Hazrat Umar (R.A) Biography:

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Hazrat Umar (R.A) Biography:

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 Makhum. He was the cousin of Khalid ibn al!"alid, 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 ha#e belonged to a middle class family. $n his youth heused 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 belie#ed to ha#e been a

ruthless man and emotional polytheist who often treated Umar badly. As ob#ious 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 $ didn&t work he used to beat me

and he used to work me to e)haustion.'

*espite literacy being uncommon in pre!$slamic Arabia, Umar learned to read and write in hisyouth. Although not a poet himself, he de#eloped a lo#e for poetry and literature. According tothe tradition of +uraish, 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 o#erwhelming personality, he succeeded

his father as an arbitrator of conflicts among the tribes.

$n addition, Umar followed the traditional profession of +uraish. He became a merchant and had

se#eral ourneys to -ome and ersia, where he is said to ha#e met #arious scholars and analyedthe -oman and ersian societies closely. Howe#er, as a merchant he is belie#ed to ha#e ne#er

been successful.

hysical Appearance/Umar is said to be blessed with a strong physi0ue. He could tra#el on foot for miles. 1rom

contemporary sources it appears that Umar had attained perfection in the art of wrestling. He wasan athlete and a wrestler. He is said to ha#e participated in the wrestling matches on the occasion

of the annual fair of Ukaz. 1rom firsthand accounts of his physical appearance Umar is said to

be #igorous, robust and a #ery tall man, in markets he would tower abo#e the people. 2he front part of his head was bald, always A'sara Yusran 3working with two hands4, both his eyes are

black, with yellow skin, howe#er, ibn 5a&ad in his book 2he Book of Maor classes 3Tabaqat al- Kubra4 stated that he ne#er knew that &Umar had yellow skin, e)cept if the people took intocriterion a certain part of his life where his color changed because he always ate oil at that part of

his life,6thers say he has reddish!white skin. His teeth were ashnabul asnan 3#ery white

shining4. He would always color his beard and take care of his hair using a type of plant.

7arly Muslim historians Ibn Saad and Al-Hakim ha#e recorded a description of Umar

mentioning that Abu Miriam 8ir, a nati#e of described Umar as/



“I went forth with the people of Medina on a festival day, and I saw Umar walking barefoot.

He was advanced in years, bald, of a tawny colour- a left handed man, tall and towering above

the people .

Umar&s eldest son described the physical appearance of his father as follows/

He was a man of fair comple!ion, a ruddy tint prevailing, tall, bald and grey.

another historian 5alima bin al!Akwa&a said about him/

“Umar was ambide!ter, he could use both his hands e"ually well .

$bn e Askir records on the authority of Abu Raja al-U'taridi that/

“Umar was a man tall, stout, very bald, very ruddy with scanty hair on the cheeks, his

moustaches large, and the ends thereof reddish.

1amily/

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. 2he details are as follow/

Wife/ 8aynab bint Mah&un 3at the time of 9ahiliyyah :*ays of $gnorance;4

Son: Abdullah ibn Umar

Son: Abdulrahman ibn &Umar 32he 6lder4

Son: Abdulrahman ibn &Umar

a!ghter: Hafsa bint Umar

Son: 8ayd ibn &Umar

Wife: +uraybah bint Abi Umayyah al!Makhumi 3di#orced, married by Abdulrehman ibn Abu

Bakr4

Wife/ Umm Hakim bint al!Harith ibn Hisham 3after her husband, a former ally of &Umar and a

companion $krimah ibn Abi!9ahl was killed in Battle of <armouk, later di#orced but al!Madaini

says he did not di#orce her4

a!ghter: 1atima bint &Umar

Wife: 9amilah bint Ashim ibn 2habit ibn Abi al!A0lah 3from the tribe of Aws4



Son: Asim ibn Umar

Wife: Atikah bint 8ayd ibn Amr ibn Nifayl 3cousin of Umar and former wife of Abdullah ibnAbu Bakr married &Umar in the year twel#e AH and after &Umar was murdered, she married a!

8ubayr ibn al!Awwam4

Son: $yaad ibn &Umar

Wife: =uhyah 3a woman from <emen 3<aman4 who&s marital status with &Umar is disputed, al!"a0idi said that she was Umm "alad, meaning a sla#e woman4

Son: Abdulrahman ibn &Umar 3the youngest Abdulrehman while some say the middle

Abdulrehman from =uhyah4

Wife: 1ukayhah 3as Umm "alad4

a!ghter: 8aynab bint &Umar 3the smallest child of &Umar from 1ukayhah4

Wife: Umm Kulthum bint Ali

Son: 8ayd ibn Umar

a!ghter: ro0ayya bint Umer

Another son is, a!8ubayr ibn Bakkar, called Abu 5hahmah, though from which wife is

unknown.



!ring M!hamma"#$ (SAW) era:

Umar&s hostility to $slam/$n >?@ Muhammed started deli#ering the message of $slam. Umar, alongside others in Makkah,

opposed $slam and threatened to kill Muhammad. He resol#ed to defend the traditional, polytheistic religion of Arabia. He was most adamant and cruel in opposing Muhammad and

#ery prominent in persecuting the Muslims. Umar was the first man who resol#ed that

Muhammad had to be murdered in order to finish $slam. Umar firmly belie#ed in the unity of the+uraish and saw the new faith of $slam as a cause of di#ision and discord among the +uraish.

*ue to the persecution at the hands of the +uraish, Muhammad ordered his followers to migrate

to Abyssinia. As a small group of Muslims migrated Umar felt worried about the future unity ofthe +uraish and decided to ha#e Muhammad assassinated.

on#ersion to $slam/Umar con#erted to $slam in >?>, one year after the Migration to Abyssinia. 2he story wasrecounted in $bn $sha0&s 5rah/ 6n the way to murder Muhammad, Umar met his best friend

Nu&aim ibn Abdi &Allah who had secretly embraced $slam but he did not tell Umar anything about

it. "hen Umar told him that he was going to kill Muhammad, he was afraid. He knew that Umar

would attempt what he said. 5o ust to di#ert his attention he told him to set his own house inorder first, as his sister and her husband had con#erted to $slam. Umar was taken aback to learn

this. Upon arri#ing at her house, Umar found his sister and brother!in!law 5aeed bin 8aid3Umar&s cousin4, reciting the #erses of the +ur&an 35urah 2a Ha4. He started 0uarreling with his

brother!in!law . "hen his sister came to rescue her husband, he also started 0uarreling with her.

<et still they kept on saying 'you may kill us but we will not gi#e up $slam'. Upon hearing thesewords, Umar slapped his sister so hard that she fell to the ground bleeding from her mouth.

"hen he saw what he had done to his sister, out of guilt he calmed down and asked his sister to

gi#e him what she was reciting. 5he ga#e him the paper on which was written the #erses of the

chapter 2a!Ha. He was so struck by the beauty of the #erses that he became a Muslim that day.He then went to Muhammad with the same sword he intended to kill him with and con#erted in

front of him and his companions. Umar was CD when he became Muslim.

1ollowing his con#ersion, Umar went to inform the chief of +uraish, Amr ibn HishEm, about his

new faith. According to one account, Umar thereafter openly prayed at the Kaaba as the +uraish

chiefs, Amr ibn HishEm and Abu 5ufyan ibn Harb, reportedly watched in anger. 2his furtherhelped the Muslims to gain confidence in practicing $slam openly. At this stage Umar e#en

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 con#ersion to $slam ga#e power to the Muslims and the faith in Mecca. $t was after this

that Muslims offered prayers openly in Masid al!Haram for the first time. Abdullah bin Masoud

said/

Umar&s embracing $slam was our #ictory, his migration to Medina was our success and his reign

a blessing from Allah, we didn&t offer prayers in Al!Haram Mos0ue until Umar accepted $slam,when he accepted $slam +uraish were compelled to let us pray in the Mos0ue.

*e#otion to the rophet/

6mar stood by the side of the rophet in all battles and e)peditions. Freat was his lo#e for Allahand His Apostle. He ne#er allowed any blood ties or friendship to stand in the way of this lo#e.

2he death of the rophet was a stunning shock to 6mar. He could not belie#e it, so much so thathe drew his sword and swore that he would cut off the head of the man who said the Messenger

of Allah was dead. He was o#erwhelmed with grief. =ife without the rophet was unthinkable,

he thought. And if the rophet was really no more, as people said, what was going to happen to

$slam and the MuslimsG 2hese dark thoughts blotted out all reason from 6mar&s head. Not tillAbu Bakr had reminded him of the clear #erdict of the +uran on the point did he come to

himself. Abu Bakr, during his calpihate, depended on 6mar for ad#ice. 2hat was because the

Master, in his life!time, ga#e great weight to what 6mar said.

Migration to Medina/$n >CC due to the growing popularity of $slam in the city of <athrib 3later renamed Al!MadnahAl!Munawwarah, the enlightened city, or simply Medina4 Muhammad ordered his followers to

migrate to Medina. Muslims usually migrated at night due to fear of +uraish&s resistance to that

migration, but Umar is reported to ha#e migrated openly during the day time. $bn Asakir narratedthat Ali said/ $ don%t know of anyone who didn%t emigrate in secret e)cept for Umar ibn al!

Khattab( because when he wanted to emigrate he strapped on his sword, put his bow o#er his

shoulder, carried his arrows in his hand, and came to the Kabah where the nobles of +urayshwere in the courtyard. He performed se#en circuits, and then prayed two rakaat at the 5tation 3of

$brahim4. 2hen he approached their circle one step at a time and said, '"hoe#er wishes to

berea#e his mother, orphan his children and widow his wife then let him meet me behind this

#alley.' Not one of them followed him. Umar migrated to Medina accompanied by his cousinand brother!in!law 5aeed ibn 8aid.



=ife in Medina/

Medina became the new center of $slam and the religion spread rapidly across Arabia. "hen

Muhammad arri#ed in Medina, he paired off each immigrant 3Muhair4 with one of the residentsof the city 3Ansari4, oining Muhammad ibn Maslamah with Umar3-.A4 making them brothers in

faith. =ater in Umar&s reign as caliph Muhammad ibn Muslamah would be assigned the office ofchief inspector of Accountability. Muslims remained in peace in Medina for appro)imately a

year before the +uraish raised an army to attack them. $n >CI Umar participated in the firstBattle between Muslims and +uraish of Mecca i.e. Battle of Badr. $n >CJ he participated in the

Battle of Uhud. $n the second phase of Battle when Khalid ibn "alid&s a#alry attacked Muslims

at the rear changing the #ictory 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 ali#e he went to Muhammad at the mountain of Uhud and

prepared for the defenses of the hill to keep the +uraishi army down the hill. =ater in the yearUmar was a part of campaign against the 9ewish tribe of Banu Nadir. $n >CJ Umar%s3-.A4

daughter Hafsah was married to Muhammad. =ater in >CD he participated in the Battle of the

2rench and also in the Battle of Banu +uraya. $n >C Umar participated in the 2reaty ofHudaybiyyah and was made one of the witness o#er the pact. $n >C he was a part of Muslims&

campaign to Khaybar. $n >CL Muhammad sent Amr ibn al!A%as to 8aat!ul!5allasal from where he

called for reinforcement and Muhammad sent Abu Ubaidah ibn al!9arrah with reinforcement,

ser#ing under him were Abu Bakr and Umar, they attacked and defeated the enemy. $n >@ whenMuslim armies rushed for the on0uest of Mecca he was part of that army. =ater in >@ he was

part of Battle of Hunayn and 5iege of 2a&if. He was part of Muslim&s army that went for the

campaign of 2abuk under Muhammad&s command and he was reported to ha#e gi#en half of hiswealth for the preparation of this e)pedition. He also participated in a farewell Ha of

Muhammad in >?.

Umar%s battle/

Muslims remained in peace in Medina for appro)imately a year before the +uraish raised an

army to attack them. $n >CI Umar participated in the first Battle between Muslims and +uraishof Mecca i.e. Battle of Badr.$n >CJ he participated in the Battle of Uhad. $n the second phase of

Battle when Khalid bin "aleed&s a#alry attacked Muslims at the rear changing the #ictory of

Muslims to defeat, rumors of Muhammad%s death were spread many Muslim were warriorsrouted from the battle field, Umar too was initially routed but hearing that Muhammad was still

ali#e he went to Muhammad at the mountain of Uhud and prepared for the defenses of the hill to

keep the +uraishi army down the hill. =ater in the year Umar was a part of campaign against the9ewish tribe of Banu Nadir. $n >CJ Umar%s daughter Hafsah was married to Muhammad. =ater in>CD he participated in the Battle of 2rench and also in the Battle of Banu +uraya . $n >C Umar

participated in the 2reaty of Hudaibiah and was made one of the witness o#er the pact. $n >C he

was a part of Muslims& campaign to Khaybar. $n >CL $n >CL Muhammad sent Amr ibn al!A%as to8aat!ul!5allasal from where he called for reinforcement and Muhammad sent Abu Ubaidah $bn

Al 9arrah with reinforcement, ser#ing under him were Abu Bakr and Umar, they attacked and

defeated the enemy. $n >@ when Muslim armies rushed for the on0uest of Mecca he was part



of that army. =ater in >@ he was part of Battle of Hunayn and 5iege of 2eife. He was part of

Muslim&s army that went for the campaign of 2abuk under Muhammad&s command and he was

reported to ha#e gi#en half of his wealth for the preparation of this e)pedition. He also participated in a farewell Ha of Muhammad in >?.

2itle Al!1aroo0/

Muahid, on the authority of $bn Abbas related that he had asked &Umar bin Al!Khattab why he

had been gi#en the epithet of Al!1aroo0 3he who distinguishes truth from falsehood4, he replied/After $ had embraced $slam, $ asked Mohammad/ &Aren&t we on the right path here and

HereafterG& He answered/ &6f course you are $ swear by Allah in "hose Hand my soul is, that

you are right in this world and in the hereafter.& $, therefore, asked Mohammad &"hy we then hadto conduct clandestine acti#ism. $ swear by Allah "ho has sent you with the 2ruth, that we will

lea#e our concealment and proclaim our noble cause publicly.& "e then went out in two groups,

Hamah leading one and $ the other. "e headed for the Masid Al Haram in broad daylight."hen the polytheists of +uraish saw us, their faces went pale and got incredibly depressed and

resentful. 6n that #ery occasion, Mohammad attached to me the epithet of Al!1aroo0

*eath of Muhammad 35A"4/

Muhammad died on 9une >C. Umar was full of grief upon hearing the news of demise of

Muhammad35A"4. Umar, the de#oted disciple, could not accept the reality that the 'Messengerof Fod' has died. According to the +ur&an, 'Muhammad is but a messenger( messengers ha#e

passed away before', i.e. died or killed. $t is said that Umar promised to strike the head of anyman who would say that Muhammad died. At this point Abu Bakr is reported to ha#e come out

to the Muslim community and ga#e his famous speech which included/

"hoe#er worshipped Muhammad, let them know that Muhammad is dead, and whoe#er

worshipped Fod, let them know that Fod is ali#e and ne#er dies.

AbO Bakr then recited these #erses from the +ur&an/

Muhammad is but a messenger( messengers 3the like of whom4 ha#e passed away before him. $f,

then, he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heelG

Hearing this from Abu Bakr, the most senior disciple of Muhammad, Umar then fell down on hisknees in great sense of sorrow and acceptance of the reality. 5unni Muslims say that this denial

of Muhammad&s death was occasioned by his deep lo#e for him.



Fo!n"ation of the %aliphate:

Umar&s political genius first manifested as the architect of the caliphate after Muhammad died in

9une >C."hile the funeral of Muhammad was being arranged a group of Muhammad&sfollowers who were nati#es of Medina, the Ansar 3helpers4, organised a meeting on the outskirts

of the city, effecti#ely locking out those companions known as 32he 7migrants4 including Umar.Umar found out about this meeting at 5hafi0ah Bani 5aadah, and taking with him two other

Muhairs, Abu Bakr and Abu Ubaidah $bn Al 9arrah, proceeded to the meeting, presumably to

head off the Ansar&s plans for political domination. Arri#ing at the meeting Umar was faced witha unified community of tribes from the Ansar who refused to accept the leadership of the

Muhairs. Howe#er Umar was undeterred in his belief the caliphate should be under the control

of the Muhairs. 2hough they Khara were in disagreement, Umar after strained negotiations

lasting up to one or two days, brilliantly di#ided the Ansar into their old warring factions of Awsand Khara tribes, Umar resol#ed the di#isions by placing his hand on that of Abu Bakr as a

unity candidate for those gathered in the 5a0ifah, most others gathered at the 5a0ifah followedsuit with the e)ception of the Khara tribe and their leader, 5a&d $bn Abadah, whose tribe wasostracied. 2he Khara tribe is said to ha#e posed no significant threat as there were sufficient

men of war from the Medinan tribes such as the Banu Aws to immediately organie them into a

military bodyguard for Abu Bakr.

2he creation of the $slamic caliphate would be one of Umar&s most enduring legacies, and itssignificance to world history is hard to o#erestimate.

According to #arious 2wel#er shia sources and some western scholars, Umar and Abu Bakr had

in effect mounted a political coup against Ali at the 5a0ifah According to one #ersion ofnarrations in primary sources, Umar and Abu Bakr are also said to ha#e used force to secure the

allegiance from Ali and his party. $t has been reported in main early history sources such as

history of Al 2abari that after Ali&s refusal to pay homage, Abu Bakr sent Umar with an armedcontingent to 1atimah%s house where Ali and his supporters are said to ha#e gathered. Umar is

reported to ha#e warned those in the House that unless Ali succumbed to Abu Bakr, he would set

the House on fire, with its inhabitants ablae, and under these circumstances Ali was forced to

capitulate. 2his #ersion of e#ents, fully accepted by 5hia scholars, is generally reected by 5unnischolars who in #iew of other reports in their literature belie#e that Ali ga#e oath of alliance to

Abu Bakr without any grie#ance, Howe#er, according to the main 5unni sources such as 5ahihAl Bukhari reports, Ali was reluctant to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr after the attack on hishouse but ga#e his allegiance si) months later after the death of his wife 1atimah.



aliph Abu Bakr&s era/*uring Abu Bakr&s reign as caliph, during which he remained occupied with -idda wars, Umar

was one of his chief ad#isers and secretary. Umar along with Khalid ibn "alid, probably was the

architect and main strategist behind the collapse of rebellion in Arabia. 2hough at the beginningdue to the apprehensi#e situation in Arabia Umar was opposing the military operations against

the rebel tribes, it was to enoy their support in case of any possible foreign in#asion by -omans

or ersian, but later he seemed to agree with Abu Bakr&s warlike strategies to crush rebellion.Khalid ibn "alid by late >C had successfully united Arabia after consecuti#e #ictories against

rebels. =ater during his own reign, Umar would mostly adopt the policy of a#oiding wars and

consolidating his power in the con0uered land rather than e)panding his empire through

continuous warfare. rior to Battle of <amamah, 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 =ayla bint al!Minhal, a renowned beauty in Arabia. "hile Abu Bakrrefused to accept Umar&s opinion and Umar continued insisting for Khalid&s disposal e#en after

Khalid&s con0uest of $ra0. $t was Umar who ad#ised Abu Bakr to compile +uran in the form of a

book, after the death of @@ memoriers of +uran in Battle of <amamah. Abu Bakr appointedUmar as his successor prior to his death in >I. He was confirmed in the office thereafter.

Appointment as a aliph/*ue to his strict and autocratic nature, Umar was not a #ery popular figure among the notables of

Madinah and members of Malis Al 5hura, accordingly succession of Umar was initiallydiscouraged by high ranking companions of Abu Bakr. Ne#ertheless, Abu Bakr decided to make

Umar, his successor. Umar, still was well known for his e)traordinary will power, intelligence, political astuteness, impartiality, ustice and care for poor and underpri#ileged people. Abu Bakr

is reported to ha#e said to the high!ranking ad#isers/

His #Umar$s% strictness was there because of my softness when the weight of &aliphate will be

over his shoulders he will remain no longer strict. If I will be asked by the 'od 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. 5uccession of Umar wasthus 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. $n his will he instructed Umar



to continue the con0uests on $ra0 and 5yrian fronts. Abu Bakr&s decision would pro#e to be

crucial in the strengthening of the nascent $slamic empire.

-eign as aliph/

6n CC August aliph Abu Bakr died. 2he same day Umar assumed the office of aliphate. Afterthe assumption of office as the aliph, Umar addressed the Muslims in his $naugural address as/

6 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 successfullywaged the apostasy wars, and thanks to him, $slam is now supreme in Arabia. After Abu Bakr,

the mantle of aliphate has fallen on my shoulders. $ swear it before Fod that $ ne#er co#eted

this office. $ wished that it would ha#e de#ol#ed on some other person more worthy than me. Butnow that in national interest, the responsibility for leading the Muslims has come to #est in me, $

assure you that $ 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 inunctions of$slam. Allah has e)amined me from you and you from me, $n the performance of my duties, $

will seek guidance from the Holy Book, and will follow the e)amples set by the Holy rophet

and Abu Bakr. $n this task $ seek your assistance. $f $ follow the right path, follow me. $f $ de#iatefrom the right path, correct me so that we are not led astray.

$nitial challenges/

7#en though almost all of the Muslims had gi#en their pledge of loyalty to Umar, he was rather

more feared than lo#ed. 2he first challenge for Umar was to win o#er his subects and members

of Malis Al 5hura.

Umar was a gifted orator, and he would use his ability to get a soft corner in the hearts of

people. 6n 1riday prayers Umar addressed the people as follow/

(rethren, it has come to my notice that the people are afraid of me..... they say that he #Umar%

has become the &aliph now, 'od knows how hard he will be. )hoever has said this is not

wrong in his assessment...... know ye brethren that you will feel a change in me. *or those

who practice tyranny and deprive others of their rights, I will be harsh and stern, but for thosewho follow the law, I will be most soft and tender.

Umar&s addresses greatly mo#ed the people. Ne)t 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.



2here could be no better definition of the democracy and ustice, than the historic words of

Umar, o#er which he laid foundation of his rule/

(y 'od, 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 wellbeing of poor and underpri#ileged people, the people were soundly

mo#ed by Umar&s speeches and his popularity grew rapidly and continuously o#er the period ofhis reign. $n addition to this Umar, in order to impro#e his reputation and relation with Banu

Hashim, the tribe of Ali, deli#ered to him his disputed estates in Khayber. 2hough he followed

Abu Bakr&s decision o#er the dispute of land of 1idak, continued its status as a state property. $n

-idda wars, thousands of prisoners from rebel and apostate tribes were taken away as sla#esduring the e)peditions. Umar ordered the general amnesty for the prisoners, and their immediate

emancipation. 2his made Umar 0uite a popular among the bedouin tribes. "ith necessary public

support with him, Umar took a bold decision of retrie#ing Khalid $bn "aleed from supremecommand on -oman front.

olitical and ci#il administration/2he go#ernment of Umar was more or less a unitary go#ernment, where the so#ereign political

authority was the aliph. 2he empire of Umar was di#ided into pro#inces and some autonomous

territories like in some regions Aerbaian and Armenia, that had accepted the suerainty of thealiphate. 2he pro#inces were administered by the pro#incial go#ernors or "ali. 2he selection of

which was made personally by Umar, who was #ery fastidious in it. ro#inces were further

di#ided into districts, there were about ?@@ districts in the empire. 7ach district or main city was

under the charge of a unior go#ernor or "ali, usually appointed by Umar himself, butoccasionally they were also appointed by the pro#incial go#ernor. 6ther officers at the pro#incial

le#el were/

?. Katib, the hief 5eceratary.

C. Katib-ud-Diwan, the Military 5ecretary.

. Sahib-ul-Kharaj, the -e#enue ollector.

I. Sahib-ul-Ahdath, the olice hief.

J. Sahib-Bait-ul-al , the 2reasury 6fficer.

>. !adi, the hief udge.

$n some districts there were separate military officers, though the Fo#ernor 3"ali4 was in most

cases the ommander!in!chief of the army 0uartered in the pro#ince. 7#ery appointment was

made in writing. At the time of appointment an instrument of instructions was issued with a #iew

to regulating the conduct of Fo#ernors. 6n assuming office, the Fo#ernor was re0uired toassemble the people in the main mos0ue, and read the instrument of instructions before them.



Umar&s general instructions to his officers were/

emember, 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 e!ample. 'ive the Muslims their

rights and do not beat them lest they become abused. o not praise them unduly, lest they fall

into the error of conceit. o not keep your doors shut in their faces, lest the more powerful of

them eat up the weaker ones. /nd do not behave as if you were superior to them, for that is

tyranny over them.

Parious other strict codes of conduct were to be obeyed by the go#ernors and state officials. 2he

principal officers were re0uired to tra#el to Mecca on the occasion of the Ha, during which

people were free to present any complaint against them. $n order to minimie the chances of

corruption, Umar made it a point to pay high salaries to the staff. ro#incial go#ernor recei#ed asmuch as fi#e to se#en thousand dirham annually besides their shares of the spoils of war 3i" th#$

w#r# als% th# &%mmand#r in &hi#" %" th# arm$ %" th#ir s#&t%r 4. Under Umar the empire was

di#ided into the following pro#inces.

?. Arabia was di#ided into two pro#inces, Mecca and Medina(

C. $ra0 was di#ided into two pro#inces, Basra and Kufa(

. $n the upper reaches of the 2igris and the 7uphrates, 9aira was a pro#ince(

I. 5yria was a pro#ince(

J. Umar di#ided alestine in two pro#inces Aylya and -amlah(

>. 7gypt was di#ided into two pro#inces, Upper 7gypt and =ower 7gypt(

D. ersia was di#ided into three pro#inces, Khorasan( Aarbaian and 1ars.

Umar was first to established a special department for the in#estigation of complaints against theofficers of the 5tate. 2his department acted as Administrati#e courts, where the legal proceedings

were personally led by Umar . 2he *epartment was under the charge of Muhammad $bn

Maslimah, one of Umar&s most trusted men. $n important cases Muhammad ibn Maslamah was

deputed by Umar to proceed to the spot, in#estigate the charge and take action. 5ometimes an$n0uiry ommission was constituted to in#estigate the charge. 6n occasions the officers against

whom complaints were recei#ed were summoned to Medina, and charged in Umar&s

administrati#e court. Umar was known for this intelligence ser#ice through which he made hisofficials accountable 2his ser#ice was also said to ha#e inspired fear in his subects.

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 toFo#ernors and heads of states.

C. He was the first to appoint police forces to keep ci#il order.

. He was the first to discipline the people when they became disordered.



Reform$:Umar is regarded as one of the greatest political geniuses in history. "hile under his leadership,

the empire was e)panding at an unprecedented rate, he also began to build the political structure

that would hold together the #ast empire that was being built. He undertook many administrati#ereforms and closely o#ersaw public policy. He established an ad#anced administration for the

newly con0uered lands, including se#eral new ministries and bureaucracies, and ordered a census

of all the Muslim territories. *uring his rule, the garrison cities 3amsar4 of Basra and Kufa werefounded or e)panded. $n >, he e)tended and reno#ated the Masid Al Haram 3Frand Mos0ue4

in Mecca and the Al Masid Al Nabwi 3Mos0ue of the rophet4 in Medina. Umar also ordered the

e)pulsion of the hristians and 9ewish communities of Naran and Khaybar allowing them toreside in 5yria or $ra0. He issued orders that these hristians and 9ews should be treated well and

allotted them the e0ui#alent land in their new settlements. Umar also forbade non! Muslims to

reside in the Hea for longer than three days. He was first to establish army as a state

department. Umar was founder of1i0h, the $slamic urisprudence. He is regarded by 5unniMuslims to be one of the greatest 1a0ih. Umar as a 9urist started the process of codifying $slamic

=aw. $n >I?, he established Bayt al Mal, a fianancial institutions and started annual allowance for

the Muslims. A year later he also started allowance for the poor, underpri#ileged and old non!Muslim citiens of the empire. As a leader, &Umar was known for his simple, austere lifestyle.

-ather than adopt the pomp and display affected by the rulers of the time, he continued to li#e

much as he had when Muslims were poor and persecuted. $n >L, his fourth year as caliph andthe se#enteenth year ?D since the Hira, he decreed that the $slamic alendar should be counted

from the year of the Hira of Muhammad from Mecca to Madinah.

Military e)pansion/

$t is widely belie#ed that Umar stressed more on consolidating his power and political influence

in the con0uered land, rather than pursuing con0uests. Ne#ertheless under Umar, 2he $slamic

empire grew at an unprecedented rate. $n >, after the con0uest of 5yria, Umar dismissed

Khalid, his most successful general due to his e#er growing fame and influence. He was 0uotedas doing this because he wanted the people to know that #ictory came from Fod, not the general.

=ater howe#er Umar regretted o#er his decision. 2he military con0uest were partially terminated

between >Q>L during the years of great famine and plague in Arabia and =e#ant respecti#ely.*uring his reign =e#ant, 7gypt, yrenaica, 2ripolitania, 1ean, 7astern Anatolia, almost whole

of 5assanid ersian 7mpire including Bactria, ersia, Aerbaian, Armenia, aucasus and

Makran were anne)ed to $slamic 7mpire. According to one estimate more than I@J@ cities werecaptured during these military con0uest.rior to his death in >II, Umar had ceased all military

e)peditions apparently to consolidate his rule in 7gypt and newly con0uered 5assanid 7mpire

3>ICQ>II4. At his death in No#ember >II, domain of his rule e)tended from present day =ibya in

west to $ndus -i#er in east and 6)us -i#er in north.



2he great famine/

$n the year > Arabia fell into se#ere drought followed by a famine. Be"o!in people began to

die because of hunger and epidemic disease. Hundreds of thousands of people from all o#erArabia gathered at Ma"inah where food was rationed. 5oon the reser#es of food at Madinah

began to decline, and Umar wrote to the pro#incial go#ernors of 5yria, alestine and $ra0 for aid.A state of emergency was declared in Madinah and Arabia. 2he timely aid of Umar&s go#ernors

sa#ed the li#es of thousands of people throughout Arabia. 2he first go#ernor to respond was Abu

Ubaidah $bn al 9arrah, the go#ernor of 5yria and supreme commander of -ashidun Army. He

sent a historic letter to Umar saying

I am s#ndin $%u th# (ara)ans wh%s# %n# #nd will b# h#r# at S$ria and th# %th#r will b# at

adinah.

=ater, Abu Ubaidah paid a personal #isit to Madinah and acted as an officer of *isaster

Management ell, which was headed personally by Umar. 6nce an ade0uate supply of rationsreached Madinah, Umar dispatched his men to the routes of $ra0, alestine and 5yria to take the

supply cara#ans to the desert settlements deeper into Arabia, which in turn sa#ed millions from

star#ation. 1or internally displaced people, Umar hosted a dinner e#ery night at Madinah, whichaccording to one estimate had attendance of more than hundred thousand people. By early >L

conditions begun to impro#e. Arabia recei#ed precipitation and as soon as the famine ended,

Umar personally super#ised the rehabilitation of the displaced people. 2hey were gi#en ade0uate

amounts of rations and were e)empted from payment of akat for that year and the ne)t year.

2he great plague/"hile famine was ending in Arabia, many districts in 5yria and alestine were de#astated by plague. "hile Umar was on his way to #isit 5yria, at 7lat, he was recei#ed by Abu Ubaidah $bn

al 9arrah, go#ernor of 5yria, who informed him about plague and its intensity and he was suggest

to go back to Madinah. Umar tried to persuade Abu Ubaidah to come with him to Madinah buthe denied to lea#e his troops in that critical situation. Abu Ubaidah died in >L due to plague,

which also cost the life of CJ,@@@ Muslims in 5yria. After the plague had weakened in late >L

Umar #isited 5yria for political and administrati#e re!organiation, as most of the #eterancommanders and go#ernors had died of plague.



2araweeh/2araweeh, the night prayers during -amadan, were institutionalied during Umar&s reign as

aliph. 6nce when #isiting the mos0ue, he saw different groups of people performing prayers,

and suggested to them to oin together in performing the prayers. A maority of 5unni Muslimsha#e followed the same practice since then. 2he 5hia do not gi#e credence to the

institutionaliation of this prayer during Umar&s caliphate.

Marriage to Ali bin Abu 2alib&s daughter Umm Kulthum

$t is accepted by 5unni sources that Umar bin Khattab married Ali bin Abu 2alib&s daughter Umm

Kulthum. $n 5unni sources it is mentioned that Umar asked for her hand because of a hadith heheard from Muhammad, '7#ery lineage and means will be se#ered on the *ay of 9udgment

e)cept my lineage and my means.' Umar wanted to be closer to Muhammad, therefore he

re0uested for Ali&s daughter, which Ali accepted.But this fact is reected by all 5hia&a scholars.



A$$a$$ination:$n >II, at enith of his power, Umar was assassinated. His assassination was carried out by

ersians, in response to the Muslim con0uest of ersia.2he assassination was planned se#eral

months earlier. $n 6ctober >II Umar went for Ha in Mecca, the assassins started the hoopla ofUmar&s possible death that year, and the massi#e crowd of the congregation was used by the

conspirators as a #eil to hide themsel#es. $t is related that when Umar stood at Mount Arafat he

heard a #oice saying/

0 &aliph, never again will you stand on the Mount of /rafat.

A companion of Umar, 9abir bin Mutaam is reported to ha#e said/

)e saw a man standing at the top of the hill and crying $1erily that is the last Ha22 of Umar.

He will never come here again.

*uring one of rituals of Ha, the -amy Al 9amarat 3 st%nin %" th# D#)il 4, some one threw a stone

on Umar that wounded his head, a #oice was heard that Umar will not attend the Ha e#er again.Amongst the conspirators was/

?. Hormuan, the alleged mastermind of the plot. He was ersian ommander in hiefand was captured and brought to Umar at Madinah where to sa#e his life he

apparently con#erted to $slam.

C. 6ne of Umar&s ad#isors, Ka&ab Al Ahbar, a former 9ewish -abbi, who had con#erted

to $slam.. *a"inah, the hristian Arab from $ra0, who was also a foster brother of 5aad Bin Abi

"a0as, former go#ernors of Busra.

I. iruan, popularly known as Abu +ulu, he was sla#e of Mughira $bn 5hu&ba the then

go#ernor of Busra.

$t was Abu =ulu who was assigned the mission of assassinating Umar. According to the plan, before the 1aar prayers 3the morning prayers before the dawn4 Abu =ulu would enter Al Masid

al Nabwi, the main mos0ue of Madinah where Umar led the prayers and would attack Umar

during the prayers, and then flee or mi) with the congregation at mos0ue. 2here were ersianchildren sla#es in Madina. 5eeing them, 1iro is 0uoted saying/

3ou have been enslaved at such a tender age. 4his Umar sees eaten my heart. I will take his

heart out.

Abu =ulu brought a conectural complaint to Umar about the high ta) charged from him by his

master Mughirah. Umar wrote to Mughirah and in0uired about the ta)( Mughirah&s reply wassatisfactory, but Umar held that the ta) charged from Abu =ulu was reasonable, owning the to his

daily income. Umar then is reported to ha#e asked Abu =ulu/

I heard that you make windmills+ make one for me as well. In a sullen mood, *iro5 said,

1erily I will make such a mill for you, that whole world would remember it .



6n No#ember >II, Abu =ulu attacked Umar while he was leading the morning prayers,

stabbing him si) times in the belly and last on the na#el, that pro#ed fatal. Umar was left

profusely bleeding while Abu =ulu tried to flee, but people from all sides rushed to capture him(in his efforts to escape he is reported to ha#e wounded twel#e other people, si) or nine of whom

later died. At last he was captured but committed suicide using the same dagger. Umar died of

the wounds three days later on 5unday, D No#ember >II 3C>th *hO al!H Ria C 4 . Umar isreported to ha#e left the following testament/

(e kind and generous to the Muha2ireen and the /nsaar. 4hose out of them who are good, be

good to them+ those who are bad overlook their lapses. (e good to the people of the con"uered

lands. 4hey are the outer line of our defense+ they are the target of the anger and distress of

our enemies. 4hey contribute to our revenues. 4hey should be ta!ed only on their surplus

wealth. (e gracious to the (edouis as they are the backbone of the /rab nation. I instruct you

to be good to the himmis for they are your responsibility. o not ta! them beyond their

capacity. 6nsure that they pay the 7i5ya without undue inconvenience. *ear 'od, and in all

that you do keep His pleasure in view. In the matter of people fear 'od, and in the matter of /llah do not be afraid of the people. )ith regard to the people, I en2oin upon you to

administer 2ustice with an even hand. 8ee that all the legitimate re"uirements of the people are

met. (e concerned for their welfare. 6nsure the safety of their person and property. 8ee that

the frontiers of our domains are not violated. 4ake strong steps to guard the frontiers. In the

matter of administration do not prefer the rich to the poor. (e hard against those who violate

the law. 8how them no mercy. o not rest content until you have brought the miscreants to

book. 4reat all the people as e"ual. (e a pillar of strength for those who are weak and

oppressed. 4hose who are strong but do wrong, make them pay for their wrong-doings. In the

distribution of booty and other matters be above nepotism. 9et no consideration of

relationship or selfish interest weigh with you. 4he 8atan is at large+ it may tempt you. ise

above all temptations and perform your duties in accordance with the in2unctions of Islam.'et guidance from the Holy :uran and 8unnah. *reely consult the wise men around you.

/pply your own mind in difficult cases, and seek light from 'od. (e simple in your living and

your habits. 9et there be no show or ostentation about you. 9ead life as a model Muslim. /s

you are the leader of the Muslims, 2ustify your leadership by being the best among them all.

May 'od bless you.

As per Umar&s will, he was buried ne)t to Al Masid Al Nabwi alongside Muhammad and aliph

Abu Bakr by the permission of Aisha.



Aftermaths/6n his death bed Umar #acillated to appoint his successor, howe#er it has been reported that he

said that if Abu Ubaidah $bn al 9arrah, Khalid Bin "aleed , the freed ersian sla#e, were ali#e he

would ha#e appointed one of them his successor. Umar finally appointed a committee of si) persons comprising,

?. Abdur -ehman $bn Auf

C. 5aad Bin Abi "a0as

. 2alha $bn Ubaidullah

I. Uthman $bn e Affan

J. Ali $bn e Abi 2alib

>. 8ubair $bn Al Awwam

2heir task was to choose 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 thene)t caliph Umar appointed a notable 5ahabi, 5ohaib e -oomi3Suha$b th# R%man4 as a caretaker

aliph. "hile the historic meeting for selection of caliph was preceding, Abdulrehman $bn e

Abubakar and Abdur -ehman $bn Auf re#ealed that they saw the dagger used by Abu =ulu, the

assassin of Umar. A night before Umar&s assassination, reported Abdur -ahman bin Awf, he sawHormuan, 9afina and Abu =ulu, while they were suspiciously discussing some thing, bewildered

by his presence, the dagger fell, it was the same two sided dagger used in the assissination.

Abudulrehman ibn Abu Bakr, son of late caliph Abu Bakr also confirmed that few days beforeUmar&s assassination, he once saw this dagger with Hurmaan. After the mystery of assassination

got unco#ered by the two of the most notable go#ernmental figures, it seemed clear that the

assassination was planned by the ersians residing in Medina. $nfuriated by this, Umar&s younger son Ubaidullah $bn Umar sought to kill all the ersians in Madinah. He killed Hormuan,

9afinah, and daughter of Umar&s assassin Abu =ulu, who is belie#ed to ha#e been a Muslim.

Ubaidullah was intercepted by the people of Madinah withholding him from the massacre. Amr

$bn Al!Aas is said to ha#e intercepted him and con#inced him to hand o#er his sword. 2hemurder of 9afinah enraged 5aad Bin Abi "a0as, his foster brother, and he assaulted Ubaidullah

ibn Umar and again the companions inter#ened. "hen Umar was informed about the incident, he

ordered that Ubaidullah should be imprisoned and the ne)t aliph should decide his fate. Umardied on D No#ember >II( on ?? No#ember Uthman succeded him as the aliph. After prolonged

negotiations, the tribunal decided to gi#e blood money to the #ictims and released Umar&s son

Ubaidullah on the ground that after the tragic incident of Umar&s assassination people will befurther infuriated by the e)ecution of his son the #ery ne)t day.



&egacy:Umar is regarded as one of the most influential figures in $slamic history. He was in a true sense

the architect of the $slamic 7mpire. As a leader, &Umar was known for his simple, austere

lifestyle. -ather than adopt the pomp and display affected by the rulers of the time, he continuedto li#e much as he had when Muslims were poor and persecuted.

olitical legacy/Umar is considered as a political genius, as an architect of $slamic 7mpire he is regarded as JCnd

most influential figure in history. Umar remained politically stagnant during rophet

Mohammad&s era, howe#er after his death, it was Umar&s brilliance that Abu Bakr was electedaliph, despite of massi#e initial confrontations at 5a0ifah. Umar successfully broke the alliance

of the tribes of Madinah who claim aliphate to be their right, pa#ing the way for the successionof Abu Bakr. during Abu Bakr&s era, he acti#ely participated as his secretory and main ad#iser.After succeeding Abu Bakr as caliph, Umar win o#er the hearts of Baudouin tribes by

emancipating all their prisoners and sla#es taken during -idda "ars, his e)cellent oratory skills

helped him to heightened his popularity graph, mostly among the poor and underpri#ileged people. He pro#ed himself as an e)cellent manager during the year of the great 1amine when his

dynamic abilities sa#ed millions from star#ation. He is best known to built up an efficient

administrati#e structure of the empire, that held together his #ast realm. He organied an

effecti#e network of intelligence, partly a reason for his strong grip on his bureaucracy. His udicial reforms were fairly modern and ad#ance in nature when compared to contemporary

systems of his era. He opposed the construction of present day 5ue anal, as it posed threat to

the security of Madinah. 2wel#e hundred years later Freat Britain opposed the construction ofthe canal for the same reason as it then posed threat to its colonies in $ndian 5ubcontinent. 6ne

of the reason of the compactness of his political rule in the con0uered lands is reputed to his

policy of tolerance to their religious belie#es and imposition of far lower ta)es on them ascompared to 5assanid ersian 7mpire and Byanthine 7mpire. 2heir local administration was

kept un!touched and se#eral of the former Byantine and ersian official were retained on their

ser#ices under Umar&s go#ernors.

Umar was #ery painstaking in e#ery matter. His meticulous was e#ident from his appointment of

go#ernors and udges that ne#er let him lose his grip on the go#ernment. He ne#er appointed

go#ernors for more than two years, for they might get influence in their county. He dismissed hismost successful general Khalid $bn e "aleed, due to his immense popularity and growing

influence that he saw menace to his authority. -ather than tenacious con0uest he stressed moreon consolidating his rule in the con0uered land, a fact that sa#ed Byantine "ars from completedisappearance. Umar is reported to ha#e wished an official tour across his domain to personally

e)amine the condition of his subects. $n >I?, before the con0uest of ersian empire, Umar is

reported to ha#e said/



If I would live few more years, I wish to visit 8yria ne!t year, then ne!t Ira" and then the ne!t

year 6gypt to personally check the conditions of the sub2ects and in"uire whether my mandate

is followed or not.

$t should be noted that at the time, Umar made this statement, ersia was not yet con0uered

3&%nqu#st %" ,#rsia b#un in /4. 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

co#ert night tour of the city to know the secret life of his domain, the tradition that later be

followed by some of the Abbasids aliphs and e#en Mughal rulers of $ndian subcontinent.

5ocial ustice and accountability5aeed M Mohtsham cites from aliph Umar&s rule in his research paper 0isi%n and 0isi%nar$ +#ad#rshi1 2 An Islami& ,#rs1#&ti)#/

'He used to monitor #ery closely the public policy and had kept the needs of the public central to

his leadership approach. As second caliph of $slam, he refused to chop off the hands of thethie#es because he felt he had fallen short of his responsibility to pro#ide meaningful

employment to all his subects. As a ruler of a #ast kingdom, His #ision was to ensure that e#ery

one in his kingdom should sleep on a full stomach.

$f a dog dies hungry on the banks of the -i#er 7uphrates, Umar will be responsible for

dereliction of dutyS3Umar4

He also knew that ust ha#ing a #ision is not enough unless it is supported by effecti#e strategies.

He didn%t only ha#e a #ision( he truly transformed his #ision into actions. 1or e)ample, to ensure

that nobody sleeps hungry in his empire, he used to walk through the streets almost e#ery nightto see if there is any one needy or ill.'

Military legacy/$t has been reported that Umar was a champion wrestler of his time, and though not distinguishedas 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. 6ne of his greatest strategic mar#els was his brilliant fission of ersio!-oman alliancein >>, when 7mperor Heraclius and 7mperor <adegerd $$$ allied against their common enemy

Umar. He was lucky in that the ersian 7mperor <adegerd $$$ couldn&t synchronie with

Heraclius as planned. Umar fully a#ailed the opportunity and successfully tackled the minefield by straining the Byantines to ump in the battle. 2his was contrary to the orders of 7mpreror

Heraclius, who presumably wanted a coordinated attack along with the ersians. Umar did this

by sending reinforcements to the -oman front with instructions that they should appear in the



form of small bands, one after the other, gi#ing the impression of a continuous stream of

reinforcements that finally lured the Byantines to an untimely battle. 6n the other hand

<adegerd $$$ of ersia was engaged in negotiations that further ga#e Umar time to transfer histroops from 5yria to $ra0. 2hese troops pro#ed decisi#e in the Battle of +adisiyyah. Both the

battles thus fought pro#ed decisi#e and are noted as two of the most decisi#e battles in history.

His strategic dimensions were the prime reason of Muslim #ictory at Cnd Battle of 7mesa in >."here the pro!Byantine hristian Arabs of 9aira, aided by Byantine 7mperor, making an

une)pected flanking mo#ement and laid siege to 7mesa 3Homs4. Umar&s brilliance was behind

this Muslim #ictory and was achie#ed without firing a single shot.

Umar&s orders to in#ade the #ery homeland of the hristian Arab forces besieging 7mesa, the9airah. A three prong attack against 9airah was launched from $ra0. 2o further pressurie the

hristian Arab armies, Umar instructed 5aad ibn Abi "a00as, commander of Muslim forces in

$ra0, to sent reinforcement to 7mesa, Umar himself led a reinforcement from Madinah andmarched towards 7mesa. Under this unprecedented press!gang, hristian Arabs retreated from

7mesa before Muslims reinforcement could reach their. 2his incursion from Byantines howe#er

resulted in Muslim anne) Mesopotamia and parts of Byantine Armenia.

Nonetheless the greatest triumph of Umar remained on0uest of ersian empire. After years ofnon!offensi#e policy according to which Umar wished the 8agros Mountains to be the frontiers

between Muslims and ersians, after Battle of Naha#and Umar launched a whole scale in#asion

of 5assanid ersian 7mpire. 2he in#asion was a series of well coordinated multi!prong attacks

that was based on the principle of isolating and then destroying the target. Umar launched thein#asion by attacking the #ery heart of ersia aiming to isolate Aerbaian and eastern ersia. $t

was immediately followed by simultaneous attacks on Aerbaian and 1ars. $n the final secession5istan and Kirman and captured thus isolating the stronghold of ersian, the Khurasan. 2he final

e)pedition was launched against Khurasan where after Battle of 6)us ri#er ersian empire

ceased to e)ist, and emperor <adegerd $$$ fled to entral Asia. He founded the city of airo,

con0uered >,@@@ cities or castles, and built ?I@@ mos0ues.



-eligious legacy/

5unni #iews/

5unnis Muslims #iew him as the 5econd -ashidun and know him as 1aroo0 the great. 5unniremember Umar as a 5trong Muslim of a sound and ust disposition in matters of the religion of

Allah, a man they title 3ar%%q, meaning 'leader, urist and statesman', and the second of therightly!guided aliphs. He patched his clothes with skin, took buckets on his two shoulders,

always riding his donkey without the saddle, rarely laughing and ne#er oking with anyone. 6n

his ring is written the words '7nough is *eath as a reminder to you 6& &Umar'. He did not seek

ad#ancement for his own family, but rather sought to ad#ance the interests of the Muslimcommunity, the ummah. 2he general 5unni sentiment for Umar is summaried by one of

Muhammad&s companions, Abd Allah ibn Mas&ud/

Umar&s submission to $slam was a con0uest, his migration was a #ictory, his $mamate 3period of

rule4 was a blessing, $ ha#e seen when we were unable to pray at the Kaabah until Umarsubmitted, when he submitted to $slam, he fought them 3the pagans4 until they left us alone andwe prayed.

SAbd Allah ibn Mas&ud,

5hia #iews/Umar is #iewed #ery negati#ely in 2wel#er 5hi&a literature and is often regarded as a traitor to

Muhammad, a usurper of Ali&s rights, and, by some, a murderer. 5ome 2wel#er 5hi&a writers ha#eaccused him of killing Muhammad&s daughter 1atimah. According to the maority of 2wel#er

scholars, 1atimah, wife of Ali, was physically abused by him. 2hese sources report that the e#entcaused her to miscarry her child and e#entually led to her death soon after. 3see Umar at

1atimah&s house4. Howe#er, some 2wel#er scholars reect these accounts of physical abuse as a

'myth'. 6ther 5hia sects, like the 8aidiyyah, following 8aid ibn Ali, accept Umar and Abu Bakr

as legitimate caliphs, despite their beliefs that they are inferior to Ali.

"estern #iews/2he whole history of 6mar shows him to ha#e been a man of great powers of mind, infle)ible

integrity, and rigid ustice. He was, more than any one else, the founder of the $slam empire(confirming and carrying out the inspirations of the prophet( aiding Abu Beker with his counsels

during his brief caliphate( and establishing wise regulations for the strict administration of the

law throughout the rapidly!e)tending bounds of the Moslem con0uests. 2he 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, ga#e signal e#idence of his e)traordinary capacity to rule. $n the simplicity of

his habits, and his contempt for all pomp and lu)ury, he emulated the e)ample of the prophet and

Abu Beker. He endea#ored incessantly to impress the merit and policy of the same in his lettersto his generals. &Beware,& he would say, &of ersian lu)ury, both in food and raiment. Keep to the

simple habits of your country, and Allah will continue you #ictorious( depart from them, and he

will re#erse your fortunes.& $t was his strong con#iction of the truth of this policy which madehim so se#ere in punishing all ostentatious style and lu)urious indulgence in his officers. 5ome

of his ordinances do credit to his heart as well as his head. He forbade that any female capti#e

who had borne a child should be sold as a sla#e. $n his weekly distributions of the surplus moneyof his treasury he proportioned them to the wants, not the merits of the applicants. &Fod,& said he,

&has bestowed the good things of this world to relie#e our necessities, not to reward our #irtues/

those will be rewarded in another world.



epartment$: Bayt ul Maal

Military *epartment

2a) *eptartments 7ducation *epartment

olice *eparmtment

1inancial *epartment

'he Bait!l Maal (!*lic 'rea$!ry) an"

Re+en!e A"mini$tration:

A ublic 2reasury 3Bait!ul!Maal4 was for the first time established by the Holy rophet35allallahu&alaihi wa 5allam4 in the form of a common fund for the benefit of the general public.

*uring the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr 3-aiallah Anho4, a house was purchased for the purpose

but there were no sa#ings beside one *irham when he passed away. *uring the caliphate ofHadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 the Bait!ul Mal was immensely enlarged.

He reorganised the entire system on a #ery sound and ust basis. 2he officer in charge of theublic 2reasury 3Bait!ul Mal4 was known as '5ahib!i!Bait!ul!Ma?'. 2here were 2reasury officers

in each pro#ince. Fuards were also appointed for the Bait!ul Mal. $n Medina there was thecentral 2reasury and regular accounts were kept.

1ollowing were the main sources of re#enue/

(i) ,izya (-n"emnity or efen$e 'a)

(ii) /akat (oor 'a)

(iii) 0hira1 (&an" 'a)

(i+) #U$hr (Special lan" 'a)

(+) Booty (-ncome from the con2!ere" place$)

(+i) 'a on nonM!$lim merchant$ or tra"er$ (*eca!$e they "i" pay /akat).

2he ta) on non!Muslim traders was introduced by Hadrat% Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 for the first

time. 2he reason was ob#ious they did not pay 8akat while Muslim merchants had to pay 8akat.

Ushr, the special land ta) e0ual to one tenth of the produce was taken from large holdings.

2he 8akat fund was kept in special account books and was spent in accordance with the $slamic

laws as gi#en in the Holy +ur&an. 1rom the rest of the fund, e)penditure on general



administration and warfare was met. 2he surplus was distributed among Muslims which was

determined by three main principles ! the relationship and the closeness with the Holy rophet(

priority of con#ersion to $slam and sacrifices for its cause( and military ser#ice to $slam. 1ore)ample, the 'Badriyin' 3the participants of Badr battle4 recei#ed J@@@ *irhams each, those who

participated in the battle of Uhud or participated in the '2reaty of Hudaibiya' recei#ed I@@@

each. 2he Muslims who accepted $slam before the con0uest of Makkah but after the '2reaty ofHudaibiya' recei#ed @@@ each. 2hose who fought in 5yria or lra0 recei#ed C@@@ each and those

who took part in the battles after this recei#ed ?@@@ each. An ordinary soldier who fought during

the time of Hadrat &U mar 3-aiallah Anho4 recei#ed J@@ to >@@ dirhams. 2he stipend was gi#ento e#ery Muslim whether male or female, young or old. 7#en new!born babies also recei#ed

stipends. 5ir "illiam Muir in his book 'aliphate' comments on it

'A people di#iding amongst them the whole re#enues, spoil and con0uests of the state, on the basis of an e0ual brotherhood is a spectacle probably without parallel in the world.'

Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 was #ery cautious in spending the ublic 1und. 2here are a

number of instances which could be presented here

6nce his daughter, Umm!ul Mu&minin =ady Hafsa 3the chaste widow of the Holy rophet 5alAllaho Alehe "assallam4 came to him and demanded some share in the booty, that came from a

battlefield, saying/ '3i+e me $ome *eca!$e yo!r relati+e$ ha+e certain right$ o+er yo!'. He

replied, 45f co!r$e my relati+e$ ha+e certain right$ in my per$onal property *!t not in the

property of M!$lim$4.

6nce Hadrat Umar fell sick and the physician ad#ised him to take honey. 2here was plenty of

honey in the Bait!u$ Mal. He went to the rophet&s Masid and called general '5hura&. "hen people assembled he said, 4- nee" $ome honey6 - 7o!l" *e thankf!l if yo! allo7 me to take

$ome honey from the Bait!lMal.4

6nce he saw a fat camel being sold in the market. He en0uired about it and found out that the

camel belonged to a man who allowed it to grae in the public pasture. Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah

Anho4 told the man, 48o! are entitle" to get a$ m!ch a$ the camel 7o!l" ha+e fetche" *efore

it graze" in the official pa$t!re. 'he *alance m!$t go to the Bait!lMal.4

He took personal care of the Baitul!Mal properties. 6nce a camel belonging to the Bait ul!Mal

ran away. He himself went in search of it. $n the meantime a chief of a clan came to meet him.Hadrat Umar said to him, 4lea$e help me in my 7ork. - am $earching a camel of the Bait!l

Mal.4

5uch e)amples are unparalleled in the history of whole ci#ilisation and they show e)treme

#igilance by Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 of ublic 1unds.



9iya 3$ndemnity or *efence 2a)4/

5ome western writers ha#e obected to realisation of $ndemnity 2a) 39iya4 from the non!

Muslims of the state. But this ta) was taken for their safety against any in#asion from outside.2here are instances that when Muslims left a con0uered place due to some reasons, they returned

the 9iya taken from non!Muslims of that place. $n many agreements signed by Muslims duringthe wars, it was clarified that 9iya would be paid to the 5tate by the non!Muslims for their

protection and in case the 5tate 3i.e., Muslim Fo#t.4 took any help from them for their protection

they would not ha#e to pay the 9iya. 1ollowing agreement was signed with the inhabitants of

9aran

'$t is our responsibility to protect you and your property against any in#asion and you would pay

annual ta) 39iya4 in lieu thereof. $f we seek your help for protecting you, we would not chargeany ta) 39iya4.'

$n the agreement signed at Adharbian, the ta) was as under

...... ',izya 7o!l" not *e taken from tho$e 7ho $er+e in the army6 for the year of $er+ice$.4

Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 had issued orders to #arious commanders during the battles with

ersians

'o not charge any ,izya from tho$e 7ho ha+e helpe" the M!$lim ca+alry (i.e.6 army).4

Hadrat Abu &Ubaidah 3-aiallah Anho4, the commander at the 5yrian front returned all the

$ndemnity ta), he had recei#ed, when he left the con0uered places for the time being to return tosafer borders in order to prepare against the -omans at <armuk.

Moreo#er utmost care was e)ercised in le#ying the 9iya. 2he poor and orphans were ne#er

charged. 2here was no $ndemnity ta) on old persons who could not work. $n the agreement

which was signed at Hirah this #ery well be seen.

'$f any old man is unable to earn, or if a rich man becomes poor, or if a person meets an accident,

then no 9iya would be charged from him. Muslims are responsible to take care of such personsand to pay them for their needs from the Bait!ul!Mal.'

6nce Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 saw an old non!Muslim begging. He asked him the reason

for begging. 2he old man said that he had to pay 9iya 3$ndemnity4. Hadrat Umar immediately brought him home and ga#e some money to him. 2hen he ordered the officers not to charge 9iya

from such persons. He was so solicitous about non!Muslims that he left a will/ 2ake care of the'*himmis' i.e., the non!Muslim. *o not break any agreement signed with them. *o not take that

work from them which they can not do. 1ight for their protection 3if some body attacks them4.'

2his is an e)emplary treatment, a nation could gi#e to con0uered people.



Miscellaneous 5ources/Apart from the si) maor sources of re#enue narrated abo#e, the following miscellaneous

re#enues also contributed towards the public treasury of the early $slamic 5tate/!

?. Hadrat Umar introduced import duties which were charged on the articles of trade andmerchandise imported into $slamic 5tate. Abu Musa Ashari, the Fo#ernor of $ra0 apprised

the caliph about the fact that the -oman and ersian Fo#ernments of the neighbouringcountries were le#ying import ta) on the Muslim traders who #isited their countries to sell

their articles of trade. 5o the $slamic 5tate also le#ied a ta) of ?@T on the goods brought

into Muslim territories by Harbi traders as a reciprocal measure. =ater on, the ta) was also

e)tended to the 8immi and Muslim traders at the rate of JT and C.JT respecti#ely. 2heseimport duties on mercantile goods are called ushur% by the Muslim urists. $n the modern

world these ta)es are called import duties or custom duties or tolls.

C. $ncome from public domain or the lands owned by Bait!ul!Mal is another source ofre#enue in an $slamic 5tate.

. $ncome from "a0f properties 3roperties or lands donated by generous persons to the$slamic 5tate for charitable cause4 is yet another source of substantial re#enue 6ther minor sources include the following/!

I. $ncome from lease or license to e)ploit or use certain things belonging to $slamic 5tate.

J. 2he proceeds from things found on the highways when there is no claimant of such things.>. roperty found in the hands of thie#es and high!way robbers when there is no owner to

claim it.

D. 7states of persons lea#ing no heir and no will.

. roperty of apostates confiscated by the 5tate.L. roperty of 8immi!rebels guilty of treason.

?@. $ncome from forests, etc, etc.

Al!1ai/1ai means to return%, to re#ert%, to come back%. "hen the Muslims con0uered enemy countries

by armed force they ga#e name of 1ai to perpetuated incomes obtained once and returned againeach year. 2he term 1ai is applied in the +ur%an and the 5unnah e)clusi#ely to war gainsS

whether consisting of lands or tribute or indemnitiesSwhich are obtained from an enemy who

has laid down arms before actual fighting has taken place.

After the death of the rophet, when $ra0, $ran and 7gypt were con0uered by Muslim armies,there was a contro#ersy among the Muslims concerning the lands of these countries.ompanions of the rophet at the re0uest of caliph Hadrat Umar held meetings to discuss and

deliberate upon the issue. $mam Abu <usuf in his book Kitab!ul!Khara gi#es a lengthy and

interesting account of these debates. Abdul -ahman, 8ubair and Bilal backed by the armygenerals were of the #iew that the con0uered lands sould be di#ided among the soldiers ust like

other categories of booty from which one!fifth is taken out for the Muslim community and four!

fifth is distributed among the participating soldiers. 6n the other hand Hadrat Umar backed by

http://www.muslimtents.com/shaufi/b16/b16_13.htm#CHAPTER%2013






Ali!b!Abi 2alib and Muadh!b!9abal was of the opinion that these lands should be retained in state

control and should not be distributed among the soldiers. 2he reasons why Hadrat Umar wanted

to retain lands in state control were that he wanted a regular source for the go#ernment for ware)penses, for the pay of soldiers and other state officials and also for the purchase of arms.

Moreo#er, he wanted to retain the land in the state control as 1ai belonging for all time to the

whole Muslim Ummah for the benefit of all future generations. At last Hadrat Umar succeeded in persuading the members of 5hura with his con#incing arguments to agree to his point of #iew.

2hus, it was decided that the con0uered lands of these countries would be considered 1ai

property and would be kept under state control for the benefit of all Muslim Ummah includingfuture generations. $ncome from these lands would be considered 1ai re#enue and would be

utilied for common benefits and for state e)penses in the light of the +ur%an and the 5unnah.

Al! Khara:

Khara means re#enue, ta), rent, rate, lease, produce, income, wages, etc. recei#ed from landwhich the Muslim urists call Khara land. According to $mam Abu 6baid, Khara is rent or

produce recei#ed from land. $t is, in fact, an agricultural ta) recei#ed from non!Muslim owners

of the lands.

5oon after taking o#er the con0uered lands in the 5tate control, Hadrat Umar set to re!organise

the system of re#enue. 5ur#ey of these lands was carried out and Khara was imposed according

to the rates fi)ed per unit of land on different categories of crops. 2he system was set up soefficiently that the re#enue from Khara rose before the death of Hadrat Umar to an impressi#e

le#el of ?C.@ crore *irham in $ra0, in 7gypt it rose to ?.C@ crore *inar and in 5yria it amounted

to ?.I@ crore *inar.

5ome of the rules and by!laws of Khara are briefly stated as under/!

?. Khara has been historically charged on either of the two basis i.e. on fi)ed rate or on

proportional basis. Hence the urists ha#e classified Khara into two types( fi)ed Khara

le#ied at a fi)ed amount per unit of area( proportional Khara which is charged in the form

of a definite portion of the produce, for e)ample, one!half or one!third etc. *uring thetimes of Hadrat Umar fi)ed Khara was charged while in the Abbaside period proportional

Khara was le#ied.

C. Khara is charged on the Khara land. "hether the owner is minor or adult, free or sla#e,Muslim or 8immi, does not make any difference.

. 2he land once declared as Khara land continues to remain as such e#en if the owner

becomes Muslim or he sells the land to a Muslim.I. $n case of destruction of the entire crop by some natural calamity, no Khara is charged if

the land is being subected to proportional Khara.

J. No Ushr can be le#ied on land which is Khara land.>. No Khara is payable on the habitations or houses of the land!owners.

D. $n case of payment of Khara e#ery facility is gi#en to the ta)!payer and #ery lenient

treatment is accorded. Hadrat Ali issued special instructions to the Khara collectors not to





attach household effects, clothes, cattle and implements of the farmer in the reco#ery of

Khara.

ersonal care of the ublic and stipends todisabled persons and the poor/

Hadrat Umar used to take personal care of the public. A number of instances could be cited inthis connection. $ would 0uote only a few

6nce a cara#an came to Medina and alighted outside the city. He himself guarded the cara#anduring the night and saw to their needs. He was going round one night when he saw a woman

with some children ust on the outskirts of the city. 2he children were crying due to hunger. He

himself brought some flour and butter etc., from the Bait!ul!Mal and personally prepared mealsfor the children. His sla#e, Aslam offered his ser#ices but he said, '<ou can not help Umar on the

*ay of 9udgement. He is himself responsible for it.' 6nce he saw a bedouin staying outside the

city and his wife was in the throes of child birth. He immediately called his wife who worked asa midwife.

7#ery day after the congregational 5alats he used to sit in the Masid in order to listen to the

complaints of the people. Any person ha#ing any need reported to Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 and hehelped him. Besides the allowances described abo#e he also ga#e stipends to the poor and

disabled persons regardless of their faith and creed. 2o find out the needs of the people he used to

go out during night time.

onstruction of Masids and establishment of

5chools/

He founded a number of schools. Masids were used for gi#ing religious instructions. A number

of Masids were built by Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4. He asked the go#ernors of #arious pro#inces, specially of 5yria to build at least one Masid in each city or town. $n Kufa a separate

Masid was built for e#ery clan. According to some historians he built four thousand Masids.

2he Haram 3Masid!ul!Haram4 in Makkah was too small for the increasing Muslim population.

He e)tended it and built a wall around it in order to separate it from the township. He co#ered the

Ka&bah with #ery costly 7gyptian cloth instead of ordinary cloth.

2he Masid of the Holy rophet was also e)tended. He bought all the houses and propertiessurrounding the Masid besides the houses of the chaste widows of the Holy rophet



35allallahu&alaihi wa 5allam4, and e)tended the Masid. A big platform was constructed in the

yard of the Masid to impart $slamic knowledge.

Umar&s 3-.A4 eriod was the F6=*7N AF7 of$5=AM$ History/

2hus we see that Hadrat Umar%s period was the Folden Age of the $slamic history when $slamwas practised in its true form. Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 $nitiated I? good practices during

his period, which were based upon the Holy +ur&an and the 5unnah of the Holy rophet

35allallahu&alaihi wa 5allam4. 2hese are known as 'Awliat!i!Umar 3the $nitiations 6f Umar4. 2hedetails can be seen in the books of $slamic History like 2abari, $bn!i!Athir, and 2arikh!i!Khulafa

etc. Most of these initiations ha#e been mentioned in the preceding pages in brief. Actually

Hadrat Umar 3-aiallah Anho4 was the founder of $5=AM$ *7M6-A< based upon theHoly +ur&an and the 5unnah of the Holy rophet 35al Allaho Alehe "assallam4. 2he words of

the Holy rophet are #ery true

' I* 4H66 )66 40 (6 / ;0;H64 /*46 M6 H6 )0U9 H/16 (66< UM/

I(< /9-=H/44/(. 32irmidhi4

AN*

/M0<' 4H6 </4I0<8 (6*06 30U 4IM6 4H66 H/16 (66< I<8;I6

;60;96 #)H0 )66 <04 ;0;H648%, /< I* 4H66 I8 0<6 /M0<' M3

;60;96 H6 I8 UM/. 3Bukhari and Muslim4



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