Umar Al Farooq - The Great Caliph - Part Six: A Moral Innovator

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