have you gone through all the events and history at Umar RA times..............!

Caliph and Conqueror

Very early in the history of Islam a Caliph named Omar the Great unified his people with sword and law.

The guide showing a party of tourists around the Old City of Jerusalem ushers them up a flight of steps, under a row of stone arches, and into a vast rectangular courtyard. Beyond the courtyard sprawls the timeless city, the houses crowded together in the impressive confusion of the centuries, separated by a maze of narrow streets and back alleys alive with humanity.

The effect is quite different inside the courtyard. Here there is no confusion. The surface paved with stones extends on every side of the big building in the center, so that it stands isolated in solitary splendor, and all the more impressive for sharing the space with no rival.

"The Mosque of Omar," says the tourist guide with a sweep of his hand. All eyes follow the vaulting lines of the architecture up and up, past columns, arches and cornices to the soaring dome above.

The voice of the tourist guide drones on. "You will notice that the Mosque of Omar has eight symmetrical sides—an octagon within a square courtyard. The arches are semicircular, preserving the geometrical proportions and at the same time breaking the monotony of the straight lines."

He points up at the dominating feature. "The dome completes the pattern of unity and variety, a semi-sphere on a level base. Unlike the walls, which are of solid stone, the dome is made of wood. The builders put a coating of lead on the outside, and, as we shall see when we enter, a coating of plaster on the inside. The decorations beneath the dome are typically Islamic, especially in the use of intricate mosaics, but they are not uniform in style; they show a succession of styles over a long period of time."

He pauses for effect. "This is, after all, an old building. Few examples of Islamic architecture are older than the Mosque of Omar."

"Who," says one tourist, "was Omar?"

The question is a strange one. It is like asking who Alexander was, or Caesar, or Justinian. Omar the Great ranks with them as a world figure. Yet his name is little known in the West except to historians, and even among Islamic peoples he is eclipsed by the greater fame of Haroun al-Rashid and Saladin — to whom he bequeathed the imperial basis of their power.

Before Omar, the Arabs lived mainly within the confines of the Arabian Peninsula. After Omar, they ruled the Middle East from Egypt to Syria, and north through Syria to the frontier of the Byzantine Empire. Omar the Great reigned over more provinces than any man since Alexander the Great. That alone places him in the forefront of the makers of history.

Why is his reputation not commensurate with the grandeur of his achievement?

For one thing, he was not a flamboyant personality. He clung to the simple ways of the Bedouin even after he had become the most powerful man in the world. His generals of the conquest quickly adopted the luxurious manners of the Syrians and the Persians. Their caliph never owned more than one shirt and one mantle at a time, and his meals at home were as frugal as those he ate on the battlefield.

When Omar first entered Jerusalem after the surrender of the city, he found his military men already dressed in gorgeous robes and glittering jewels, the spoils of plunder. He himself, they told one another privately, looked less like a caliph than like a beggar on a broken-down camel. He summoned them to a conference at which he criticized their departure from the old ways of the desert, and declared emphatically: "It is not fitting that we, to whom so much has been given, should be so eager to take so much."

Omar the Great never took anything for himself. He died as poor as he lived.

Again, he never tried to snatch the military laurels from his fighting men. He was the statesman and the strategist of empire-building but allowed his generals full freedom of action during their campaigns, and he willingly conceded the limelight to them when they returned as victors. He meditated in his tent while they paraded through the streets to the cheers of the crowd.

When he cashiered his foremost tactician, Khalid, this was not from jealousy of a brilliant subordinate, but because he found Khalid guilty of extortion during his Syrian command. "Oh, Khalid," the Caliph lamented, "I would forgive you if you had stolen from me."

Simplicity, poverty, justice—these are three qualities of the brave and energetic man who led the Arabs out of the confines of the Arabian Desert and into the lush lands of the age-old Fertile Crescent.

Omar arrived on the scene at the moment best suited to his genius. Born in 590 A.D., one of the early followers of the Prophet of Islam, he threw his authority behind the selection of Abu Bakr as the first Caliph of Islam. When Abu Bakr died in 634, Omar succeeded him.

Two things needed to be done at once. The Arabs had to be united under a new system that would replace the anarchy of nomadic life in the desert. Omar solved this problem by establishing the Caliphate in its historical form. The attitude of the Arabs to their enemies had to be determined. Omar solved this problem with his sword.

The true meaning of the Caliphate had not emerged under the first Caliph, for Abu Bakr reigned for only two years and was mainly concerned with his religious duties. The second Caliph saw that Islam would be under constant attack without a strong right arm. He added military duties to the Caliphate so that the Islamic peoples might know to whom to look for defense against their enemies.

Omar adopted a title to go with this specific function, a title that rings through history from his time to the present: Commander of the Faithful.

With domestic affairs straightened out, the Caliph turned to foreign affairs. Once more he brought order into events that began before his Caliphate. The Arabs were already fighting around their perimeter. This border skirmishing had revealed the startling fact that the grandiose Byzantine and Persian Empires were far weaker than anyone had suspected. There would be nothing quixotic about the desert warriors mounting a full-scale drive against these once-mighty neighbors.

Omar the Great, Commander of the Faithful, resolved to invade the imperial provinces that faced Islam along the arc of the Fertile Crescent.

Syria came first. Omar sent an army under Khalid toward Damascus. The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius hastened down from Constantinople with a larger force. Khalid out-maneuvered him, lured him into a trap in a canyon of the Jordan Valley, and overwhelmed him in the decisive Battle of Yarmuk (636). Heraclius fled back to Constantinople. Syria fell to the Arabs.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Sophronius, realizing the futility of attempting to hold the city, surrendered to the Caliph himself. This was the occasion of Omar's criticism of the luxury of his generals. A more famous anecdote tells of the Patriarch escorting the Caliph around Jerusalem, and inviting him to say a prayer in the Church of the Resurrection. "No," the Caliph replied, "for if I do, my people may appropriate the Church when I am no longer here to protect your rights."

Iraq came next. The Persian Emperor sent the legendary Rustam down the Euphrates to deal with these upstarts from the desert. Instead, they dealt with him at the crushing Battle of Qadisiya (637). The Persians fled back to Persia. Iraq fell to the Arabs.

Egypt was easier because the death of Heraclius left the province in a turmoil. The Arabs were in control of the Land of the Nile by the end of 641. That same year they occupied the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates, and penetrated into Persia after winning the Battle of Nihawand.

Omar had, within the space of some five years, transformed the Fertile Crescent from a threat into a bulwark. This incredible feat was distinctly his since he had, with consummate understanding of the epoch in which he lived, chosen where and when to strike on each campaign. His people, reacting spontaneously to the success of his grand strategy, called him Omar the Great.

History endorsed his statesmanship. His death at the hands of an assassin in 644 did not cause his work to crumble. He had given Islamic power the momentum to expand in subsequent centuries as far as Spain and India, and, in 1453, into Constantinople itself. A Western historian offers this summation of his career: "Omar the Great he was to his contemporaries, and Omar the Great he remains to us, the first and foremost Commander of the Faithful."

Much of the history of Islam is his monument. So is the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem—built fifty years after his death, named in his honor by his grateful people, carefully preserved to this day, thirteen centuries after he molded the wanderers of the desert into a force that brought unity to much of the Middle East.

This article appeared on pages 14-16 of the November/December 1963 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.

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Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

Hazrat Umar (ra), the second caliph of Rasulullah (Our Messenger) (saas), was one of the closest Companions of our Prophet (saas) and was at his side from the age of 33. With the powerful character he exhibited in the face of persecution by the pagans and the profound sense of justice that spread his name across the world, he was one of the leading proponents of Islamic moral values.
Abdullah Ibn Masud described the importance of Hazrat Umar’s conversion to Islam by saying:

"Umar’s becoming a Muslim was a conquest."(Ali ibn al-Athir, Usud al-Ghabah, IV, p. 151)

Like Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar (ra) participated in all our Prophet’s (saas) battles.
Hazrat Umar was a Companion whose intelligence and foresight our Prophet (saas) trusted and made use of.

He played a significant role in the selection of Hazrat Abu Bakr as Caliph and thus putting an end to the confusion that followed the death of Rasulullah (Our Prophet) (saas), and he was the first person to swear allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakr. In addition, Hazrat Umar was Hazrat Abu Bakr’s greatest helper during his caliphate.

Hazrat Umar spent all his wealth on the spread of Islam, and with his just administration he was an excellent role model for subsequent administrators. Rasulullah (Our Prophet) (saas) gave him the name of ‘Faruq,’ meaning “he who distinguishes between good and evil, truth and superstition”, and he thus became known as Umar Faruq.

Since he obeyed the injunctions of the Qur’an and the Sunna throughout his life, he was also known as “Al wakkafu indel haq (He who immediately stops and pays heed when the truth is mentioned.)”

Following the Battle of the Trench, our Prophet (saas) married Hazrat Umar’s daughter Hazrat Hafsa. Hazrat Umar thus achieved the honor of being a relative of Rasulullah (Our Prophet) (saas).

Hazrat Umar possessed a very good knowledge of genealogy, Arab family lines of descent , in other words. He learned that from his father. He was also a good wrestler. He won first prize many times in wrestling contests in the Ukas market, the largest market of Hejaz Region at that time. He was also famous for his horse-riding skills. He was very majestic, brave and strong. He was one of the few people in the time of ignorance who knew how to read and write. Hazrat Umar had a powerful way of speaking and always used the most pleasant language. His voice was deep and impressive. His superior abilities also applied to writing. The instructions and letters he wrote to his governors employed an exemplary Arabic. In battle, he was a leader who acted in a highly organized manner. Hazrat Umar knew all the routes to be taken by the armies of Islam in war and the stages involved. On arrival at the field of battle, he would ask for a map of the region and deploy his troops accordingly.

With his courage and determination, Hazrat Umar was a role model for all Muslims:

Hazrat Ali (ra) describes his migration and honorable attitude toward the pagans:
"I know none other than Umar who migrated without concealment. When he was ready to travel, he put on his sword, put his bow on his shoulder, took his arrows in his hand and went to the Kaaba. Leading members of the Quraysh were sitting in the courtyard of the Kaaba. Once he had walked around the Kaaba seven times, he performed two prayers at the rock of Abraham. He came one by one to the pagans sitting in circles and said, “Faces have been polluted. Whoever wishes to leave his mother childless, his children orphaned and his wife a widow, let him follow me in this valley.” None of them had the courage to prevent him (Suyutî, History of the Caliphs, Tarikh al-Khulafa, Beirut 1986, 130).


THE TIME OF HAZRAT UMAR’S CALIPHATE

When his death approached, Abu Bakr called the leading Companions together and spoke with them, following which he appointed Hazrat Umar the new Caliph.

The 10-year Caliphate of Hazrat Umar was one of the most peaceful and just periods in Islamic history, lasting from 634 to 644 AD.
Hazrat Umar treated everyone equally in his administration of justice, as required by Qur’anic moral values. He never permitted factors such as line of descent, wealth, family or station to prevent the administration of justice.
He always acted out of a deep sense of responsibility toward Muslims. Indeed, he said,

"If a camel is killed on the shores of the Euphrates, I will hold myself responsible."

A letter sent by Hazrat Umar to the religious judges of the time served as a guide for all the administrators who followed him:
"In hearing cases, never permit over-excitement, noise or belittling behavior on the part of the different sides. Because calm and majesty are essential if justice is to be done. Manifestation of the truth will lead to increased respect for Divine justice. The duty of the judge is the just distribution of the treasures of Allah's blessings and approval among His servants.” (Great History of Islam from Its Birth to the Present Day, Vol. 2 p. 109)

The time of Hazrat Umar witnessed many new developments. Syria, Iraq-Iran, Algeria and Egypt became Islamic countries. Hazrat Umar laid the foundations of the State of Islam by spreading his territories over a wide area. 1,036 large towns were captured in his time. Four thousand mosques were built. New settlements were erected in captured territories .

Other New Developments Hazrat Umar brought about for the State of Islam Include:

The first census was held in his time.
Children were paid wages.
A municipal weights and measures institution was created to prevent traders cheating their customers.
Hazrat Umar first employed night watchmen to ensure public order.
The Hijri calendar was established.
Judges working independently of governors were appointed in order to regulate judicial matters, and courts and prisons were established.
Children abandoned by their mothers were placed under protection.
Money was provided for Jews and Christians with nobody to support them.
The words “Es-salatü hayrun min-en-nevm,” meaning, “prayer is better than sleep”, were added to the morning call to prayer.
Sermons were initiated for instruction in mosques.

THE PEACE AND JUSTICE THAT HAZRAT UMAR BROUGHT TO PALESTINE

The greatest milestone in the history of Palestine was the conquest of the region in 637 by Islamic armies under the command of Hazrat Umar. Hazrat Umar’s entry into Jerusalem and the extraordinary maturity and kindness he showed to members of different faiths thereafter foretold the beginning of a glorious age.

After its capture by Hazrat Umar, Muslims, Christians and Jews in Jerusalem lived together in peace and tranquility for hundreds of years. Muslims never compelled anyone to convert, but many non-Muslims who saw that Islam is the true faith did indeed choose to become Muslims of their own free will.

Places of worship in captured territories were scrupulously protected in the time of Hazrat Umar. Abu Yusuf described this fact:

"All places of worship were left as they were. They were not demolished, and the defeated were not deprived of their property or possessions." (Abu Yusuf, Kitab al- Kharaj; The Administration of the State under Islam, Abul A'la Al-Mawdudi, Hilal Press, 1967, p. 74)

Hazrat Umar was martyred as he prayed in the last month of 645.

WHAT OUR PROPHET (SAAS) SAID ABOUT HAZRAT UMAR

O Muslims! This is Umar Ibni Hattab. He is a great Migrant and Helper of migrants. I have taken him as my assistant and counselor. He is so worthy that he admits and speaks the truth even if it is painful. He never seeks to avoid criticism in matters involving Allah’s command and prohibitions. Satan flees from him. Stone and iron melt in the face of his majesty. He is a person praised by the dwellers in Paradise.
Abu Bakr is the pillar of the religion. Umar is the lock on corruption. There can be no corruption so long as Umar is alive.
“When satan sees Umar Ibn Hattab he will fall on his face from his majesty!”


WISE ADVICE FROM HAZRAT UMAR (RA)

Call your earthly passions to account before you are called to account. Weight your earthly passions before you are weighed. Prepare for that greatest of days when you will come to Allah with nothing hidden.
The person I love most is he who tells me my mistakes and flaws.
Justice is the foundation of property.
The most powerful victory is piety.
One of Hazrat Umar’s most frequently recited prayers was “O Allah! Make all my deeds pure and unsullied for Your approval. Involve nothing other than Your approval.”

by harun yahya

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Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

A Ruler is the Servant of the People:
by Muhammad Yakub Khan


Taken from: The Golden Deeds of Islam

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."

__________________
Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

When a Muslim's Word was his Bond:
by Muhammad Yakub Khan

Taken from: The Golden Deeds of Islam


By the side of the sandy track that ran from Makkah to Madinah, there rose a lovely grove of palm trees. Underneath these flowed springs of cool crystal water. Caravans that wended their weary way across the bleak desert thanked Allah as they came upon this boon. Unloading their camels, they halted there, enjoyed the cool refreshing water and spent the noon-tide in the thick shades of the trees. Their animals, in the meantime, roamed about and helped themselves to whatever came their way. Scattered among these trees were humble huts in which the tenants of the Sheikh, who was the master of the oasis, dwelt. In the centre of this hamlet and surrounded by rich orchards there stood a nice little villa, the residence of the Sheikh himself.

Peace and content reigned in this lonely habitation. Life went on smoothly until one fateful day when a young man on camel-back chanced to pass that way. As usual, he dropped at the oasis to have a little rest. Letting his camel loose to graze about, he stretched his weary limbs under one of the trees by the side of the stream. The breeze was cool, he was tired and before long he was fast asleep.

Meanwhile, his animal moved about freely, chewing on every bush or bramble that it came across. As ill luck would have it, it broke at length into the Sheikh's garden and spoiled the rich vineyard. The keeper of the garden, a pious old man, was busy making a matting for the mosque. As he looked up, he saw the beast damage his master's property. Taking hold of his club, he rushed at the animal and drove it out. A short while afterwards the beast found another way in. The old man again turned it out, but the animal repeated the raid a third time, and a third time the keeper brandished his club at it. This time, however, the blow fell on a tender spot and the camel fell with a thud! It was dead.

The young man, the owner of the camel, was fast asleep while all this went on. Little did he dream what fate his old camel had met. When he woke up, the shadows had already lengthened. The rays of the sun had lost much of their heat. It was time to start. Like a good Muslim, however, his first concern was to say his afternoon prayers. Taking a dip in the cool brook and making the necessary ablutions, he spread his prayer carpet and in solemn bows and prostration thanked Allah for the cool shade, sweet water, rest and comfort He had vouchsafed him in that desert place. This done, he promptly made ready to resume his journey. He looked about for his camel, but the animal was nowhere to be seen. "Where on earth has it gone?" he said to himself. However, as he proceeded further and entered the Sheikh's garden he saw the camel lying stiff and cold. A bolt from the blue could not have caused him greater shock. The death of the beautiful beast which was to him as dear as a friend caused him much grief.

The gardener who had done it came up to explain the whole thing. "Please pardon me, O son," said the old man. "It was an accident. I meant no harm. The camel was spoiling the garden. I just wanted to drive it out. Twice I turned it out but it came in a third time. That time the blow proved fatal. It was an accident pure and simple, and I am so very sorry."

The young man was too upset to listen to any explanations. His rage knew no bounds. "You old fool!" he shouted, and with his big brawny hands he caught the poor old man by the throat. "You old fool! How dare you touch my beast?" And in the fit of anger he gave the old man such a violent shake that his weak age-worn body could not stand it. His heart failed, and in the twinkling of an eye, the keeper of the Sheikh's garden was no more. He fell down dead.

Now, when the excitement of the moment had passed, the young man stood aghast at what he had done. He was filled with remorse. He had taken the life of a fellow man and had violated the sacred law of Islam. Had not the Prophet said: "The life, honour and property of one Muslim is sacred and inviolable unto another"? Was this not the very parting message of the Prophet to the world of Islam on the eve of his departure from this world? The words kept ringing in his ears. He was overwhelmed with shame. He was an unworthy son of Islam, he said to himself, a traitor. In taking the life of a brother man, he had betrayed the very last trust the Prophet had reposed in every Muslim.

It was, however, too late. What was done was done. The question now was: What was he to do? There was nobody about. Must he slip off to save his neck? To stay there was to court the hangman's rope. What was he to do? Thus did he muse within himself and was almost on the point of giving way to the instinct of self-preservation and taking to his heels, when there came a sharp and firm voice from within. "No! Never!" said this voice. It was un-Muslim-like to have given way to his wrath. It was sheer madness. But even a mad Muslim must not be a mean Muslim. To escape the law of the land would mean deception and it was not for a Muslim to deceive. Straightway he made for the Sheikh's villa and gave himself up as the murderer of the old gardener.

This was in the time when Umar the Great reigned in Madinah as the Caliph of Islam. The fame of his even-handed justice had spread far and wide. It spared neither high nor low, friend nor foe. He had ordered his own son, when found guilty, to be flogged to death. To such a court was the young man sent by the Sheikh to stand trial. The old man's two sons accompanied him.

After a weary march, the party, prosecutors as well as the accused, arrived at the capital of Islam. The suit was duly lodged before the Caliph. Umar's court was nothing like our modern courts with so much of pomp and ceremony but with so little of justice. Simplicity was the badge of Islam in that golden age. The court was no other than the thatch-roofed mosque; nor was the judge bedecked with any wig, hood or gown. In his patched yet clean garments sat the mighty Caliph on a bench of no other than a palm matting. Nevertheless, the wrong-doer trembled at his sight. His stern justice was the protector of the weak and the terror of the oppressor. The jury was equally simple. It consisted of the pious congregation of Muslims who had come to say their prayers. God-fearing folks, they were all lovers of justice and fair-play. Before such a judge and such a jury was the young man brought, charged with the murder of the old man, the keeper of the Sheikh's garden.

"Amir-ul-Muminin," said the elder son. "This man stopped at our oasis for rest. As he was having a nap, his camel strayed into our Sheikh's garden and did much damage to the vineyard. Our father twice drove the beast out, but it came in again. The third time the blow fell on some vital organ and the animal died. It was just a mistake. He meant no harm. He was only doing his duty. That was his job and that was what the Sheikh paid him to do. This young fellow was lying asleep all this while and knew nothing about it. My father could have denied any knowledge of the incident if he had so chosen. There was no eye-witness to the incident. But he was a true Muslim and a true follower of the Prophet. He would not sully the name of Islam and the Prophet by telling a lie. He often told us that a Muslim must be truthful, no matter what the consequences. Truthfulness, he would tell us, was the brightest gem in the Prophet's character. Even before he was made a prophet, he was nick-named al-Amin, the Upright. A man of such pure Islamic sentiments could not stoop so low as to tell a lie merely to save his skin. He came up to this man and frankly told him all that had happened and expressed his sorrow. But this fellow, rather than appreciate his candid Islamic confession and regret, rushed at his aged throat and killed him outright."

Total silence reigned in the courtroom as the old man's son related the sad story.

"What have you to say to this, young man?" came the firm clear voice of the judge, breaking the silence.

"Sire," said the young man, his head hanging low in shame and remorse. "I have nothing to say, no defence to offer. I am filled with shame and sorrow at what my hands have wrought. I care not if I pay for it with my life, which I am here to do. What pains me most is that I have been a traitor to Islam. I turned my back on the noble teachings of Islam. The Prophet has enjoined that a Muslim must respect old age. The Prophet in his very last will to the world of Islam made the life, property and honour of one man sacred unto another. I turned my back on all this and rather than show respect due to a grey-bearded man, I lost my head and took his life. I have nothing to say but submit to the law. I plead guilty."

The audience in the mosque was visibly moved by this candid confession of the young man. They all admired his Islamic courage to tell the truth, even in the face of death. "Well done," said the Caliph. "Well done, my boy. This is how a Muslim lad must behave. It is never too late to repent and feel ashamed of one's evil conduct. Though a murderer, I must congratulate you on your high sense of truthfulness. That is what Islam expects from every one of its sons. What if death should stare him in the face? A Muslim must never be so mean as to tell a lie. It is a coward who tells lies. He is afraid of consequences. Whatever else a Muslim may be, he is never a coward. Fear is not a word in the dictionary of Islam. I am glad that at this critical juncture you have behaved as a worthy son of Islam. Nevertheless, I am so sorry. It cannot be helped. The law must have its course. You shall die."

"Amir-ul-Muminin," rejoined the young man. "You need not be sorry. A Muslim is one who submits to the will of Allah. It is His will that I should die and I cheerfully submit to His will. I just have one last request to make. Back at home I have some debts to clear off. This is what rankles in my mind. How shall I face God with my obligations to my fellow-men unfulfilled? I may be a murderer, but let it not be said that I was dishonest. I vividly recollect how the Prophet, when on the point of death, had just this one anxiety in his mind. He expressly asked if he owed anything to anybody so that it might be paid. He asked if he had offended anybody, so that he might make amends for it while he was yet alive. He did not wish to leave this world but with a clean sheet. Better ashamed before man than ashamed before God, he said. I would be unworthy of his illustrious name and a slur on his noble memory, should I leave behind my debts unpaid. Please, therefore O, Amir-ul-Muminin, allow me just enough respite to go home and clear off these debts. This is my last, my only wish."

The congregation, as well as the Caliph, was once more filled with admiration for the young man. "What a high sense of honesty!" they all said. "Just at the threshold of death, only one anxiety troubles his heart -- his unfulfilled obligations to man! What a pity that such a worthy son of Islam should have to die!"

There was, however, no way out of it. The law was no respecter of persons. Die he must. But everybody wished that his last request might be granted.

"So be it," declared the Caliph. "Your wish is granted. But you must produce someone to stand surety for you and be responsible that you duly turn up at the appointed hour for execution."

"Amir-ul-Muminin!" submitted the young man. "My word of honour is the only surety I can give and a Muslim's word of honour is his bond."

"You are right," rejoined the Caliph. "That is what is expected of every son of Islam. He must be true to his word even if it should cost him his life. But the procedure of the law must be observed and the law does not recognise a mere word of honour as surety. You must produce someone to stand surety for you."

This cast a gloom over the young man. He was a stranger to the place. Who would stand surety for him and endanger his own life for a mere stranger? He was at a loss what to do. It was a critical affair. In case he failed to turn up at the appointed time, the surety ran the risk of his own life. This was too much for a stranger to expect. He cast a helpless look of despair all around, but he could not take heart to ask anyone. He knew it would be asking too much.

Thus stood the young man there, the very picture of gloom and disappointment, when, to the joyful surprise of all, from a corner of the mosque, an elderly man sprang to his feet. "Amir-ul-Muminin!" he announced, "I offer myself as a surety for this young man." This was Abuzar Ghaffari, the well-known Companion of the Prophet.

The young man was forthwith released. Promising to return in time for his execution, he hastened home to set his affairs straight. Before he faced God, he must square up his dealings with man. His home was a long way off. He travelled day and night. The time at his disposal was short and he had to be back in time to meet his doom. So he hurried and went as fast as he could. At last he reached home. The whole family was filled with joy. His little children ran up to him. Each vied with the others to reach him first, throw their tiny arms around his knees and win the first kiss from him. His wife and old parents were transported with joy as they saw this cheer and sunshine brought back to the family after many days of absence. The aged mother advanced and imprinted a warm kiss on her son's forehead. This scene of love and joy was, however, too good to last long. A cloud soon passed over it. The young man looked unusually agitated and sad emotions seemed to swell up within him. The older members of the family could not fail to sense that all was not well.

"What is the matter with you?" exclaimed the mother anxiously, "You look so agitated, so upset. What is wrong?" Silence prevailed. The young man buried his head in his hands. He did not know how to break the news to his family. To his dear old mother and father, these brief moments of suspense seemed ages. This was the first time that a ripple of anxiety had ever crossed the forehead of their son. It foreboded something serious. The young man at last raised his head, and summoning courage, thus broke the silence:

"My dear mother! While I was yet a boy, you told me stories of the bravery of Muslims of the time of the Prophet. They bore great hardships, but a murmur never came to their lips. It was the will of Allah and their joy lay in doing His will. They had to encounter great dangers but they were never daunted. It was the will of Allah. At the field of battle they wrought deeds of valour and if duty called, they plunged into the very jaws of death. Fearless, dauntless, death itself was to them a doorway to Heaven. Didn't you tell me all this, my dear mother?"

As, however, the young man went on in this strain, talking of dangers, daring, death and all that, his parents listened with bated breath. Their anxiety knew no bounds. With their eyes riveted on their son's lips, they trembled as all sorts of conjectures crossed their minds. What was he about to divulge? they wondered.

"Well, my dear mother," continued the young man, "you have always told me how brave Muslim mothers and fathers were. At the call of duty they would rouse the spirits of their dearly loved sons to brave all dangers. Duty or death -- that was to be their motto in life, they told them. Now listen! The moment has come when our Islamic mettle shall be put to the test. Be brave and I will tell you."

The parents, now prepared for the worst, assured their son that he might break the news. He would find them worthy of the traditions of Islam. The young man then recounted the whole story – how, while he was taking a nap at the oasis, his camel was killed by the gardener; how he got enraged, lost his temper and caused the death of the old man; how he was taken to the court of the Caliph, tried and condemned to death; how he implored the Caliph to let him pay off his debts; how he had been released on bail; how a stranger, trusting his mere word of honour, had stood surety for him. "I am now here," he continued, "not as the son of this house, to live under this dear old roof and share your joys and sorrows, but I am here to pay my last respects to you and to bid you farewell for good. Let the money-lenders whom I owe money be sent for. I must be quick. I have just enough time to settle the account and be back in time for my execution."

As the young man thus delivered himself, the parents were dumb-founded. Streams of tears trickled down their cheeks, on which age had drawn deep furrows. It took them some time to recover from the shock.

"Allah's will be done," said the mother. "What is written is written and you must keep your word. Let it not be said that the son of a Muslim mother was untrue to his word to save his life."

The money-lenders came. As a class, these money-lenders are devoid of all humane feelings. They are notorious for their pound of flesh. But now, when they came to know that the young man had but a few hours to settle the account, they saw their opportunity. They must extort more than their due from him, they thought. He had no cash. He could only pay in kind and live-stock and it was for these hard-hearted money-lenders to fix the price. They did it at a very low rate, less than half the market value. But there was no helping it. The debt had to be paid, there and then. Much of the young man's property was thus made over to the creditors.

The most crucial time was yet to come, the hour of departure. The camel was duly brought and saddled. The young man must bid eternal farewell to his sweet home and leave. The wrench was by no means easy. Between sobs and tears and kisses, the parents embraced their darling, one after the other. The young wife fainted as the parting of ways came and her beloved husband, the sweet companion of her life, advanced towards her. There on the ground she lay unconscious, her rich beautiful hair dishevelled and rolling in dust. The young man bent over her and gave her a parting kiss. So far he kept up his courage. But when he turned to the dear little ones standing by, lost in amazement at all this, his iron resolve seemed to give way. He sat in their midst and warmly hugged and kissed each one.

"Daddy!" said the eldest of the three. "Is Mummy dead? Who will take us to the fair? Please Daddy, don't go."

The younger two clung to his knees as he got up. "We would also go with you, Daddy," they began to cry.

For once the young man's courage seemed to fail him. The sight of these sweet little things who thought their mother was dead and father was leaving them too, unnerved him. There was no policeman about. A word of honour was all that bound him. Besides, living in the heart of the desert, it would be no easy thing for the arm of the law to reach him. Why, for a mere word of honour, kill the joy and happiness of a whole family for life? Why break those tiny innocent hearts? He was the offender, not they. Why doom them to the miserable lot of orphans? As he thus mused within himself, for a moment, it seemed, the flesh in him was about to get the better of the spirit. But the last moment had come. To be in time for the execution, he must put his foot in the stirrup at once and be off.

There at the most crucial cross-roads of his life, the young man stood, lost in thought about which course to take. Honour called him back to execution. Love of parents, wife and children nailed him to the ground there. There was a severe conflict within him -- conflict between the flesh and the spirit. But this lasted for just one brief moment. His Muslim sense of honour re-asserted itself. Let not your wealth or your children divert you from the path of God! came the clarion call of the Qur’an to his ears. And his choice was made. To a Muslim, his word of honour must be more than his father, his mother, his wife, his children. So, in the midst of tears and cries, he jumped on his camel’s back and was off to Madinah and his doom. The dear ones left behind followed him with wistful looks till he was lost in the distance.

At full speed the young man hurried to Madinah and his own execution. Yes, his own execution! A very strange thing indeed, but such happens to be a Muslim's code of honour. When once he has pledged his word he never goes back upon it, not even if it should cost him his life. The history of Islam is rich in promises kept under the most trying circumstances. A worthy son of Islam, the young man acted up to these noble traditions of Islam. Death stared him in the face, but it was not for a follower of the great Prophet to play false and go back upon his word. On and on he sped towards the capital. In spite of himself, however, he was unavoidably detained on the way. His stirrups gave way and he had to drop at a way-side hamlet to get them mended. This took some time. The appointed hour of execution came and he was still on the way.

In the meantime, there was much sensation in Madinah. People had gathered at the mosque. Abuzar Ghaffari, the surety, was also there. The young man was expected back at any moment. The time fixed for execution came and went but the young man did not turn up. This caused much anxiety on account of Abuzar, whose life was now in the balance. There were all sorts of surmises. Perhaps the young man had lied.

"Poor Abuzar!" everybody said. "He must die for nothing."

Abuzar, on his part, was cool and calm. "What is written is written," he said. "A Muslim must cheerfully submit to the decree of Allah. It is His will that I should die. I am ready for it."

All that Abuzar asked for was that before leaving this world he might be allowed to say his last prayers. He made his ablutions and said his prayers. Then he made ready for the execution. When, however, all was ready, there, on the distant horizon, was seen a moving speck in a cloud of dust.

"Wait! Wait!" ordered the Caliph, as the executioner was on the point of doing his job. "Wait! It may yet be the young man."

The executioner stayed his hand. All eyes were now turned towards the advancing speck. At first it was dim and indiscernible. As, however, it drew nearer and nearer, it brought added hope to the anxious crowd. It was someone on camel back riding along at full speed. The figure gradually became more and more distinct. To the immense relief of everyone present, it turned out to be the condemned young man. Abuzar was the recipient of congratulations from all sides and excitement ran high. The young man arrived at last.

"I am sorry," he said, as soon as he stepped into the mosque, "that I could not turn up at the right moment and kept you waiting so long. I must specially ask pardon of my unknown benefactor who stood surety for me at the risk of his own life. It must have been a great worry to him. But I could not help it." And he explained at length what had detained him on the way.

Everybody admired the young man's sense of honour, no less than Abuzar's spirit of self-sacrifice. The Caliph was deeply touched, too, and allowed the man to take rest before he should prepare for execution. As they all sat down in the mosque, the young man, Abuzar, the murdered old man's sons, the great Caliph, Umar, with the eager crowd around them, the Caliph thus questioned Abuzar:

"Abuzar. What made you risk your own life for the sake of this young man?"

"Amir-ul-Muminin!" replied this great Companion of the Prophet. "When the young man cast a helpless glance at the Muslim congregation, wondering whether someone would come to his assistance and stand surety for him, I was filled with shame that in a crowd of Muslims, a fellow Muslim should feel so helpless and find himself a stranger. Let not people say, I said to myself, that the Islamic teaching, that all Muslims are brothers, is mere platitude and that in time of distress one Muslim does not come to the help of another. Come what may, I said, the good name of Islam must not be sullied, and so I stood surety for him."

Everyone was greatly touched at these words. The Caliph then turned to the young man: "What was it, O young man, that made you come back to your own execution?"

"Amir-ul-Muminin," replied the young man, "it was not an easy thing for me to do. Great was the temptation in my way. My home is in the trackless heart of the desert, which the hand of justice can hardly penetrate. There was nobody about to force me back here. Then there were before me the age-worn faces of my dear old mother and father streaming with tears, as I was coming away. My lovely young wife fell down unconscious at the thought of life-long separation. My three sweet little children clung to my feet, clamouring, ‘Dad! Dad! Where are you going?’ It was not easy to wrench myself away from these dear ones. But every time the flesh within me was about to get the upper hand of the spirit, I said to myself, What would people say of it? A Muslim breaking his solemn word of honour! Let not the name of Islam be sullied through me, I resolved, and in the midst of tears and shrieks of those dear ones, I jumped onto my camel's back."

The audience was once more moved to a high pitch of excitement. They greatly admired the young man's sense of honour. A perfect Islamic atmosphere prevailed which could not but move the gardener's sons.

"Amir-ul-Muminin!" they spoke out. "This young fellow has killed our father and we have come all the way to see that he is made to pay. But now it seems to us that in avenging our father's death we would be ignoring the higher Islamic teaching of forgiveness. A tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye was the ancient law. But Islam has given us the higher gospel of forgiveness. To forgive an offender, teaches the Qur’an, is more meritorious in the eye of God than to punish him. Let it not be said that two unworthy sons of Islam were too petty-minded to forgive and forget. Islam's name shall not be sullied through us. We forgive the young man."

"Allah-o-Akbar!" went up the enthusiastic shout from the crowd. There was great joy that all ended so well.

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Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

Hazrat Umar orders about magicians and magic

Urdu Columns: Hazrat Umar orders about magicians and magic

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Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

Umar Bin Khattab (RA), the forerunner of visionary modern state

– by Shaukat Masood Zafar



Hazrat Umar, the second Caliph of Islam, in the 7 th century AD extolled and applied these principles – already available to him through Islam – in letter and spirit, and without any exceptions during his reign.

“No man is above the law and no man below it; nor do we ask any man’s permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor”. -Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

“Hazrat Umer (R.A) was courageous, unselfish, and passionately committed to the ideals of justice and equity which had been so lacking in the Meccan polity.” – Karen Armstrong, “Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time’, pg185

Hazrat Umar, by all accounts, was an “energetic and brilliant” man. He can, of course, be called the forerunner of any, “visionary modern state”, in the comity of 192 countries of the world, in which people are prosperous and safe, are treated equally by the law of the state, irrespective of their social or financial status; are habitually law-abiding, and fair in their dealings, are literate and tolerant, and above all, are thoroughly charitable and honest. He, during his tenure of ten years, six months and four days, not only accomplished these ideals in some very difficult times, but also lived to see people willingly live by them.

As described in connection with the life of Hazrat Abu-Bakr, during his illness he consulted the “Shura” about the next “Khalifah” and then gave his decision in favour of Hadrat Umar (R.A.) who took the charge of Caliphate after the death of Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) His caliphate marked the “Golden Age” of Islam.

He was a very pious Muslim. His success lay in two things-fear of Allah and his love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He never used even oil from the Bait-ul-Mal (Public Treasury) to burn a lamp at night for his personal needs. Whenever he finished the official work he put off the lamp. He used to patrol in the city at night to find out the needs and requirements, and conditions of the people. He did not hesitate to take his wife to work as a midwife for a poor woman. The salary he got from the Bait-ul-Mal was so low that it was hardly enough for him and his family’s needs. When some of the eminent Muslims requested him to increase the amount he, said, “The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam) has left a standard by his personal example. I must follow him”.

Hadrat Umar was the most just ruler in the Islamic History. All the citizens, including the Caliph himself, were equal before law. Once he appeared before a court at Medina to clarify his position against a complaint. The Qadi (Judge) wanted to stand in his honour, but he did not allow him to do so, so that there would be no distinction between him and an ordinary person before Law. Courts were completely independent and free to give its verdict on any matter that was presented before them even if it was against state or khalifah. The government couldn’t interfere in their decisions. He was really the founder of modern democratic system.

As far as Khalifa is concerned, he had no right and power to forgive or condone those who were prosecuted and convicted by the courts. There was complete supremacy and rule oflaw. They were all equal in the eyes of law whether they were rich or poor, ruler or labourer. Nothing was hidden from anyone regarding matters or policies relating to Government and state.

Khalifa used to tell participants in Jummah prayer in mosque about important issues. Every citizen could enquire about any thing. Democracy was ruling in its best shape. Khalifa was held responsible and was subject to answer to his people. History is full of different examples that how Khalifa consulted Majlis-e-Shoorah on different issues and how sahabah reacted, criticised and gave their opinions.

Hazrat Umar (RA) had given such type of general freedom of criticism and expression to the people on his actions and orders that an ordinary person didn’t hesitate or reluctant to criticise or object on khalifa itself.

Once a person said to Hazrat Umar (RA) many times: “O’Umar, be afraid of Allah”. A person amongst the audience tried to stop that person. Hazrat Umar (RA) said, “No, let him say. If those people will not say anything to me then what is the use of those?

Besides, Hazrat Umer, by temperament, was a hard taskmaster, and was very strict and uncompromising in matters of justice and accountability. But, his kind of leader was the need of the day. Hazrat Abu Bakr was very right when during the last days of his life, he said about Hazrat Umer. “Umer has been strict because I was soft. The burden of the State affairs will soften him out”. Hazrat Talha on hearing that Hazrat Umer was to become the Caliph, had come running to Hazrat Abu Bakr with this concern, “ In your presence, Umer treated us so. How will he treat us when you are gone and he becomes the Caliph? Now that you are about to meet God; think how you will explain this to Him”. Hazrat Abu Bakr replied, “I’ll tell God. For Your people, I have appointed one who has been the best”.

Hazrat Umer was, no doubt, strict, but he was always resolute, decisive, assertive, and clear headed. Quick, not hasty decision and its compliance was the hallmark of his rule. It is important to know that he was never unpopular or unacceptable to the Tribal Arabs, because he was totally transparent, and honest. “His inner self is better than his outer self. He has no second among us”, was what was said about him by Hazrat Usman at the time of his becoming the caliph. Besides, there was around him ever present, the wisest among the wise, Hazrat Ali.

Be it fixing the stipend for the caliph, or acting as caliph in his absence when Hazrat Umer had had to leave for Syria to apprise himself of the condition of the soldiers during the breakout of an epidemic; or advising Hazrat Umer not to leave Medina, but ask the governors of Kufa, Basra and Syria to send their army contingents to counter the Iranians at Nehavend in 642,, to count only a few occasions, Hazrat Ali’s able guidance like a guiding star had always been there for him.

Once Hazrat Umer fell ill. It was suggested that he be given honey as a cure, and there was no honey at his home. A good stock of it, however, was there in the Bait-ul-Maal. Hazrat Umer sough the permission of the people in Masjid-i-Nabvi if he could take a little bit of honey from there. One express purpose behind seeking this open permission was to let the people know what little rights the caliph had in the use of public money.

Once the first lady, Um-e- Kulsum, sent some perfume vials as a gift to the women of Kaiser of Rome. They, out of goodwill, returned the bottles of perfume, but filled with precious jewels. Hazrat Umer heard about the exchange. He ordered confiscation of the jewels, stating, “Perfume was yours, but the messenger used in the process was a government employee”. He ordered that the jewels be deposited in Baitul Maal, and his wife be compensated for the actual value of the perfume.

Once his daughter, and Prophet’s wife, Hazrat Hafsa, came to him to claim her share in the war-booty on account of her special double status, “Zuwalqarba”. Hazrat Umer disappointed her by saying, “You will have your share in my portion, not in the war booty. It is sad that you tried to hoodwink your own father”. She felt ashamed for ever putting up such a demand.

One big factor in the success of Hazrat Umer was his strict control over the public exchequer. He suspended Hazrat Khalid bin Walid, (and Hazrat Bilal as well), for his failure to submit the details of the expenditures. The relaxed supervision of the fiscal matter in later periods, (and in modern times), created un-surmountable problems for them.

In one khutba, he made it clear on all the eight governors, “Always keep in mind that I have appointed you over people, not as their masters, or as their over-lords with a view to suppressing them; but as their ‘Imams’, as their ‘Role-Models’, so that people may follow you. You are to guard their rights, and not to humble or manhandle them… do not keep your doors closed at them in a manner that the strong is able to cause harm to the weak. Don’t rank yourselves above people because that will amount being unfair to them”. Some of the conditions he laid down for them were:

You shall not ride a Turkish horse (symbol of elitism)
You shall not attire yourself in fine/silken clothes (sign of extravagance)
You shall not eat flour bread free of brawn. (excessive worldliness)
You shall not post a guard/security at your door (inaccessibility)
You shall remain available to the complainant all the time.

This declaration was to be read out in front of the appointees as well as in the public. In one such meeting, a person rose and said that one of his governors had unjustly inflicted 100 lashes on him. The official who had done this was none else but Hazrat Umro bin Al Aas. Hazrat Umer asked the complainant to redress his grievance by inflicting the same number of lashes on the governor. Hazrat Umro bin Al-Aas, stood up and said that such a practice was to make it difficult for an official to perform his duties. Hazrat Umer instantly replied, “But I do not want to be on the side of a criminal, too”. Hazrat Umro bin Al Aas had had to plead for clemency from the accuser, who agreed to accept two gold coins for each lash. (Kitab Al Kharaj pg 66).

Hazrat Umer never compromised in matters of justice and accountability. People tolerated his severe punishments when they saw him doing the same in case of his own kith and kin. His son, Abu Shehma when found drunk, was inflicted 10 lashes by none else but by the caliph himself. And he expired during the award of the punishment. Qadama bin Mazoon was a Sahabi of great standing and was his brother-in-law too. He, too, was charged on the same account, and was publicly awarded 10 lashes.

Hazrat Ayaz bin Ghanam was appointed as the governor of Egypt. A report was received that Ayaz was leading a lifestyle that was not in line with the stated declaration. He had given himself to wearing fine silken clothes, and had also begun posting a guard at his residence. Hazrat Mohammad bin Musalama Ansari, a great Sahabi and his Ombudsman, or Chief Investigator was asked to look into the matter. On enquiry, the charges were found true. Hazrat Umer ordered that Ayaz bin Ghanam’s robe be replaced with a coarse woolen outfit, and he be reassigned to the tending of a herd of sheep. People heard Ayaz saying, “I wish I had been dead”. Hazrat Umer reminded him. “Why do not feel small in shepherding a herd. After all your father had earned this title of ‘Ghanam’ for being a shepherd”. Al Kharaj page 66.

Hazrat Umer in that post had appointed Hazrat Mohammad bin Musalama Ansari, one of the most respected Sahabis. His credentials were that he had participated in all the battles fought during the Prophet’s time. In one case, the Prophet himself had appointed him as his assistant in Medina. So when Hazrat Mohammad bin Musalama Ansari investigated against an official, it meant total transparency. Truth would not stay hidden, nor anybody could dare disputing that the action taken was politically motivated.

Once a son of Hazrat Umro bin Al-Aas, the conqueror of Egypt, beat a non-Muslim without any reason. Hazrat Umer had that respected son of Hazrat Umro bin Al Aas thrashed publicly, stating, “Since when did you begin enslaving people whose mothers had given birth to them as free?”

On one occasion he said from the pulpit, “O People, in case you ever find me tilting towards worldliness; what will you do then?” A man rose from the gathering, drew his sword and said, “You will be beheaded with it”. Hazrat Umer in order to further test him, said, “You, daring to say so to me”. He remained resolved and said, “Yes, it will be like this for you”. Hazrat Umer then said, ‘Thank God. I have men like you who have the courage to straighten me out if I ever I chose to deviate from the right path”.

Once a Christian complained to Hazrat Umer when he was in the Harem in Makka that he had been doubly taxed on his horse. He submitted this complaint when Umer was delivering the khutba there. Later when he returned to the capital, the same Nasrani (Christian) who had lodged the complaint came to him to remind him of it. Hazrat Umer told him, “I’m the Hanifi, who took care of your complaint there and then”.

During the famine days in 639 or around and while returning from Syria, he stopped by a lone tent in which there lived an old woman. He asked her, “How is Umer doing?” She replied, “I heard about him coming from Syria. God’s curse be on him, I haven’t received a single Hibba from him during these hard times.” “How should Umer know about you, living so far away?’ asked Hazrat Umer. She angrily replied, “What kind of caliph is he if he doesn’t know how people are living under him”. Hazrat Umer cried bitterly outside her tent. He later fixed a daily allowance for all those who were poor, jobless, or were people with special needs. Anybody leading apparently an easy life, but availing himself of that allowance was personally tested on the caliph whenever possible. If found guilty, he was chided in such words as, “You have belittled yourself in my eyes”. During those hard times, Hazrat Umer was often found in a great agonizing state. He would cry and pray, “O God, do not inflict these people with hardships because of my doings”.

Hazrat Umer did not believe in the concept of pre-destination as did many of his veteran officials and Sahabis such as Hazrat Abu Obaida, and Hazrat Muaz bin Jabal. During the breakout of an epidemic in 639 in Syria and Egypt. The army had been stationed at a low lying area. Hazrat Umer asked the commander, Hazrat Abu Obaidah, to remove it to the higher lands. He refused to do so contending it was, “Ifrar min Qadrutullah, i.e. it amounted to running from Taqdeer-e-Illahi”. Meanwhile about 25 thousand soldiers perished. Hazrat Umer and Hazrat Umro bin al Aas always contented that the epidemic was a curse like the one which once had befallen Bani Israel. It needed to be dealt with “Tadbeer, logic and effort”. But Hazrat Obaidullah and later Hazrat Muaz died, sticking to their pre-fated philosophy, contending that it was a blessing in the sense that it was test of their faith in God.

In short he was the best example of an ideal character, and was the greatest “Khalifah” of Islam after Abu Bakr (R.A.). He selflessly devoted his whole energy for the cause of Islam. Muslims will always be indebted to him for his great achievements.

__________________
Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

The Peace and Justice Brought to Palestine by the Caliph Omar (ra)

Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews until A.D. 71. In that year, the Roman Army made a major assault on the Jews, and exiled them from the area with great savagery. As the time of the Jewish diaspora began, Jerusalem and the surrounding area was becoming an abandoned land.

However, Jerusalem once again became a centre of interest with the acceptance of Christianity during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Roman Christians built churches in Jerusalem. The prohibitions on Jews settling in the region were lifted. Palestine remained Roman (Byzantine) territory up until the 7th century. The Persians conquered the region for a short time, but the Byzantines later reconquered it.

An important turning point in the history of Palestine came in the year 637, when it was conquered by the armies of Islam. This meant new peace and harmony in Palestine, which had for centuries been the scene of wars, exile, looting and massacre, and which saw new brutality every time it changed hands, a frequent occurrence. The coming of Islam was the beginning of an age when people of different beliefs could live in peace and harmony.

The Mosque of Omar (also called Dome of the Rock) and Al-Aqsa Mosque directly behind it.

Palestine was captured by Hazrat Omar (ra), the second Caliph after the Prophet (saas) himself. The entry of the Caliph into Jerusalem, the compassion, maturity and kindness he showed towards people of different beliefs, introduced the beautiful age that was beginning. Karen Armstrong describes the capture of Jerusalem by Hazrat Omar (ra) in these terms in her book Holy War:

The Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem mounted on a white camel, escorted by the magistrate of the city, the Greek Patriarch Sophronius. The Caliph asked to be taken immediately to the Temple Mount and there he knelt in prayer on the spot where his friend Mohammed had made his Night Journey. The Patriarch watched in horror: this, he thought, must be the Abomination of Desolation that the Prophet Daniel had foretold would enter the Temple; this must be Antichrist who would herald the Last Days. Next Omar asked to see the Christian shrines and, while he was in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the time for Muslim prayer came round. Courteously the Patriarch invited him to pray where he was, but Omar as courteously refused. If he knelt to pray in the church, he explained, the Muslims would want to commemorate the event by erecting a mosque there, and that would mean that they would have to demolish the Holy Sepulchre. Instead Omar went to pray at a little distance from the church, and, sure enough, directly opposite the Holy Sepulchre there is still a small mosque dedicated to the Caliph Omar.

The other great mosque of Omar was erected on the Temple Mount to mark the Muslim conquest, together with the mosque al-Aqsa which commemorates Mohammed's Night Journey. For years, the Christians had used the site of the ruined Jewish Temple as the city rubbish dump. The Caliph helped his Muslims to clear the garbage with his own hands and there Muslims raised their two shrines to establish Islam in the third most holy city in the Islamic world.20

Under Muslim rule, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together in Jerusalem in contentment, tolerance and peace.

With the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem, the city became a safe haven in which all three religions could co-exist in peace. John L. Esposito writes:

When the Arab armies took Jerusalem in 638, they occupied a center whose shrines had made it a major pilgrimage site in Christendom. Churches and the Christian population were left unmolested. Jews, long banned from living there by Christian rulers, were permitted to return, live, and worship in the city of Solomon and David.21

The agreement - which mentioned in previous pages -that Caliph Omar (ra) had signed with the Patriarch of Jerusalem when he entered Jerusalem is a result of his compassion.

The Muslims and Jews of Jerusalem were brutally massacred by the Crusaders.

In short, Muslims brought civilisation to Jerusalem and all of Palestine. Instead of beliefs that showed no respect for other peoples' sacred values, and which killed them simply out of differences of faith, there reigned the just, tolerant and moderate culture of Islam. After its capture by Hazrat Omar (ra), Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together in peace and harmony in Palestine. Muslims never tried to use force to make people convert, although some non-Muslims who saw that Islam was the true religion did so of their own free will.

The peace and harmony in Palestine lasted as long as Muslim rule in the region. However, at the end of the 11th century, a conquering force entered the region from abroad, and the civilised land of Jerusalem was barbarically and savagely plundered, in a way never before seen. These barbarians were the Crusaders.

__________________
Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

The Peace and Justice Brought to Palestine by the Caliph Omar (ra)

by Harun Yahya

Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews until A.D. 71. In that year, the Roman Army made a major assault on the Jews, and exiled them from the area with great savagery. As the time of the Jewish diaspora began, Jerusalem and the surrounding area was becoming an abandoned land.

However, Jerusalem once again became a centre of interest with the acceptance of Christianity during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Roman Christians built churches in Jerusalem. The prohibitions on Jews settling in the region were lifted. Palestine remained Roman (Byzantine) territory up until the 7th century. The Persians conquered the region for a short time, but the Byzantines later reconquered it.

An important turning point in the history of Palestine came in the year 637, when it was conquered by the armies of Islam. This meant new peace and harmony in Palestine, which had for centuries been the scene of wars, exile, looting and massacre, and which saw new brutality every time it changed hands, a frequent occurrence. The coming of Islam was the beginning of an age when people of different beliefs could live in peace and harmony.

The Mosque of Omar (also called Dome of the Rock) and Al-Aqsa Mosque directly behind it.

Palestine was captured by Hazrat Omar (ra), the second Caliph after the Prophet (saas) himself. The entry of the Caliph into Jerusalem, the compassion, maturity and kindness he showed towards people of different beliefs, introduced the beautiful age that was beginning. Karen Armstrong describes the capture of Jerusalem by Hazrat Omar (ra) in these terms in her book Holy War:

The Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem mounted on a white camel, escorted by the magistrate of the city, the Greek Patriarch Sophronius. The Caliph asked to be taken immediately to the Temple Mount and there he knelt in prayer on the spot where his friend Mohammed had made his Night Journey. The Patriarch watched in horror: this, he thought, must be the Abomination of Desolation that the Prophet Daniel had foretold would enter the Temple; this must be Antichrist who would herald the Last Days. Next Omar asked to see the Christian shrines and, while he was in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the time for Muslim prayer came round. Courteously the Patriarch invited him to pray where he was, but Omar as courteously refused. If he knelt to pray in the church, he explained, the Muslims would want to commemorate the event by erecting a mosque there, and that would mean that they would have to demolish the Holy Sepulchre. Instead Omar went to pray at a little distance from the church, and, sure enough, directly opposite the Holy Sepulchre there is still a small mosque dedicated to the Caliph Omar.

The other great mosque of Omar was erected on the Temple Mount to mark the Muslim conquest, together with the mosque al-Aqsa which commemorates Mohammed's Night Journey. For years, the Christians had used the site of the ruined Jewish Temple as the city rubbish dump. The Caliph helped his Muslims to clear the garbage with his own hands and there Muslims raised their two shrines to establish Islam in the third most holy city in the Islamic world.20

Under Muslim rule, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together in Jerusalem in contentment, tolerance and peace.

With the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem, the city became a safe haven in which all three religions could co-exist in peace. John L. Esposito writes:

When the Arab armies took Jerusalem in 638, they occupied a center whose shrines had made it a major pilgrimage site in Christendom. Churches and the Christian population were left unmolested. Jews, long banned from living there by Christian rulers, were permitted to return, live, and worship in the city of Solomon and David.21

The agreement - which mentioned in previous pages -that Caliph Omar (ra) had signed with the Patriarch of Jerusalem when he entered Jerusalem is a result of his compassion.

The Muslims and Jews of Jerusalem were brutally massacred by the Crusaders.

In short, Muslims brought civilisation to Jerusalem and all of Palestine. Instead of beliefs that showed no respect for other peoples' sacred values, and which killed them simply out of differences of faith, there reigned the just, tolerant and moderate culture of Islam. After its capture by Hazrat Omar (ra), Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together in peace and harmony in Palestine. Muslims never tried to use force to make people convert, although some non-Muslims who saw that Islam was the true religion did so of their own free will.

The peace and harmony in Palestine lasted as long as Muslim rule in the region. However, at the end of the 11th century, a conquering force entered the region from abroad, and the civilised land of Jerusalem was barbarically and savagely plundered, in a way never before seen. These barbarians were the Crusaders.

__________________
Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious

Virtues of farooq-e-azam Umar ibn Al-Khattab(ra)


Awareness of the Companions of Umar's Position Among Them

As mentioned earlier, it was generally known among the Companions that the first among them was Abu Bakr followed by Umar followed by Uthman ibn Affaan. Ibn Umar reports in a sahih hadith: "During the time of the Prophet (sas), we never equated anyone with Abu Bakr then Umar then Uthman. We left the remainder of the Companions of the Prophet (sas) and never made comparisons between them." (Abu Daud - sahih)


Great Respect of the Prophet for Umar

In Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (sas) said: "While I was sleeping I saw myself in paradise. Then there was a woman making wudhuu by the side of a palace. I said: 'Whose is this palace?'. They said: 'It is Umar's.' I remembered the jealousy of Umar and I turned to leave. Then, Umar cried and said: 'Could I be jealous over you, Messenger of Allah?!'".
The Iman of Umar

The Prophet (sas) taught us that to a true believer Allah and His Messenger (sas) are more beloved than all else, including ones on self/life. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, Abdullah ibn Hisham reports: "We were with the Prophet (sas) and he took the hand of Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Umar said to the Prophet (sas): 'O Allah's Messenger, you are dearer to me than all else except for myself.' The Prophet (sas) said to him: 'No, by the One in whose hand my soul is not until I am dearer to you than even your self.' Umar said: 'Now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self.' The Prophet (sas) said: 'Now, O Umar.'"
Umar's Deen

In Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (sas) bore witness to the superiority of Umar ibn Al-Khattab in his deen, saying: "While I was sleeping, I saw the people being presented to me. Each of them was wearing a shirt. Some reached to their breast and some reached farther than that. Then Umar was shown to me with his shirt reaching all the way to the ground." They asked: 'How do you interpret it, Allah's Messenger?' He said: 'Ad-deen (practice)'"


Umar's Knowledge

Umar was among the very few most knowledgeable of the Companions coming only after Abu Bakr. He took his knowledge straight from Allah's Messenger (sas), who bore witness to Umar's position and his knowledge. Those who accuse Umar and others of betraying Islam, "stealing" the Caliphate, etc. should fear Allah in giving the lie to the clear testimony of Allah's Messenger (sas) himself.

From Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (sas) said: 'While sleeping, I drank - meaning milk - until I saw springs coming from my fingernails. Then, I gave Umar some to drink.' They said: 'How do you interpret it, Allah's Messenger?' He said: 'Knowledge.'
Umar's Power and Personal Strength

Umar was a person of great individual strength and fortitude. He was one of the two 'Umars' which the Prophet (sas) asked Allah to bless Islam with before he had become Muslim.

In Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (sas) said: "While sleeping, I saw myself at a well on which there was a water bucket. I took from the well the amount which Allah wished. Then, Abu Bakr took the bucket and took out a bucket or two and in his drawing of water was weakness - and Allah forgive him his weakness. Then it (the bucket) was transformed into a huge barrel. Umar took this barrel and began drawing water. I never saw any leader among the people who could pull the water like Umar ibn Al-Khattab until the people sent their camels to their pens."

The meaning of "sent their camels to their pens" is that that the people got all the water they needed for themselves and for all of their animals until their camels were fully loaded with water.
Umar's Inspirations

From Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (sas) said: "There were among those who came before you individuals spoken to. If anyone among my nation is one of these, it is surely Umar."

Those "spoken to" means individuals who, while not prophets, receive inspirations which match or foretell the actual Communication from Allah received by the prophet of their time. These people do not have the status of the prophets, and their ideas or inspirations are of no use or validity until confirmed by the actua Communication. In the absence of a prophet, this is one of the greatest gifts which an imam or scholar of fiqh can possess. The texts and other scholars can define the perimeter within which the truth must lie, but a great individual such as Umar has the added advantage of their gift of "instinct" or inspiration which leads them in the right direction.

Any claim of inspiration, dreams, etc. which is at odds with the evidence, whether during the time of a prophet or not, is falsehood and is from Shaitaan regardless of the apparent knowledge, station or good works of the individual involved.

In a different version of the above hadith found in Muslim, the Prophet (sas) said: "There were among those who came before you among the Jews men who were spoken to without being prophets. If there are any such among my nation, it is Umar."

From At-Tirmidhi, the Prophet (sas) said: "Allah has placed the truth on the tongue of Umar and on his heart."

__________________
Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious