Part 62

for Syria. ~ Ali sent them a messenger to order them to refrain from mischief, yet they killed him. He therefore made it to them himself at the helm of four thousand soldiers. He first asked them to hand in the murderers of ~ Abdullah Ibn Khabab - the Prophet's companion and his wife - so as to take vengeance on them. Their reply was that they were all the murderers and that they too thought that shedding their blood would not be unlawful. A debate took place between ~ Ali and the Kharijites, the upshot of which was that eight thousand men returned to their senses, whereas four thousand others obstinately refused to. They therefore engaged in a lost battle against the Commander of the Faithful, who, in turn, managed to annihilate the transgressing party, with only a few survivors left. On the other hand, casualties in ~ Ali's ranks did not exceed seven or eight men. This battle, Al-Nahrawaan, took place to the south east of Baghdad in 38 AH. Nevertheless, survivors of this battle dispersed in various areas where they found listening ears. They thus succeeded in giving rise to several Kharijite factions that spread and continued to play an influential role for a considerable period of time.

The Final Phase of * Ali's Caliphate:

Though the caliphate of ~Ali was soaked in problems and wars, the period following Al-Nahrawaan battle was without a doubt one of the worst and certainly most complicated ever. It became crystal clear that ~ Ali's rule was drawing to an end. In the meantime, his opponent, Mu*awiyah, was making the best use of the fact that people of Syria were rallied round him and supported him wholeheartedly. Further, he was delighted to watch the gap grow wider between “Ali and his supporters. Mu‘ awiyah hence cashed in on the situation seizing many of the provinces that were subject to “Ali's rule such as Egypt, Hijaz and

The reason why things took that turn was because ~ Ali never headed for Syria to deal with Mu*awiyah. He was sadly let down by his men who were reluctant to go to war behind him and who even sneaked out of his camp in Kufah. * Ali was therefore devastated at his soldiers' attitude. Worse still, they simply watched Mu‘ awiyah launch attacks on the provinces that were subject to ~ Ali's rule until he was only left with Iraq and Persia. Ali's men never lifted a finger to defend their caliph. That way, it becomes obvious that * Ali's men were largely responsible for his failing to face Mu*awiyah. Conversely, Mu*awiyah's men were all at his beck and call. “Ali wished he would trade ten of his men for one of Mu’ awiyah's.

Just as ~Ali was placed in a tight corner, so was Mu awiyah. The Romans, seizing the opportunity of the civil strife among Muslims, attempted to assault the northern borders of the Muslim state in northern Syria. For a while, Mu’ awiyah used to make peace with them in return for money. However, they were still a thorn in his side. It was in the year 40 AH that Mu*awiyah sent a message to ~ Ali asking him to bring the warfare between the two of them to an end. He proposed that “Ali should keep Iraq, while he should keep Syria, and that neither should launch attacks on the other. * Ali accepted his proposal and they made peace.

The Death of the Commander of the Faithful:

It was shortly after concluding this peace agreement that three of the Kharijites: ~Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Maljam, Al-Barak Ibn ~Abdellah and ~Amr Ibn Bakr met. They discussed

people's affairs, criticized their ruler's policies, grieved the death of those killed in Al-Nahrawaan battle and prayed that they be forgiven. They then said to one another: "They were our fellow brothers who used to call on people to worship Allah (for such were the false claims of the Kharijites) and who never hesitated to do what is right in the eyes of Allah. If we kill those masters of evil, we will rid the state of them and avenge our brothers' death." Therefore, Ibn Maljam said: "I will rid you of *Ali Ibn Abi Talib." Al-Barak Ibn ~ Abdellah said: "I will rid you of Mu *awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan." * Amr Ibn Bakr said: "I will rid you of “Amr Ibn AlAs."" They then made a solemn pledge and agreed to put their plan into effect on Ramadan 17th, 40 A H.

As_ for Ibn Maljam, he succeeded in murdering ~ Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, when he ambushed him as_ the latter stepped out of his house to perform the dawn prayer at Al-Jami> Mosque. However, Al-Barak Ibn *Abdellah and ~ Amr [bn Bakr missed their targets. That way “Ali was martyred at the age of sixty three, ending a turbulent period of rule that lasted for four years and nine months.

trusted or whom any leader could take pride in. Owing to all these reasons, Al-Hassan immediately started exchanging messages with Mu*awiyah concerning handing over Muslims’ affairs and pledging allegiance to him on a set of conditions which they agreed on during their meeting in Al-Kufah in Rabee* Al-Awal, 41 AH, which came to be known as the Jama* ah (the union) year since all Muslims unanimously agreed on a single caliph, namely Mu’ awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan. This therefore brings to an end one of the saddest episodes in Muslim history. No sooner did Muslims reunite under the leadership of Mu’ awiyah than they resumed Muslim conquests anew, spreading Islam in yet new parts of the world.

(may Allah be pleased with him)

“He was the one who could lead the people in Salaah just like the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to do.”

Anas Ibn Malik 2%

An Ideal Boy in His Childhood

His Merits and Virtues

*Umar before Becoming the Caliph His Caliphate

His Sense of Responsibility

~Umar, the Caliph, Entertains His Guests Some of ~Umar's Speeches

*Umar's Terminal Illness and Death *Umar's Advice to the New Caliph The Caliph Passes Away

*Umar's Caliphate and Status

. Ibn Katheer, may Allah rest his soul in peace, states: “Umar Ibn * Abdul-* Azeez, may Allah be pleased with him, is the son of Marawaan Ibn Al-Hakam Ibn Abi AlAas Ibn Umayyah Ibn “Abd Shams Ibn * Abd Manaaf of Quraysh. He was known as Abu Hafs and the Righteous Caliph.

According to As-Syooti, may Allah rest his soul in peace, ~Umar Ibn * Abdel” Azeez was born in Helwaan, Egypt, in the year sixty one or sixty three AH, during the reign of his father. His mother is Umm ~Aasim daughter of * Aasim Ibn “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him.

Sufyaan Ath-Thawri is reported to have said about “Umar Ibn ~Abdel-*Azeez: “He is the fifth Rightly-Guided Muslim Caliph, after Abu-Bakr, “Umar, ~ Uthmaan and ~ Ali." (Narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan.)

“Umar Ibn ~Abdel--Azeez, may Allah be pleased with him, had a scar on his face due to being kicked by a horse in his childhood. When his father saw him injured, he kept wiping the blood off his son's face and told him, "If you are the scar-faced Ummyyad, you are indeed the fortunate one of us." (Reported by Ibn * Asaakir.)

*Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab is reported to have said: "There will be one of my offspring who is scar-faced and his justice will fill the earth." His prophecy came true". Ibn ~ Umar is also quoted as saying: “We would say that there would come a man of the offspring of “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab who would tread in his great grandfather's footsteps. Bilaal Ibn * Abdellaah [bn “Umar had a mole on the face, so, we thought it was him, till ~Umar Ibn ~ Abel * Azeez came along."

An Ideal Boy in His Childhood:

As a little boy, ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, memorized the Glorious Quran, so, his father sent him to get further education in Madeenah. He used to frequent the gatherings of ~ Ubaydillaah Ibn * Abdellaah to learn from him.

As a child, “Umar once cried for no apparent reason, when his mother learnt that, she sent for him and asked him why he had been crying. He told her, "I remembered death." Hearing that, his mother burst into tears.

His Merits and Virtues:

Zayd Ibn Haytham quotes Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, as saying: "‘Umar Ibn ~Abdel-- Azeez was the prayer Imam who resembled the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing be up on him, the most; he perfected prostrating himself before Almighty Allah and did not spend a long time in the standing and sitting positions."

Muhammad Ibn Al-Husayn described ~Umar Ibn *“Abdel-- Azeez as “the select of the Umayyads and that he would be resurrected (on the Day of Judgment) as if he were a whole nation."

Maymoon Ibn Mahraan is reported to have said: "Compared with *Umar (i.e. ‘Umar Ibn * Abdel-* Azeez), scholars were but disciples."

One day, a man told *Umar: "I saw the Prophet, peace

and blessings be upon him, ina vision, with Abu Bakr to his

| tight and “Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab to his left; there were two | disputing men, while you were in the Prophet's presence. The

Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told you: "O ~ Umar, always take these men, i.e. Abu Bakr and Ibn Al-Khattaab, as an example to be followed." The man swore to “Umar he had really seen that vision, so, ~Umar burst into tears, as he was deeply moved by it."

As Madeenah's Ruler, “Umar renovated and extended the Prophet's mosque. He was a just, pious ruler, when he was faced with a perplexing situation that called for sound judgment, he would consult ten of Madeenah's scholars and would do as they say.