Umar Al-Khattab (RA)

Examiner Report

📰 Biography

• Full Name: Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (عمر بن الخطاب)

• Titles: Al Faruq

• Father: Khattab ibn Nufayl

• Mother: Hantamah binti Hisham

• Birth: 584 CE

• Death: 644 CE

• Length of Rule: 10 years

❓ Before Accepting Islam

Conversion

• He remained a bitter enemy of Islam and the Holy Prophet before his conversion.

• Prophet prayed for his conversion to Islam.

• He was initially angry at the prophet and the new message he was preaching and set out to kill him;

• On his way he was told his own sister and brother-in-law had converted and so went there;
  • Overheard recitation of part of sura Ta Ha;
  • This enraged Umar so much that he attacked her and her husband.

• The words of the Holy Qur’an softened his heart and tears began to fall from his eyes and he immediately decided to embrace Islam.
  • Given the title 'Al Faruq'

• He approached the Holy Prophet and embraced Islam at the age of 26.

• He had a reputation of being the fiercest man in Makka and so his conversion provided Muslims some protection;

• He fought Qur’aysh until Muslims could pray at the Ka’bah.

🌟 Umar during the Prophet's Lifetime

The Prophet said, ‘’The sun has not risen over a man better than Umar.’’ (Tirmidhi)

• Umar belonged to the Banu Adi clan of the Quraish.
  • His father Al-Khatab was an influential leader of Makkah.

• Umar was tall, well built, a fierce fighter and well educated.
  • Reputation of the fiercest men of Makkah.

• He was elected the spokesperson of Quraish.

• Prophet prayed for his conversion to Islam.
  • His conversion boosted the morale of Muslims.
  • He protected the Prophet from attacks.

• Migrated to Medina and took farming as a profession.

• He married his daughter, Hafsa, to the Prophet.

• He made the Hijra to Madina with the other Muslims.

• He fought in all the battles with the Prophet.
  • Formed a defensive around the Prophet at Uhud.
  • Helped in the digging of trench at the Battle of Trench.

• It was Umar who gave the suggestion of summoning the believers for daily prayers by Adhaan (call for prayer).

• Gave half of his wealth for the Tabuk Expedition

• He was also present at the treaty of Hudaibiya and took part in Bait al-Ridwan.
  • Objected to the terms of the treaty of Hudaibiya because he thought they disadvantaged the Prophet.

• Persuaded Muslims to accept Prophet’s decision to retreat when they could not capture Ta'if

• Took part in expeditions towards north organized in the last years of the Prophet
  • In the Tabuk expedition he donated half of his wealth and in the battle of Hunain, he was among those handfuls of Muslims who stood firmly by the side of the Holy Prophet.

• Umar was not ready to believe in the death of the Holy Prophet till Abu Bakr called him down by reciting the verse (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 3:144).

• Soon after, he started making arrangements for the Holy Prophet’s burial together with Abu Bakr.
  • In the meantime they heard of an Ansar meeting to discuss the issue of succession.
  • Both reached the spot and finally, due to Umar’s wisdom and timely intervention, Abu Bakr got elected as the first Caliph of Islam.

Achievements during the Prophet's Lifetime

1) His Conversion

• ‘Umar had a very staunch character and was open about his idolatry and opposition to Islam.
  • Yet his conversion meant that the Qur’an was able to affect someone who on the outside looked like an enemy of Islam, therefore Muslims should still try to convey the good in Islam to non-Muslims even if they seem against it.

• His conversion meant Muslims had someone to stand up and defend them, and he was not afraid of letting people know about his new faith, so Muslims should also try to be open about their faith and not hide it.

• Umar, known for his fiery and impulsive nature, made his conversion public in a bold manner.
  • He started preaching Islam openly and boldly.
  • He was the most open about public praying.

• Muslims couldn’t pray at the Kaaba until he became Muslim.
  • They now began to offer prayer openly in the Kaabah without any fear.

• Umar’s physical and social strength, after his conversion, was dedicated to the growth of Islam and raising the morale of the Muslims in Makkah (and later in Medina).
  • He helped the Muslims gain confidence in practising Islam openly; no-one dared interfere with ‘Umar when he was praying.

• All this gave a physical protection to the vulnerable Muslims.

• The Prophet, in recognition of Umar’s conversion, gave him the title of Al-Farooq (the one who can differentiate between the truth and falsehood)

2) His zealotry

• He devoted his life and energy to the cause of Islam and openly supported the Holy Prophet throughout his mission in Makkah and Medina.

• He performed valuable services in all the major battles fought against the enemies of Islam.
  • He placed about half of his wealth at the disposal of the Holy Prophet on the occasion of the Tabuk expedition.

👑 Umar as a Caliph (634-644)

🗳 Nomination

• On 8th August 633, Abu Bakr developed high fever.

• Abu Bakr appointed Umar to lead the prayers.

• He felt that he was nearing his death, so he nominate Umar (RA) and consulted some of the companions regarding his choice.

• Some companions argued that Umar (RA) was too fierce and strict, but Abu Bakr (RA) was confident that leadership would make Umar (RA) lenient.
  • Whenever Abu Bakr was angry, Umar calmed him down. Whenever Abu Bakr was too soft, Umar counselled for greater severity.
  • Ali (RA) supported this decision, along with a majority of the companions.

• Abu Bakr sent for Umar, and informed him that he had appointed him as his successor.

• Umar replied that he had no intent for becoming the Caliph, but Abu Bakr reminded him that he is the best choice for Caliphate.

• Thereupon the Muslim Community

⭐ The main events of the rules of the four Caliphs

Conquest of Persia

• Fighting with the Persian Empire had begun during the rule of the previous Caliph.

⚔ Battle of Namaraq (634 C.E):

• The Persians were furious at the fall of Hira.

• They sent a large army under Rustum.

• Muthanna bin Harith asked the caliph for reinforcements and the battle of Namrak was fought by Muthanna and Khalid bin Waleed in 634.

• The Persians were defeated.

• Muslim forces defeated the Persian in Namaraq in October 634 AD and crossed the Euphrates.

⚔ Battle of the Bridge (634 C.E):

• Rustum assembled a huge army at the bank of the Euphrates.

• The Muslims crossed the bridge under the command of Abu ‘Ubaid ath-Thaqafi in 634.

• Fierce fighting broke out;

• Abu Ubaida was martyred and the Muslims were in chaos.

• Someone cut the bridge to encourage them to fight but it had the opposite effect.

• The Muslims lost the battle.

• The Persian supreme command then sent a huge force under Bahman.
  • The two armies fought a fierce battle, the Battle of Bridge.
  • Here the Muslims suffered heavy losses including their commander Abu Ubaid bin Zaid.

⚔ Battle of Buwaib (634 C.E):

• Shocked at the defeat, ‘Umar sent reinforcements to Muthanna’s army.

• A large Persian force of 200 000 men under Mehran met the Muslim army at Buwaib;

• A fierce battle was fought;

• The Persian commander was killed and 100 000 of their men lost their lives.

• The battle was won by the Muslims in November 634 AD

⚔ Battle of Qadisiyya (636 C.E):

• The battle was fought in 636 C.E.

• Muslims: 30,000 — Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas

• Persians: 120,000 — Rustam

• The last Sassanid king Yazdgard rose against the Muslims to recapture the territories lost in the battle of Buwayb.

• Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas sent 14 da'is to call Yezdgird to Islam and to bring forth three options:
  • The three options were put before the Persian emperor before the start of hostilities; accept Islam; pay jizya or wage war, he chose the third option

• Yezdgird assembled a large of 120,000 men which also included an elephant corps and a large cavalry battalion was led by Rustum.

• Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas commanded the Muslim army of 30,000 men. He was ill at the time and directed the operations from the sick bed.

• The Muslims again presented three options to Rustam: accept Islam, pay jizya or wage war. He accepted war.

• Rustam sent a detachment of cavalry to prevent the Muslims from crossing over.

• A stand-off lasting 3 months took place with skirmishes against border settlements in which the Muslims were successful and during which time there were desertions and defections from the Persian side

• The Muslims defeated the Persians in hand to hand combat, demoralising the enemy.

• A fierce battle finally ensued lasting 4 days.

• al-Qa'qa killed 2 of the 5 Persian commanders.

• The Muslims clothed their camels and put masks on their faces, scaring the Persian horses.

• It resulted in the death of Rustam as he tried to swim to safety.

• The Persians were routed, and those who wore chains around their legs died trying to cross the river.

• The Muslims lost 8,500 men, whereas the Persians lost 30,000 men.

• Sa’ad chased them to Babal where they sought refuge and then after a 2 month campaign Muslims captured Mada’in the Persian capital. The emperor and his family and nobles fled.

• This was a decisive battle in the history of Islam, it shattered the strength of the Persian Empire and many people of the conquered areas accepted Islam.

• Following this victory the whole territory between the Euphrates and the Tigris came under the Muslims.

Conquest of al-Mada'in / Ctesiphon(636 C.E):

• After resting his troops, Saad marched on Madain with the intention of capturing it.

• The army defending the city fell back before the Muslim assault, fled into the city and closed the gates.

• The Muslims captured the city after a siege and a brave assault by the troops.
  • Booty: I) Vessels and statues of gold and silver. II) Stores of precious stones. III) Luxurious wardrobes. IV) Thousands of prisoners of war. V) Each soldier received 12,000 dirhams.

• After Qadissiya, Sa’d, with the permission of the Khalifa, occupied the Persian capital Madain, bringing the whole territory from the Euphrates to the Tigris under the banner of Islam.

⚔ Battle of Jalula (637 C.E):

• The Persian king, fleeing from Madain, took refuge in Hulwan.

• As a result, his remaining army occupied Jalula, a place in the neighborhood of Madain.

• This army made great preparations for battle; the entire town was converted into a fortress and a deep ditch was dug around the town.

• Saad, with Umar’s permission, sent a strong army to Jalula under the command of Qaka.

• The siege of Jalula stretched over 7 months.

• Eventually, the Persians decided to counterattack and drive out the Muslims.

• The Muslim commander pulled back his army so that the whole of the Persian army could come into the field.

• Fierce fighting ensued.

• Eventually, a fierce storm started blowing into the Persians’ faces and they fell back and were killed in large numbers.

• The residents of Jalula surrendered on the usual terms of Jizya.

⚔ Battle of Nihawand (642):

• After the surrender of Jalula, there was peace for some time but then the Persians united against the Muslims.

• They were 150,000 in number and the Muslim forces were 30,000 led by Al-Nu'man.

• The Persians were heavily fortified with spikes around their forts.

• Using a clever strategy, the Muslims tricked the Persians into coming out of their forces by pretending to retreat, causing them to chase after them, whereupon they would ambush them.

• Thus, in 642 C.E the Persians were completely defeated at Nahawand.

• Umar completed the final capture and subjugation of Persia in the Battle of Nihawand in 642 C.E, marking the end of the Sassanid Dynasty in Persia.

Battle against the Romans

⚔️ Battle of Yarmouk (637 CE):

• The battle was fought in 637 C.E.

• Muslims: 40,000 — Khalid ibn Waleed, Abu Ubaydah ibn al Jarra, Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan and Amr ibn al A’as

• Persians: 240,000 — Rustum

• Trigger: the fall of Damascus, Jordan and Emmessa and defeat at Fihl and Hims in 635 C.E
  • This alerted Heraclius to the Muslim threat from the east and the Byzantines organised at the Golan Heights a massive army of 260,000 men from all corners of his empire.
    • Heraclius was determined to recover Palestine - the Holy Land - for Christian rule;.
  • The Muslims, about 20,000 to 24,000 men strong, were under the command of Khalid ibn Waleed, Abu Ubaydah ibn al Jarra, Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan and Amr ibn al A’as also assembled in the Golan region along the River Yarmuk.
    • ‘Umar was in contact with the army and sent them messages and encouragement;
  • Both sides were inspired by religious zeal.

• The Romans tried to drive out the Muslims from Syria through negotiations and bribery but Khalid refused and in turn elaborated upon the positive changes that Islam had brought about in the Arabs and invited the Romans to accept Islam, pay Jizya or war.

• The main Battle of Yarmuk was preceded by a series of conflicts for about a month, and finally culminated in a major battle towards the end of August.

• During the course of the battle the caliph appointed Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Jarra as the new commander-in-chief.

• The war strategies of the Muslim commanders paid off and the battle lasted 6 days.
  • The Muslims lured the Byzantines into the rough terrain by pretending to retreat and ambushed them. The Byzantine cavalry got separated from the infantry enabling the Muslims to inflict severe damage on them.
  • A dust storm also unsettled the Byzantines, the main army driven west was trapped in rugged valleys.
  • When Khalid stormed the Byzantine camp at Yaqusa all hope was lost, and the Byzantines were further demoralised by rumours that Christian Arabs had defected to the Muslim side.

• By the afternoon of the 6th day only one third of the Byzantine army remained, the rest had either been killed or had fled.

• The Muslim loss of life was 3000 men besides those who were grievously wounded.

Aftermath:

• The battle of Yarmuk was a great victory for the Muslims. The power of Byzantine was completely crushed and Syria fell in the hands of the Muslims. Heraclius moved his capital to Constantinople.

• Though the Muslims had been successful in securing almost all of Syria the city of Jerusalem, besieged by Amr bin al-‘Aas since the Yarmuk conflict had withstood surrender but after Abu Ubaidah’s victory they agreed to surrender but only to the caliph himself.

• Many other important Syrian towns were also captured leaving only Jerusalam and its surrounding towns.

Fall of Jerusalem:

• He requested that the ‘king’ of Muslims should himself come and receive the keys of the city.

• Umar himself met Sophronius and signed a peace treaty under which full religious freedom was given to the citizens of Jerusalem on the condition of paying Jizya.
  • Sanctity of the Church of Resurrection and other churches was also guaranteed.
  • The agreements he made with conquered non-Muslims formed the basis of later legislation about Dhimmis.

• How does ‘Umar’s conduct at the surrender of Jerusalem set an example for Muslims? [4 Marks]

  • Here candidates could write about any one or more examples of Umar’s conduct at the time of the surrender of Jerusalem and discuss how it sets an example for today’s Muslims.

  • He entered Jerusalem accompanied by just one servant and a camel between them which they rode in turns.

  • He signed a treaty according to which the inhabitants of Jerusalem were granted complete security of their life and property.

  • The people’s freedom to practice their own religion and the protection given to their places of worship are some of the points that could be mentioned and discussed.

  • His conduct therefore sets an example of simplicity, humility, a respect for all faiths and tolerance.

• What was the significance of the conquest of Jerusalem in ‘Umar’s caliphate? Give reasons for your answer. [4 Marks]

  • Jerusalem was one city whose conquest was more symbolic than of military importance. Jerusalem was the city to which the Prophet (pbuh) travelled from Makka during Mi'raj.

  • Jerusalem is where the Prophet (pbuh) led the prophets of the past in prayer before ascending to the heavens.

  • Whilst acknowledging the rights of Christians and Jews in Jerusalem, ‘Umar was keen to send the message that the city also belonged to the Muslims.

  • It marked the decline of the Byzantine dominance at the time.

• Egypt was also conquered in 640 AD by Amr bin Al-Aas who had to persuade Umar with great difficulty.
  • Amr bin Al-Aas argued that Egypt could be used by the Romans as the naval base to launch operations against the Muslims.
  • By April 641 AD Babylon was also captured and the new city of Fustat was founded in 642 AD on the eastern bank of the Nile.

🔥 The main difficulties they encountered

• Although Umar continued the policies of Abu Bakr, the difference in their temperaments and circumstances dictated the manner in which they followed these policies.

• The period of Abu Bakr needed more tolerance as well as quick action but during the period of Umar, the situation was calmer and controllable.

1. The first difficulty faced by Umar was that the people feared him due to his hard attitude. They were hesitant to bring their problems to him.
   • But he proved over a period of time that his harshness was for the wrong doers only, while he was quite soft towards other people.

2. Another difficulty was the administration of the vast Islamic Empire.
   • The borders of the Islamic welfare state had extended as far as Afghanistan, Africa and Europe.
   • The communication system during those days was not as efficient as today.
   • He fought against all the hindrances in administrating a large Empire and ensured the governance of justice and reasonable accountability.

3. The two superpowers of the time namely, the Persian and Byzantine Empires were busy plotting conspiracies against the Islamic state.
   • It was Umar who defeated both these empires and established the Islamic state as a superpower in Africa and Asia.

4. Lastly the Muslim army consisted of soldiers belonging to different areas and cultures.
   • The army campaign against several countries at a time could have turned out to be a failure because of the differences among the soldiers.
   • It was the ideal administration of Umar which ensured marvellous discipline among the forces.

🏅 Their main achievements

1) Expansion of the Caliphate

• His Caliphate is noted by internal consolidation of the Muslim empire accompanied by the expansion of Islamic rule by conquering the lands under the Persian and Byzantine Empires which included capturing Jerusalem, Iraq, Persia, Jerusalem and Egypt.

• His own Caliphate was the most successful and glorious period of early Islamic history.

2) Administration

💡

Revise the notes

1. Division of states and provinces

• As the empire expanded, ‘Umar divided the state into provinces and appointed qualified and experienced governors to run the states. This made the caliphate safe and prosperous and well administered that led to the prosperity of its people.
  • Each province was governed by a qualified governors called Wali.
  • The Wali was assisted by a number of officers
    • e.g. the Treasury Officer, the Revenue Collector, the Vigilance Officer and the Judge (Qadi).

• And each province was divided into districts which were administered by Amils.

• Thus, he laid down the foundations of a lasting administrative system.

2. Baitul al-Maal

• The bait-ul-maal was created under Amils which made the government finances safe from misuse and introduced checks and balances on public finance and kept corruption out of government.

• Umar reorganized the ‘bait-al-maal’ or public treasury, which was soon full to the brims with the funds from various sources.
  • These sources were: Zakat, Jizya, Kharaj (land tax), Ushr (special land tax), the goods left out by the retreating armies of the enemy and a tax paid by non-Muslim traders.

• Umar established a special department, the Diwan or the Register of Pensions.
  • It was aimed at disbursement of the public funds among the Muslim tribes.
  • It was based on certain principles, for example, the whole Ummah had a share in the public funds.
  • Special care was taken to distribute the funds among the poor and the disabled.

• Each Muslim had a share according to his/her relationship with the Prophet, priority in accepting Islam and services to Islam.

3. Seperation of judiciary

• Made the judiciary separate from the executive and appointed judges which gave the citizens swift and impartial justice.

• Umar established a seperate judiciary of Qadis to make it completely impartial

4. Majlis Al-Shūra

• 'Umar framed the constitution of the State on the basis of consultation.
  • He established a Majlis-e-Shoora consisting of prominent companions of the Holy Prophet from both Muhajirin and Ansaar.

• The Caliph himself was the central authority with the headship of religious and non-religious departments but he would always consult the Shoora in all important matters.

5. Standardisation of the Army

• Cantonments were made for soldiers and their needs were looked after. This kept the armed forces content and happy and they were happy to serve the caliphate.

6. Department of Police (Shurta)

• In order to uphold Islamic morals and maintain law and order, Umar set up a department of police (shurta).

7. Scrutinisation of Public Servants

• All the officers were summoned to Makkah on the occasion of Hajj to be answerable to the Caliph.

• Government officials when appointed had their credentials and finances scrutinised at the time of appointment and when they left government to ensure no wrong doings had taken place.

• Complaints against them were heard at the time of hajj and dealt with effectively and they were instructed to live simply.

• All this ensured that the public servants were there to serve the people and ensure smooth running of government without any corruption.

8. Construction

• Umar founded some new cities like Basrah and Kufa in Iraq and Fustat and Jizah in Egypt.

• Town planning, building of roads and highways were all undertaken to better the life of the people and make communication and defence of the caliphate better.

• Mosques and schools were constructed to make the populace well versed in religious and other subjects.

• Huge spendings were made in the expansion of the Haram and the mosque of the Prophet.

9. Dhimmis

• Special attention was given to the wellbeing of non-Muslims which ensured good relations between all the citizens so much so that their affairs were settled by their religious laws.
  • It fostered religious tolerance.

10. Founded the Hijrah Calander

• Umar also introduced the Hijrah calendar.

3) His example of leadership and character

• He played a vital role in the election of Abu Bakr.

• He also convinced Abu Bakr to allow the compilation of the Holy Quran in a book form.

• He himself led a simple and pious life and conducted patrolling at night to ensure the peace and comfort of his people.

⚰ Death

• ‘Umar was murdered by a Persian slave Abu Lulu in November 644, who had a personal grudge against the caliph.
  • Umar had rejected his appeal to be relieved from paying a tax.

• Abu Lulu (Firoz) openly threatened to kill Umar.

• Certain people recommended that Firoz should be arrested, but Umar refused to do so.
  • He thus laid down a law that a citizen could not be arrested on grounds of suspicion or perceived danger.

• Umar neither had a personal bodyguard nor a protocol entourage.

• He was attacked totally unguarded. One day, while he was leading the morning prayer, Firoz stabbed him with a poisoned dagger.
  • He also killed several other worshippers as he tried to escape.
  • When he was finally caught, he slit his own throat. Umar survived for some days.

• During this period, he nominated a panel of six people: Ali, Usman, Talha, Zubair, Abdur Rehman bin Auf and Saad bin Abi Waqas to hold mutual consultation and select his successor from among them.

• Hazrat ‘Umar could not survive his injuries and 3 days after his attack he passed away in Madina.

• As per his wishes he was buried in the Masjid e Nabawi next to the Prophet and Abu Bakr with Hazrat Ayesha’s permission.

What it tells us about Umar's character

• 'Umar was a man of strong faith and principles and always remained firm in what he believed to be right and did not waver from what he thought to be the correct and just course of action.
  • This noble attitude of his cost him his life. Umar’s fearless attitude portrays his strong belief in Allah as the Giver and Taker of life.
  • This incident also reflects his simple lifestyle, that the head of the largest empire in history was easily accessible and roamed around like an ordinary citizen.

• He was killed by Abu Lulu who was disgruntled by his decision to not relieve him from the payment of a tax.
  • The lessons that Muslims learn from this tragic event could be given that leaders sometimes have to take unpopular decisions which could cause them difficulty but they must never opt to take the easy option rather they should do what is right;
  • They must not shy away from their responsibilities for the sake of personal safety.

• He was buried alongside the Prophet and Abu Bakr in Medina.
  • This shows his special status in the first Muslim community, his tough and principled stand and the taxation matter reflects the integrity (honour, truthfulness) of his character.