Umar is reported to have left the following testament: As per Umars will, he was buried next to Al- Masjid al-Nabawi alongside Muhammad and Caliph Abu Bakr by the permission of Aisha. Aftermath On his death bed Umar vacillated to appoint his successor, however it has been reported that he said that if Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah , Khalid ibn Walid or Salim, the mawali and freed Persian slave, were alive he would have appointed one of them his successor. Umar finally appointed a committee of six persons comprising, 1. Abdur Rahman bin Awf 2. Saad ibn Abi Waqqas 3. Talha ibn Ubaidullah 4. Uthman ibn Affan 5. Ali ibn Abi Talib 6. Zubayr ibn al-Awwam Their task was to choose a caliph from amongst them . Umar appointed a band of fifty armed soldiers to protect the house where the meeting was proceeding. Until the appointment of the next caliph Umar appointed a notable Sahabi , a mawali , Suhayb ar-Rumi ( Suhayb the Roman) as a caretaker Caliph. While the historic meeting for selection of caliph was preceding, Abdulrehman ibn Abu Bakr and Abdur Rahman bin Awf revealed that they saw the dagger used by Abu Lulu, the assassin of Umar. A night before Umars assassination, reported Abdur Rahman bin Awf, he saw Hormuzan, Jafina and Abu Lulu, while they were suspiciously discussing some thing, bewildered by his presence, the dagger fell, it was the same two sided dagger used in the assissination. Abudulrehman ibn Abu Bakr, son of late caliph Abu Bakr also confirmed that few days before Umars assassination, he once saw this dagger with Hurmuzan. After the mystery of assassination got uncovered by the two of the most notable governmental figures, it seemed clear that the assassination was planned by the Persians residing in Medina. Infuriated by this, Umars younger son Ubaidullah ibn Umar sought to kill all the Persians in Madinah. He killed Hurmuzan, Jafinah, and daughter of Umars assassin Abu Lulu, who is believed to have been a Muslim. Ubaidullah was intercepted by the people of Madinah withholding him from the massacre. Amr ibn al-Aas is said to have intercepted him and convinced him to hand over his sword. The murder of Jafinah enraged Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, his foster brother, and he assaulted Ubaidullah ibn Umar and again the companions intervened. When Umar was informed about the incident, he ordered that Ubaidullah should be imprisoned and the next Caliph should decide his fate. [83] Umar died on 7 November 644; on 11 November Uthman succeeded him as the Caliph. After prolonged negotiations, the tribunal decided to give blood money to the victims and released Umars son Ubaidullah on the ground that after the tragic incident of Umars assassination people will be further infuriated by the execution of his son the very next day. Legacy Umar is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Islamic history. He was in a true sense the architect of the Islamic Empire. As a leader, Umar was known for his simple, austere lifestyle. Rather than adopt the pomp and display affected by the rulers of the time, he continued to live much as he had when Muslims were poor and persecuted. Physical appearance Umar is said to be blessed with a strong physique. He could travel on foot for miles. From contemporary sources it appears that Umar had attained perfection in the art of wrestling. He was an athlete and a wrestler. He is said to have participated in the wrestling matches on the occasion of the annual fair of Ukaz. [84] From first hand accounts of his physical appearance Umar is said to be vigorous, robust and a very tall man, in markets he would tower above the people. The front part of his head was bald, always Asara Yusran (working with two hands), [85] both his eyes are black, with yellow skin, however, ibn Saad in his book The Book of the Major Classes (Tabaqat al- Kubra ) stated that he never knew that Umar had yellow skin, except if the people took into criterion a certain part of his life where his color changed because he always ate oil at that part of his life, [86] Others say he has reddish-white skin. His teeth were ashnabul asnan (very white shining). He would always color his beard and take care of his hair using a type of plant. [86][87] Early Muslim historians Ibn Saad and Al-Hakim have recorded a description of Umar mentioning that Abu Miriam Zir, a native of Kufa described Umar as: Umars eldest son Abdullah described the physical appearance of his father as follows: Another historian Salima bin al-Akwaa said about him: Ibn Asakir records on the authority of Abu Raja al-Utaridi that: Political legacy Umar is considered as a political genius, as an architect of Islamic Empire he is regarded as 52nd most influential figure in history.[89] Umar remained politically stagnant during Muhammads era, however after his death, it was Umars brilliance that Abu Bakr was elected Caliph, despite of massive initial confrontations at Saqifah. Umar successfully broke the alliance of the tribes of Madinah who claim Caliphate to be their right, paving the way for the succession of Abu Bakr. during Abu Bakrs era, he actively participated as his secretory and main adviser. After succeeding Abu Bakr as caliph, Umar won over the hearts of Baudouin tribes by emancipating all their prisoners and slaves taken during Ridda wars , his excellent oratory skills helped him to heighten his popularity graph, mostly among the poor and underprivileged people. He proved himself as an excellent manager during the year of the great Famine when his dynamic abilities saved millions from starvation. He is best known to build up an efficient administrative structure of the empire, that held together his vast realm. He organized an effective network of intelligence, partly a reason for his strong grip on his bureaucracy. [90] His judicial reforms were fairly modern and advance in nature when compared to contemporary systems of his era. He opposed the construction of present day Suez Canal, as it posed threat to the security of Madinah. Twelve hundred years later Great Britain opposed the construction of the canal for the same reason as it then posed threat to its colonies in Indian subcontinent . One of the reason of the compactness of his political rule in the conquered lands is reputed to his policy of tolerance to their religious believes and imposition of far lower taxes on them as compared to Sassanid Persian empire and Byzantine Empire . Their local administration was kept un-touched and several of the former Byzantine and Persian official were retained on their services under Umars governors. Umar was very painstaking in every matter. His meticulousness nature was evident from his appointment of governors and judges that never let him lose his grip on the government. He never appointed governors for more than two years, for they might get influence in their county. He dismissed his most successful general Khalid ibn Walid , due to his immense popularity and growing influence that he saw menace to his authority. Rather than tenacious conquest he stressed more on consolidating his rule in the conquered land, a fact that saved Byzantine empire from complete disappearance. Umar is reported to have wished an official tour across his domain to personally examine the condition of his subjects. In 641, before the conquest of Persian empire, Umar is reported to have said: It should be noted that at the time, Umar made this statement, Persia was not yet conquered (conquest of Persia begun in 642 ). He would walk the streets of Medina with a whip in his hand, and it is said that Umars whip was feared more than the sword of another man. He is famous for covert night tour of the city to know the secret life of his domain, the tradition that later be followed by some of the Abbasid Caliphs and even Mughul rulers of Indian subcontinent. Saeed M.Mohtsham cites from Caliph Umars rule in his research paper Vision and Visionary Leadership – An Islamic Perspective : The author further wrote that: In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , Gibbon refers to Umar in the following terms: Military legacy Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas leads the armies of the Rashidun Caliphate during the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah from a manuscript of the Shahnameh . It has been reported that Umar was a champion wrestler of his time, and though not distinguished as a swordsman, he would later attain prominence as a master strategist. Along with Khalid, he is said to be one of the key figures in the collapse of the Arabian rebellion , the greatest triumph of Abu Bakr. One of his greatest strategic marvels was his brilliant fission of Persio-Roman alliance in 636, when Emperor Heraclius and Emperor Yazdegerd III allied against their common enemy Umar. He was lucky in that the Persian Emperor Yazdegerd III couldnt synchronize with Heraclius as planned. Umar fully availed the opportunity and successfully tackled the minefield by straining the Byzantines to jump in the battle. This was contrary to the orders of Empreror Heraclius, who presumably wanted a coordinated attack along with the Persians. Umar did this by sending reinforcements to the Roman front in the Battle of Yarmouk with instructions that they should appear in the form of small bands, one after the other, giving the impression of a continuous stream of reinforcements that finally lured the Byzantines to an untimely battle. On the other hand Yazdegerd III of Persia was engaged in negotiations that further gave Umar time to transfer his troops from Syria to Iraq. These troops proved decisive in the Battle of Qadisiyyah. Both the battles thus fought proved decisive and are noted as two of the most decisive battles in history. His strategic dimensions were the prime reason for Muslim victory at the Second Battle of Emesa in 638, where the pro- Byzantine Christian Arabs of Jazira , aided by the Byzantine Emperor, made an unexpected flanking movement and laid siege to Emesa (Homs) . Umars brilliance was behind this Muslim victory and was achieved without firing a single shot. Umar issued an order to invade the very homeland of the Christian Arab forces besieging Emesa, the Jazirah. A three prong attack against Jazirah was launched from Iraq. To further pressurize the Christian Arab armies, Umar instructed Saad ibn Abi Waqqas , commander of Muslim forces in Iraq, to send reinforcements to Emesa. Umar himself led a reinforcement from Madinah and marched towards Emesa. Under this unprecedented press-gang, Christian Arabs retreated from Emesa before Muslim reinforcements could reach Emesa. This incursion from the Byzantines however, resulted in Muslim annexation of Mesopotamia and parts of Byzantine Armenia . Nonetheless, the greatest triumph of Umar remained the Conquest of Persian empire . After years of non-offensive policy according to which Umar wished the Zagros Mountains to be the frontiers between the Muslims and the Persians, after the Battle of Nahavand, Umar launched a whole scale invasion of the Sassanid Persian Empire. The invasion was a series of well coordinated multi-prong attacks that were based on the principle of isolating and then destroying the target. Umar launched the invasion by attacking the very heart of Persia, aiming to isolate Azerbaijan and eastern Persia. It was immediately followed by simultaneous attacks on Azerbaijan and Fars . In the final secession Sistan and Kirman were captured thus isolating the stronghold of Persia, the Khurasan. The final expedition was launched against Khurasan where after the Battle of Oxus River, the Persian empire ceased to exist, and emperor Yazdegerd III fled to Central Asia . He conquered 36,000 cities or castles, and built 1400 mosques in the lands he conquered.[92] Religious legacy Sunni views Main article: Sunni view of Umar Umar is remembered as a rigid Muslim of a sound and just disposition in matters of the religion of Allah, a man they title Farooq , meaning leader, jurist and statesman, and the second of the rightly guided Caliphs. He patched his clothes with skin, took buckets on his two shoulders, always riding his donkey without the saddle, rarely laughing and never joking with anyone. On his ring is written the words Enough is Death as a reminder to you O Umar. [93] He did not seek advancement for his own family, but rather sought to advance the interests of the Muslim community, the ummah . The general Sunni sentiment for Umar is summarized by one of Muhammads companions, Abd Allah ibn Masud : Shia views Main article: Shia view of Umar Umar is viewed very negatively in Twelver Shia literature and is often regarded as a traitor to Muhammad, a usurper of Alis rights, and, by some, a murderer. Some Twelver Shia writers believe he murdered Muhammads daughter Fatimah . According to the majority of Twelver scholar writings, Fatimah, wife of Ali , was physically assaulted by him. These sources report that the event caused her to miscarry her child and eventually led to her death soon after. [95] [96] (see Umar at Fatimahs house ). However, most scholars reject these accounts of physical assault as a myth. [97] Zaydis , the oldest branch of the Shia and the largest group amongst the Shia before the Safavid Dynasty in the sixteenth century and currently the second largest group, disagree with the Twelver Shia. Zaydis believe that on the last hour of Zayd ibn Ali , he was betrayed by the people in Kufa who said to him: May God have mercy on you! What do you have to say on the matter of Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab ? Zayd ibn Ali said, I have not heard anyone in my family renouncing them both nor saying anything but good about them...when they were entrusted with government they behaved justly with the people and acted according to the Quran and the Sunnah.. [98][99] The Zaidiyyah Shia accept Umar and Abu Bakr as legitimate Caliphs[100] Western views In his book Mahomet and His Successors , Washington Irving estimates the achievements of Umar in the following terms: In his book The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall Sir William Muir says as follows about Umar: In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , Gibbon refers to Umar in the following terms: In his book History of the Arabs Professor Philip Khuri Hitti has assessed the achievements of Umar in the following terms: The Encyclopædia Britannica (9th edition, Popular Reprint, 1888) remarks of Umar: On the other hand, David Samuel Margoliouth offers this assessment of Umar: However, in contrast to Margoliouths assertion, Shahid Ashraf celebrates Umar as amongst the firmest companions who remained with Muhammad at his most critical juncture during the Battle of Hunayn when others fled during their disarray: This view of Umars courageous commitment at the Battle of Hunayn is also reported in Ibn Ishaq s Sīrat rasūl Allāh and Ibn Sad s Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir ,[108][109] in addition to modern Muslim writers. [110][111] For instance, the renowned Ibn Sad reports in his Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir : Family Main article: Family tree of Umar Umar married a total of 9 women in his lifetime and had 14 children, 10 sons and 4 daughters. The details are as follow: Wife: Zaynab bint Mazun (at the time of Jahiliyyah [Days of Ignorance]) Son: Abdullah ibn Umar Son: Abdulrahman ibn Umar (The Older) Son: Abdulrahman ibn Umar Daughter: Hafsa bint Umar Wife: Umm Kulthum bint Jarwila Khuzima (divorced) [112] Son: Ubaidullah ibn Umar Son: Zayd ibn Umar[112] Wife: Quraybah bint Abi Umayyah al- Makhzumi (divorced, married by Abdulrehman ibn Abu Bakr) Wife: Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham (after her husband, a former ally of Umar and a companion Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl was killed in Battle of Yarmouk , later divorced but al- Madaini says he did not divorce her)[113] Daughter: Fatima bint Umar Wife: Jamilah bint Asim ibn Thabit ibn Abi al-Aqlah (from the tribe of Aws) [112][114] [115] Son: Asim ibn Umar Wife: Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl (cousin of Umar and former wife of Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr[114][116] married Umar in the year 12 AH and after Umar was murdered, she married az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam ) Son: Iyaad ibn Umar Wife: Umm Kulthum bint Ali (the daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib). [117][118][119] Son: Zayd ibn Umar, (famously known as Ibnul Khalifatayn; the son of the two Caliphs i.e Umar and Ali ). Daughter: Ruqayyah bint Umar Wife: Luhyah (a woman from Yemen (Yaman) whos marital status with Umar is disputed, al-Waqidi said that she was Umm Walad, meaning a slave woman) [112] Son: Abdulrahman ibn Umar (the youngest Abdulrehman while some say the middle Abdulrehman from Luhyah) Wife: Fukayhah (as Umm Walad) [93] Daughter: Zaynab bint Umar (the smallest child of Umar from Fukayhah) Another son is az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, called Abu Shahmah, though from which wife is unknown. [112] See also Islam Sahaba Farooqi Umar ibn Al-Khattāb (TV series) Notes 1. ^ Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Ahmad ibn Ali. Lisan Ul-Mizan: *Umar bin al-Khattab al-Adiyy . 2. ^ Muhammad, ibn Saad (830-840 BCE). At-Tabaqat al Kubra . pp. Chapter 3 page 281. 3. ^ Ahmed, Nazeer, Islam in Global History: From the Death of Prophet Muhammad to the First World War , American Institute of Islamic History and Cul, 2001, p. 34. ISBN 0-7388-5963-X . 4. ^ Hourani, p. 23. 5. ^ a b jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ jsource/History/Caliphate.html 6. ^ Dubnow, Simon (1968). History of the Jews: From the Roman Empire to the Early Medieval Period 2 . Cornwall Books. p. 326. ISBN 978-0-8453-6659-2 . 7. ^ Muhammad Husayn Haykal (1944). Al Farooq, Umar. Chapter 1. page 45. 8. ^ a b c Haykal, 1944. Chapter 1. 9. ^ Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari , History of the Prophets and Kings 10. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 1. page 40-41. 11. ^ Tabqat ibn Saad. Chapter: Umar ibn Khattab. 12. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 1. page 47. 13. ^ a b Haykal, 1944. Chapter 1. p. 51. 14. ^ Armstrong, p. 128. 15. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 1. page 53. 16. ^ Bukhari, Mohammad. Sahih Al-Bukhari . pp. Volume 5, Book 58, Number 204. 17. ^ as-Suyuti, The History of Khalifahs Who Took The Right Way (London, 1995), p. 107-108. 18. ^ Al Mubarakpury, Safi ur Rahman (2002). Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar) . Darussalam. pp. 130–1. ISBN 9960-899-55-1 . 19. ^ a b Tartib wa Tahthib Kitab al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah by ibn Kathir, published by Dar al-Wathan publications , Riyadh Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1422 Anno hegiræ (2002) compiled by Dr. Muhammad ibn Shamil as- Sulami, page 170, ISBN 979-3407-19-6 20. ^ Armstrong, p. 35. 21. ^ Serat-i-Hazrat Umar-i-Farooq , Mohammad Allias Aadil, p. 30 22. ^ Serat-i-Hazrat Umar-i-Farooq , Mohammad Allias Aadil, page no:119 23. ^ Armstrong, p. 152. 24. ^ Serat-i-Hazrat Umar-i-Farooq , Mohammad Allias Aadil, page no:40-41 25. ^ Serat-i-Hazrat Umar-i-Farooq , Mohammad Allias Aadil, page no:42-42, Sahih al bukhari 26. ^ a b Tabqat ibn al-Saad book of Maghazi, page no:62 27. ^ Sahih-al-Bhukari book of Maghazi, Ghazwa Zaat-ul-Sallasal 28. ^ Serat-i-Hazrat Umar-i-Farooq , Mohammad Allias Aadil, page no:56 29. ^ a b as-Suyuti, The History of Khalifahs Who Took The Right Way (London, 1995), p. 54 – 61. 30. ^ a b c d e Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad. Cambridge University Press. 31. ^ a b The History of al-Tabari . State University of New York Press. 1990. 32. ^ a b [1] 33. ^ a b [2] 34. ^ a b Madelung, 1997. p. 33. 35. ^ Madelung, 1997. p. 22. 36. ^ Madelung, 1997. p. 43. 37. ^ a b c d In the shadow of the sword, The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World By Tom Holland, ISBN 978-0-349-12235-9 Abacus Page 381 38. ^ Sebeos 139 39. ^ In the shadow of the sword, The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World By Tom Holland, ISBN 978-0-349-12235-9 Abacus Page 382 40. ^ Medieval Islamic political thought, Patricia Crone, page 18 41. ^ Serat-i-Hazrat Umar-i-Farooq, by Mohammad Allias Aadil, page no:58-59 42. ^ K. Y. Blankinship, The History of al- Tabari: vol. XI, p. 157 43. ^ Early caliphate, Muhammad Ali, Muḥammad Yaʻqūb K̲h̲ān page 85 44. ^ Umar Farooq-i-Azam , Mohammad Hussain Haikal, chapter no:4 page no:112-113 45. ^ K. Y. Blankinship, The History of al- Tabari: vol. XI, p. 145-153. 46. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 5. p. 119. 47. ^ Modern Islamic political thought, Hamid Enayat, page 6. 48. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 5. p. 130 49. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 5. p. 135. 50. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 5. p. 140. 51. ^ The Cambridge History of Islam , ed. P.M. Holt, Ann K.S. Lambton, and Bernard Lewis, Cambridge 1970 52. ^ Commanding right and forbidding wrong in Islamic thought, M. A. Cook, page no:79 53. ^ Al-Buraey, Muhammad (2002). Administrative Development: An Islamic Perspective . Routledge. pp. 248–249. ISBN 978-0-7103-0333-2 . 54. ^ Essid, Yassine (1995). A Critique of the Origins of Islamic Economic Thought . Brill. pp. 24, 67. ISBN 978-90-04-10079-4 . 55. ^ The Precious Pearls Muhammad Ayub Sipra, Darussalam publishers and distributors, 2002 p. 57. 56. ^ history-science- technology/articles/articles %2012.htm 57. ^ Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, E. P. Mathers, page no: 471 58. ^ a b Simha Assaf, Meqorot u-Meḥqarim be-Toldot Yisrael , Jerusalem 1946, pp. 20-21 (Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic) 59. ^ Giorgio Levi Della Vida and Michael Bonner , Encyclopaedia of Islam , and Madelung, p. 74. 60. ^ The origins of Islamic jurisprudence , Harald Motzki, Marion 61. ^ The History of al-Tabari , vol. XII, Albany: State University of New York Press 2007, pp. 194-195 62. ^ Medieval Islamic Civilization , Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach page no:844 63. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 22. 64. ^ Haykal, 1944. Chapter 21. 65. ^ Umar bin Al Khattab - The Second Caliph of Islam By Abdul Basit Ahmad Page 43 [3] 66. ^ Men Around the Messenger By Khālid Muḥammad Khālid, Muhammad Khali Khalid Page 20 [4] 67. ^ The Living Thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad By Maulana Muhammad Ali Page [5] 68. ^ Administrative Development: An Islamic Perspective By Muhammad Al-Buraey Page 254 [6] 69. ^ The challenge of Islamic renaissance By Syed Abdul Quddus 70. ^ Administrative Development: An Islamic Perspective By Muhammad Al-Buraey Page 252 [7] 71. ^ Ottoman History: Misperceptions and Truths By Said Öztürk Page 539 72. ^ Esposito (2010, p. 38) 73. ^ Hofmann (2007), p.86 74. ^ Islam: An Illustrated History By Greville Stewart Parker Freeman-Grenville, Stuart Christopher Munro-Hay Page 40 75. ^ R. B. Serjeant, Sunnah Jamiah, pacts with the Yathrib Jews, and the Tahrim of Yathrib: analysis and translation of the documents comprised in the so-called Constitution of Medina, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (1978), 41: 1-42, Cambridge University Press. 76. ^ Watt. Muhammad at Medina and R. B. Serjeant The Constitution of Medina. Islamic Quarterly 8 (1964) p.4. 77. ^ Constitution of Medina 78. ^ Modern reformist thought in the Muslim world . By Mazheruddin Siddiqi, Adam Publishers & Distributors. pg.147 79. ^ Ibn Sad, Tabaqat 80. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Pirouz_Nahavandi#Death 81. ^ Al Farooq, Umar, Muhammad Husayn Haykal. chapter no: Death of Umar 82. ^ dsc.discovery/ news/2008/11/18/islamic- inscription-02.html 83. ^ Al Farooq, Umar, Muhammad Husayn Haykal. chapter no:death of Umar 84. ^ a b HADRAT UMAR FAROOQ by PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN 85. ^ Lisan al-Arab 4/196 86. ^ a b The Book of the Major Classes ( Tabaqat al-Kubra ) 3/ 324 by ibn Saad 87. ^ History of the Prophets and Kings ( Tarikh ar-Rusul wa al-Muluk ) 4/ 196 by Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari 88. ^ HADRAT UMAR FAROOQ BY PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN 89. ^ The 100 , Michael H. Hart 90. ^ Islamic Imperialism, Efraim Karsh, page no: 25 91. ^ Mohtsham, Saeed M., Vision and Visionary Leadership – An Islamic Perspective 92. ^ The American Encyclopedia of 1851 93. ^ a b Tartib wa Tahthib Kitab al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah by ibn Kathir, published by Dar al-Wathan publications, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1422 AH (2002) compiled by Dr. Muhammad ibn Shamil as-Sulami, page 168, ISBN 979-3407-19-6 94. ^ as-Suyuti, The History of the Khalifas Who Took the Right Way, p. 112 95. ^ Momen, Moojan (1985). An Introduction to Shiʻi Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shiʻism . p. 19. ISBN 978-0-300-03531-5 . 96. ^ The Conference of Baghdads Ulema . p. 45. 97. ^ Walbridge, Linda S. (2001-08-30). The Most Learned of the Shiʻa: The Institution of the Marjaʻ Taqlid . Oxford University Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-19-513799-6 . 98. ^ The waning of the Umayyad caliphate by Tabarī, Carole Hillenbrand, 1989, p37, p38 99. ^ The Encyclopedia of Religion Vol.16, Mircea Eliade, Charles J. Adams, Macmillan, 1987, p243. They were called Rafida by the followers of Zayd 100. ^ Ruthven, Malise (2006-04-20). Islam in the World . Oxford University Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-19-530503-6 . 101. ^ Mahomet and His Successors 102. ^ The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall 103. ^ The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 104. ^ History of the Arabs 105. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica 106. ^ Mohammed and the Rise of Islam , pg 164 107. ^ Encyclopaedia of Holy Prophet and Companions by Shahid Ashraf, Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., 2004, p74 108. ^ The life of Muhammad: a translation of Ishāqs Sīrat rasūl Allāh Abd al-Malik Ibn Hishām, Alfred Guillaume, Muhammad Ibn Ishāq, Oxford University Press 1998, p569 109. ^ a b Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir Vol. II English Trans, pp. 186-187 110. ^ Encyclopaedia of Islam by Mufti M. Mukarram Ahmed, 2005, p42 111. ^ Hadrat Ali Murtada by Masudul Hasan, Islamic Publications 1988, p96 112. ^ a b c d e Nasab Qurayshi page 349 by az-Zubayri 113. ^ Finding the Truth in Judging the Companions (al-Isaba fi tamyiz as-Sahaba ) 8/ 193 by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani 114. ^ a b History of the Prophets and Kings 4/ 199 by Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari 115. ^ The Book of the Major Classes ( Tabaqat al-Kubra ibn Sad ) 3/ 265 by ibn Saad 116. ^ al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah 6/352 by ibn Kathir 117. ^ Musannaf Abd al-Razzâq 6/163-64 #10354 118. ^ Sahih al-Bukhari vol.4 bk.52 #132 119. ^ Tarikh al-Tabari 2/343 References Donner, Fred, The Early Islamic Conquests, Princeton University Press, 1981. Guillaume, A., The Life of Muhammad, Oxford University Press, 1955. Hourani, Albert , A History of the Arab Peoples , Faber and Faber, 1991. Madelung, Wilferd, The Succession to Muhammad , Cambridge University Press, 1997. G.LeviDellaVida and M.Bonner Umar in Encyclopedia of Islam CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0, Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands 1999 Previte-Orton, C. W (1971). The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. How Many Companions Do You Know? By Ali Al-Halawani External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Umar . Excerpt from The History of the Khalifahs by Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti Sirah of Amirul Muminin Umar Bin Khattab (r.a.a.) by Shaykh Sayyed Muhammad bin Yahya Al-Husayni Al-Ninowy. Umar Banu Adi Sunni Islam titles Preceded by Abū Bakr Rashidun Caliph 634–644 Succeeded by `Uthmān Read in another language Mobile Desktop Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. Terms of Use Privacy Umars embracing Islam was our victory, his migration to Medina was our success, and his reign a blessing from Allah. We didnt offer prayers in Al-Haram Mosque until Umar had accepted Islam. When he accepted Islam, the Quraysh were compelled to let us pray in the Mosque. [21] “ ” Whoever worshipped Muhammad, let them know that Muhammad has died, and whoever worshipped Allah, let them know that Allah is alive and never dies. “ ” Muhammad is but a messenger; messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him. If, then, he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heel?. “ ” Umar judged the outcome of the Saqifa assembly to be a falta [translated by Madelung as a precipitate and ill-considered deal [35] because of the absence of most of the prominent Muhajirun, including the Prophets own family and clan, whose participation he considered vital for any legitimate consultation (shura, mashwara). It was, he warned the community, to be no precedent for the future. Yet he also defended the outcome, claiming that the Muslims were longing for Abu Bakr as for no one else. He apologized, moreover, that the Muhajirun present were forced to press for an immediate oath of allegiance since the Ansar could not have been trusted to wait for a legitimate consultation and might have proceeded to elect one of their own after the departure of the Mekkans. Another reason for Umar to censure the Saqifa meeting as a falta was no doubt its turbulent and undignified end, as he and his followers jumped upon the sick Khazraji leader Sad bin Ubada in order to teach him a lesson, if not to kill him, for daring to challenge the sole right of Quraysh to rule. This violent break-up of the meeting indicates, moreover, that the Ansar cannot all have been swayed by the wisdom and eloquence of Abu Bakrs speech and have accepted him as the best choice for the succession, as suggested by Caetani. There would have been no sense in beating up the Khazraji chief if everybody had come around to swearing allegiance to Umars candidate. A substantial number of the Ansar, presumably of Khazraj in particular, must have refused to follow the lead of the Muhajirun. [34] “ ” Isolated reports of use of force against Ali and Banu Hashim who unanimously refuse to swear alligence for six months are probably to be discounted. Abu Bakr no doubt was wise enough to restrain Umar from any violence against them, well realizing that this would inevitably provoked the sense of solidarity of majority of Abdul Mannaf who’s acquiescence he needed.[36] His policy was rather not isolating Banu Hashim as far as possible. “ ” His (Umars) strictness was there because of my softness when the weight of Caliphate will be over his shoulders he will remain no longer strict. If I will be asked by God to whom I have appointed my successor, I will tell him that I have appointed the best man among your men. [44] “ ” O ye faithful! Abu Bakr is no more amongst us. He has the satisfaction that he has successfully piloted the ship of the Muslim state to safety after negotiating the stormy sea. He successfully waged the apostasy wars, and thanks to him, Islam is now supreme in Arabia. After Abu Bakr, the mantle of the Caliphate has fallen on my shoulders. I swear it before God that I never coveted this office. I wished that it would have devolved on some other person more worthy than me. But now that in national interest, the responsibility for leading the Muslims has come to vest in me, I assure you that I will not run away from my post, and will make an earnest effort to discharge the onerous duties of the office to the best of my capacity in accordance with the injunctions of Islam. Allah has examined me from you and you from me, In the performance of my duties, I will seek guidance from the Holy Book, and will follow the examples set by the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr. In this task I seek your assistance. If I follow the right path, follow me. If I deviate from the right path, correct me so that we are not led astray. “ ” Remember, I have not appointed you as commanders and tyrants over the people. I have sent you as leaders instead, so that the people may follow your example. Give the Muslims their rights and do not beat them lest they become abused. Do not praise them unduly, lest they fall into the error of conceit. Do not keep your doors shut in their faces, lest the more powerful of them eat up the weaker ones. And do not behave as if you were superior to them, for that is tyranny over them. “ ” I am sending you the Caravans whose one end will be here at Syria and the other will be at Madinah. “ ” O Caliph, never again will you stand on the Mount of Arafat. “ ” We saw a man standing at the top of the hill and crying Verily that is the last Hajj of Umar. He will never come here again. “ ” I heard that you make windmills; make one for me as well. In a sullen mood, Firoz said, Verily I will make such a mill for you, that whole world would remember it . “ ” Be kind and generous to the Muhajirun and the Ansar . Those out of them who are good, be good to them; those who are bad overlook their lapses. Be good to the people of the conquered lands. They are the outer line of our defense; they are the target of the anger and distress of our enemies. They contribute to our revenues. They should be taxed only on their surplus wealth. Be gracious to the Bedouins as they are the backbone of the Arab nation. I instruct you to be good to the Dhimmis for they are your responsibility. Do not tax them beyond their capacity. Ensure that they pay the Jizya without undue inconvenience. Fear God, and in all that you do keep His pleasure in view. In the matter of people fear God, and in the matter of Allah do not be afraid of the people. With regard to the people, I enjoin upon you to administer justice with an even hand. See that all the legitimate requirements of the people are met. Be concerned for their welfare. Ensure the safety of their person and property. See that the frontiers of our domains are not violated. Take strong steps to guard the frontiers. In the matter of administration do not prefer the rich to the poor. Be hard against those who violate the law. Show them no mercy. Do not rest content until you have brought the miscreants to book. Treat all the people as equal. Be a pillar of strength for those who are weak and oppressed. Those who are strong but do wrong, make them pay for their wrong-doings. In the distribution of booty and other matters be above nepotism. Let no consideration of relationship or selfish interest weigh with you. The Satan is at large; it may tempt you. Rise above all temptations and perform your duties in accordance with the injunctions of Islam. Get guidance from the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Freely consult the wise men around you. Apply your own mind in difficult cases, and seek light from God. Be simple in your living and your habits. Let there be no show or ostentation about you. Lead life as a model Muslim. As you are the leader of the Muslims, justify your leadership by being the best among them all. May God bless you. “ ”
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:26:49 +0000
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