Part 33

However, despite *Umar's excessive Ghayrah, he would never disobey the Prophet's command. This is hardly surprising for it was the Glorious Quran that taught Al-Farooq_his flawless manners and it was the Prophet who was his revered mentor. There was no way he could possibly go against the command of his role model, whom he held dearest of all people.

Zayd Ibn Aslam mentions that ‘Umar gave preference to early emigrants (Muhajireen), whereas he offered (less grants from the Treasury) to their offspring less. Likewise, he preferred Usamah Ibn Zayd to * Abdullaah Ibn * Umar, his son. “Abdullaah Ibn *Umar narrates: "A man told me, 'The Commander of the Faithful has preferred over you someone who is not older than you, who did not emigrate before you or take part in any great battle you did not take part in.' I therefore spoke to the Caliph and said: ‘O Commander of the Faithful, you have preferred over me someone who is not older than me, who did not emigrate before me or take part in any great battle | did not take part in.’ ~Umar asked, 'Who do you mean?! [

answered, ' Usamah Ibn Zayd.' 'I swear by Allah, that it is true,’ rejoined *Umar, 'I have done so because Zayd Ibn AlHarith was dearer to Allah's Messenger than “Umar and Usamah Ibn Zayd was dearer to Allah's Messenger than *Abdullaah Ibn “Umar. That is why | did what I did.' " (Reported by Ibn Sa*d.)

Harithah Ibn Mudrab states that he went on a pilgrimage with “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, and the elite of Syria came to meet him and said: "We have brought some of the bondmen and riding animals we possess, so you would take some of them by way of obligatory charity (Zakart) to purify our money." * Umar said: “None of my companions did this before, but wait till I seek Muslims' opinions." (Reported by Ahmad.)

Moreover, it is reported that As-Saa'ib Ibn Yazeed narrates: “I was standing in the mosque and somebody threw gravel at me. I looked and found that he was ~ Umar Ibn AlKhattaab. He said to me, 'Bring me those two.' When I did, he said to them: ‘Who are you? (Or) where do you come from?' They replied, 'We are from Ta'if." “Umar said: 'Were you from this city (Madinah), I would have punished you for raising your voices in the mosque of Allah's Messenger." (Reported by Al-Bukhari.)

Highlights on ~Umar's life:

Qatadah states: Though a Caliph, ~ Umar used to wear a wool garment ragged with four leather patches. He would go about in markets carrying his famous Dirah (i.e. a stick) with which to punish wrong-doers, and pass by threads and fruit kernels, pick them up and throw them in people's houses so they would make use of them,

~Utabah [bn Farqad is reported to have spoken to ~ Umar about the poor food he ate. ~Umar replied: "Woe unto you!

Shall I enjoy the reward for my good deeds in this worldly life?" It is reported that when people were afflicted with famine, “Umar refrained from eating fat or fatty food for a year. Anas further reports: "“Umar's stomach clamored because he lived solely on oil during the Ramadah Year, when he solemnly refused to eat fat. He once tapped on his belly with his finger and said: 'We have got nothing but oil for you until people mariage to survive.’ "

Anas _ reports: I saw four patches on *Umar's garment. It is further reported that ~Umar was seen wearing a garment patched with leather. ~Abdullaah Ibn *Aamir Ibn Rabee* ah states: "I went on a pilgrimage with ‘Umar. He would not pitch a tent, but would spread a piece of cloth or skin on a tree and sit in its shade." *Abdullaah Ibn *Eesa Ibn Abi Layla states that there were two dark lines in ~Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab's face marked by excessive tears. Further, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Hishaam Ibn Al-Hasan narrate that “Umar sometimes lost consciousness after reciting a verse from the Quran, whereupon he would be taken ill and visited for days. Anas narrates; "Though separated by a wall, I heard ~Umar cry, Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, the Commander of the Faithful, well done! I swear by Allah, unless you fear Him, He will torture you.’ "

“Umar was also seen to pick up a straw off the ground and say: "Would that 1 were this straw! Would that I were nothing! Would that my mother never bore me!" ‘Umar was also narrated to have carried a leather water-carrier, hanging down from his neck. He was asked why he did that, so he replied: “I was growing self-complacent, so I meant to humiliate myself." *Umar's son-in-law asked him to give him money from the public Treasury. *Umar chided him saying; "Do you want me to meet Allah (on Judgment Day) as a treacherous king?" He then handed him ten thousand Dirhams

from his own money. It is mentioned that ~Umar was engaged in trade even when he was a Caliph. ~ Umar was also reported to have said: "People I hold the dearest are the ones who point to me my shortcomings." Ibn “Umar states: "Whenever ~ Umar was enraged and the name of Allah was mentioned before him, or was reminded of Allah's torture or listened to a verse of the Quran, he refrained from what he intended to do." “Umar was also narrated to have said, "To achieve the good of the people, replacing their emir with another would be the cheapest price to

“Umar: A Pioneering Mentality:

AlAaskari states: “He was the first to be referred to with the title ‘Amirul-Mu'mineen' (i.e. the Commander of the Faithful), the first to establish a Muslim calendar starting with the Hijrah (i.e. the emigration), the first to establish a public Treasury, the first to pray during the nights of Ramadan, the first to patrol the city at night, the first to punish for writing defamatory poetry, the first to set the penalty for drinking wine as eighty lashes, the first to prohibit Mut*ah marriage (i.e. marriage for the sake of sexual pleasure), the first to forbid the selling of children's bondwomen mothers, the first to settle differences by having four Takbirahs (saying Allah is the Greatest) in funeral salah, the first to establish a Diwan (i.e. a consultative assembly), the first to launch conquests and collect the Kharaj (i.e. land tax) from land-owners, the first to ship food from Egypt to Madinah across the Ailah sea, the first to save part of the charity money for future use, the first to carry out adjustment when the shares exceeded the total estate, the first to levy zakah on horses, the first to pray, ‘May Allah grant you a long life’, which he said to ~ Ali and the first to say, ‘May Allah support you’, which he said to * Ali, too.

Al-Nawawi notes: He was the first to use the Dirah. It is

also stated that after his decease, later caliphs were told, "“Umar's Dirah was feared far more then your swords." He was the first to appoint judges in the provinces and the first to divide the land into provinces: Al-Koufah, Al-Basrah, the Arab Peninsula, Syria, Egypt and Al-Moosil.

Malik states that it was on *Umar's suggestion that the words "I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" were added to the Adhaan (i.e. the call to salah), and likewise the words "Salar is better than sleep" to the Adhaan for the dawn salah. However, the more correct report is that it was Bilal who first inserted the latter words in the call to the dawn salah and the Prophet retained them.

“Umar was the first Muslim ruler to levy a customs duty named “Ushr, the first Muslim ruler to organize a census, the first Muslim ruler to mint coins, the first Muslim ruler to organize a system of canals for irrigation, the first Muslim ruler to formally organize provinces, cities and districts. He established the system of guesthouses and rest houses on major routes to and from major cities. He established schools throughout the land and allocated liberal salaries for teachers. He was the first to place the law of inheritance on firm bases. He was the first to establish trusts, and the first ruler in history to separate the judiciary from the executive.

He went to every length to provide effective and speedy Justice for the people. He 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 maintaining justice and were chosen for their integrity and learning in 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. Also, the Qadis were not allowed to engage in trade.

He was the first to establish a war department, put army reserves on the payroll, establish the land revenue department, survey and assess lands, devise a system for the taxation of the produce of the sea and appoint officials for its collection, the first to permit traders of foreign lands to trade in the country, the first to establish the system of jails, organize the police department, establish military barracks at strategic points, distinguish pedigree and non-pedigree horses, employ secret reports and emissaries, provide for and bring up foundlings, issued the ruling that Arabs, whether Muslims or non-Muslims, could not be made slaves, allocate stipends for the poor among the Jews and Christians, persuade Abu Bakr to collect the Quran and execute the work under his own care, formulate the principal of Qiyaas or judicial analogy, ordained the performing of Taraweeh salah (i.e. special Ramadan night prayer) in congregation, establish that three divorces pronounced at one session are held as binding, levy zakah on the Christians of Bani Taghlab in lieu of the Kharaj, give salaries to /mams and mu‘adhdhins (i.e. callers to prayer), provide light in mosques at night, stipulate punishment for writing satires and lampoons and prohibit the mention of women's names in lyric poems although the custom was very ancient in Arabia.

Events in the Life of ‘Umar:

*“Umar's first words upon his ascending the pulpit, when he became the Caliph, were, "O Allah, I am severe, so grant me lenience, weak, so grant me power and miserly, so render me generous." (Reported by Ibn Sa*d.)

“Umar is also reported to have said, "I regard people's money in the public Treasury the way a guardian regards an orphan's money; in times of ease of living, I never take any of it, in times of dire straits, I resort to the Treasury to support me