Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz

Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (681-720 CE) was the eighth Umayyad caliph, often called the fifth Rightly Guided Caliph for his justice, piety, and reformist governance. Born in Medina, he was the grandson of the companion Marwan ibn al-Hakam through his father and the great-grandson of Umar ibn al-Khattab through his mother.

Before becoming caliph, Umar served as the governor of Medina, where he earned the love of its people through his just administration. Upon becoming caliph in 99 AH (717 CE), he immediately reversed many of the oppressive policies of his Umayyad predecessors. He stopped the public cursing of Ali ibn Abi Talib from the pulpits, returned properties that had been unjustly confiscated, established state welfare for the poor, and reduced his own expenses to a bare minimum.

Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz commissioned the first official compilation of hadith, ordering az-Zuhri and other scholars to record the prophetic traditions before they were lost. His caliphate, though lasting only two and a half years, was so transformative that poverty was virtually eliminated in his domains. He died in 101 AH, possibly poisoned, at the age of thirty-nine. His short reign is remembered as a golden period of justice and reform within the Umayyad dynasty.