Hazrat Umar (RaziAllahHoTaalUnho) History
| Umar ibn al-Khattab |
|---|
Caliph Umar's empire at its peak, 644 |
| Al-Farooq |
| Reign |
23 August 634–7 November 644 |
| Born |
586–590
Mecca, Arabia |
| Died |
7 November 644
Medina, Arabia |
| Predecessor |
Abu Bakr |
| Successor |
Uthman |
| Other titles |
Al-Farooq |
Umar bin al-Khattab(R.A) ({{lang-ar-at|a=عمر بن الخطّاب|t=`Umar ibn al-Khattāb{R.A}, c. 586–590 – 644) c. 2 November (Dhu al-Hijjah 26, 23 Hijri),
was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet
[[Muhammad]S.A.W] who later became the second Muslim Caliph after
Muhammad's death.
Converting to Islam in the 6th year after Muhammad's first revelation,
he spent 18 years as a companion of Muhammad. He succeeded Caliph Abu
Bakr on 23 August 634, and played a significant role in Islamic history.
Under his rule the Islamic empire expanded at an unprecedented rate,
conquering the whole territory of the former Sassanid Persian Empire and
more than two thirds of the Eastern Roman Empire.
His legislative abilities, his firm political and administrative
control over a rapidly expanding empire and his brilliantly coordinated
attacks against the Sassanid Persian Empire that resulted in the
conquest of the Persian empire in less than two years, marked his
reputation as a great political and military leader. He was assassinated
by a Persian captive.
Sunni Muslims view him as the Second Rightly-Guided Caliph and know him
as Al-Farooq (he who distinguishes truth from falsehood).
Early life
Umar was born in Mecca to the Banu Adi clan, which was responsible for
arbitrations among the tribes. His father was Khattab ibn Nufayl and his
mother was Hantammah daughter of Khattab, from the tribe of Banu
Makhzum. He was the cousin of Khalid ibn al-Walid,
a general who would play an important role later in his life, and
during a wrestling match between the two, Umar had his leg broken. He is
said to have belonged to a middle class family. In his youth he used to
tend to his father’s camels in the plains near Mecca.
His father was famed for his intelligence among his tribe. He was a
middle class merchant and is believed to have been a ruthless man and
emotional polytheist
who often treated Umar badly. As obvious from Umar's own statement
regarding his father during his later political rule, Umar said, "My
father Al-Khittab was a ruthless man. He used to make me work hard; if I
didn't work he used to beat me and he used to work me to exhaustion."
Despite literacy being uncommon in pre-Islamic Arabia, Umar learned
to read and write in his youth. Although not a poet himself, he
developed a love for poetry and literature.
According to the tradition of Quraish, while still in his teenage
years, Umar learned martial arts, horse riding and wrestling. He was
tall and physically powerful and soon became a renowned wrestler.
Umar was also a gifted orator, and due to his intelligence and
overwhelming personality, he succeeded his father as an arbitrator of
conflicts among the tribes.
In addition, Umar followed the traditional profession of Quraish. He
became a merchant and had several journeys to Rome and Persia,
where he is said to have met various scholars and analyzed the Roman
and Persian societies closely. However, as a merchant he is believed to
have never been successful.
During Muhammad's (SAW) era
Umar's hostility to Islam
In 610 Muhammed started delivering the message of Islam. Umar,
alongside others in Makkah, opposed Islam and threatened to kill
Muhammad. He resolved to defend the traditional, polytheistic religion
of Arabia. He was most adamant and cruel in opposing Muhammad and very prominent in persecuting the Muslims. Umar was the first man who resolved that Muhammad had to be murdered in order to finish Islam.
Umar firmly believed in the unity of the Quraish and saw the new faith
of Islam as a cause of division and discord among the Quraish.
Due to the persecution at the hands of the Quraish, Muhammad ordered his followers to migrate to Abyssinia.
As a small group of Muslims migrated Umar felt worried about the future
unity of the Quraish and decided to have Muhammad assassinated.
Conversion
Umar converted to Islam in 616, one year after the Migration to Abyssinia. The story was recounted in Ibn Ishaq's
Sīrah:
On the way to murder Muhammad, Umar met his best friend Nu'aim ibn Abdi
'Allah who had secretly embraced Islam but he did not tell Umar
anything about it. When Umar told him that he was going to kill
Muhammad, he was afraid. He knew that Umar would attempt what he said.
So just to divert his attention he told him to set his own house in
order first, as his sister and her husband had converted to Islam. Umar
was taken aback to learn this. Upon arriving at her house, Umar found
his sister and brother-in-law Saeed bin Zaid (Umar's cousin), reciting the verses of the Qur'an (Surah
Ta Ha).
He started quarreling with his brother-in-law . When his sister came to
rescue her husband, he also started quarreling with her. Yet still they
kept on saying "you may kill us but we will not give up Islam". Upon
hearing these words, Umar slapped his sister so hard that she fell to
the ground bleeding from her mouth. When he saw what he had done to his
sister, out of guilt he calmed down and asked his sister to give him
what she was reciting. She gave him the paper on which was written the
verses of the chapter
Ta-Ha. He was so struck by the beauty of
the verses that he became a Muslim that day. He then went to Muhammad
with the same sword he intended to kill him with and converted in front
of him and his companions. Umar was 27 when he became Muslim. Following his conversion, Umar went to inform the chief of Quraish, Amr ibn Hishām,
about his new faith. According to one account, Umar thereafter openly
prayed at the Kaaba as the Quraish chiefs, Amr ibn Hishām and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, reportedly watched in anger.
This further helped the Muslims to gain confidence in practicing Islam
openly. At this stage Umar even challenged anyone who dared to stop the
Muslims from praying, although no one dared to interfere with Umar when
he was openly praying.
Umar’s conversion to Islam gave power to the Muslims and the faith in
Mecca. It was after this that Muslims offered prayers openly in
Masjid al-Haram for the first time. Abdullah bin Masoud said:
Umar's embracing Islam was our victory, his migration to Medina was
our success and his reign a blessing from Allah, we didn't offer
prayers in Al-Haram Mosque until Umar accepted Islam, when he accepted
Islam Quraish were compelled to let us pray in the Mosque.
All these things earned Umar the title of Farooq, meaning he who distinguishes truth from falsehood.
Umar's (Title of Al Farooq)
Mujahid, on the authority of Ibn Abbas
related that he had asked 'Umar bin Al-Khattab why he had been given
the epithet of Al-Farooq (he who distinguishes truth from falsehood), he
replied: After I had embraced Islam, I asked Mohammad: 'Aren't we on
the right path here and Hereafter?' He answered: 'Of course you are! I
swear by Allah
in Whose Hand my soul is, that you are right in this world and in the
hereafter.' I, therefore, asked Mohammad 'Why we then had to conduct
clandestine activism. I swear by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth,
that we will leave our concealment and proclaim our noble cause
publicly.' We then went out in two groups, Hamzah leading one and I the
other. We headed for the Masjid Al Haram
in broad daylight. When the polytheists of Quraish saw us, their faces
went pale and got incredibly depressed and resentful. On that very
occasion, Mohammad attached to me the epithet of Al-Farooq.
Migration to Medina
In 622 due to the growing popularity of Islam in the city of Yathrib
(later renamed Al-Madīnah Al-Munawwarah, the enlightened city, or simply
Medina)
Muhammad ordered his followers to migrate to Medina. Muslims usually
migrated at night due to fear of Quraish's resistance to that migration,
but Umar is reported to have migrated openly during the day time. Ibn
Asakir narrated that Ali said: I don’t know of anyone who didn’t
emigrate in secret except for Umar ibn al-Khattab; because when he
wanted to emigrate he strapped on his sword, put his bow over his
shoulder, carried his arrows in his hand, and came to the Ka‘bah where
the nobles of Quraysh were in the courtyard. He performed seven
circuits, and then prayed two raka‘at at the Station (of Ibrahim). Then
he approached their circle one step at a time and said, "Whoever wishes
to bereave his mother, orphan his children and widow his wife then let
him meet me behind this valley." Not one of them followed him. Umar migrated to Medina accompanied by his cousin and brother-in-law Saeed ibn Zaid.
Life in Medina
Medina became the new center of Islam and the religion spread rapidly
across Arabia. When Muhammad arrived in Medina, he paired off each
immigrant (Muhajir) with one of the residents of the city (Ansari),
joining Muhammad ibn Maslamah
with Umar(R.A) making them brothers in faith. Later in Umar's reign as
caliph Muhammad ibn Muslamah would be assigned the office of chief
inspector of Accountability. Muslims remained in peace in Medina for
approximately a year before the Quraish raised an army to attack them.
In 624 Umar participated in the first Battle between Muslims and Quraish
of Mecca i.e. Battle of Badr. In 625 he participated in the Battle of
Uhud. In the second phase of Battle when Khalid ibn Walid's
Cavalry attacked Muslims at the rear changing the victory of Muslims to
defeat, rumors of Muhammad’s death were spread. Many Muslim were
warriors routed from the battle field, Umar too was initially routed but
hearing that Muhammad was still alive he went to Muhammad at the
mountain of Uhud and prepared for the defenses of the hill to keep the
Quraishi army down the hill.
Later in the year Umar was a part of campaign against the Jewish tribe
of Banu Nadir. In 625 Umar’s(R.A) daughter Hafsah was married to
Muhammad. Later in 627 he participated in the Battle of the Trench and also in the Battle of Banu Qurayza. In 628 Umar participated in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and was made one of the witness over the pact.
In 628 he was a part of Muslims' campaign to Khaybar. In 629 Muhammad
sent Amr ibn al-A’as to Zaat-ul-Sallasal from where he called for
reinforcement and Muhammad sent Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah with
reinforcement, serving under him were Abu Bakr and Umar, they attacked
and defeated the enemy. In
630 when Muslim armies rushed for the Conquest of Mecca he was part of
that army. Later in 630 he was part of Battle of Hunayn and Siege of
Ta'if. He was part of Muslim's army that went for the campaign of Tabuk
under Muhammad's command and he was reported to have given half of his
wealth for the preparation of this expedition. He also participated in a
farewell Hajj of Muhammad in 631.
Death of Muhammad (SAW)
Muhammad died on 8 June 632. Umar was full of grief upon hearing the
news of demise of Muhammad(SAW). Umar, the devoted disciple, could not accept
the reality that the "Messenger of God" has died.
According to the Qur'an, "Muhammad is but a messenger; messengers have
passed away before", i.e. died or killed. It is said that Umar promised
to strike the head of any man who would say that Muhammad died. At this
point Abu Bakr is reported to have come out to the Muslim community and gave his famous speech which included:
Whoever worshipped Muhammad, let them know that Muhammad is dead,
and whoever worshipped God, let them know that God is alive and never
dies.
Abū Bakr then recited these verses from the Qur'an:
Muhammad is but a messenger; messengers (the like of whom) have
passed away before him. If, then, he dies or is killed, will you turn
back on your heel?
Hearing this from Abu Bakr, the most senior disciple of Muhammad,
Umar then fell down on his knees in great sense of sorrow and acceptance
of the reality.
Sunni Muslims say that this denial of Muhammad's death was occasioned by his deep love for him.
Caliph Abu Bakr's era
During Abu Bakr's reign as caliph, during which he remained occupied with Ridda wars,
Umar was one of his chief advisers and secretary. Umar along with
Khalid ibn Walid, probably was the architect and main strategist behind
the collapse of rebellion in Arabia. Though at the beginning due to the
apprehensive situation in Arabia Umar was opposing the military
operations against the rebel tribes, it was to enjoy their support in
case of any possible foreign invasion by Romans or Persian, but later he
seemed to agree with Abu Bakr's warlike strategies to crush rebellion. Khalid ibn Walid
by late 632 had successfully united Arabia after consecutive victories
against rebels. Later during his own reign, Umar would mostly adopt the
policy of avoiding wars and consolidating his power in the conquered
land rather than expanding his empire through continuous warfare. Prior to Battle of Yamamah, Umar pressured Abu Bakr to call back Khalid, who had killed Malik ibn Nuwayrah,
a rebel chief who was a state criminal. Umar was reportedly misguided
by Malik's brother that Malik was a Muslim and Khalid killed him because
he wanted to marry his wife Layla bint al-Minhal,
a renowned beauty in Arabia. While Abu Bakr refused to accept Umar's
opinion and Umar continued insisting for Khalid's disposal even after
Khalid's conquest of Iraq. It was Umar who advised Abu Bakr to compile Quran
in the form of a book, after the death of 300 memorizers of Quran in
Battle of Yamamah. Abu Bakr appointed Umar as his successor prior to his
death in 634. He was confirmed in the office thereafter.
Appointment as a Caliph
Due to his strict and autocratic nature, Umar was not a very popular
figure among the notables of Madinah and members of Majlis al Shura,
accordingly succession of Umar was initially discouraged by high ranking
companions of Abu Bakr. When Abu Bakr was close to death, he nominated Umar to succeed him as the next Caliph.
Umar was still well known for his extraordinary will power,
intelligence, political astuteness, impartiality, justice and care for
poor and underprivileged people. Abu Bakr is reported to have said to the high-ranking advisers:
His [Umar's] strictness was there because of my softness when the
weight of Caliphate will be over his shoulders he will remain no longer
strict. If I will be asked by the God to whom I have appointed my
successor, I will tell him that I have appointed the best man among your
men.
Abu Bakr was fully aware of Umar's power and ability to succeed him.
Succession of Umar was thus not as troublesome as any of the others. His
was perhaps one of the smoothest transitions to power from one
authority to another in the Muslim lands.
Abu Bakr before his death called Uthman to write his will in which he
declared Umar his successor. In his will he instructed Umar to continue
the conquests on Iraq and Syrian fronts. Abu Bakr's decision proved to
be crucial in the strengthening of the nascent Islamic empire.
Reign as Caliph
Sword of Caliph Umar, with later hilt
On 22 August Caliph Abu Bakr died. The same day Umar assumed the
office of Caliphate. After the assumption of office as the Caliph, Umar
addressed the Muslims in his Inaugural address as:
O ye faithful! Abu Bakr is no more amongst us. He has the
satisfaction that he has successfully piloted the ship of the Muslim
state to safety after negotiating the stormy sea. He successfully waged
the apostasy wars, and thanks to him, Islam is now supreme in Arabia.
After Abu Bakr, the mantle of Caliphate has fallen on my shoulders. I
swear it before God that I never coveted this office. I wished that it
would have devolved on some other person more worthy than me. But now
that in national interest, the responsibility for leading the Muslims
has come to vest in me, I assure you that I will not run away from my
post, and will make an earnest effort to discharge the onerous duties of
the office to the best of my capacity in accordance with the
injunctions of Islam. Allah has examined me from you and you from me, In
the performance of my duties, I will seek guidance from the Holy Book,
and will follow the examples set by the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr. In
this task I seek your assistance. If I follow the right path, follow me.
If I deviate from the right path, correct me so that we are not led
Initial challenges
Umar was already not an endearing figure in Medina. Although almost
all of the Muslims had given pledge of loyalty to him, nevertheless he
was rather more feared than loved. The first challenge for Umar was to
win out his subjects and members of Majlis al Shura. Umar was a gifted orator, and he would use his ability to get a soft corner in the hearts of people. On Friday prayers Umar addressed the people as follows:
Brethren, it has come to my notice that the people are afraid of me ... they say that he (Umar)
has become the Caliph now, God knows how hard he will be. Whoever has
said this is not wrong in his assessment ,,, know ye brethren that you
will feel a change in me.
For those who practise tyranny and deprive others of their rights, I
will be harsh and stern, but for those who follow the law, I will be
most soft and tender.
Umar's addresses greatly moved the people. Next time he addressed the people as:
I will be harsh and stern against the aggressor, but I will be a pillar of strength for the weak.
I will not calm down until I will put one cheek of a tyrant on the
ground and the other under my feet, and for the poor and weak, I will
put my cheek on the ground.
The following are the historic words of Umar, over which he laid foundation of his rule:
By God, he that is weakest among you shall be in my eye the strongest, until I have vindicated for him his rights; he that is strongest I will treat as the weakest, until he complies with the law.
Umar's stress was on the well being of poor and underprivileged
people. As this class made a bulk of any community, the people were
soundly moved by Umar's speeches and his popularity grew rapidly and
continuously over the period of his reign.
In addition to this Umar, in order to improve his reputation and
relation with Banu Hashim, the tribe of Prophet Muhammad and Ali,
delivered to him his disputed estates in Khayber. Though he followed
Abu Bakr's decision over the dispute of land of Fidak, continued its
status as a state property. In Ridda wars,
thousands of prisoners from rebel and apostate tribes were taken away
as slaves during the expeditions. Umar ordered the general amnesty for
the prisoners, and their immediate emancipation.
This made Umar quite a popular leader among the budoiene tribes. With
necessary public support with him, Umar took a bold decision of
retrieving Khalid ibn Walid from supreme command on Roman front.
Political and civil administration
The government of Umar was more or less a unitary government, where the
sovereign political authority was the Caliph. The empire of Umar was
divided into provinces and some autonomous territories like in some
regions Azerbaijan and Armenia, that had accepted the suzerainty of the
Caliphate. The provinces were administered by the provincial governors
or Wali.
The selection of which was made personally by Umar, who was very
fastidious in it. Provinces were further divided into districts, there
were about 100 districts in the empire. Each district or main city was
under the charge of a junior governor or Wali, usually appointed by Umar
himself, but occasionally they were also appointed by the provincial
governor. Other officers at the provincial level were:
- Katib, the Chief Secretary.
- Katib-ud-Diwan, the Military Secretary.
- Sahib-ul-Kharaj, the Revenue Collector.
- Sahib-ul-Ahdath, the Police chief.
- Sahib-Bait-ul-Mal, the Treasury Officer.
- Qadi, the Chief Judge.
In some districts there were separate military officers, though the
Governor (Wali) was in most cases the Commander-in-chief of the army
quartered in the province. Every appointment was made in writing. At the
time of appointment an instrument of instructions was issued with a
view to regulating the conduct of Governors. On assuming office, the
Governor was required to assemble the people in the main mosque, and read the instrument of instructions before them.
Umar's general instructions to his officers were:
Remember, I have not appointed you as commanders and tyrants over
the people. I have sent you as leaders instead, so that the people may
follow your example. Give the Muslims their rights and do not beat them
lest they become abused. Do not praise them unduly, lest they fall into
the error of conceit. Do not keep your doors shut in their faces, lest
the more powerful of them eat up the weaker ones. And do not behave as
if you were superior to them, for that is tyranny over them.
Various other strict code of conducts were to be obeyed by the
governors and state officials. The principal officers were required to
come to Mecca on the occasion of the Hajj,
during which people were free to present any complaint against them. In
order to minimize the chances of corruption, Umar made it a point to
pay high salaries to the staff. Provincial governor received as much as
five to seven thousand dirham annually besides their shares of the
spoils of war (
if they were also the commander in chief of the army of their sector). Under Umar the empire was divided into the following provinces.
- Arabia was divided into two provinces, Mecca and Medina;
- Iraq was divided into two provinces, Basra and Kufa;
- In the upper reaches of the Tigris and the Euphrates, Jazira was a province;
- Syria was a province;
- Umar divided Palestine in two provinces Elya (Jerusalem) and Ramla;
- Egypt was divided into two provinces, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt;
- Persia was divided into three provinces, Khorasan; Azarbaijan and Fars.
Umar was first to established a special department for the
investigation of complaints against the officers of the State. This
department acted as Administrative court, where the legal proceedings were personally led by Umar. The Department was under the charge of Muhammad ibn Maslamah,
one of Umar's most trusted men. In important cases Muhammad ibn
Maslamah was deputed by Umar to proceed to the spot, investigate the
charge and take action. Sometimes an Inquiry Commission was constituted
to investigate the charge. On occasions the officers against whom
complaints were received were summoned to Medina, and charged in Umar's
administrative court.
Umar was a pioneer in some affairs:
- Umar was the first to introduce the public ministry system, where
the records of officials and soldiers were kept. He also kept a record
system that had the messages he sent to Governors and heads of states.
- He was the first to appoint police forces to keep civil order.
- He was the first to discipline the people when they became disordered.
Reforms
The Umar's Mosque in Bethlehem. Umar had traveled to Bethlehem in 637 CE
to issue a law that would guarantee respect for the shrine and safety
for Christians and clergy.
Umar is regarded as one of the greatest political geniuses in history.
While under his leadership, the empire was expanding at a unprecedented
rate, he also began to build the political structure that would hold
together the vast empire that was being built. He undertook many
administrative reforms and closely oversaw public policy. He established
an advanced administration for the newly conquered lands, including
several new ministries and bureaucracies, and ordered a census of all
the Muslim territories. During his rule, the garrison cities (amsar) of
Basra and Kufa were founded or expanded. In 638, he extended and
renovated the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca and the Al-Masjid
al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet) in Medina. Umar also ordered the expulsion of the Christian and Jewish communities of Najran and Khaybar
allowing them to reside in Syria or Iraq. He issued orders that these
Christians and Jews should be treated well and allotted them the
equivalent land in their new settlements. Umar also forbade non-Muslims to reside in the Hejaz for longer than three days. He was first to establish army as a state department. Umar was founder of Fiqh, the Islamic jurisprudence.
He is regarded by Sunni Muslims to be one of the greatest Faqih. Umar
as a jurist started the process of codifying Islamic Law. In 641, he
established Bayt al-mal, a financial institution
and started annual state sponsored allowance for the poor Muslims in
Makkah and Al Madinah. A year later he also started allowance for the
poor, underprivileged and old non-Muslim citizens of the empire. As a
leader, 'Umar was known for his simple, austere lifestyle. Rather than
adopt the pomp and display affected by the rulers of the time, he
continued to live much as he had when Muslims were poor and persecuted.
In 639, his fourth year as caliph and the seventeenth year since the
Hijra, he decreed that the Islamic calendar should be counted from the
year of the Hijra of Muhammad from Mecca to Madinah.
Military expansion
It is widely believed that Umar stressed more on consolidating his
power and political influence in the conquered land, rather than
pursuing conquests. Nevertheless under Umar, The Islamic empire grew at
an unprecedented rate. In 638, after the conquest of Syria, Umar
dismissed Khalid,
his most successful general due to his ever growing fame and influence.
Later however Umar regretted this decision. The military conquest were
partially terminated between 638–639 during the years of great famine
and plague in Arabia and Levant respectively. During his reign the
Levant, Egypt, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, Fezzan, Eastern Anatolia, almost
the whole of the Sassanid Persian Empire including Bactria, Persia,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Caucasus and Makran were annexed to Islamic Empire.
According to one estimate more than 4050 cities were captured during
these military conquest.
Prior to his death in 644, Umar had ceased all military expeditions
apparently to consolidate his rule in Egypt and the newly conquered
Sassanid Empire (642–644). At his death in November 644, the domain of
his rule extended from present day Libya in west to the Indus river in east and the Oxus river in north.
The great famine
In the year 638, Arabia fell into severe drought followed by a famine.
Bedouin people began to die because of hunger and epidemic disease.
Hundreds of thousands
of people from all over Arabia gathered at Madinah
where food was rationed. Soon the reserves of food at Madinah began to
decline, and Umar wrote to the provincial governors of Syria, Palestine
and Iraq for aid. A state of emergency was declared in Madinah and
Arabia. The timely aid of Umar's governors saved the lives of thousands
of people throughout Arabia. The first governor to respond was Abu
Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, the governor of Syria and supreme commander of
Rashidun army. He sent a historic letter to Umar saying
I am sending you the Caravans whose one end will be here at Syria and the other will be at Madinah.
Later, Abu Ubaidah paid a personal visit to Madinah and acted as an officer of Disaster management cell,
which was headed personally by Umar. Once an adequate supply of rations
reached Madinah, Umar dispatched his men to the routes of Iraq,
Palestine and Syria to take the supply caravans to the desert
settlements deeper into Arabia, which in turn saved millions from
starvation. For internally displaced people, Umar hosted a dinner every
night at Madinah, which according to one estimate had attendance of more
than hundred thousand people.
By early 639 conditions began to improve. Arabia received precipitation
and as soon as the famine ended, Umar personally supervised the
rehabilitation of the displaced people. They were given adequate amounts
of rations and were exempted from payment of zakat for that year and the next year.
The great plague
While famine was ending in Arabia, many districts in Syria and Palestine
were devastated by plague. While Umar was on his way to visit Syria, at
Elat, he was received by Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah,
governor of Syria, who informed him about plague and its intensity and
he was suggested to go back to Madinah. Umar tried to persuade Abu
Ubaidah to come with him to Madinah but he declined to leave his troops
in that critical situation. Abu Ubaidah died in 639 due to plague, which
also cost the life of 25,000 Muslims in Syria. After the plague had
weakened in late 639 Umar visited Syria for political and administrative
re-organization, as most of the veteran commanders and governors had
died of plague.
Family
Main article: Family tree of Umar
Umar married a total of nine women in his lifetime and had fourteen
children, ten sons and four daughters. The details are as follow:
-
- Wife: Zaynab bint Mazh'un (at the time of Jahiliyyah [Days of Ignorance])
- Son: Abdullah ibn Umar
- Son: Abdulrahman ibn 'Umar (The Older)
- Son: Abdulrahman ibn 'Umar
- Daughter: Hafsa bint Umar
- Son: Zayd ibn 'Umar
- Wife: Quraybah bint Abi Umayyah al-Makhzumi (divorced, married by Abdulrehman ibn Abu Bakr)
- Wife:
Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham (after her husband, a former ally
of 'Umar and a companion Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl was killed in Battle of
Yarmouk, later divorced but al-Madaini says he did not divorce her)
- Daughter: Fatima bint 'Umar
- Wife: Jamilah bint Ashim ibn Thabit ibn Abi al-Aqlah (from the tribe of Aws)
- Son: Asim ibn Umar
- Wife: Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nifayl (cousin of Umar and former wife of Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr married 'Umar in the year twelve AH and after 'Umar was murdered, she married az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam)
- Son: Iyaad ibn 'Umar
- Wife: Luhyah (a woman from Yemen (Yaman) who's marital status
with 'Umar is disputed, al-Waqidi said that she was Umm Walad, meaning a
slave woman)
- Son: Abdulrahman ibn 'Umar (the youngest Abdulrehman while some say the middle Abdulrehman from Luhyah)
- Wife: Fukayhah (as Umm Walad)
- Daughter: Zaynab bint 'Umar (the smallest child of 'Umar from Fukayhah)
- Wife: Umm Kulthum bint Ali
- Son: Zayd ibn Umar
- Daughter: roqayya bint Umer
Another son is, az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, called Abu Shahmah, though from which wife is unknown.
Marriage to Ali bin Abu Talib's daughter Umm Kulthum
It is accepted by Sunni sources that Umar bin Khattab married Ali bin
Abu Talib's daughter Umm Kulthum. In Sunni sources it is mentioned that
Umar asked for her hand because of a hadith
he heard from Muhammad, "Every lineage and means will be severed on the
Day of Judgment except my lineage and my means." Umar wanted to be
closer to Muhammad, therefore he requested for Ali's daughter, which Ali
accepted.
But this fact is rejected by all Shia'a scholars.
Taraweeh
Taraweeh,
the night prayers during Ramadan, were institutionalized during Umar's
reign as Caliph. Once when visiting the mosque, he saw different groups
of people performing prayers, and suggested to them to join together in
performing the prayers. A majority of Sunni Muslims have followed the
same practice since then. The Shia do not give credence to the
institutionalization of this prayer during Umar's caliphate.
Assassination
Tombstone of Caliph Umar, in Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, Medina. The first window from the right gives a view of Umar's grave.
In 644, at zenith of his power, Umar was assassinated. His assassination
was carried out by a Persian, in response to the Muslim conquest of
Persia. The assassination was planned several months earlier. In October 644 Umar went for Hajj
in Mecca, the assassins started the hoopla of Umar's possible death
that year, and the massive crowd of the congregation was used by the
conspirators as a veil to hide themselves. It is related that when Umar
stood at Mount Arafat he heard a voice saying:
"O Caliph, never again will you stand on the Mount of Arafat".
A companion of Umar, Jabir bin Mutaam is reported to have said:
We saw a man standing at the top of the hill and crying 'Verily that is the last Hajj of Umar. He will never come here again."
During one of rituals of Hajj, the Ramy al-Jamarat (
stoning of the Devil),
some one threw a stone on Umar that wounded his head, a voice was heard
that Umar will not attend the Hajj ever again. Amongst the conspirators
was:
- Hormuzan,
the alleged mastermind of the plot. He was Persian Commander in Chief
and was captured and brought to Umar at Madinah where to save his life
he apparently converted to Islam.
- One of Umar's advisors, Ka'ab al-Ahbar, a former Jewish Rabbi, who
apparently had converted to Islam, but his conversion is generally
doubted by the Shi'ite scholars.
- Jafinah, the Christian Arab from Iraq, who was also a foster brother of Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, former governors of Busra.
- Piruzan, popularly known as Abu Lulu, he was slave of Mughira ibn Shu'ba the then governor of Busra.
It was Abu Lulu who was assigned the mission of assassinating Umar. According to the plan, before the Fajrprayers (
the morning prayers before the dawn) Abu Lulu will enter Al-Masjid al-Nabawi,
the main mosque of Madinah where Umar led the prayers and will attack
Umar during the prayers, and will flee or will mix with the congregation
at mosque.
Abu Lulu brought a conjectural complaint to Umar about the high tax
charged from him by his master Mughirah. Umar wrote to Mughirah and
inquired about the tax. Mughirah's reply was satisfactory. Umar held
that the tax charged from Abu Lulu was reasonable, owning to his daily
income. Umar then is reported to have asked Abu Lulu:
I heard that you make windmills; make one for me as well. In a
sullen mood, Firoz said, "Verily I will make such a mill for you, that
whole world would remember it".
On 3 November 644, Umar was attacked, while leading the morning
prayers, Abu Lulu stabbed him six times in the back and last in the
chest, that proved fatal. Umar was left profusely bleeding while Abu
Lulu tried to flee but people from all sides rushed to capture him, he
in his efforts to escape is reported to have wounded twelve other
people, six or nine of them later died. At last he was captured but
committed suicide from the same dagger. Umar died of the wounds four
days later on Sunday, 7 November 644. Umar is reported to have left the following testament:
Be kind and generous to the Muhajirun and the Ansar.
Those out of them who are good, be good to them; those who are bad
overlook their lapses. Be good to the people of the conquered lands.
They are the outer line of our defense; they are the target of the anger
and distress of our enemies. They contribute to our revenues. They
should be taxed only on their surplus wealth. Be gracious to the
Bedouins as they are the backbone of the Arab nation. I instruct you to
be good to the Dhimmis for they are your responsibility. Do not tax them
beyond their capacity. Ensure that they pay the Jizya
without undue inconvenience. Fear God, and in all that you do keep His
pleasure in view. In the matter of people fear God, and in the matter of
Allah do not be afraid of the people. With regard to the people, I
enjoin upon you to administer justice with an even hand. See that all
the legitimate requirements of the people are met. Be concerned for
their welfare. Ensure the safety of their person and property. See that
the frontiers of our domains are not violated. Take strong steps to
guard the frontiers. In the matter of administration do not prefer the
rich to the poor. Be hard against those who violate the law. Show them
no mercy. Do not rest content until you have brought the miscreants to
book. Treat all the people as equal. Be a pillar of strength for those
who are weak and oppressed. Those who are strong but do wrong, make them
pay for their wrong-doings. In the distribution of booty and other
matters be above nepotism. Let no consideration of relationship or
selfish interest weigh with you. The Satan is at large; it may tempt
you. Rise above all temptations and perform your duties in accordance
with the injunctions of Islam. Get guidance from the Holy Quran and
Sunnah. Freely consult the wise men around you. Apply your own mind in
difficult cases, and seek light from God. Be simple in your living and
your habits. Let there be no show or ostentation about you. Lead life as
a model Muslim. As you are the leader of the Muslims, justify your
leadership by being the best among them all. May God bless you.
As per Umar's will, he was buried next to Al-Masjid al-Nabawi alongside Muhammad and Caliph Abu Bakr by the permission of Aisha.
Aftermaths
On his death bed Umar vacillated to appoint his successor, however it
has been reported that he said that if Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, Khalid
ibn Walid or Salim, the mawali
and freed Persian slave, were alive he would have appointed one of them
his successor. Umar finally appointed a committee of six persons
comprising,
- Ali ibn Abi Taleb
- Saad ibn Abi Waqqas
- Talha ibn Ubaidullah
- Uthman ibn Affan
- Abd-al-Rahman ibn Awf
- Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
Their task was to chose a caliph from amongst them.
Umar appointed a band of fifty armed soldiers to protect the house
where the meeting was proceeding. Until the appointment of the next
caliph Umar appointed a notable Sahabi, a mawali, Suhayb ar-Rumi (Suhayb the Roman)
as a caretaker Caliph. While the historic meeting for selection of
caliph was preceding, Abdulrehman ibn Abu Bakr and Abdur Rahman bin Awf
revealed that they saw the dagger used by Abu Lulu, the assassin of
Umar. A night before Umar's assassination, reported Abdur Rahman bin
Awf, he saw Hormuzan, Jafina and Abu Lulu, while they were suspiciously
discussing some thing, bewildered by his presence, the dagger fell, it
was the same two sided dagger used in the assassination. Abudulrehman
ibn Abu Bakr, son of late caliph Abu Bakr also confirmed that a few days
before Umar's assassination, he once saw this dagger with Hurmazan.
After the mystery of assassination got uncovered by the two of the most
notable governmental figures, it seemed clear that the assassination was
planned by the Persians residing in Medina. Infuriated by this Umar's
younger son Ubaidullah ibn Umar
sought to kill all the Persians in Madinah. He killed Hormuzan,
Jafinah, and daughter of Umar's assassin Abu Lulu, who is believed to be
a Muslim. Ubaidullah was intercepted by the people of Madinah and
withholding him from the massacre. Amr ibn al-Aas is said to have
intercepted him, convinced him to hand over his sword. The murder of
Jafinah, enraged Saad ibn Abi Waqqas,
his foster brother, and he assaulted Ubaidullah ibn Umar and again the
companions intervened. It is also believed that Umar's daughter Hafsa
bint Umar
provoked Ubaidullah to take the punitive action. When Umar was informed
about the incident, he ordered that Ubaidullah should be imprisoned and
the next Caliph should decide his fate.
Umar died on 7 November 644; on 11 November Uthman succeeded him as the
Caliph. After prolonged negotiations the tribunal decided to give blood
money
to the victims and released Umar's son Ubaidullah, on the ground that
after the tragic incident of Umar's assassination people will be further
infuriated by execution of his son the very next day.
Legacy
| Umar the Great |
| Rightly-Guided Caliph, Al-Farooq, Martyr, Disciple of Muhammad |
| Born |
c. 586 C.E.
Mecca |
| Died |
c. 644 C.E.
Medina |
| Honored in |
Sunni Islam |
| Major shrine |
Tomb of Umar in Mosque of the Prophet, Medina, Arabia |
| Influences |
Muhammad |
| Influenced |
Sunni Muslims |
Umar is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Islamic
history. He was in a true sense the architect of the Islamic Empire. As a
leader, 'Umar was known for his simple, austere lifestyle. Rather than
adopt the pomp and display affected by the rulers of the time, he
continued to live much as he had when Muslims were poor and persecuted.
'Umar was vigorous, robust and a very tall man, in markets he would
tower above the people. The front part of his head was bald, always A'sara Yusran (working with two hands), both his eyes are black, with yellow skin, however, ibn Sa'ad in his book The Book of the Major Classes (Tabaqat al-Kubra)
stated that he never knew that 'Umar had yellow skin, except if the
people took into criterion a certain part of his life where his color
changed because he always ate oil at that part of his life, Others say he has reddish-white skin. His teeth were ashnabul asnan (very white shining). He would always color his beard and take care of his hair using a type of plant.
Humility
In his book
Encyclopaedia of Islam, Mufti Muhammad Mukarram Ahmed
describes his journey to Jerusalem to take control of the city from the
Byzantine Patriarch of Jerusalem Sophronius:
Hadrat Umar appointed Hadrat Ali as his deputy and went to
Jerusalem with his slave. They were having one camel on which each of
them rode by turn. When Hadrat Umar was entering Jerusalem it happened
to be the slave’s turn to ride on the camel. Though the slave offered
his turn to the "Khalifah" but Hadrat Umar refused and remarked: "The
honour of Islam (i.e., being Muslim) is enough for all of us." He
entered Jerusalem holding the rope of the camel on which was riding his
slave. His clothes were dirty and there were several patches on them.
—Encyclopaedia of Islam
In
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbon refers to Umar in the following terms:
| “ |
Yet the
abstinence and humility of Umar were not inferior to the virtues of Abu
Bakr: his food consisted of barley bread or dates; his drink was water;
he preached in a gown that was torn or tattered in twelve places; and a
Persian satrap, who paid his homage as to the conqueror, found him
asleep among the beggars on the steps of the mosque of Muslims |
” |
Political legacy
Umar is considered as a political genius, as an architect of Islamic
Empire he is regarded as 52nd most influential figure in history.
Umar remained politically stagnant during Mohammad's era, however after
his death, it was Umar's political brilliance that Abu Bakr was elected
Caliph, despite of massive initial confrontations at Saqifah, Umar
successfully broke the alliance of the tribes of Madinah who claim
Caliphate to be their right, paving the way for the succession of Abu
Bakr. During Abu Bakr's era, he actively participated as his secretary
and main adviser. After succeeding Abu Bakr as caliph, Umar won over the
hearts of Bedouin tribes by emancipating all their prisoners and slaves taken during Ridda wars,
his excellent oratory skills helped him gain broader support among the
poor and the underprivileged. He proved himself as a excellent manager
during the year of the great Famine when his dynamic abilities saved
millions from starvation. He is best known to build up an efficient
administrative structure of the empire, that held together his vast
realm. He organized an effective network of intelligence, partly a
reason for his strong grip on his bureaucracy.
His judicial reforms were fairly modern and advance in nature when
compared to contemporary systems of his era. He opposed the construction
of present day Suez Canal,
as it posed threat to the security of Madinah. Twelve hundred years
later Great Britain opposed the construction of the canal for the same
reason as it then posed threat to its colonies in Indian Subcontinent.
One of the reason of the compactness of his political rule in the
conquered lands is reputed to his policy of tolerance to their religious
beliefs and imposition of far lower taxes on them as compared to the Sassanid Persian empire and the Byzantine empire.
Their local administration was kept un-touched and several of the
former Byzantine and Persian official were retained on their services
under Umar's governors. Umar was very painstaking in every matter. His
meticulousness was evident from his appointment of governors and judges
that never let him lose his grip on the government. He never appointed
governors for more than two years, for they might get influence in their
county. He dismissed his most successful general Khalid ibn Walid,
due to his immense popularity and growing influence he feared that the
Muslims might think it was Khalid who gave them victory not God. Rather
than tenacious conquest he stressed more on consolidating his rule in
the conquered land, a fact that saved Byzantine empire from complete
disappearance. Umar is reported to have wished an official tour across
his domain to personally examine the condition of his subjects. In 641,
before the conquest of the Persian empire, Umar is reported to have
said:
If I would live few more years, I wish to visit Syria next year,
then next Iraq and then the next year Egypt to personally check the
conditions of the subjects and inquire whether my mandate is followed or
not.
At the time, Umar made this statement, Persia was not yet conquered (
conquest of Persia begun in 642).
He would walk the streets of Medina with a whip in his hand, and it is
said that Umar's whip was feared more than the sword of another man. He
is famous for covert night tours of the city to know the secret life of
his domain, a tradition that was later followed by some of the Abbasid Caliphs and even Mughul rulers of Indian Subcontinent.
Social justice and accountability
Saeed M Mohtsham cites from Caliph Umar's rule in his research paper
Vision and Visionary Leadership – An Islamic Perspective:
"He used to monitor very closely the public policy and had kept the
needs of the public central to his leadership approach. As second
caliph of Islam, he refused to chop off the hands of the thieves because
he felt he had fallen short of his responsibility to provide meaningful
employment to all his subjects. As a ruler of a vast kingdom, His
vision was to ensure that every one in his kingdom should sleep on a
full stomach.
If a dog dies hungry on the banks of the River Euphrates, Umar will be responsible for dereliction of duty.
—(Umar)
He also knew that just having a vision is not enough unless it is
supported by effective strategies. He didn’t only have a vision; he
truly transformed his vision into actions. For example, to ensure that
nobody sleeps hungry in his empire, he used to walk through the streets
almost every night to see if there is any one needy or ill."
Military legacy
It has been reported that Umar was a champion wrestler of his time,
and though not distinguished as a swordsman, he would later attain
prominence as a master strategist. Along with Khalid, he is said to be
one of the key figures in the collapse of the Arabian rebellion,
the greatest triumph of Abu Bakr. One of his greatest strategic marvels
was his brilliant fission of Persio-Roman alliance in 636, when Emperor
Heraclius and Emperor Yazdegerd III
allied against their common enemy Umar. He was lucky in that the
Persian Emperor Yazdegerd III couldn't synchronize with Heraclius as
planned. Umar fully availed the opportunity and successfully tackled the
minefield by straining the Byzantines to jump in the battle. This was
contrary to the orders of Empreror Heraclius, who presumably wanted a
coordinated attack along with the Persians. Umar did this by sending
reinforcements to the Roman front with instructions that they should
appear in the form of small bands, one after the other, giving the
impression of a continuous stream of reinforcements that finally lured
the Byzantines to an untimely battle. On the other hand Yazdegerd III of
Persia was engaged in negotiations that further gave Umar time to
transfer his troops from Syria to Iraq. These troops proved decisive in
the Battle of Qadisiyyah. Both the battles thus fought proved decisive
and are noted as two of the most decisive battles in history.
His strategic dimensions were the prime reason of Muslim victory at 2nd
Battle of Emesa in 638. Where the pro-Byzantine Christian Arabs of
Jazira, aided by Byzantine Emperor, making an unexpected flanking
movement and laid siege to Emesa (Homs). Umar's brilliance was behind
this Muslim victory and was achieved without firing a single shot.
Umar's orders to invade the very homeland of the Christian Arab forces
besieging Emesa, the Jazirah. A three prong attack against Jazirah was
launched from Iraq. To further pressurize the Christian Arab armies,
Umar instructed Saad ibn Abi Waqqas,
commander of Muslim forces in Iraq, to sent reinforcement to Emesa,
Umar himself led a reinforcement from Madinah and marched towards Emesa.
Under this unprecedented press-gang, Christian Arabs retreated from
Emesa before Muslims reinforcement could reach their. This incursion
from Byzantines however resulted in Muslim annex Mesopotamia and parts
of Byzantine Armenia.
Nonetheless the greatest triumph of Umar remained Conquest of Persian
empire. After years of non-offensive policy according to which Umar
wished the Zagros Mountains to be the frontiers between Muslims and
Persians, after Battle of Nahavand
Umar launched a whole scale invasion of Sassanid Persian Empire. The
invasion was a series of well coordinated multi-prong attacks that was
based on the principle of isolating and then destroying the target. Umar
launched the invasion by attacking the very heart of Persia aiming to
isolate Azerbaijan and eastern Persia. It was immediately followed by
simultaneous attacks on Azerbaijan and Fars. In the final secession
Sistan and Kirman and captured thus isolating the stronghold of Persian,
the Khurasan. The final expedition was launched against Khurasan where
after Battle of Oxus river Persian empire ceased to exist, and emperor
Yazdegerd III fled to Central Asia. He founded the city of Cairo,
conquered 36,000 cities or castles, and built 1400 mosques.
Religious legacy
Sunni views
Sunnis Muslims view him as the Second Rashidun and know him as Farooq the great. Sunni remember Umar as a Strong Muslim of a sound and just disposition in matters of the religion of Allah, a man they title Farooq,
meaning "leader, jurist and statesman", and the second of the
rightly-guided Caliphs. He patched his clothes with skin, took buckets
on his two shoulders, always riding his donkey without the saddle,
rarely laughing and never joking with anyone. On his ring is written the
words "Enough is Death as a reminder to you O' 'Umar". He did not seek advancement for his own family, but rather sought to advance the interests of the Muslim community, the ummah. The general Sunni sentiment for Umar is summarized by one of Muhammad's companions, Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud:
Umar's submission to Islam was a conquest, his migration was a
victory, his Imamate (period of rule) was a blessing, I have seen when
we were unable to pray at the Kaabah until Umar submitted, when he
submitted to Islam, he fought them (the pagans) until they left us alone
and we prayed.
—Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud,
Western views
In his book
Mahomet and His Successors, Washington Irving estimates the achievements of Umar in the following terms:
The whole history of Omar shows him to have been a man of great
powers of mind, inflexible integrity, and rigid justice. He was, more
than any one else, the founder of the Islam empire; confirming and
carrying out the inspirations of the prophet; aiding Abu Bakr with his
counsels during his brief caliphate; and establishing wise regulations
for the strict administration of the law throughout the
rapidly-extending bounds of the Muslim conquests. The rigid hand which
he kept upon his most popular generals in the midst of their armies, and
in the most distant scenes of their triumphs, gave signal evidence of
his extraordinary capacity to rule. In the simplicity of his habits, and
his contempt for all pomp and luxury, he emulated the example of the
Prophet and Abu Bakr. He endeavored incessantly to impress the merit and
policy of the same in his letters to his generals. 'Beware,' he would
say, 'of Persian luxury, both in food and raiment. Keep to the simple
habits of your country, and Allah will continue you victorious; depart
from them, and he will reverse your fortunes.' It was his strong
conviction of the truth of this policy which made him so severe in
punishing all ostentatious style and luxurious indulgence in his
officers. Some of his ordinances do credit to his heart as well as his
head. He forbade that any female captive who had borne a child should be
sold as a slave. In his weekly distributions of the surplus money of
his treasury he proportioned them to the wants, not the merits of the
applicants. 'God,' said he, 'has bestowed the good things of this world
to relieve our necessities, not to reward our virtues: those will be
rewarded in another world.'
In his book
The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall Sir William Muir says as follows about Umar:
Omar's life requires but few lines to sketch. Simplicity and duty
were his guiding principles; impartiality and devotion the leading
features of his administration. Responsibility so weighed upon him that
he was heard to exclaim, 'O that my mother had not borne me; would that I
had been this stalk of grass instead!' In early life of a fiery and
impatient temper, he was known, even in the later days of Muhammad, as
the stern advocate of vengeance. Ever ready to unsheathe the sword, it
was he that at Badr advised the prisoners to be all put to death. But
age, as well as office, had now mellowed this asperity. His sense of
justice was strong. And excepting the treatment of Khalid, whom he
pursued with an ungenerous resentment, no act of tyranny or injustice is
recorded against him; and even in this matter his enmity took its rise
in Khalid's unscrupulous treatment of a fallen foe. The choice of his
captains and governors was free from favouritism, and (Moghira and Ammar
excepted) singularly fortunate. The various tribes and bodies in the
empire, representing interests the most diverse, reposed in his
integrity implicit confidence, and his strong arm maintained the
discipline of law and empire. ... Whip in hand, he would perambulate the
streets and markets of Medina, ready to punish slanders on the spot;
and so the proverb,-'Omar's whip more terrible than another's sword.'
But with all this he was tender-hearted, and numberless acts of kindness
are recorded of him, such as relieving the wants of the widow and the
fatherless.
In
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbon refers to Umar in the following terms:
Yet the abstinence and humility of Omar were not inferior to the
virtues of Abubeker: his food consisted of barley-bread or dates; his
drink was water; he preached in a gown that was torn or tattered in
twelve places; and a Persian satrap, who paid his homage as to the
conqueror, found him asleep among the beggars on the steps of the mosch
of Medina. Oeconomy is the source of liberality, and the increase of the
revenue enabled Omar to establish a just and perpetual reward for the
past and present services of the faithful. Careless of his own
emolument, he assigned to Abbas, the uncle of the prophet, the first and
most ample allowance of twenty-five thousand drams or pieces of silver.
Five thousand were allotted to each of the aged warriors, the relics of
the field of Beder, and the last and the meanest of the companions of
Mahomet was distinguished by the annual reward of three thousand pieces.
... Under his reign, and that of his predecessor, the conquerors of the
East were the trusty servants of God and the people: the mass of public
treasure was consecrated to the expenses of peace and war; a prudent
mixture of justice and bounty, maintained the discipline of the
Saracens, and they united, by a rare felicity, the dispatch and
execution of despotism, with the equal and frugal maxims of a republican
government.
In his book
History of the Arabs Professor Philip Khuri Hitti has assessed the achievements of Umar in the following terms:
Simple and frugal in manner, his energetic and talented successor,
'Umar (634–44), who was of towering height, strong physique and
bald-headed, continued at least for some time after becoming caliph to
support himself by trade and lived throughout his life in a style as
unostentatious as that of a Bedouin sheikh. In fact 'Umar, whose name
according to Moslem tradition is the greatest in early Islam after that
of Muhammad, has been idolized by Moslem writers for his piety, justice
and patriarchal simplicity and treated as the personification of all the
virtues a caliph ought to possess. His irreproachable character became
an exemplar for all conscientious successors to follow. He owned, we are
told, one shirt and one mantle only, both conspicuous for their
patchwork, slept on a bed of palm leaves and had no concern other than
the maintenance of the purity of the faith, the upholding of justice and
the ascendancy and security of Islam and the Arabians. Arabic
literature is replete with anecdotes extolling 'Umar's stern character.
He is said to have scourged his own son to death for drunkenness and
immorality. Having in a fit of anger inflicted a number of stripes on a
Bedouin who came seeking his succour against an oppressor, the caliph
soon repented and asked the Bedouin to inflict the same number on him.
But the latter refused. So 'Umar retired to his home with the following
soliloquy: 'O son of al-Khattab! humble thou wert and Allah hath
elevated thee; astray, and Allah hath guided thee; weak, and Allah hath
strengthened thee. Then He caused thee to rule over the necks of thy
people, and when one of them came seeking thy aid, thou didst strike
him! What wilt thou have to say to thy Lord when thou presentest thyself
before Him?' The one who fixed the Hijrah as the commencement of the
Moslem era, presided over the conquest of large portions of the then
known world, instituted the state register and organized the government
of the new empire met a tragic and sudden death at the very zenith of
his life when he was struck down (3 November 644) by the poisoned dagger
of a Christian Persian slave in the midst of his own congregation.
Encyclopædia Britannica remarks about Umar:
To 'Omar's ten years' Caliphate belong for the most part the great
conquests. He himself did not take the field, but remained in Medina; he
never, however, suffered the reins to slip from his grasp, so powerful
was the influence of his personality and the Moslem community of
feeling. His political insight is shown by the fact that he endeavoured
to limit the indefinite extension of Moslem conquest, and to maintain
and strengthen the national Arabian character of the commonwealth of
Islam; also by his making it his foremost task to promote law and order
in its internal affairs. The saying with which he began his reign will
never grow antiquated: 'By God, he that is weakest among you shall be in
my sight the strongest, until I have vindicated for him his rights; but
him that is strongest will I treat as the weakest, until he complies
with the laws.' It would be impossible to give a better general
definition of the function of the State.
On the other hand, David Samuel Margoliouth offers this assessment of Umar:
Yet we have no record of any occasion on which Omar displayed
remarkable courage, though many examples are at hand of his cruelty and
bloodthirstiness; at the battle of Hunain he ran away, and on another
occasion owed his life to the good nature of an enemy.
However, in contrast to Margoliouth's assertion, Shahid Ashraf
celebrates Umar as amongst the firmest companions who remained with
Muhammad at his most critical juncture during the Battle of Hunayn when others fled during ther disarray:
Only a dozen companions stood by Muhammad, all other men fled for
safety. The men who stood around Muhammad included Hadrat Abu Bakr,
Hadrat Umar and some members of the Hashemites
This view of Umar's courageous commitment at the Battle of Hunayn is also reported in Ibn Ishaq's
Sīrat rasūl Allāh and Ibn Sa'd's
Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, in addition to modern Muslim writers. For instance, the renowned Ibn Sa'd reports in his
Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir:
On that day (Battle of Hunayn) those (few) who remained firm were al-Abbas, Ali ibn Abi Talib, ... Abu Bakr, Umar, ...
Family
Umar married a total of nine women in his lifetime and had fourteen children, ten sons and four daughters.
The details are as follow:
-
- Wife: Zaynab bint Mazh'un (at the time of Jahiliyyah [Days of Ignorance])
- Son: Abdullah ibn Umar
- Son: Abdulrahman ibn 'Umar (The Older)
- Son: Abdulrahman ibn 'Umar
- Daughter: Hafsa bint Umar
- Son: Zayd ibn 'Umar
- Wife: Quraybah bint Abi Umayyah al-Makhzumi (divorced, married by Abdulrehman ibn Abu Bakr)
- Wife:
Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham (after her husband, a former ally
of 'Umar and a companion Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl was killed in Battle of
Yarmouk, later divorced but al-Madaini says he did not divorce her)
- Daughter: Fatima bint 'Umar
- Wife: Jamilah bint Ashim ibn Thabit ibn Abi al-Aqlah (from the tribe of Aws)
- Son: Asim ibn Umar
- Wife: Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nifayl (cousin of Umar and former wife of Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr married 'Umar in the year twelve AH and after 'Umar was murdered, she married az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam)
- Son: Iyaad ibn 'Umar
- Wife: Luhyah (a woman from Yemen (Yaman) who's marital status
with 'Umar is disputed, al-Waqidi said that she was Umm Walad, meaning a
slave woman)
- Son: Abdulrahman ibn 'Umar (the youngest Abdulrehman while some say the middle Abdulrehman from Luhyah)
- Wife: Fukayhah (as Umm Walad)
- Daughter: Zaynab bint 'Umar (the smallest child of 'Umar from Fukayhah)
- Wife: Umm Kulthum bint Ali
- Son: Zayd bin Umar
Another son is, az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, called Abu Shahmah, though from which wife is unknown.
