabit
took the dictation. This was checked by the members of the committee, including
Umar.
When the
work was completed, it was further checked by Abu Bakr, and finally approved. Acopy
was kept by Abu Bakr in his personal custody. The compilation was given the
name of ‘Mashaf’.
Umar’s Reinvigoration
of Mosques
With the
expansion of the Islamic dominion, Umar ordered that mosques should be built in
all conquered territories. In the newly founded cities of Kufa and Basra, Jami
Masjids were built in the center of the city and smaller mosques were built in
each tribal quarter. According to one account, as many as 4,000 mosques were
constructed during the caliphate of Umar.
Umar had
the sacred mosque at Ka’bah extended. In 739 A.D., Umar purchased the
surrounding houses at state expense. These were demolished, and the area under
them was included in the mosque. Heretofore there was no wall round the mosque.
Umar had a wall constructed for the first time. Umar provided lights for the
mosques for the first time. Formerly the cover of the Ka’bah was of ordinary
cloth. Umar had the cover made of a superior and finer cloth manufactured in
Egypt.
The
boundaries of the Haram, the sanctuary of the Ka’bah extended to three miles in
one direction, and seven to nine miles in other directions. The boundaries were
not defined, and there was the risk of this area being encroached upon. Umar
had the area surveyed, and the boundaries were demarcated. Stone pillars called
Ansab were fixed to mark the boundaries.
Umar
extended the Prophet’s Mosque at Madinah as well. In 739 A.D., the same year as
the Ka’bah was extended, Umar purchased the houses that surrounded the Masjid
i-Nabvi. After demolishing them, the area was utilized for the extension of the
mosque.
Abbas,
whose house also surrounded the mosque, refused to sell his house. He sued the
state in the Court of the Qadi Ubayy b. Kab. The Court gave its verdict against
the state and held that the property could not be acquired compulsorily. Umar
accepted the judgment of the Court. Thereupon, Abbas voluntarily gifted his
house for the extension of the mosque. Umar took the gift gratefully and
provided alternative accommodation to Abbas.
As a result
of the extension, the length of the mosque rose from 100 to 140 yards while its
width rose from 60 to 80 yards.
Umar was
the first to provide lights for Masjid-i-Nabvi. Umar also made
arrangements for the burning of incense in the mosque. The floor of the mosque
was paved and covered with mats.
The Veiling
of Women
In Madinah,
Muslim women did not observe veiling. Most men in Madinah were pious and
careful about their conduct with women. But Umar still doubted some characters
and was suspicious of their mischief.
Umar shared
his apprehensions with the Prophet and suggested that women should be required
to stay at home. Umar was keen that the wives of the Prophet should be provided
adequate protection.
On hearing Umar,
Zainab, a wife of the Prophet said: “Umar, you have started interfering in the
domestic affairs of the Prophet as well. The revelation comes to our house and
you come up with suggestions of your own.”
The
Prophet, however, understood Umar and was awaiting revelation, a revelation in
this regard.
And then
came a detailed revelation on the subject. The revelation was:
“Prophet, say to your wives: if you desire the
present life and its beautiful things, come, and I will give you your dowries
and send you away handsomely. And if you want Allah and His Prophet and the
next world, remember that Allah has in store a great reward for those of you
who are righteous.
(Q33:28)
Another
verse proclaimed:
O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits
flagrant indecency will have your punishment twice over. Indeed, it is easy for
Allah to double your punishment. As for those who are obedient to Allah and His
Apostle and act righteously, we shall give them their reward twice over. We
have rare gifts in store for them. (Q 33:30)
And yet
another verse said:
O wives of the Prophet, you are like no other
women. If you fear Allah, do not be soft-spoken, for it will tempt the man with
heart disease. Speak in a dignified tone, stay in your homes, and do not
display your beauty as in the days of ignorance. Observe prayer, give alms, and
obey Allah and His Apostle. Members of the house of the Prophet! Allah only
intends to rid you of your uncleanliness and to purify you completely. Women,
keep in mind the revelations of Allah and the words of wisdom that are recited
in your houses. Benign is Allah; All-Aware. (Q33:32)”
These
verses corroborated what Umar had said. When the Prophet informed Umar of these
verses, he felt satisfied that God had ordered what he desired. Turning to
Umar, the Prophet said, “Umar, rejoice for once again Allah has spoken through
your tongue.”
Rumours Of
The Prophet’s Estrangement With Wives
Umar felt
that while in Makkah, the Qurayshites dominated their women, in Madinah, things
had changed, and the women asserted themselves. One day Umar was unhappy with
his wife on some matter, but instead of being quiet, she retorted, “How is it
that you feel annoyed at my remonstrance? Go and see that the wives of the
Prophet remonstrate with the Prophet. Tonight, one of his wives quarrelled with
him all night.”
Hearing
this, Umar went to his daughter Hafsa and enquired of her whether she had quarrelled
with the Prophet. She said that she had fought because she had a grievance.
Thereupon, Umar was perturbed and advised her, “Hafsa, you are incurring a
loss. Don’t you know by annoying the Prophet, you invite the wrath of God?”
At night,
the Ansari neighbour of Umar knocked at his door. As Umar opened the door, his
friend told him something grave had happened. Umar thought that perhaps Banu
Ghassan, whose attack was expected, had invaded Madinah. Umaya said, “No.
Something more serious than that has happened. The Prophet had divorced his
wives”.
Umar was
very much upset at the news. He spent the whole night in prayer. Early in the
morning the next day, Umar went to Hafsa. He found her weeping. He enquired of
her whether the Prophet had divorced her. She said that she did not know. Umar
rebuked her, saying. “Did I not warn you that you would be inviting trouble by
annoying the Prophet?” Thereupon Hafsa burst into violent sobs. Umar left her
weeping and went to the Prophet’s Mosque. The people sat in groups, lamenting
that the Prophet had divorced his wives.
The Prophet
was in the cell attached to the Mosque. Umar went to the cell and asked the
slave at the door to seek the Prophet’s permission for entry. The enslaved
person replied that the Prophet was unresponsive to the requests.
Umar
returned to the main hall of the Mosque and sat dejected. After some time, he
rose and went again to the cell of the Prophet. This time Umar got permission
to meet him.
Entering
the cell, Umar said:
“O
Messenger of God, I have not come to plead for Hafsa. If that is your pleasure,
I will wring her neck with my hands.”
That
softened the Prophet, and he smiled at the words of Umar.
Umar said,
“I find that in Makkah, our ladies were docile; the climate of Madinah has made
them assertive. O Prophet of God, if you have divorced them because of your
wives' impudence, God, His angels, and all your followers are with you.”
The Prophet
smiled and said, “Be assured, I have not divorced my wives. I have only decided
to remain separate from them for one month.”
“Then may I
say so to Hafsa” said Umar.
The Prophet
said. “You may if you like.”
Umar
nervously surveyed the room. The Prophet lay on a bare mat. There was no
furniture in the room. There was hardly anything for the Prophet to eat but
barley bread. Seeing this plight, Umar began teary-eyed.
The Prophet
said, “Ibn-i-Khattab, what makes you weep?”
Umar said,
“You are the Prophet of God, and you are living in such straitened
circumstances. The people of Persia and Byzantine live in luxury. O Prophet of
God, why don’t you pray to God that he should bestow wealth on you?”
The Prophet
said. “Do you think He Who made me His Prophet could not make me wealthy?
Indeed, He offered me the keys of all treasures in the world, but I refused
them in return for the treasures in the next world. Surely, treasures in the
next world are to be preferred to petty wealth in this world. And as for the
riches of Persia and Byzantine, rest assured all such wealth will lie at the
feet of the Muslims. I will not be alive then, but in your lifetime, the
Muslims will be overpowered by Persia and Byzantine.”
Umar’s Covenant
with Citizens
On the
occasion of the first Friday prayer, after he assumed office as Caliph, Umar
addressed the faithful assembled in the mosque and assured them of fairness and
honesty.
Although
Umar was the sovereign ruler of the entire Islamic empire, he understood the
extent of his power, rights and status very well. Once, while delivering a
sermon, he said: “My rights over public funds (the BaitulMaal) are similar to
those of the guardians of an orphan. If well placed in life, I will not claim
anything from it. In case of need, I shall draw only as much as it
constitutionally allowed for providing food. You have every right to question
me about any improper accumulation of the revenue and bounty collections,
improper utilization of the treasury money, provision of the daily bread to
all, border-security arrangements, and harassment caused to any citizen.”
On another
occasion, he declared: “For Umar, what is permissible from Baitul Mal is a
length of the cloth sufficient to cover him, a ride for hajj pilgrimage and
other State tours, and sustenance equal to the requirements of a middle-class
family.”
Self-Introspection
To be
accountable to oneself, that is, to be honest to self-criticism, is part of
Muslim practice called al-Muhasba or self-inventory. According to Umar,
engaging in al-muhasba is “to asses and adjudge yourselves before you are
adjudged and assessed on the Day of Judgment, and weigh out your deeds before
they are weighed out for you.” Umar, a man of his word, reportedly used to whip
his right foot at night and say to it, “What have you done today?”
Once, he
addressed a gathering saying, “Brothers, if I stray from the right path, what
will you do”? A man stood up and said, “We will behead you.” Umar shouted to
test him. “You dare utter such impertinent words for me?” “Yes, for you,”
replied the man. Umar was very pleased with his audacity and said, “Thank God,
there exist such bold men in our nation that if I go astray, they will set me
right.”
Vignettes
From Umar’s Caliphate
An
Epitome of Justice
Justice is
the cardinal value of any civilized society. More than any other element,
justice remains the bedrock of all great civilizations. Without it, the entire
bulwark of society would collapse. There would be utter chaos, and people would
endure constant injustice. The past tells us that all those civilizations which
did not nurture the values of justice scripted their doom.
"Man
is his star;
and the
soul that can.
Render an
honest and perfect man,
Commands
all light, all influence, all fate.”
As Ralph
Waldo Emerson rightly proclaimed, all those great rulers whose images gleam
through the pages of history were men who lived solely by justice. They
harnessed the power of justice to lead people to a life of righteousness. They
established an order that would ensure fairness and justice in human affairs.
Judicial verdicts may not change hearts, but they can prevent people from
becoming heartless.
Justice can
take root only if people nourish it for the noble principles of being amenable
to the highest standards of honesty, morality and righteousness. Justice is a
value that takes birth in our daily actions. It is not just a social value but
also an essential virtue for every human interaction. It is not left just to
kings, rulers, judges and leaders.
Umar set up
an effective system of judicial administration under which justice was
administered according to the principles of Islam. Qadis or judges were
appointed at all administrative levels for the administration of justice and
were chosen for their integrity and learning of Islamic law. High salaries were
paid to them and they were appointed from among the wealthy and those of high
social standing so as not to be influenced by the social position of any
litigants. The Qadis were not allowed to engage in trade.
The Caliph
took particular care to enforce the equality of justice. In the eyes of the
law, all are equals. He had separated the judiciary from the executive, a
remarkable achievement that has not been achieved even in the most modern
states of the present day. The court was free from the control of the
Governors, and the Qadis imparted justice free from fear or favour.
In the
Qur’an, the nature of justice is referred to in several places by directing
that Allah commanded, “Lo! Allah commandeth you that ye restore deposits to
their owners, and, if ye judge between mankind, that ye judge justly”
(Q4:58). It is observed in the same chapter that “O ye who believe? Be ye
staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves
or (your) parents or (your) kindred, whether (the case be of) a rich man or a
poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both (than ye are). So, follow not passion
lest ye lapse (from the truth), and if ye lapse or fall away, then lo! Allah is
ever Informed of what ye do.”
Justice has
been epitomized for ages in the inspiring statue of a crusading woman. She has
for centuries been painted blindfolded with a sword in one hand and lifted
scales in the other. Why is justice painted blind? Joseph Addison explains:
Justice discards party, friendship, and kindred and is therefore always
represented as blind. Justice is painted blind to signify that she is impartial
and without prejudice. She favours neither one side nor the other and bears no
ill will to one or the other. Few people in the scrolls of world history symbolise
this lofty vision of justice, and Umar adorns them with grandeur.
Judicial Procedure
The
contributions of Umar in developing the judicial system were to lay down the
broad legal principles and establish the required judicial procedures for
dispensing justice. Umar used to send instructions, called Farman, from time to
time to Abu Musa Ash‘ri, the Governor of Kufa, establishing fundamental
principles for courts of justice. In one of the Farmans issued to the judges,
Umar laid down the following principles to be observed in the Courts:
• Justice is an essential obligation to
God. This responsibility is given to you, and you must discharge it with all
sincerity and ability to get God's pleasure and earn the people's goodwill.
• All people are equal. Treat them alike
so that the weak are not deprived of justice and the well-placed persons are not
favoured.
It was
further laid down that:
• The onus of proof in a suit lies on the
plaintiff. He has to present evidence for his claims. The claims are denied
only on oath.
• Compromise is possible if it is lawful
and does not turn unlawful into lawful and vice-versa.
• You can change your previous decision if
you think that the earlier decision was incorrect after due consideration.
• When you doubt specific issues and do
not find any explanation in the Qur’ān and the sunnah of the Prophet, think it
over again and again, consider the precedents and analogous cases thoroughly,
and then decide by analogy.
• A date should be fixed for a person who
wants to produce witnesses. If he proves his case, decide in his favour.
Otherwise, dismiss the suit.
• All Muslims are eligible to witness
except those who are punished or have given false witness or whose integrity is
doubtful.
Dispensing
Justice
Abu Musa
Ashari was the Governor of Basra. He held the chief command of the operations
in Persia. After the victory of Isfahan, Abu Musa sent a delegation of sixty
persons to Madinah. A young man Zaba bin Mahsin, waited on Abu Musa and desired
that he should also be included on the board. Abu Musa regretted his inability
as a person more deserving than Zaba had been included in the panel. Zaba felt
dissatisfied and he held out a threat to complain to the Caliph. Abu Musa
informed Umar of the danger of Zaba.
Zaba went
to Madina hand lodged a complaint against Abu Musa. Umar recorded the complaint
and summoned Abu Musa to Madinah. When Abu Musa came to Madinah, Umar showed
him the list of charges against him and asked for his explanation.
The first
charge was that out of the captives in his custody, sixty prisoners were kept
for himself. Abu Musa explained that these captives had applied to be ransomed,
and he had kept them with him till they were ransomed. Umar held that the
charge was not established.
The second
charge was that he had paid one thousand dirhams to a poet. Abu Musa said that
he had paid the amount out of his money. Abu Musa presented the accounts. Umar
felt satisfied and this charge was dismissed.
The third
charge was that Abu Musa had a maid Aquila who was given two shares. Abu Musa
explained that the maid had something curious as her food consumption was twice
that of an average adult. As such, she had to be given two shares.
The fourth
charge was that Abu Musa had entrusted most of his work to a young man, Ziyad.
Abu Musa explained that he had done so in the public interest as Ziyad was most
intelligent.
Umar
summoned Aquila and Ziyad to Madinah. He verified that Aquila consumed food
twice the normal food of an adult. By questioning Ziyad, Umar felt convinced
that Ziyad was brilliant and that it was in the public interest to avail of his
intelligence. Abu Musa was acquitted of the charges and was asked to resume his
office at Basra.
On another
occasion, a person came to Umar and complained about Abu Musa. He said that Abu
Musa gave him a smaller share at the time of the distribution of the spoils. He
protested and urged that he should be given the full share due to him.
Thereupon Abu Musa felt annoyed, struck him with twenty lashes, and had his hair
shaded. Umar asked the complainant to return to Basra and level the charge
against Abu Musa before a congregation there. If the charge was established, he
could have his revenge on Musa. Umar gave the complainant the necessary
authority on this behalf. The complainant returned to Basra and, in the mosque,
levelled the charge against Abu Musa. Many in the congregation came forward to
support the charge. Turning to the crowd, Abu Musa said, “You can have your
revenge. You may beat me or accept me at your option.” The complainant said,
“Now I feel satisfied, and I forgive you in the name of Allah.”
A Trusted
Governor
Sa’iid ibn
Aamir is a name that is not frequently mentioned or even known by many - yet he
was a man of enormous faith. Sa’eed left Makkah for Madinah to devote himself
to the propagation of Islam. On the death of Prophet Muhammad, ‘Amir proved to
be a staunch supporter of the Prophet’s two successors, Abu Bakr and Umar, whom
he actively assisted in administration.
Sa’iid was
appointed by Umar as, the Governor of Homs in Syria. He refused when he was
nominated for that position, saying, “Do not expose me to fitnah (trials and
tribulations).” But Umar urged him to accept, saying, “By Allah, I will not let
you turn me down. Do you lay the burdens of your trusteeship and the caliphate
upon my shoulders, then refuse to help me?” Sa’iid ibn Aamir was thus forced to
accept the position.
Homs was
called the second Kufa (Kufa is in Iraq) because its people were notorious for
endless mutinies and uprisings. Yet, these people loved and obeyed Sa’iid ibn
Aamir.
When some
trustworthy people came from Homs in Syria sometime later, ‘Umar asked them to
list the names of the poor people in Homs. When he noticed that the name of
Sa’iid was figured in the list, he was amazed. ‘But who is Sa’iid mentioned in
the list, he queried. They replied he was their Governor.” Umar sobbed at his
plight and directed the administration that thousand dinars be sent to him.
When Sa’eed received the money, he became depressed, as if a calamity had
befallen him. His wife inquired about the matter. He informed her that
temptation had entered his house. Without her knowing, she advised: “Get rid of
it.” He asked, “Would you help me?” Yes, of course!” was her immediate
response. They put the money in small pouches and distributed it to the poor.
When Umar
disclosed that he found it strange that the people of Homs loved and obeyed
him, Sa’iid said, “Perhaps they love me because I help and sympathize with
them.”
But soon,
the rebellious nature of these people became evident when they complained to
Umar when he visited the city. They said, “We have four complaints against
Sa’iid: first, he does not come out of his house until the sun rises high and
the day becomes hot; second, he does not see anyone at night (that is, he is
not available for us at night); third, there are two days in every month in
which he doesn’t leave his house at all; fourth, he faints now and then and
this annoys us even though we know he cannot help it.”
Hearing
these complaints, Umar was silent for a while. He prayed to Allah, “O Allah! I
know that Sa’iid is one of Your best slaves. O Allah, I pray You not to make me
disappointed about him.”
Then he
called for Sa’iid ibn Aamir to defend himself. When Sa’iid heard the complaints,
he said, “By Allah, I did not wish to make known my reasons, but I have to
explain now that these complaints have been brought against me! First, I do not
leave my house before noon because my wife does not have a servant, so I knead
the dough for her, wait for her to rise, bake my bread, perform ablution and
pray and then go out of my house.”
Umar’s face
brightened, and they said, “All praises and thanks to Allah!”
Sa’iid ibn
Aamir continued, “As for their complaint that I do not meet them at night. By
Allah, I did not wish to make my reasons known, but you forced me to. I have
devoted the day to the people and their needs and reserved the night for the
worship of Allah.”
“As for
their third complaint that they do not see me two days a month, it is because I
do not have a servant to wash my garment and I have only one garment. So, I
wash it, wait for it to dry and shortly before sunset, I go out of my house to
meet them.
“As for
their fourth complaint, that I have fainting fits, it is because I was a
witness of the martyrdom of Khubaib Al-Ansaari in Makkah. As the people of
Quraysh cut his body into small pieces, they said, ‘Do you want to save
yourself and see Muhammad in your place instead?’ And he answered, ‘By Allah, I
will not accept your offer of setting me free to return to my family safe and
sound, even if you lavish me with wealth for letting down the Prophet’ This
happened as I watched as a disbeliever (he had not embraced Islam then). Now
every time I remember how I stood and watched Khubaib being tortured to death
and did nothing to save him, I find myself shaking with fear of Allah’s
punishment, and I faint!”
There was
nothing more to be said except what Umar noted in response to this explanation:
“Alhamdulillah! All praises and thanks to Allah!”
Muslim
Brotherhood
Once Umar
saw that a man, he knew was missing from one of his gatherings. He asked about
him since the person regularly attended these gatherings and the people told
him that the man could not let go of his habit of drinking alcohol.
So, Umar
sent the man a letter:
“Peace be
upon you. I praise Allah, besides whom there is no other God. In the Name of
Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
(Qur’an
40:1-3 — ‘Haa Meem (These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’an, and
none but Allah alone knows their meaning.) The Revelation of this Book (the
Qur’an) is from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Knower, the Forgiver of sin, the
Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment, the Bestower of favours. La
Ilaha Illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), to Him is the
final return.”
He sealed
the letter and said to his messenger, “Do not give it to him except when he is
in a sober mood.” He then told those who were with him to pray for that man.
When the
letter reached the man, he read it and said, “My Lord has promised to forgive
me and has warned me of His punishment, “He kept repeating that until he
started weeping. He then gave up alcohol and kept away from it.
When news
of this reached Umar, he said to his Companions, “This is what you should do.
If you see that one of you has slipped (fallen into error), correct him, pray
for him, and do not help Satan against him (by insulting him etc.).”
A Great
Judge of People
Umar was an
excellent leader. He used to say, “Do not be deceived by a man’s eloquence;
whoever fulfills trusts and refrains from hurting people’s honour is a real
man.”
And he used
to say, “Do not look at a man’s prayer or fasting; rather, look at his reason
and honesty.”
Once a man
gave testimony in a case, and Umar asked the people if anyone could vouch for
the man’s character. One person said to him, ‘I will vouch for him, O Ameer ul Mu’minin
(Leader of the Muslims).’
Umar asked
him, “Are you his neighbour?” He said, “No.”
He then
asked, “Did you spend a day with him and come to know his real character?” The
man said, ‘No.’
He asked
next, “Did you travel with him? Traveling and being away from home reveal a
man’s true essence.” Again, the man said, “No.”
Umar said,
“Perhaps you saw him in the mosque, standing, sitting, and praying?”
At that,
the man said, “Yes.”
Umar said,
“Go away, for you do not know him.”
He used to
say to the people, “There are two types of people of whom I have no fear for
you: a believer whose faith is obvious and a kafir (disbeliever in Allah and
His Messenger) whose kufr (disbelief in Allah and His Messenger) is obvious.
Rather, I fear for you, the hypocrite who hides behind a show of faith but
strives for some other purpose.”
Umar’s Criteria
For Appointment Of Governors
To maintain
the administration's integrity, Umar laid down strict criteria for selecting
candidates for appointment as Governors. Some accounts have come down to us,
which show how scrupulous Umar was in choosing his Governors.
It is
related that once Umar decided to appoint a Governor. The Governor designates
Umar to get his orders of appointment. Umar asked his Secretary to draft the
declaration. As the order was being drafted, a younger son of Umar came and sat
in his lap. Umar caressed the child. Thereupon the Companion said, Ameer ul
Mu’minin your children come to you freely, but my children do not dare to come
near me”. Thereupon, Umar said, “If your children are afraid of you, the people
will be still more afraid of you. The oppressed will hesitate to bring forward
their complaints to you. As such, you are not fit to be a Governor, and the
orders about your appointment as Governor stand canceled.”
Once Umar
thought of appointing a Companion as Governor. Before the appointment orders
were issued, that Companion called on Umar and solicited appointment as a
Governor. Umar said:
“I was
going to appoint you as a Governor on my account, but now that you have asked
for this appointment, I think you are not fit for the office. As you have asked
for the office, I fear you will use it as an office of profit, and I cannot
allow that. I would appoint only such men who regard the such office as a
burden to be entrusted to them in the name of Allah.”
The
appointment of Governor for Kufa became a significant headache for Umar. If he
appointed a harsh and stern man, the people complained against him. The people
took advantage of his leniency if he set a soft-hearted man. Umar wanted his
comrades to advise him regarding selecting a suitable man for the office. One
man rose to say he could suggest a man who would be the fittest person for the
job: Umar enquired who he was, and the man said, “Abdullah bin Umar.” Umar was
furious. “May God curse you. You want that I should expose myself to the
criticism that I have appointed my son to a high office. That can never be”.
Around Umar
were such prominent persons as Usman Ali, Zubair, Talha, and others. Umar did
not offer them any office. Someone asked Umar why he did not appoint such
prominent persons as Governors. Umar said, “These notables occupy a high status
because of their virtues. I do not appoint them as Governors lest their
reputation may get stained on account of any lapse, and they may lose the
prominence they enjoy at present.”
Once, the
post of the Governor of Hems fell vacant, and Umar thought of offering it to
Ibn Abbas. Umar called Ibn Abbas and said, “I want to appoint you as the
Governor of Hems, but I have one misgiving.” “What is that,” asked Ibn Abbas.
Umar said, “I fear that sometime you would be apt to think that you are related
to the Prophet and would come to regard yourself above the law.” Ibn Abbas
said, “When you have such a misgiving, I will not accept the job.” Umar said,
“Please advise me what sort of man I should appoint.” Ibn Abbas said, “Appoint
a good man, and about whom you have no misgiving.”
Someone
asked Umar, “What is your criterion for selecting a man for appointment as a
Governor?” Umar said, “I want a man who, when he is among men, should look like
a chief although he is not a chief, and when he is a chief, he should look as
if he is one of them.”
The Stone
of Justice
During the
caliphate of Umar, Amr bin Al-Aas was appointed the Governor of Egypt. One of
Amr’s first projects was to expand the principal mosque of Cairo, surrounded by
residents' dwellings. Amr’s workers negotiated with the residents to buy their
houses so that the land could be available for expansion. All occupants,
barring one Coptic Christian, agreed. The Coptic refused on the ground that the
place had sentimental value for him. The matter was referred to Amr, who
summoned the Copt. Amr offered the Copt double, triple and quadruple the value
of his house, but the Copt refused to sell, irrespective of the compensation.
The persuasive efforts were of no avail as the Copt appeared determined to have
his way. Amr became exasperated and ordered the Copt’s house to be destroyed,
leaving it to the Copt to accept or refuse the compensation.
The Copt
was distraught and believed that this new Muslim Governor of Egypt had wronged
him. He was unsure who to seek help from. People advised him to meet the
Caliph: “Go to Madinah and speak to the Caliph, Umar bin Al Khattab, for no man
is wronged in his lands.” So, the Copt decided to travel to Madinah to complain
to the Caliph about how he had been unjustly treated by one of his Governors.
When he arrived in Madinah and asked to see the Caliph, he was told, “Go to the
Sacred Mosque of the Prophet, and there you will find a man sweeping the floor.
Speak to him.” The Copt went to the Sacred Mosque, hoping that its sweeper
would be able to direct him to the Caliph.
When the
Copt entered the Sacred Mosque, he found a man sweeping its floor. The Copt
asked him if he could help him meet the Caliph. The sweeper asked him, “And
what business do you have to speak to the Caliph about?”The Copt replied, “I
have been wronged by one of his Governors, so the people asked me to complain
to the Caliph as he is a just man and no one is wronged in his lands,” and he
related to the sweeper the story of what had happened to his house in Cairo.
After
attentively listening to the Copt’s story, the sweeper picked up a stone, and
with another stone he scratched two lines on it, one crossing the other at
right angles. He gave the stone containing the lines to the Copt and told him
to give it to the Governor of Egypt with the words, “This stone is from the
sweeper of the Sacred Mosque of Allah’s Messenger.” The Copt thought the sweeper
was mocking him, but the sweeper reassured him to do as he had instructed and
assured him that the problem would be solved. The sweeper made no mention of
the Caliph. The Copt returned to Egypt with the stone given to him by the
sweeper of the Sacred Mosque of Allah’s Messenger.
When the
Copt returned to Egypt, he went straight to Amr and gave him the stone, saying
it was from the sweeper of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. No sooner had Amr
seen the lines on the stone. His face went pale in fright. Amr apologized
profusely to the Copt and immediately ordered that the part of the mosque built
over the Copt’s house be rebuilt exactly as it was before demolition. Puzzled
by this sudden change of heart in the Governor, the Copt asked Amr what the
significance of a simple stone with two lines was. Amr related to him the story
behind the stone of justice. He told the Copt that the man sweeping the Sacred
Mosque of the Prophet was none other than the Caliph himself: Umar bin Al
Khattab. Amr understood from the two lines scratched on the stone that if he
did not return the house to the Copt, then Umar would cut him not in two halves
like the Persian prince was but into four quarters. Since Amr knew that
whenever Umar said something, he meant it, he took no chances and ordered the
Copt’s house to be rebuilt, albeit at the expense of destroying a part of the
newly built mosque. The Copt was so moved by the whole sequence of events that
he forfeited his claim for the reclamation of land used by the rulers for the construction
of the mosque
The Justice
Of King Kisra
During
their early adulthood in Makkah before the advent of the Prophet, Umar and Amr
bin Al-Aas were business partners, trading in fine Arabian horses. Once, they
received an order for a significant number of horses from King Numan, the Arab
king of the Al-Mundhir governate, which, under the rule of the Persian Empire,
was a buffer region between Arabia and Persia (represented today by parts of
modern-day Iraq). King Numan made a down payment to Umar and Amr, who promptly
set about finding and training horses to meet the king’s requirements. When the
horses were ready, the two friends set off to Al-Mundhir to deliver them to
their buyer, King Numan.
While
traveling through the desert in Al-Mundhir, they came across a royal entourage.
It turned out to be that of a Persian prince, a son of Emperor Kisra, who had
come on a hunting expedition to Al-Mundhir. The prince saw the fine Arabian
horses and asked to see their owners. He offered to buy the horses from the two
friends, but they said they had already been sold to a buyer. The prince
doubled and trebled his offer, but Umar and Amr refused to go back on their
contract with King Numan, so they politely declined the prince’s offers. After
much haggling, the pompous prince grew impatient and ordered his guards to
seize (without payment) the horses from the two men.
Distraught
and nervous at this incivility of the prince, Umar and Amr were unsure what to
do. Local tribesmen advised them to travel to the capital of the Persian Empire
and speak to the emperor Kisra himself. He was known to be a just man, and no
one was wronged in his empire. The two friends journeyed to Persia and
eventually reached Kisra’s court, weary and disheveled. They complained to him
that their horses had been stolen by a man who claimed to be the emperor's son.
Kisra listened intently and then asked the two men to return to him the
following day while he looked into the matter. He ordered his palace courtiers
to arrange for a stay for the two men as guests of the emperor.
The
following day Umar and Amr went to Kisra, and he came down to them from his
throne, asking the two to accompany him. He led them to a courtyard where they
saw their stolen horses. Kisra asked them to confirm if these were the horses
that the prince had seized from them and, if so, that they should check that
they were okay. Umar and Amr carefully checked each horse and informed Kisra
that everything was fine. Kisra then profusely apologized to the two for what
had happened, and he asked them if he could be of any further assistance to
them. They told him they were satisfied and would like to continue their
journey. Kisra ordered his staff to give the men some provisions, and he
guaranteed them safe passage until they left the boundaries of his territory.
Just before they left, Kisra asked the two to leave the palace grounds from two
different gates: the Eastern Gate and the Western Gate.
Umar left
via the Eastern Gate and, to his astonishment, he saw hanging half of the body
of the Persian Prince, son of Kisra, as if he had been sawn in two. When he
rejoined Amr, Amr told him that he had seen the other half of the Prince’s
corpse hanging from the Western Gate. Kisra was not prepared to let a spoilt
son of his damage to his widespread reputation as the beacon of justice. He not
only wanted justice to be done, but he wanted that justice must be seen to be
seen.
Since the
Emperor was just, all his subjects were just, and people felt safe in his
lands. Had the Persian Empire not been conquered by a Muslim army whose
soldiers established individual justice (through the fear of Allah) and social
justice, it may have remained a world superpower until today. The Persians’
rejection of the Divine Message eventually led to the decay which destroyed
their civilization. When Umar bin Al Khattab came, people forgot the justice of
Kisra.
And what
was the justice of Umar? Ink will dry, and paper will finish before it is
possible to describe all the living examples of justice established by the
Prophet and embodied in the legacies of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs who
succeeded him. Yet one statement, made by a Roman, reveals a glimpse into the
justice of Umar, the second. One afternoon, a Roman emissary arrived in Madinah
on crucial diplomatic business with the Caliph. When he enquired as to the whereabouts
of Umar, he was directed to a man sleeping peacefully under a tree: with no
bodyguards, weapons, fortifications, and security. The Roman messenger
marvelled at this sight: the sight of the leader of millions of people sleeping
peacefully under a tree without a care in the world. He then remarked on his
famous words that remain etched into history today:
O Umar! You
ruled.
You were
just.
Thus you
were safe.
And thus,
you slept.
Such is the
security that justice brings to both the ruler and the ruled. Umar was just to
his people, so he had nothing to fear from them. He rendered everyone their
rights, so they had no grievances against him. His people slept in peace. So,
he, too, slept in peace. How the world yearns for this sleep!
O Umar! If
only you would return,
To spread
justice so the world would learn,
That even a
stone of your righteousness,
Would
rescue it from this fathomless abyss.
Grooming
Umar for Caliphate
During the
caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar was the principal adviser to the Caliph. A story is
on record showing the great esteem and regard that Abu Bakr had for Umar and
his opinion. It is related that once, Ayanayah bin Hassan and Aqrah bin Habas,
two tribal chiefs, waited on Abu Bakr and requested that an estate be awarded
to them. They suggested that close to their settlement, there was a wasteland
comprising only rock and was therefore totally barren and unproductive. Since
it was of no use to the state or the public, they wanted the Caliph to gift it
to them because they wanted to put it to productive use and attempt to
cultivate it.
Abu Bakr
consulted the people around him. They suggested that it was a reasonable
proposition whereby the wasteland would become productive. Abu Bakr accordingly
agreed to award the land in question to them. A document was drawn up. Umar was
not present, and Abu Bakr advised the grantees to get it witnessed by Umar.
The
grantees thought that such witnessing by Umar was merely a formality and that
there would be no difficulty in obtaining his signature on the document. The
grantees went to Umar and requested him to affix his signatures to the document
as Abu Bakr had approved it.
After
reading the document, Umar returned it to the grantees saying that he could not
be a party to the deed. In anger, the grantees went to Abu Bakr and reported
what Umar had said.
Abu Bakr
remained quiet. Turning to the Caliph, the grantees asked, “Are you the Caliph,
or is Umar the Caliph?”
Abu Bakr
said, “You may very well take Umar to be the Caliph.”
Then Umar
came to the Caliph. Abu Bakr enquired what the reason for his refusal to sign
the document.
Umar asked,
“Is the land which you have gifted your property, or is it a trust with you on
behalf of the Muslim community.”
Abu Bakr
said, “It is not my personal property; as such, it should be a trust on behalf
of the Muslim community.”
Umar said,
“If that is the position, how can you extinguish the trust by gifting it to A
or B? They may take it on lease subject to terms, but it must remain the State
property.”
Turning to
the applicants, Abu Bakr said, “Umar has spoken the truth. I cannot deviate
from the law.”
Turning to
Umar, Abu Bakr said, “I had already requested you to take over the office of
the Caliph, but you thrust the burden on my shoulders. I may not be with you
for long, and ultimately, you will have to be shouldered this responsibility.”
A Criminal
Embraces Islam
By 638 A.D.,
entire Syria was under the occupation of the Muslims. Heraclius the Byzantine
emperor, had left Syria and withdrawn his forces. His parting words were:
“Farewell
Syria, never again will I come to this beautiful land. What a fine country I am
leaving for the enemy.”
Some of the
Christian Arabs were grieved at the shame the Christians suffered at the hands
of the Muslims. In a fanatical spell, they vowed vengeance against the Muslims.
Having failed to defeat the Muslims on the battlefield, they decided to use
underhand means and murder some high-ranking Muslims. A Ghassanid Arab Wasiq
volunteered to slay Caliph Umar.
Wasiq
waited on Heraclius at Constantinople, and a deal was fixed to relieve the
Byzantine emperor of his enemies. The plan appealed to Heraclius. He paid Wasiq
a vast sum and promised to reward him further after he executed the initial
plan. Motivated by the bounty and promise of his patron, Wasiq decided to
proceed to Madinah.
Since he
was an Arab, Wasiq faced no problems reaching Madinah incognito. He posed as a
Muslim coming from the hinterland of a desert to pay a visit to Madinah. Wasiq
carried a poisoned dagger carefully hidden in the folds of his cloak. Having
reached Madinah, he was on the hunt for a chance that could put his face to
face with the Caliph of Islam and could kill him with such speed that he would
be caught off guard and with little opportunity for security guards to
overpower him. He was surprised to learn in Madinah that there were no
bodyguards for the security of the Caliph. Wasiq was excited by this news and
felt glad he could execute his plan with great ease.
Wasiq
waited for a suitable opportunity. One day at noon, Wasiq found Umar sleeping
under a tree, alone and without any guard. No one was close to Umar, not even a
plain unarmed guard. Wasiq felt he was blessed with a golden opportunity and
the Caliph appeared to be easy prey for him.
He strolled
with measured footsteps so as not to disturb Umar. In a very covert manner,
Wasiq removed Umar’s sword. He was about to stab the Caliph when his eyes fell
on the face of Umar. The sight of the unadorned majesty of the pious Caliph
sent a shudder through Wasiq’s body. His legs hobbled, and his hands trembled.
The sword slipped out of his grip and dropped down. With the noise of the
dropping of the blade, Umar woke up. He was quick to take hold of the fallen
sword. He propped up from his bed and confronted the would-be assassin.
Wasiq fell
at the feet of the Caliph, implored his forgiveness and embraced Islam.
Sabbath For
Soldiers
In the wars
conducted during the rule of Umar, the soldiers on the front remained absent
for considerable periods. Umar introduced the reform that leaves should be
granted to every soldier after he had served on the front for four months.
It is
related that one night, Umar was on his routine nocturnal round in Madinah. It
was late in the night, and there was stillness all around. Umar heard a woman
ranting and lamenting from one of the street's dwellings. She was repeatedly
grumbling:
“The night
is wearisome and keeps me sleepless;
For I have
none to keep me company.
I fear
Allah, Who keeps watching over our souls,
And would
not take another Companion,
But who
could tell Umar,
That he
should not be so cruel,
As to
keeping my husband away from me,
For such a
long period.”
The woman’s
painful and agonizing litany lit up Umar’s heart. He knocked at the door, and
when the woman came to the door, he said:
“I have
heard what you wanted to be conveyed to Umar.
How long
has your husband been away?”
The woman
said, “About a year.”
Umar said,
“Rest assured, your husband will return to you shortly.”
Umar sought
clarification from his daughter Hafsa on the maximum period for which a man
might remain separate from his wife. She suggested four months. Umar
accordingly issued orders that unless a man of the armed forces could take his
wife with him, he should be allowed a spell of leave after every four months of
active service on the front.
The Year
of Ashes
It was638
CE, the “Year of Ashes” on the Arabian Peninsula. Just six years after the
death of the Prophet Muhammad, the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah found
themselves in dire peril, their citizens and many refugees from the countryside
facing starvation. Virulent plague broke out this year in Syria, Egypt, and
Iraq and many a towering personality of Islam succumbed to it. The epidemic
appeared towards the year's close and raged with the most extraordinary rigour
for many months. Meat, butter, and milk became unavailable, and the people
existed on little more than dry bread, sometimes dipped in oil. Umar swore he
would not eat or drink anything inaccessible to the people. Even when
foodstuffs became available in the markets again, Umar refused to buy them for
inflated prices. He was heard saying, “How can I be concerned about and
understand my subjects if I am not going through the same trials they go
through?”
Umar personally
visited the famine areas to initiate measures for its suppression. On arriving
at Surah, he learned from Abu Ubayda and others, who had hastened to the spot
to receive him, that the virulence of the plague was raging like wildfire. Umar
sent for the Muhajirin and the Ansar and sought their opinion. The various
people offered different counsels. Still, the Muhajirin of the period of
victory unanimously exclaimed that it was against the dictates of prudence that
the Caliph should halt there. Umar acquiesced in the soundness of the advice
and bade Abbas announce that all were to march on the morrow. Abu Ubayda was an
extreme fatalist. Great was his ire when he learned Umar’s decision and in a
tone of passion, he cried out: “Fliest thou O Umar away from God’s Will?” Umar
bore this acrid remark with an unruffled mien and calmly replied: “Yes, I fly
from God’s Will but towards God’s Will.”
Casting
around for assistance, ‘Umar wrote from Madinah to ‘Amr ibn al-’As, his general
in Egypt, urging him to send food to feed the hungry in the Hijaz, the Islamic
heartland.’ Amr had not yet completely subdued Egypt when he received the
Caliph’s orders, but the historical record tells us that he did not stint,
sending a huge camel caravan laden with food, most likely wheat and barley, to
‘Umar. The caravan made its way from the Nile Valley across the Sinai
Peninsula, then south through the Hijaz Mountains to Madinah, a journey of some
1300 kilometers (800 miles) that took a month to complete. A caravan of a
thousand camels loaded with a large stock of food grains from Uthman arrived
from Shaam (Syria). The caravan leader carried a response from ‘Amr to the
Caliph. “I have sent you camels,” he wrote. “The first is with you in Madinah;
the last is just leaving me in Egypt.” In between, says the ninth-century
Egyptian historian Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam, an unbroken file of animals carried the
bounty of the Nile to the Hijaz. When they reached Madinah, ‘Umar allocated one
camel, with its load, to each household. The hungry recipients ate both the
animals and their cargo. Other caravans came from lands to the north, and
catastrophe was thus narrowly averted.
Due to
eating undernourished food, Umar’s complexion took a blacker hue. His stomach
would rumble, but he said: “O stomach, you may rumble as much as you like, but
as long as the famine persists, I cannot allow you anything dainty.” One day
some ghee came to the market, and his servant purchased the ghee for him. When
Umar knew of that, he refused to have anything to do with such a luxury. A son
of his cooked some meat one day and offered him the dish. He refused to eat it.
So strict was Umar that during the period of famine, he refused to go near his
wives. At night he would move about from street to street to see that all had
been fed. Whenever any case of hardship came to his notice, he would rush for
relief immediately. He would, in most cases, carry the relief goods on his own
back. After taking his rounds, Umar would pray to God till the late hours of
the night. He would then wake up in the early morning and again pray before
going to the mosque to lead the morning prayer.
Addressing
the congregation, Umar would say:
“I cannot say whether this calamity is because
of the Caliph's lapses or the people's sins. Whosoever is to be blamed, let us
repent and pray to God for relieving us of this misery.”
Umar
returned to Madinah and addressed a letter to Abu Ubayda asking him to come to
Madinah for a few days as he was wanted on business. Abu Ubayda, thinking that
Umar had called him out for fear of the plague, wrote back in reply, saying
that fate ruled everything and that he could not move from the place to save
his own life leaving the Musalmans in danger. Umar wept as he read this letter
and again wrote to Abu Ubayda asking him to shift with his men to a better and
healthier place as the spot where the troops were then encamped was low-lying
and damp. Abu Ubayda complied with this order and moved to and encamped at
Jabia, which was noted for the excellence of its climate.
On arriving
at Jabia, Abu Ubayda fell ill. The attack was violent, and he felt he could not
survive it. He assembled the men around him and uttered his last behest in the
most stirring terms. He appointed Muaz ibn Jabal as his successor, and as the
time for prayers was at hand, he ordered Muaz to act as Imam. Abu Ubayda was
now in his last moments; before the prayers were finished, he passed away. The
epidemic was still raging with unmitigated intensity and the troops were beset
with dire confusion. Amr ibn al-As told the people that the dreaded scourge
destroying them was presumably one of the calamities of the Israelites and that
all should, therefore, do well to fly from the spot. When Muaz heard this, he
ascended the pulpit and delivered an edifying sermon in which he said that the
plague then raging was not a calamity but the mercy of God. After the speech,
he retired to his tent and found his son seized with the plague. With the
utmost firmness and composure, he addressed his son in the memorable words of
the Qur’an, purporting to be uttered by Abraham thus: “My son! This is a
visitation from God; do not let doubt rankle in thy breast. The son rejoined
(using the well-known reply made by Ismail to his father): “You will find me
resigned. If so, be the will of heaven.” With these words, he breathed his
last. Muaz had no sooner consigned his son to the grave than he fell prey to
the fatal disorder. He appointed Amr ibn al-As to succeed him and, with the
idea dominating his soul that earthly life was only a veil that hid the Divine
vision, serenely and rapturously breathed his last.
There is a
story on record that one Bilal bin Haris of the Mazni tribe slaughtered a goat.
There was nothing but bones in the corpse. Bilal had the bones ground and fed
on them. At night he saw the Holy Prophet in a dream. The Holy Prophet asked
him:
“Go and
give Umar my message. He is firm in way of religion. He should further press
religion into service for the aversion of this distress.”
Bilal bin
Haris called on Umar and delivered the message of the Holy Prophet. Umar could
not strictly follow what exactly was the significance of the message. He felt
that perhaps the Holy Prophet was referring to some lapse on his part. That
made him shudder with the fear of God. Umar went to the mosque and enquired
whether they had noticed any deficiency in him. They said that they had not
seen any weakness in him. They enquired as to what was the occasion for the
question. Thereupon Umar asked Bilal to narrate his dream. After Bilal had told
his dream, one of the Companions stood up to say: “Ameer ul Mu’minin,
there is nothing against you in this message. The Holy Prophet prescribed the
prayer of Istisqa for praying to God to be relieved of any calamity. The
message of the Holy Prophet is that you offer special Istisqa prayers.”
Umar fixed
a day for the offering of Istisqa prayers. The faithful were required to
offer a special blessing on the specified day throughout the Muslim dominions.
On the day fixed, all the Muslims in Madinah assembled in a plain outside
Madinah and offered the Istisqa prayers. In the sermon on this occasion, Umar
said:
“We have
erred. Let us repent and ask for forgiveness from God. O Allah Thee alone do we
worship and from Thee alone do we ask help. O Allah, forgive us for our sins.
Have mercy on us, and be pleased with us.”
It is
related that there were heavy rains within a week of the extraordinary prayer
clouds appearing in the sky. Umar then led a thanksgiving prayer. After the
rains, things changed for the better, and the famine was over. Umar led the
people during the crisis of the famine with considerable credit.
What a
strange thing is the infatuation begotten of religion! The plague was raging
with overwhelming impetuosity, and thousands were dying. Still, Muaz considered
this havoc to be the compassion of God and made no arrangements to suppress it.
Amr ibn al-As, however, was not so infatuated. At the death of Muaz, he harangued
the people saying that the plague, when it once appeared, spread like wildfire
and that the troops should move to the mountain's purer and freer air. This
decision of Amr was disapproved by some of the Companions who shared Muaz’s
views so much so that one of them openly exclaimed, “thou liest,”; but Amr
persisted in his decision and enforced it. By his orders, the troops scattered
about along mountainsides, and the plague's danger was thus over.
This
measure was, however, adopted after twenty-five thousand Muslims who would have
sufficed to conquer half of the globe had sunk into the grave.
These
included such distinguished and great men as Abu Ubayda, Muaz ibn Jabal, Yazid
ibn Abi Sufyan, Haris ibn Hisham, Suhail ibn Umar, and Utba ibn Suhail. Umar was
kept duly informed of all that took place and issued the necessary orders as
the occasion demanded.
The
Hijri Calendar
In 638 CE,
six years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Islam’s second caliph,
‘Umar, recognized the necessity of a calendar to govern the affairs of Muslims.
In Chapter 10, Verse 5, the Qur'an states that the Moon should reckon time.
Existing calendars of the era were identified with other religions and
cultures. He, therefore, decided to create a calendar specifically for the Muslim
community. It would be lunar and have 12 months, each with 29 or 30 days. This
gives the lunar year 354 days, 11 days fewer than the solar year. ‘Umar chose
the epoch for the new Muslim calendar, the Hijra, the emigration of the Prophet
Muhammad and 70 Muslims from Makkah to Madinah, where Muslims first attained
religious and political autonomy. The Hijra thus occurred on 1 Muharram of the
year one according to the Islamic calendar. On the Gregorian calendar, this
date corresponds to July 16, 622 CE. Today in the West, it is customary, when
writing hijri dates, to use the abbreviation ah, which stands for the Latin
anno hegirae, “year of the Hijra.” Because the Islamic lunar calendar is 11
days shorter than the solar, it is therefore not synchronized to the seasons.
Its festivals, which fall on the same days of the same lunar months each year,
make the round of the seasons every 33 solar years. This 11-day difference
between the lunar and the solar year accounts for the need to convert dates
from one system to another.
Converting
Years and Dates
The
following equations convert roughly from Gregorian to Hijri years and vice
versa. However, the results can be slightly misleading: They tell you only the
year in which the other calendar year begins. For example, 2018 Gregorian
begins in Rabi’ II, the fourth month of hijri 1439, and ends in that same month
in Hijri 1440.
Gregorian
year =
[(32 x Hijri year) ÷ 33] + 622
Hijri year
=
[(Gregorian year – 622) x 33] ÷ 32
Online
calculators can be found by searching “Gregorian-Hijri calendar calculator” or
similar terms.
A more
exact calculation can be made by using the following formulae, where G =
Gregorian year and H = Hijri year:
G = H + 622 – (H/33)
H = G – 622 + {(G-622)/32}
Justice
For All
A son of
`Amr ben Al `Aas, the Governor of Egypt, once struck a man of the lower class.
The man swore that he would complain to Umar. `Amr ben Al Aas’s son told the
man to do so, boasting that the Caliph would never punish him since he was the
son of the noble ruler of Egypt. Later, during the pilgrimage season, when the
Caliph Umar, his entourage, `Amr ben `Al `Aas, and his son were assembled, the
man whom `Amr’s son had struck went to the Caliph and pointed to the son of
`Amr ben Al `Aas and said: “This man struck me unjustly and when I threatened
to complain to you, he told me that he was the son of a nobleman and that you
would never punish him.”
The Umar
looked at `Amr ben Al `Aas and uttered his famous words, “What right have you
to enslave people whose mothers gave birth to them as free people?” He then
gave the man who had lodged his complaint a whip and told him to strike the son
of the nobleman - the son of `Amr ben Al `Aas - as he had struck him.
The
Humility of a Mighty Ruler
During his
caliphate, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab marched upon Damascus with his army. Abu Ubaydah
was with him, and when they came upon a little lake, Umar descended from his
camel, took off his shoes, tied them together, and hung them on his shoulder.
He then took the halter off his camel and they entered the water together.
Seeing this in front of the army, Abu Ubaydah said: “O Commander of the
Believers! How can you be so humble in front of all your men?” Umar answered,
“Woe to you, Abu Ubaydah! If only someone else other than you thought this way!
Thoughts like this will cause the downfall of the Muslims. Don’t you see we
were indeed a very lowly people? God raised us to a position of honour and
greatness through Islam. If we forget who we are and wish other than the Islam
which elevated us, the one who raised us surely will debase us.
Exemplary
Honesty and Integrity
Honesty and
integrity were the highest virtues in the character of Umar. Once during his
illness, his physician prescribed honey for him. Tons of honey were kept in the
Baitul Mal, but he did not take a drop of it unless the people’s committee
permitted him. His wife, Umme Kulthum, once presented a few bottles of perfumes
to the Empress of Rome. The Empress returned the bottles filled with precious
stones. When Umar learned of it, he deposited the jewels in the Baitul Mal. The
Caliph had great respect for social justice. The respect profoundly struck the
Patriarch of Jerusalem for social equality shown by the esteemed Caliph when he
observed the slave riding the camel and the Caliph leading him by the rope.
Once, Ali
was sitting in the company of Umar. A Jew entered and lodged a complaint
against the former. Addressing Ali as “Aba Hassan,” the Caliph asked Ali to
defend himself. Ali submitted his explanation and as the Jew failed to
establish his case, the Caliph dismissed the case on the grounds of merit. As
soon as the complainant left the room, the Caliph asked Ali why he had frowned
when he asked him to tender an explanation. Ali replied that he was not at all
displeased; on the contrary, he frowned because the Caliph had addressed him
with a term of endearment, “Aba Hasan.” Being one of the parties to the suit,
with the Caliph as the judge, the mode of address was not consonant with the
spirit of justice.
Amru bin
Qais Abu Musa Ashari was a one-time administrator of the state treasury during
Umar’s Caliphate. Once during the cleaning of the treasury building, Abu Musa
found a dirham on the floor. He gave it to Umar’s son who was standing nearby.
On inquiry, Umar was told that Abu Musa gave the child this dirham. Umar called
for Abu Musa and said, “could you not find a better enemy than Umar’s son. Do
you want people to question me about this lousy dirham on the day of judgment”.
The dirham was duly deposited in the treasury.
When the
spoils of Median and Jalula (Iraq) arrived in Madinah, the Caliph was found
weeping. Asked why he was crying, he replied that in these spoils, he saw the
ruin of his people. He was right in his judgment because the events that
unfolded after the arrival of fabulous wealth stained the character of Muslims,
who slowly became corrupted and began to get trapped in various vices.
On one
occasion, Umar asked Salman Farsi, one of the illustrious Companions of the
Prophet, whether he was a Caliph or a King. Salman replied,” If you extort
money from the people, if you misappropriate money from Bait al-Mal, then you
are a king, else a Caliph.” By God, said Umar, I know not whether I am a Caliph
or a King. And if I am a King, it is a fearful thing.”
Perhaps of
all Muhammad’s successors, the second Caliph, Umar, is the chief exemplar of
integrity in Islam. Although he lacked Muhammad’s humour and charm, Umar
matched him in scrupulous honesty and uprightness in financial matters, in his
passion for impartial justice and adherence to the straightforward, open and
approachable Bedouin leadership style.
Umar’s
simplicity, honesty, and humility echoes in the sanctions of the Qur’an:
And do not walk upon the earth exultantly.
Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the
mountains in height.
(Q 17:37)
And do not
turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through the earth
exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.
(Q31:18)
No
Compromise on Justice
During the
reign of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, Jabalah ibn Al-Ayham, the king of the Ghassani
Arabs in Syria, once visited the Ka’bah in Makkah. This occurred after he
joined the Muslims and split ranks with the Romans, with whom he had joined
ranks during the early years of Islam. When Islam became victorious, he
embraced Islam. While he was circling the Ka’bah when performing Haj, a man
stepped on his garment and it fell to the ground. Jabalah smacked the man’s
face and broke his nose. The man complained to Caliph Umar, who summoned
Jabalah. Umar informed him that the man had the right to avenge his broken nose
by striking him on the nose. Or, the man may forfeit his freedom if he elects
to do so.
He also
said to Jabalah, “Here is your foe! Try to strike a deal with him; otherwise,
he has the right to avenge what you did to him!” Jabalah said, “How can this
be, while I am a king and he is nobody!” Umar then explained to him that Islam
has made them equals. Then, he asked for a grace period to think about this
matter. Before the morning, Jabalah escaped to his people, converted from
Islam, and rejoined the Romans. Later, he regretted his decision, sobbing at
times, although the Romans were very generous with him.
Rehabilitation
Of Slaves
When Islam
appeared on the world stage, the world economy was based on slavery. Islam was
the first religion to raise its voice against slavery. Among the early converts
to Islam, many were slaves. Indeed, one of the reasons for the hostility of the
Quraysh against Islam was that they saw in Islam a threat to slavery on which
the economy of Mecca was based.
When Umar
became the Caliph of Islam, he took particular measures to eliminate the evils
of slavery as far as possible. He took a bold step when he declared that no
Arab could be a slave. Arabia was thus the first country in the world, which
under the impact of Islam abolish slavery. During the apostasy wars many Arabs
were taken captive and made slaves. Umar emancipated all such slaves.
Umar also
decreed that slave women who had borne a child to her master stood emancipated.
The Holy
Qur’an laid down:
“If you
see good in them (slaves), make agreement with them.”
Umar
implemented this injunction and laid down that a slave could make an agreement
with the master that he would pay so much within the specified period to secure
his freedom. Anas had a slave Sirin, by name. The slave wanted to agree with
his master, but Anas refused. When the matter was reported to Umar, he made
Anas agree with his slave.
In the
matter of stipends allowed by the state, Umar made no distinction between the
master and the slave. The slaves were given the stipends on the same scale as
their masters.
Umar issued
orders that slaves could not be separated from their kindred.Under these
orders, the child was not to be separated from their mother. If there were two
brothers, both needed to be purchased by one master.
Umar was so
considerate that he instructed that that when some very highly placed person
was taken captive, he should be ransomed and not kept as a slave. When in
Syria, the daughter of the emperor Heraclius was taken captive, she was
returned to her father. When in the battle of Babylon, Armanusa, the daughter
of Maqauqas was taken captive, she was returned to her father.
In order to
raise the status of slaves, Umar enjoined that the master should generally take
meals with their slaves. Occasionally, Umar invited slaves to dine with him.
Umar said:
“The curse of God be upon those who feel
ashamed to sit to meals with slaves.”
Umar laid
down that if a Muslim slave gave protection to a non-Muslim, such protection
was to be honoured like the protection given by any other Muslim.
Umar took
pains to provide facilities to slaves to rise to position of importance in the
State. During the caliphate of Umar, Ikramah, who came to be regarded as an
Imam of hadith, was a slave. Nafi, who was the teacher of Imam Malik, was a
slave. There were many other slaves who rose to eminence during the caliphate
of Umar.
Allowances
And Stipends for Muslims
After the
battles of Yarmuk and Qadisiyya, the Muslims won heavy spoils. The coffers at Madinah
became full to the brim, and the problem before Umar was what should be done
with this money. Someone suggested that money should be kept in the treasury
for public expenditure only. This view was not acceptable to the general body
of Muslims. Consensus was reached that whatever was received during a year
should be distributed.
The next
question for consideration was what system should be adopted for distribution.
One suggestion was that it should be distributed on an ad hoc basis and
whatever was received should be equally distributed. Against this view, it was
felt that as the spoils were considerable, that would make the people very
rich. It was therefore decided that instead of ad hoc division, the allowance
amount to the stipend should be determined beforehand, and this allowance
should be paid to the person concerned regardless of the spoils. This was
agreed to.
About the
fixation of the allowance, there were two opinions. Some held that the amount
of the allowance for all Muslims should be the same. Umar did not agree with
this view. He held that the allowance should be graded according to one’s merit
concerning Islam.
Then the
question arose as to what basis should be used for placing some above others.
Everyone suggested that a start should be made with the Caliph and he should
get the highest allowance. Umar rejected the proposal and decided to start with
the clan of the Prophet.
Umar set up
a committee to compile a list of persons near the Holy Prophet. The Committee
produced the list clan-wise. Bani Hashim appeared as the first clan. Then the
clan of Abu Bakr was put and in the third place the clan of Umar was put. Umar
accepted the first two placements but delegated his clan to lower down in the
scale with reference to nearness in relationship to the Holy Prophet.
The members
of the clan of Umar objected to the order of Umar but he rebuked them saying;
“You desire that you should stand on my neck and deprive me of my good deeds. I
cannot permit that.” “I have decided the scale according to merit by entry into
Islam and not by position.”
In the
final scale of allowance that was approved by Umar the main provisions were:
• The
widows of the Prophet received 12,000 dirhams each;
• Abbas,
the uncle of the Prophet, received an annual allowance of 7,000 dirhams;
• The
grandsons of the Prophet Hasan and Hussain got 5,000 dirhams each;
• The
veterans of Badr got an allowance of 6,000 dirhams each;
• Those
who had become Muslims by the time of the Hudaibiya pact got 4,000 dirhams
each;
• Those
who became Muslims at the time of the conquest of Mecca got 3,000 dirhams each;
• The
veterans of the apostasy wars got 3,000 dirhams each.
• The
veterans of Yermuk and Qadisiyya got 2,000 dirhams each
In
announcing this scale, Umar said:
In this award, Umar’s son Abdullah got an
allowance of 3,000 dirhams. On the other hand, Usama got 4,000. Abdullah
objected to this distinction and Umar said: “I have given Usama more than you
because he was dearer to the Holy Prophet than you, and his father was dearer
to the Holy Prophet than your father.”
Equality
Before Law
Umar
personally visited several courts to have practical experience. Once, he had to
attend the court of Qadi Aaid bin Thabit as a defendant. The Qadi showed some
preferential respect to him, which the Caliph resented and warned him, “Unless
you consider an ordinary man and Umar as equals, you are not fit for the post
of Qadi.”
Jablah bin
Al Aiham Gassani was the ruler of a small state in Syria. He was converted to
Islam, and one day, while he was engaged in hajj, a part of his gown was
unintentionally trampled upon by a poor Arab. Jablah slapped him. He, too, paid
him in the same coin. The infuriated Jablah hastened to the Caliph and urged
him to deal severely with the Arab. Thereupon the Caliph said that he had
already had justice. Jablah retorted, saying, “Had he done such an insult to me
in my own land, he would have been hanged.” The Caliph replied calmly: ‘Ubai
was a common citizen. He charged Omar, the Caliph, in the Qadi Zaid bin Thabit
court. The Caliph presented himself before the court in a simple dress. The
Qadi offered his respect to the Caliph. He was reprimanded, ‘This is your first
act of injustice.” And he seated himself by the side of ‘Ubai.
‘Ubai had
no proof for his claim. Caliph Umar disowned the claims. ‘Ubai wanted the
Caliph to take an oath as was the practice. The Qadi suggested that ‘Ubai
should exempt the Caliph from this formality. Umar himself disapproved of this.
He said, “Unless ‘Ubai and Umar are not equal in your court, you do not deserve
to hold the high office of the Qadi.” “All veneration comes to us through
following the religion of Allah. Islam is the only mark of exaltation.”
-----
Moin Qazi is the author of the bestselling book,
Village Diary of a Heretic Banker. He has worked in the development finance
sector for almost four decades.
Other
Parts of the Article:
Umar Al Farooq - The Great Caliph - Part One: Timeline
Of The Life Of Caliph Umar
Umar Al Farooq - The Great Caliph - Part Three: A
Paragon Of Nobility
Umar Al
Farooq - The Great Caliph - Part Four: A Pioneering Reformer
Umar Al
Farooq - The Great Caliph - Part Five: The Great Conqueror
URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/umar-farooq-caliph-part-six-moral-innovator/d/130490
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