[SIZE="2"][B]His miracles[/B]




Umar sent an army and he put at the head of them a man called Sariyah. While 'Umar was delivering the khutbah he began to cry out, 'Sariyah, the mountain!' three times. Then later the messenger of the army came and he asked 'Umar, 'Amir al-Muminin, we were being defeated and in that situation we heard a voice crying out, "Sariyah, the mountain!" three times. We put the mountain to our rear, and then Allah defeated them.' Someone said to 'Umar, 'You cried out with those words.' That mountain, where Sariyah was, is close to Nahawand in the land of the non-Arabs (Persian Iraq).

[B](Ibne Umar)[/B]







When Egypt was conquered, its people came to 'Amr ibn al-'As, when the first day of one of their months arrived, and they said to him, 'Amir, this Nile of ours has a year in which it does not flow without it.' He asked, 'And what is that?' They said, 'When eleven nights have elapsed of this month we seek a young virgin from her parents, we obtain the consent of the parents, then we dress her in the best possible clothing and ornaments, and then we throw her in this Nile.' So 'Amr said to them, 'This will never be in Islam. Islam demolishes what precedes it.' They left, and neither did the Nile flow a little nor a lot, until they intended to emigrate. When 'Amr saw that, he wrote to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab about it. He wrote back to him, 'You were right in what you said. Truly, Islam demolishes what precedes it.' He sent a slip of paper inside his letter and wrote to 'Amr, 'I have sent you a slip of paper inside my letter, so throw it in the Nile.' When 'Umar's letter reached 'Amr ibn al-'As, he took the slip and opened it, and there in it was, 'From the slave of Allah 'Umar ibn al-Khattab Amir al-Muminin to the Nile of Egypt. Now, if you used to flow before, then don't flow! If it was Allah who made you flow, then I ask the Overwhelming One to make you flow.' He threw the slip into the Nile a day before (the Festival of) the Cross. They woke up in the morning, and Allah, Exalted is He, had made it flow (and it rose) sixteen cubits in one night. Allah cut off this sunnah (custom) of the people of Egypt right up to this day.
[B]
(Qais ibn al-Hajjaj)[/B]












A man was in conversation with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and told him a lie, and he would say, 'Withhold this.' Then later he told him something else and he said, 'Withhold this.' He said to him, 'Everything I told you was true except for what you told me to withhold.' Al-Hasan said: If there was anyone who recognised a lie when he was told it, then it was 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.

[B](Tariq ibn Shihab )[/B]








Umar was told that the people of Iraq had pelted their amir with pebbles and he went out angry. He performed the prayer but was forgetful in his prayer. When he had completed the prayer, he said, 'O Allah, they have made me confused, so make them confused, and hasten with the youth of (the tribe of) Thaqif who will pass judgement among them with the judgement of Jahiliyyah, who will not accept from their good-doers and he will not pass over their wrong-doers with pardon.' I say that this indicates al-Hajjaj. Ibn Lahi'ah said, 'Al-Hajjaj was not yet born at that time.'
[B]
(Abu Hudbah al-Himsi )[/B][/SIZE]

[B][SIZE="2"]Umar's Wish[/SIZE][/B]

[SIZE="2"]Umar (ra) was a visionary person, one of the strongest human beings this humanity has ever seen.
Once Umar(ra) was sitting amongst the sahabah who were having a fruitful discussion, as always.
He posed a question to all the Sahabas- Wish something from Allah (swt), so that Allah (swt) would give it to you. So what is it that you wish from Allah?

One of the sahabas said, "I wish Allah (swt) would give me tons of money so that I could spend it on charity". Another said, "I wish for tonnes of gold and silver equal to the mountains so that I can also spend it in His cause."
When it was Umar(ra)'s turn, he said:
I wish strong human beings like Abu Ubaidah ibn Al Jarrah, Talhah ibn Obaidallah, and Zubair ibn Awwam, so that they can help me spread the word of Allah (swt).[/SIZE]

The Manliest of Kings
 

[SIZE="2"][B][SIZE="2"]The Manliest of Kings[/SIZE][/B]

The Isha prayer was over. Everyone came out of the great mosque of Madinah. Among them there was one whose clothes were simple, but whose face proclaimed him to be a man far above the commoners. This man was the King of the Muslims.

A little later, as he was accustomed to doing, this king left his bed, and at the dead of night visited a village a good few miles away from the town. Here he came across a family that was still up, at this late hour of the night. The mother had kindled a fire by her tent and around the fire were squatted her three dear little ones on the ground. The children were crying their tiny hearts out. And the kettle on the fire showed that the mother was doing some cooking for them.

"What makes these children cry?" asked the stranger tenderly, as he approached the fire.

"Pray, mind your own business. Worry not an unfortunate woman with questions!" replied the gloomy mother.

"Take me for your brother, madam," reassured the stranger, "and do tell me what the matter is with these children. I feel you are in trouble and I must help you."

"For the last two days," said the mother with a sob, "I have not had a morsel to put into these hungry mouths. They cling to me crying for food. I have nothing to give. So far I have been putting them off. Now it has become unbearable. Yet I have no food to give them. The kettle on the fire contains nothing but water. This is just to console them. They think I am cooking something for them. But alas, it is only a short-lived consolation. In a little while they will find it out and disappointment this time may break their little hearts."

"Poor little things!" exclaimed the stranger with tears in his eyes, as he rose to his feet. "Worry no more! Be of good cheer! I shall be back with food." And with a parting kiss to each one of the children he left the family.

It was past midnight and as the King was coming home to fetch provisions for the family in distress, his heart trembled with the fear of God. "God has appointed me to look after the welfare of my people," he said to himself. "Woe unto me if in the kingdom of Islam there should be a single soul suffering from starvation. In the eyes of God, the responsibility is mine. In Islam the King is there not to wear a crown and roll in plenty. He is there to bear the burden of his people. He must feel for his people and work for his people. In fact, Islam is another name for service of fellow-man and no Muslim is a Muslim who does not live up to that ideal. But a Muslim King is doubly accountable for any omission of this Islamic duty."

Thus musing within himself, the King arrived home speedily and collected a quantity of flour, butter, sugar and dates. This made quite a heavy load and the place it had to go to was a very long way off. One of his men offered to carry the load for him. "Will you carry my load for me on the Day of Judgement?" came the sharp reply. "As a King, it is my duty to look to the well-being of my subjects and it is, therefore, for me to carry this load." And cheerfully he shoved the load on his own kingly back and carried it all those miles to the starving mother and children.

As the King sat down by the fireside and the children helped themselves to the dates and the bread that the mother had soon cooked for them, his face beamed with the delight of seeing misery relieved. "My bread is sweet," shouted the boy. "But my dates are sweeter," retorted his sister.

As they merrily frolicked about, the King's heart was filled with joy that no kingly crown could give. He had done his duty and would face God with a clean conscience. As to the mother, she was overwhelmed with emotion. "You ought to be the king instead of Umar," she said, her eyes bursting with tears of gratitude, little knowing that this unknown visitor was none other than the great Caliph Umar, himself.

The next day, a stipend was duly allotted to the widow and the orphans out of the public treasury.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="2"][B][SIZE="2"]A Ruler is the Servant of the People[/SIZE][/B]


It was a summer night. A refreshing breeze was gently playing about and pretty little stars were twinkling above. And when, after a restless day of excessive heat, man and bird and beast were all taking sweet rest, one lonely figure could be seen moving about the streets of the town of Madinah. This was the man the Muslims had elected to be their king.

In Islam, a leader of people is supposed to be the servant of the people, and as was usual, this king of Islam was out that night to ascertain for himself the welfare of his people. When at the outskirts of the town with the star-bedecked firmament above him, his thoughts went up to the great God Who had made these. Thus musing upon God’s greatness and beauty, he went on till he was quite a long way from the town. All of a sudden, in the dark of night, his eyes fell on a flame of fire at a distance. Spurred on by curiosity, he approached the light and after a while there loomed out what appeared to be a small tent. Drawing closer, he found a Bedouin seated in front of the tent, his face buried in his hands and a camel standing nearby. The Bedouin was lost in thought and took no notice of this nocturnal visitor.

"Assalamu ‘Alaikum!" said the visitor at last, to wake the Bedouin from his reverie, but to no effect. The visitor repeated the salutation, yet received no reply. After a third time, the Bedouin, taking him for a wayfarer or a beggar, sternly told him to be off and not to worry him.

"Why, brother? What is the trouble with you?" asked the visitor, not minding the rebuff in the least.

"Don’t you bore me," shouted the Bedouin. "Haven’t I once told you to clear off?" The visitor insisted on knowing what the matter was with him. At this, the Bedouin jumped to his feet to fetch his sword from inside his tent. "If you don’t want to lose your head," he said, "be off with you. It seems you must be a highwayman out on your game."

"No brother," replied the visitor gently. "I am no highwayman. Nor am I a wayfarer or a beggar. I belong to Madinah. I earn my living by working for others. I live in the town and have come out just for a stroll and seeing this fire in the wilderness, I was attracted here. I was afraid you are in trouble. What can I do for you?"

"Whose slave are you, then?" asked the Bedouin.

"I am a slave of the Muslims. My profession is to work for them," the visitor replied.

"What has brought you here?" enquired the Bedouin.

"All I want to know is the trouble that keeps you here in the desert in such perplexity," replied the visitor, taking his seat by the Bedouin. As he did so, he heard a painful cry from inside the tent – the cry of a woman.

"Why, brother? Who is crying with pain?" asked the visitor.

"It is my wife," replied the Bedouin. "We were coming from a long distance when her time came. I am a poor man and could not afford to take her to a town to engage a midwife so I stopped here in the desert. She is in great distress now. Please pray that God may help her in this desert place."

"Don’t worry about it in the least," replied the visitor. "I know a midwife and will shortly be back to you along with her."

"Wait!" said the Bedouin. "Don’t fetch a midwife. I have no money to pay her."

"Don’t worry on that account either," replied the visitor. "She will want no remuneration. Besides, she will be a great help to your wife."

It was past midnight when the visitor returned to his house. His wife was still up, waiting for him. Finding that her husband looked distressed, she asked him what was the matter. The husband told her the Bedouin’s story and asked her if she would help a fellow-woman in time of need. The wife was as good a Muslim as the husband; she said she was prepared to start that very moment.

"But they look very poor," said the husband. "Is there anything to eat that we might take for them?"

Wife: "Your own dinner is all that is left."

Husband: "Anything more?"

Wife: "Some goat’s milk."

Husband: "Anything else?"

Wife: "Some flour and some olive oil."

Husband: "Anything more?"

Wife: "By God, nothing else."

Husband: "Well, then, have all these things ready. I am going to saddle the camel. We must be quick."

Wife: "But won’t you have your dinner?"

Husband: "God knows if they have had any food at all since morning."

Wife: "Then do take a little milk."

Husband: "That poor woman would want it. Hurry up! They must be very anxious. Take a lamp with you."

In a moment, the camel was ready and they started with all the provisions they had in their house. In a short while they were at the Bedouin’s tent.

Addressing the Bedouin, the visitor said: "Please permit my wife to go in to render whatever help she can."

"It is extremely kind of you but I don’t know how to repay you. I don’t even have so much as a meal," replied the Bedouin.

"No question of payment; just permit my wife in," said the visitor.

While the wife went in, the visitor opened the bag of provisions he had brought with him. Taking his own dinner out, he served it to the Bedouin and asked him to help himself. The Bedouin said he must join too, but as the food was barely enough for one man, the visitor excused himself and the Bedouin had a hearty meal. When he had finished, they entered into a friendly conversation.

Bedouin: "Are you a native of Madinah?"

Visitor: "No, my birthplace is Makkah."

Bedouin: "Why did you leave Makkah?"

Visitor: "I came here along with my master."

Bedouin: "Has your master set you free?"

Visitor: "He has put me to the service of Muslims."

Bedouin: "Have you seen the Prophet’s time?"

Visitor: "Yes, I had that privilege too."

Bedouin: "Have you been in the Prophet’s company?"

Visitor: "O yes! Hundreds of times.’

Bedouin: "What a fortunate fellow! Then surely you must tell me how the Prophet lived and what he taught."

Visitor: "The Prophet lived a simple life. He wore plain clothes and ate simple food. He was very keen on cleanliness. He rose very early and first thing in the morning, he would thoroughly clean his teeth and mouth. He worked very hard and did everything with his own hands. He patched his own clothes, mended his own shoes, milked his own goats, and even swept his own floor. God, he would say, loves the man who earns his living by honest labour. He helped the poor and took care of the orphans and the widows. He stood by the weak, and never did a man in distress come to him who went back disappointed. He respected women. He never despaired. In the face of the greatest obstacles, he always looked his best. He taught that all men are equal. Though the Prophet of God and the King of Arabia, he never looked upon himself as superior to other men. When on his deathbed, he had it announced that if he had offended anyone, he was there ready to suffer the penalty; if he owed anything, he was there to repay it. Such was the Prophet’s life of love and labour; such was his teaching."

Bedouin: "But you have told me nothing about prayers, fasting, pilgrimage, and so many other things which he enjoined."

Visitor: "Yes, he was very particular about prayers. He said when we say our prayers we are taking a spiritual bath and come out cleaner and refreshed. He also said prayers were like a ladder that took us up to a higher and nobler life. But all worship, he said, was meant to enable us to play our part in life worthily. A man, he said, who says his prayers but does not feel for the orphan and the needy, is saying no prayers. Prayers must make us truthful, honest, hardworking, fearless, humble, regular, and above all, loving and of service to our fellow-men. Religion, he taught, meant love of God and service to fellow-men."

Renewed restlessness within the tent disturbed their conversation. For a while there was silence. The Bedouin walked up and down and then resuming his seat by the visitor went on with his questions.

Bedouin: "So you must know Umar, too. They say he is a very harsh man."

Visitor: "Rather! This is indeed a great defect in him."

Bedouin: "I wonder why people elected such a harsh man as their caliph?"

Visitor: "Perhaps they could find no better servant."

Bedouin: "Servant! What do you mean? The caliph must be having the time of his life. He must have plenty of money."

At this moment, a voice from within the tent announced a newcomer.

"Amir ul-Muminin!" said the visitor’s wife. "Congratulate your friend. God has blessed him with a son."

The Bedouin was taken aback at the words, Amir ul-Muminin. His visitor was the caliph, himself. He was overtaken by fear.

"I beg your pardon, Amir ul-Muminin," he said, with fear on his face. "I have been rude to you."

"Don’t worry about that, friend," Umar the Great reassured him. "You are just as much a human being as I am. In the sight of God, there is neither high nor low. We are all equal. God loves those who love His creatures. I have only done my duty, for, in Islam, the leader of a people means the servant of the people."[/SIZE]

[B] Humility
[/B]

[SIZE="2"] 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 (r.a.) appointed Hadrat Ali (r.a.) 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 (r.a.) 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[61]

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

[/SIZE]

[SIZE="2"][B] Western views about Umar(ra) the Great[/B]


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.'[71]

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 the Prophet, 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.[72]

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.[73]

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.[74]

Encyclopedia 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.[75]

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." (Mohammed and the Rise of Islam, pg 164)"[76]
However, in contrast to Margoliouth's assertion, Shahid Ashraf in his literary work Encyclopaedia of Holy Prophet and Companions celebrates Umar as amongst the firmest companions who remained with the Prophet Muhammad at his most critical juncture during the battle of Hunain when others fled during ther disarray:

Only a dozen companions stood by the Holy Prophet, all other men fled for safety. The men who stood around the Holy Prophet included Hadrat Abu Bakr, Hadrat Umar and some members of the Hashemites[77]

This view of Umar's courageous commitment at the Battle of Hunayn is also shared by Mufti Muhammad Mukarram Ahmed,[78] the famed Ibn Ishaq in his Sīrat rasūl Allāh,[79] Masudul Hasan in Hadrat Ali Murtada.[80] In fact, the famed Ibn Sa'd's Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir,[81] one of the most reliable works of Islamic history, it is reported: "On that day (Battle of Hunayn) those (few) who remained firm were al-Abbas, Ali ibn Abi Talib, ... Abu Bakr, Umar, ..."

[/SIZE]

[SIZE="2"][B]Umar's miracle[/B]


Al-Bayhaqi and Abu Nu‘aym narrated, both of them in [books that they each called] Dala’il an-Nubuwwah, and al-Lalka’i in Sharh as-Sunnah, ad-Dayr‘aquli in his Fawa’id, Ibn al-A‘rabi in his Karamat al-Awliya and al-Khateeb in Ruwat Malik ‘an Nafi‘ ‘an Ibn ‘Umar that Ibn ‘Umar said: ‘Umar sent an army and he put at the head of them a man called Sariyah. While ‘Umar was delivering the khutbah he began to cry out, ‘Sariyah, the mountain!’ three times. Then later the messenger of the army came and he told ‘Umar, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, we were being defeated and in that situation we heard a voice crying out, “Sariyah, the mountain!” three times. We put the mountain to our rear, and then Allah defeated them.’ Someone said to ‘Umar, ‘You cried out with those words.’ That mountain, where Sariyah was, is close to Nahawand in the land of the non-Arabs (Persian Iraq). Ibn Hajar said in al-Isabah: Its isnad is good.



Ibn Mardawayh narrated by way of Maymun ibn Mihran that Ibn ‘Umar said: ‘Umar was delivering the khutbah on the day of Jumu‘ah and then he turned aside during his khutbah and said, ‘Sariyah, the mountain! He who asks the wolf to be a shepherd will be wronged.’ People looked about, one to another. Then ‘Ali said to them, ‘Let him explain what he meant.’ When he had finished they asked him and he said, ‘It occurred to me in my mind that the idolaters were defeating our brothers who were passing by a mountain, and that if they were to turn towards it, they would fight on one front only, but if they passed by it they would be destroyed. So there came out of me that which you claim you heard.’ He said: The messenger came a month later and mentioned that they had heard the voice of ‘Umar on that day, and he said, ‘We turned towards the mountain, and Allah gave us victory.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="2"][B]great Umar(ra)[/B]

One night, Caliph Umar (radiAllahu anhu) as usual went in disguise with his companion Ibn Abbas to see the condition of the people. They strolled from one quarter to another. At last they came to a colony where poor people lived…

While passing by a small house, the Caliph (radiAllahu anhu) heard a whispering talk within. The mother was telling her daughter that the amount of milk fetched by her for sale that day was very little. She told her that when she was young, and used to sell milk, she always mixed water with milk, and that led to considerable profit. She advised her daughter to do the same. The girl said, "You adulterated milk, when you were not a Muslim. Now that we are Muslims, we cannot adulterate milk." The mother said that Islam did not stand in the way of adulteration of milk.The daughter said, "Have you forgotten the Caliph's order? He wants that the milk should not be adulterated." The mother said, "But the Caliph has forgotten us. We are so poor, what else should we do but adulterate milk in order win bread?" The daughter said "Such a bread would not be lawful, and as a Muslim I would not do anything which is against the orders of the Caliph (radiAllahu anhu) , and whereby other Muslims are deceived." The mother said, "But there is neither the Caliph nor any of his officers here to see what we do. Daughter you are still a child. Go to bed now and tomorrow I will myself mix the milk with water for you." The girl refused to fall in with the plan of her mother. She said, "Caliph may or may not be here, but his order must be obeyed. My conscience is my Caliph. You may escape the notice of the Caliph and his officers, but how can we escape the notice of Allah and our own conscience." Thereupon the mother remained quiet. The lamp was extinguished and the mother and the daughter went to sleep. The next day, Caliph Umar (radiAllahu anhu) sent a man to purchase milk from the girl. The milk was unadulterated. The girl kept her resolve. Caliph Umar (radiAllahu anhu) turned to his companion and said, "The girl has kept her resolve in spite of the exhortation of her mother. She deserves a reward. What reward should I give her? She should be paid some money," said Ibn Abbas. Caliph Umar (radiAllahu anhu) said, "Such a girl would become a great mother. Her integrity is not to be weighed with few coins; it is to be measured in the scale of national values. I shall offer her the highest award in my gift, and which shall also be in the highest interest of the nation." The Caliph (radiAllahu anhu) summoned the daughter and the mother to his court. The mother trembled as she stood before the mighty ruler. But the girl faced the Caliph boldly and with great equanimity.She was beautiful, and there was an impressive dignity about her. Then before the gathering, Caliph Umar (radiAllahu anhu) related how he had overheard the mother and the daughter, and how in spite of the exhortations of the mother the daughter had kept her resolve. Someone suggested that the mother should be taken to task. The Caliph (radiAllahu anhu) said that ordinarily he would have punished the mother, but he had forgiven her for the sake of her daughter.Turning to the girl the great Caliph (radiAllahu anhu) said, "Islam needs daughters like you and as a Caliph of Islam it devolves on me to reward you by owning you as a daughter." The Caliph called his sons, and addressing them said, "Here is a gem of a girl who would make a great mother. I desire that one of you should take this girl as wife. I know of no better bride than this girl of sterling character. In matters of wedlock, it should be the character and not the stature in life that should count." Abdullah and Abdur Rahman the elder sons of the Caliph (radiAllahu anhu) were already married. Asim the third son was yet unmarried, and he offered to marry the girl. Thereupon with the consent of the milkmaid and her mother Asim was married to the girl, and milkmaid became the daughter-in-law of the Caliph(radiAllahu anhu) . From this union was born a daughter Umm Asim, who became in due course the mother of Umar bin Abdul Aziz. Umar bin AbdulAziz was elected as Caliph and served for a short period during 717 - 720.While other Caliphs of the Ummayad dynasty reveled in luxury, Umar bin Abdul Aziz as a Caliph set up standards for austerity and simplicity following in the footsteps of Caliph Umar (radiAllahu anhu) , the second Caliph of Islam.It is said that if ever there was a noble Caliph after the first four Rightly guided Caliphs,such a man was Umar bin Abdul Aziz. And he inherited the noble qualities of the milkmaid who married the Caliph's son, and those of Caliph Umar Farooq who had the eye to discern the nobler qualities of sterling character in a poor girl.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="2"][B]Fall of Persian Empire
[/B]
During the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr (Raziallah Anho), Hadrat Khalid bin Walid conquered part of Persian Empire, known as the Kingdom of Hira. Then he was ordered by Hadrat Abu Bakr (Raziallah Anho) to join the expedition to Syria.

At the time of his departure, he appointed Muthanna bin Harith as the commander of the Islamic army. The Persians became furious at the loss of the kingdom of Hira and the Emperor sent a large army under the command of a very famous General, Rustam the Commander-in-Chief of Persian armies. In view of the growing pressure of Persians, Muthanna requested Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) for reinforcement. At that time there was a large gathering of Muslims in Medina to take pledge of loyalty (Bai'at) at the hand of the new Caliph (Hadrat Umar). He put the matter before the Muslims but did not get any response in the beginning. Then Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) in his sermons stressed the importance of Jihad and a large number of Muslims volunteered to help Muthanna against the Persians. Abu‘Ubaid ath-Thaqafi was appointed as the commander of the Islamic army comprising five thousand men. In the meantime Persians attacked the places conquered by Muslims and they lost some of them. In the early stage of the battles Rustam sent his subordinates to face Muslims.
[B]
The Battle of Namariq[/B]

When Abu‘Ubaid had reached there a battle took place at "Namariq" and the Muslims won it. A number of famous generals of Persians army including Jaban, right hand of Rustam, were killed in the battle. Then some small battles also took place at Kaskar etc.





[B]The Battle of the Bridge[/B]

The defeat of Persians startled Rustam and he gathered a huge army to face the Muslims. The army met the Muslims on the other bank of the Euphrates under the command of Bahman, a famous Persian warrior. Bahman asked Hadrat Abu Ubaid whether Persians should cross the river or the Muslims. Hadrat Abu‘Ubaid was over-confident and chose to cross the river, although some of the Muslim generals like Muthanna did not like to cross the river, and preferred to let the Persians come. The Islamic army crossed the river but lost the battle. Hadrat Abu 'Ubaid was also martyred and Muslims fell one after the other. Muthanna took over the command and ordered rebuilding of the bridge which had been destroyed. The elephants of the Persian army caused considerable damage to the Muslim army. However Muthanna could save only 3000 men out of an army of 9000.

[B]The Battle of Buwaib[/B]

Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) was shocked at the defeat of the Muslim army. He sent special messengers to various tribes and exhorted the Muslims to prepare for the Holy War against Persians. A new reinforcement was sent to Muthanna's army. In this army a number of Christian Arabs were also included.

The Persians also gathered a huge army. This time Rustam, the Commander-in-Chief of the Persian armies, appointed Mehran Hamdani as the Commander because he had travelled Arabia and knew the Arabian way of fighting. The Muslim army, under the command of Muthanna, met the Persians at a place called Buwaib (where "Kufa” is situated). The Muslims invited the Persians to cross the river and they accepted it. The number of Muslim army was a little more than 20,000 while the Persians (Iranians) several times larger in number, were estimated as two hundred thousands. A fierce battle took place. Muslims fought desperately and after a grim fight, the Persians were defeated. They could not find the way to cross the river Euphrates because the bridge built by them was destroyed by the Muslims. There was a total disorder in the Persian army. The commander of the army, Mehran was slain in this battle and not less than a hundred thousand men lost their lives in the field. As a result of this victory the whole of western part of Persians Empire (now Iraq) fell into Muslim hands.





[B]Change of Persian Ruler[/B]

The great defeat at Buwaib shocked the Persian Empire. It was not only a cause of great disturbance to the rulers but to the public as well. For the first time they realised the strength of Muslims. The news of loss of one hundred thousand Persians and only few hundred Muslims was received with great surprise. At that time a woman, Puran Dukht was the Empress. The Iranians (Persians) replaced the Empress by a young 21 year old Emperor, Yezdgird. The new Emperor reorganised the army and strengthened the frontier defences. There arose a number of rebellions in the places conquered by Muslims as a result of which Muslims again lost some of the parts which they had conquered.

When Hadrat Umar heard this news he asked Muthanna to call the border tribes and to return within safer borders till reinforcement reached him. He himself declared "Jihad" all over the land and sent emissaries to collect an army for the Holy War. An army of 20,000 Muslims was collected. Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) himself wanted to lead the army this time but the "Shura" (Advisory Council) did not agree to it. The name of Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (Raziallah Anho), a great warrior and one of the uncles of the Holy Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wassallam) was proposed to lead the army to which Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) agreed. The army was having 70 of those Companions who had participated in the first battle of Islam at Badr. When the army was leaving Medina, Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) gave instructions to Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (Raziallah Anho). Some of those are as under

"Allah does not repel evil with evil but he repels evil with good. All men high and low are equal before Him. One can win Allah's favour only through devotion to His service. Remember that the "Sunnah"(the Way) of the Holy Prophet is the only correct way of doing things. You are going on a heavy mission which you can discharge only by following the Truth. Inculcate good habits in yourselves and in your companions."

This advice clearly shows that the aim of Muslims was to proclaim Allah's message --- ISLAM, rather than to fight. The sword was used to clear the barriers in the way.

In the meantime Muthanna died and his brother Bashir joined Hadrat Sa'd (Raziallah Anho) with an army of eight thousand. Hadrat Sa'd was in direct contact with Hadrat Umar all the time who was constantly giving instructions about the movement of the army from place to place. Finally Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) sent instructions to it to encamp at Qadisiya and to send an envoy to the Persian Emperor, Yezdgird, with the Message of Islam and peace.





[B]Islamic Emissaries[/B]

Following the instructions of the Caliph, Hadrat Sa'd encamped at Qadisiya. The Muslims had to wait there for about two months for the Persian armies. In the meantime Hadrat Sa'd sent an envoy to the Emperor Yezdgird.

Yezdgird held his court to receive Muslim envoys. The court was a mirror of the worldly pomp and glory of the Persians. Hadrat Nu'man bin Maqram invited the Persians and the Emperor to Islam and told them about the Holy Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wassallam). He said: "0 Persians, we call you towards the path of peace, i.e. Islam. If you accept it, you are our brothers and we will leave Allah's Book. the Holy Qur'an, for your guidance to follow His, commandments. If you reject this sacred message, pay us the "Jizra"(Defence Tax). The third alternative is the sword in case you reject the first two offers, so that we may take our own course to spread this message."

Yezdgird who was very proud of his power and army, lost his temper on hearing this and insulted the envoys. He got a basket full of earth and put it on the head of the leader, Hadrat 'Asim (Raziallah Anho). When Hadrat 'Asim carried the earth to Hadrat Sa'd (Raziallah Anho), he took it as a sign for victory. The ill-treatment of the Persian Emperor hastened the war.

The Emperor sent an army of one hundred thousand men. This time Rustam, the Commander-in-Chief, was himself leading the Persian army. Other famous commanders of the army were Jalinus, Mahran bin Bahram Razi and Harmuzan. Rustam was afraid of Muslims and hesitated to face them. He took six months to reach Qadisiya from Mada'in, the capital. He wanted to negotiate with the Muslims in the first instance. Therefore he asked them to send a delegation. The Muslim delegation went to Rustam's camp at the head of Hadrat Rabi' bin 'Amir (Raziallah Anho) There took place much discussion but no decision was reached. Hadrat Rabi' (Raziallah Anho) gave the message of Islam boldly and put the same three conditions which were put before the Emperor by Hadrat Nu'man. On the second day Rustam again asked Hadrat Sa'd (Raziallah Anho) to send the delegation. This time he sent Hadrat Hudhaifah (Raziallah Anho) who also put the same three conditions and told him if he did not accept them within three days, the third alternative i.e., the use of sword would remain and would be acted upon. Third day Rustam again requested Muslims to send an emissary and this time Hadrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah (Raziallah Anho) went. Rustam tried to negotiate in terms of money by saying: "I think you are poor and hungry. We would give you so much of wealth that would be sufficient for the whole of your life." Hearing this Hadrat Mughirah (Raziallah Anho) angrily replied, "Of course we were hungry and poor but Allah sent His Messenger to us because of whom our fate changed and Allah nourished us. He asked us to obey only One God and to spread His message. If you follow His message (Islam) you are our brothers, we will never fight with you. If you don't, then let us spread His Kalimah and you pay to us "Jizya" (Defence Tax) otherwise the sword will give the final decision." Hearing this Rustam got furious and vowed to kill all the Muslims as soon as the sun rose the next day. Hadrat Mughirah (Raziallah Anho) returned to the Muslim camp saying: "La haula wala quw-wata illa billahil'Azim" (There is neither any power nor any might besides Allah, the High).





[B]The Battle of Qadisiya[/B]

As soon as Hadrat Mughirah left the Persian Camp, Rustam asked his army to prepare for the attack in the morning. There was a canal between the two armies. He ordered building of a bridge over it. Next day in the morning he crossed the canal to attack the Muslims. When both the armies were ready to fight, Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (Raziallah Anho) told Rustam through an epistle: "Rustam! There are people with me to whom death (in the Path of Allah) is more attractive than is wine to the people in your army."

At last the battle started at Qadisiya in the month of Muharram, 14 A.H. (June, 637). Hadrat Sa'd was sick and directed the operations from the sick bed. This battle was hotly contested and lasted for three days. Muslims were about 28,000 in number while the Persian army was estimated at 120,000 (four times bigger than Islamic army). Rustam displayed great skill in arraying his troops. On the first day the battle started amidst loud cries of "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest). Though the Muslims displayed great valour and skill but the Persian elephants played havoc with the Muslim cavalry. The Arab horses were not trained to fight in a battle having elephants. However Muslim archers and lancers rained arrows and spheres and knocked down many elephant riders. The battle ended without reaching a final decision on the first day. The following day the battle again ended without a victory for any of the two armies. On the third day Muslims wrapped pieces of cloth round the bodies of their camels to frighten the Persian elephants. The plan worked out successfully. Moreover a number of Muslim archers pierced the eyes of the elephants and cut their trunks. The blind elephants ran towards the Persian army and destroyed their ranks. The battle continued to the fourth day. Now the blind elephants played a havoc with the Persians themselves. Then some of the Muslim warriors from among the chief of the clans rushed towards Rustam and destroyed the special battalion around him. The canopy of Rustam was blown in the air and he himself tried to flee. He was detected by the Muslims and was slain. Seeing their slain Commander, the Persians started fleeing for their lives. Thousands of Persians were slain. There were about six thousand Muslim casualties while the number of the Persians killed was thirty thousand.

The battle of Qadisiya proved to be decisive in the history of Islam. It shattered the strength of the Persian Empire. Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) received the news with great joy. The Muslims gained immense booty which was distributed among the troops according to the Islamic law and a fifth portion was despatched to the Baitul Mal.

Following the victory at Qadisiya, Muslims chased the Persians. They captured Babal and Kutha and then laid siege to Bahrah Sher, a very important and strong fort at the outskirts of the Persian capital, Mada'in (Ctesiphon). The siege went on for two months and ultimately Muslims captured the fort. The next step was to conquer Mada'in, the capital itself.





[B]Fall of Mada'in (Ctesiphon), the Capital of Persian Empire[/B]

The City of Mada'in was situated on the east bank of river Tigris and was almost surrounded by it. After a rest of few months, Hadrat Sa'd took permission from Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) to invade the Capital. When Hadrat Sa'd (Raziallah Anho) marched, the Persians destroyed the bridge on the river. The river was deep and turbulent but the determination of Muslims was not affected. They were having full faith in Allah, Almighty, the Creator of the Universe. It has been recorded in some books of history that on finding the destruction of the bridge by the Persians Hadrat Sa'd said: "Allah made a way in the Red Sea for Moses and his followers, He will surely help us who are following His Last Prophet, Hadrat Muhammad (Sal Allaho Alehe Wassallam)." He consulted the generals of his army and then ordered the Muslims to go across. First of all sixty horsemen plunged themselves in the river and crossed it. Then the whole army crossed the river as if it was walking on the ground. Seeing the Muslims crossing the river the Persian archers rained arrows on the Muslims. Hadrat Sa'd had already appointed six hundred archers on a nearby hill. They assaulted the Persians who ran away saying: "Dev amdand, Dev amdand"(i.e., "The giants have come! The giants have come!”). The Muslims crossed the Tigris without any severe loss. Yezdgird and his ministers had already fled and the capital was captured without any opposition. With this victory the whole of the territory between the Euphrates and the Tigris came under the possession of the Muslims. The prophecy of the Holy Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wassallam) came true: "A group of Muslims will capture the White Palace of the Persian Emperor".

Both Hadrat Umar and Hadrat Sa'd (Radiallahu anhuma) thanked Allah for this great victory. When the rich booty from the White Palace of Yezdgird reached Medina, tears came out in the eyes of Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) and he remarked, "I am weeping because riches are often the cause of enmity and mutual bitterness. Those people who have such evils, ultimately lose respect".

[B]The Battle of Jalula[/B]

The Persian Emperor took shelter in Hulwan and started preparation for a big assault on the Muslims. Now Kharzad, brother of Rustam was the Commander-in Chief. He gathered a huge army to avenge the past defeats. After consultations with Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (Raziallah Anho) sent an army under the command of Hashim and Qa'qas to face the Persian army at Jalula. Again a fierce battle was fought and ultimately the Persians were defeated who fled further north.

The Muslims advanced ahead and captured Qaka and finally Hulwan where Yezdgird, the Emperor was staying. He fled to Khurasan and settled down in Mery. The last big battle was fought in the month of Muharram, 19 A.H. (642 A.C.) at Nihawand in which the Persians were completely defeated. Then a number of small battles took place and the Muslims conquered Hamdan, Azerbaijan and Armenia by the year 21 A.H.





[B]Muslim Rule over the Persian Empire[/B]

The Persian Emperor fled to Isphan, then to Kirman and from there to Balkh. The Muslims chased him everywhere. Ultimately the whole of Persia came under the sway of Islam, by the year 23 A.H. The Muslims marched as east as Sind (the Indian territory, now Pakistan). They captured Makran and Baluch. But Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) stopped them who were under the command of Hakam at that time. He did not want to extend his frontiers at the price of Muslim blood. Thus Makran was the last place in the east under the rule of Muslims during the caliphate of Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho). After the capture of Persian Empire, Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) remarked: "Allah has destroyed the Persian Empire, now they cannot harm the Muslims. O Muslims, if you do not follow the Straight Path, Allah would take this power from you and hand it over to whom He likes".

It must be clarified here that at no place Muslims forced non-Muslims to accept Islam. Islam spread because of its teachings and because of the practical life of Muslims. Some western scholars have accepted this fact. Raziallah Anho Nicholson writes in A Literary History of the Arabs, "It must not be supposed that the followers of Zoroaster and Christ in these countries were forcibly converted to Islam. Thousands embraced it voluntarily."

The conquest of the Persian Empire provided the Muslims with unlimited resources. At the same time it also brought Muslims into touch with luxuries and as time passed they gave up their simple living and fell prey to some vices prevailing in those days Hadrat Umar had feared.

[B]The cities of Basra and Kufa[/B]

Muslims established two military cantonments one at Basra and the other at Kufa in 638 A.C. Later on these cantonments became big cities. Basra was established at the Shatt-ul-Arab and was important because it guarded the passage from the Persian Gulf to Mesopotamia. Kufa was founded at the bank of the Euphrates. Afterwards these cities became important centres of Islamic culture and civilisation.

[B]Conquest of Syria[/B]

The causes of the war between the Muslims and the Byzantines (commonly called as Romans) have already been discussed. During the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr (Raziallah Anho) the Muslims had defeated Romans on the Syrian front and captured a number of cities like Busra and Ajnadain. They laid siege to Damascus when Hadrat Abu Bakr (Raziallah Anho) passed away. After his death they captured Damascus, Hims and Qansrin. In all the three battles Hadrat Khalid bin Walid played an important role. Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) recognised Khalid's merits and said, "May Allah bless the soul of Abu Bakr, he put Khalid in the right place".

The fall of these important cities made the Byzantine Emperor, Heraclius, furious and he sent a huge army to fight with the Muslims. In order to face this big army, Muslims left some of the places, occupied by them and returned to safer border. When the Islamic armies were leaving the conquered places they paid back the "Jizya" (the Defence Tax) received from the non-Muslim inhabitants of those places saying: "Since we cannot protect you, we are returning it." This was a unique example in history. The people of those places were greatly impressed by the Muslims' treatment. It is given in some books that the people of those places cried when Muslims left their places.




[B]
The Battle of Yarmuk: (Rajab 15 A.H./636 A.C.)[/B]

After the fall of Damascus, Hims and other places, the Romans fled to Antioch where Heraclius was staying and was thinking of moving to Constantinople, his permanent capital. They appealed to Heraclius to help them against the Muslim armies. He held this court at Antioch and to beg an raising a huge army against the Muslims to wipe them out of Syria.

The Muslims had already gathered at Yarmuk to face the Roman Byzantine army. The Romans were several times larger in number than the Muslims. In the beginning the commond was in the hand of Hadrat Khalid bin Walid (Raziallah Anho) but during the battle he received the letter of Hadrat Umar deposing him from the post of Commander-in-Chief. Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) appointed Abu 'Ubaidah bin Jarrah (Raziallah Anho) as the Commander-in-Chief. A fierce battle was fought on the 20th Aug., 636, and at the end the Romans lost the field. The cavalry fled and the infantry was put to sword. Theodorus, the Commander of Roman army himself fell and his entire army was turned into a fleeing, panic-stricken mob. According to Tabari, about one hundred thousand Romans were killed in this battle. Muslim causalities were three thousand.

The battle of Yarmuk was a turning point in the history of Byzantine Empire. The power of Byzantine was crushed in the battle. The fate of Syria was decided and it fell in the hands of Muslims for ever. Hearing the defeat at Yarmuk, Heraclius left Antioch and fled to Constantinople saying: Farewell, O Syria! and what an excellent country this is for the enemy"

(Note: According to some historians it was the 2nd battle of Ajnadan and not the battle of Yarmuk which took place in 15 A.H.).
[B]
Removal of Hadrat Khalid (Raziallah Anho) from the command[/B]

Hadrat Khalid bin Walid (Raziallah Anho) was a successful and powerful general of Islam. He occupied a unique position in the history of heroism, and devoted his whole life to the cause of Islam. Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) always appreciated his services. But there were certain complaints against him, especially for being extravagant, when he awarded 10,000 dinars to a poet. Hadrat Khalid could not give satisfactory explanation to Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) hence he was removed from the command. But Hadrat Khalid proved to be a very true Muslim and fought like an ordinary soldier in the army. As narrated above, he was deposed when the battle of Yarmuk was going on. The Caliph’s order was delivered to Khalid but it had no effect on him. He went on fighting as fiercely as before. After the battle was over, his dismissal became known. When somebody asked him why the news did not damp his spirit at all, he said, "I was fighting for the cause of Allah."

According to those historians who hold the opinion that the Battle of Yarmuk took place before the fall of Damascus, Hadrat Khalid was deposed in the early part of Umar’s (Raziallah Anho) caliphate, while some think it took place around 17 A.H. because according to them the battle of Yarmuk took place after the fall of Damascus.

Regarding the removal of Hadrat Khalid some of the Muslim historians say: "He (Hadrat Umar) had deposed Khalid from the government, not because of tyranny or fraud, but because he deemed it essential to admonish the people, who were inclined to put their trust in an arm of flesh, instead of looking to the Giver of all victory"

[B]Fall of Jerusalem[/B]

Hadrat Amr bin al-'As was in the beginning leading the army in front of Jerusalem. After the capture of Antioch and other key cities of Byzantium, Hadrat Abu'Ubaidah also joined him along with Hadrat Khalid bin Walid (Raziallah Anho) They laid siege to the great city of Jerusalem, surrounded by a huge wall. Since the people of Jerusalem had already seen the defeat of Byzantine forces they offered a peaceful truce provided the "Khalifah" came in person to sign the treaty in their presence. The proposal was passed over to Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) at Medina and after consultation with the "Shura" he accepted the offer.





[B]Hadrat Umar at Jerusalem[/B]

Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) appointed Hadrat'Ali (Raziallah Anho) 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 (Raziallah Anho) 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. Hadrat Abu 'Ubaidah, Khalid bin Walid and other commanders came some distance to receive him. They were wearing costly garments. This made Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) angry. He threw some pebbles at his generals (to show his anger) and said, "Have you changed so much in just two years? The only way for the success is the way of the Holy Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wassallam)."

Then Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) signed the treaty under which the inhabitants of Jerusalem were granted complete security of their life and property. Their places of worship were secured and remained intact. All the people were allowed to follow their religion freely.

The gates of the city were then opened and the Muslims entered the Jerusalem in the year 16 A.H. (i.e., 635 A.C.) According to some history books the date given on the treaty signed by Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) falls in the 17th year A. H. It is possible therefore that the Muslims conquered it early in 17th year A.H.

Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) visited the city. The time of the "Salat" had reached. The Christians allowed the Muslims to perform Salat in the big Church but Hadrat Umar declined to do so that it might not be an excuse for the future generations to take over the Church from them. He offered the Salat with the Muslims on the steps of the Church. Even then he gave in writing to the Bishop that the steps would never be used for congregational prayers or for the Adhan in future.
[B]
Umar's Masjid at Jerusalem[/B]

Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) laid the foundation of a Masjid at a place known as "Sakhra" proposed by the Bishop, where Allah sent revelation to Prophet Yaqub (Jacob or Israel, 'Alaihis-Salam) and where the great temple of Solomon was built. He himself worked like a labourer for building the Masjid. That Masjid is known as the "Umar's Masjid"




[B]
Conquest of Jazirah Mesopotamia[/B]

After the conquest of Jerusalem the Romans (Byzantines) tried to regain Syria. The Muslims did not want territorial expansion, they were fighting either to protect the birth-place of Islam, Arabia or in self-defence. Their aim was only to proclaim Allah's message and to preach Islam freely. Whenever they were allowed a free passage to show the right path no fighting took place as it could be noticed in the case of Jerusalem. Never, in the history of Islam any nation was forced to forsake its religion and to accept Islam.

The people of Jazirah (now North western part of Iraq) plotted to oust the Muslims from Syria. Heraclius, the Emperor of Byzantine sent his army to help the people of "Jazirah". They invaded Hims, a fort which had been conquered by the Muslims under the command of Hadrat Abu 'Ubaidah (Raziallah Anho). The Muslims fell upon the enemies and beat them off. Under such conditions Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) ordered the Muslim forces to occupy Jazirah. After its conquest Jazirah (Mesopotamia) was put under the Governor of Homs (Home). Jazirah was conquered under the command of 'Ayad bin Ghanam (Raziallah Anho).

[B]The Severe Famine & Plague[/B]

In the year 17-18 A.H., Hijaz (Northern Arabia) and Syria were faced by a severe famine and drought. Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) took steps to get food supplies from Egypt, part of which had been conquered by Hadrat'Amr bin al-'As (Raziallah Anho). He sent three big ships of grains to Medina which were unloaded in the presence of Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho). He himself distributed the grains among the needy. Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) did not take any delicacy (butter etc.) during the famine period. When he was requested to take care of his health he said, "If I don't taste suffering, how can I know the sufferings of others?"

When the famine became intolerable he prayed to Allah in a big gathering of Muslims. It has been narrated that the prayers had not even finished when rains started to pour down.

About the same time plague spread in most parts of Iraq, Syria and Egypt and it caused great havoc not only to civilians but also to the Muslim armies. After the plague Hadrat Umar went to Syria to inspect the losses caused by the plague. Three important figures Abu 'Ubaidah, Mu'adh bin Jabal and Yazid bin Abu Sufyan (Raziallah Anho) had passed away. He appointed Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan as the Governor of Damascus in place of his brother Yazid bin Abi Sufyan.





[B]The Conquest of Egypt[/B]

Being a powerful province of Byzantine Empire and having the strong base of Byzantine navy at Alexandria, Egypt was a great danger to the security of Hijaz (Northern Arabia). The Romans were busy in plotting against the Muslims to regain the territories conquered by the Muslims and to attack them through Egypt. Obviously it was necessary from the point of view of defence to drive back the Romans (Byzantines) from Egypt. Therefore, towards the close of 17 A.H. (638 A.C.) Hadrat 'Amr bin al-'As (Raziallah Anho) who had collaborated in the conquest of Palestine, repeatedly urged the Caliph to authorise him to lead a campaign against the valley of the Nile. He got the necessary permission from the Caliph and set out from Palestine for Egypt at the head of four thousand men. (Note: According to a number of historians it took place in the 18th year A.H. i.e., 639 A.D. All of them agree that a part of Egypt had been conquered before the great famine which happened in 17-18 A.H. If it is true, the date of invasion by ‘ Amr bin al-'As must be before 18 A.H.).

Hadrat 'Amr bin al-'As entered Egypt by the route of Wadi al-Arish and after attacking some small towns laid siege to one of the strongest forts of Romans in Egypt at Fustat (which later became Cairo). The fort was conquered after some time.

The fall of Fustat gave a severe blow to Roman might in Egypt. Constanstine II, the Byzantine Emperor, hearing the news of the fall of the fort near Fustat, got furious and sent a big army to Alexandria. Hadrat 'Amr bin al-'As therefore set out for Alexandria from Fustat. He got reinforcement from the Caliph. Alexandria was the strong hold of the Romans in Egypt. They could easily send reinforcement and supplies to Alexandria by sea. It was really a difficult task to conquer it. Hadrat 'Amr bin al-'As laid siege to the city but no result came out for six months. Seeing this condition Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) wrote to Hadrat'Amr bin al-'As (Raziallah Anho)

"I am afraid that the Muslims have not been acting fully upon the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah (ways) of the Holy Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wassallam). The only way to get victory is to follow strictly the ways of the Holy Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wassallam). They should therefore be more and more strict on it..... Then try to give final blow to the enemy".

Hadrat 'Amr (Raziallah Anho) read the letter before the Muslims. Umar’s orders were at once carried out and at last Alexandria was conquered after a heavy engagement. According to some Western historians it was conquered in 642 A.D., while some of the Muslim historians say that Alexandria was conquered in 640 A.D. (20 A.H.). After the conquest of this great city, one time a glory for the' Romans, Hadrat 'Amr wrote to the Caliph, "I have captured a city from the description of which I shall refrain. Suffice it to say I have seized therein 4000 villas with 4000 baths, 40,000 poll-tax-paying Jews and 400 places of entertainment for royalty". Philip Hitti writes, "The Caliph entertained his general's messenger with bread and dates; they all joined in a thanksgiving service in the Prophet's Masjid".

Afterwards Hadrat 'Amr (Raziallah Anho) captured the remaining fortresses in Egypt and it came under the full sway of Islam. Local Christians and Jews were given freedom of religion; various taxes imposed by the Romans were abolished and the general condition of the country improved. The Egyptians had never enjoyed such a period of prosperity and peace before.

A very inhuman custom was prevailing in Egypt at that time. The Egyptians used to sacrifice a beautiful maiden every year to please the river Nile so that it may bring more water. After the victory the matter was reported to Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) who prohibited this. By chance the same year the Nile had very little water and a condition of drought seemed to prevail over there. Hadrat'Amr (Raziallah Anho) wrote to Hadrat Umar (Raziallah Anho) to seek his advice. He wrote the following letter and asked Hadrat 'Amr to throw it in the Nile

"From Umar, the servant of Allah and "Amir"(Leader) of the Muslims to the River Nile of Egypt. O Nile! If you flow of your own desire, we do not need you. If you flow by the order of Allah, we pray to Him to keep you flowing".

The letter was thrown into the Nile and it over-flowed that year. In this way Egyptians were stopped from an un-Islamic practice. This had a very good effect. The Egyptians realised the spiritual power of Islam, and entered its folds.

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Great words for Umar(ra) the Great
 

[SIZE="2"][COLOR="Magenta"][B]
The initial enthusiasm had died down
The blessed ones subjected to wrath and frown
As if the pagans had turned a corner
Rejoicing to see budding Islam now drown

Lord advised to seek strength
From a person who alone was the biggest enemy
The Prophet prayed for the love of Umar
Who alone could stand like a rock

Hearing his near ones fall prey
For reasons unknown, had gone astray
Furious and fuming, with a sword in hand
Determined to pluck their heads away

The word of God, they quickly hid
That from Umar, they would finally get rid
Umar’s reaction was crude and brute
Suffering and bleeding, unwilling to part with their fruit

Exhausted and beaten, he preferred to hear
The magic words that he used to fear
Like wax under the sun, he collapsed and wept
To the Prophet’s house, he finally leapt

A wonderful feeling, no one could tell
Like a child, into Prophet’s arms he fell
What a great day it was
The day when Islam came out of its shell[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]