Umar bin al-Khattab.

The Second caliph of the Muslims (634-644)

Introduction

Umar bin al-Khattab’s the Second caliph and one of the most powerful and influential Muslims
leaders and rulers of the Muslims in the era between 634 AD until his assassination in 644 AD.
of the Muslims (634-644). He was born in 583 AD. His father was Al-Khattab ibn Nufayl, (Al-
Sayed,1996). Umar was known as Al Farooq (the Criterion). He was one of the most influential
leaders in the Islamic history. many Muslim scholars credit Umar as the true founder and
organizer of the first Islamic state. According to them, he was the engineer of the state’s
legislative, executive and administrative powers and the organizer of its record system, filing
system, tax administration and personnel system (Hitti, 1974).

Umar was upcoming with new ideas all the time. His goal was to progress his state. His goal was
to improve the quality of life for his people. For example, “He developed the Divan system for
the payment of pensions to the soldiers of the Muslim armies that occupied the lands of Syria
and Iraq, instead of distributing the occupied land among them as proposed by many of his
followers. This creative idea had far-reaching consequences for the political future of the Islamic
world”

Umar bin al-Khattab is one of the most powerful and influential Muslims leaders and rulers in
the era between 633 CE until his assassination in 644 CE. Although this era known as the dark
ages in the western history, it is known as the golden ages in the Arabic and Islamic history as
Umar bin al-Khattab era was the start point of it.

Description

Umar bin al-Khattab was best known as Al-Faruq -his title- that means the one who distinguishes
between right and wrong. Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was an exceptional figure in the Islamic world as
a leader, a statesman, a pioneer, and a pious and God conscious Muslim who showed respect for
all individuals including Muslims and non- Muslims. In THE 100: A Ranking of the Most
Influential Persons in History a book by Michael H. Hart, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was the 52nd on
the book list, and according to his, “Umar’s brilliant leadership was responsible for the
expansion of the Islamic territory and the enormous extent that it did occur under him. He further
says that Umar Ibn Al-Khattab ordered the Muslim armies to leave the natives of the conquered
land in peace and ordered the military personnel not to force the natives to convert to Islam.
Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s achievements are impressive and it would be a grave mistake to ignore
his contributions to humanity. It should be noted that Umar Ibn Al-Khattab’s brilliant leadership
was responsible for permanence of the territories that came under the Islamic role at that time
and are still part of the Islamic world to- day.” Umar bin al-Khattab is one of the most loved and
closed Islamic figure to my heart. Every time I read about him I fascinated by his great work and
huge achievements. He left a great legacy to us and many lessons we can learn from it about
leadership and life. I will be writing about some of his qualities that as I believe made him one of
the greatest and unique leaders through the history.

Umar bin al-Khattab born in Mecca that is located in the Arabian peninsula in 458 CE. He was a
strong man with powerful personality and physical characteristics. He was muscular, tall with
large hands and feet. He was rough in his words and stood firmly for what he believed in. He
learned to read and write in his youth and was fond of poetry and literature.(1) As a teenager he
learned martial arts, horse riding and wrestling. ” When he walked, he walked quickly, when he
spoke, he spoke clear- ly, and when he struck, he caused pain” said by Anas bin Malik a prophit
mohammad companion(2) Before Islam Umar worked as a trader and travelled to Rome and Per-
sia where he had the chance to enrich his knowledge and analyzed and observe dif- ferent
societies. He converted to Islam in 616 CE. Umar’s conversion to Islam given the Muslims and
the Islamic faith in Mecca so much power. According to Abdullah bin Masoud, one of prophet
Muhammad companion “Umar’s embracing Islam was our victory, his migration to Medina was
our success, and his reign a blessing from Allah. We didn’t 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.”(3) Umar bin al-Khattab was a devoted Muslim. He participated in all of the
Muslim battles then he became the second caliph or ruler of Muslims. During Umar’s era as a
caliph the Islamic empire where established the Islamic lands grow from Al- madinad and Mecca
in the Arabian peninsula and extend to Iraq and parts of Iran, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, North
Africa and Armenia.

Umar bin al-Khattab was very humble, considering and hands on type of leaders. He used to visit
the ordinary people in their homes undercover and not as their caliph to listen to their complains
and problem and work to solve them. He also used to go out every night with pounds and bags of
rice, wheat and flour on his back serving the hungry people. A famous story tells of him arriving
in Jerusalem walking beside his camel upon which his servant was sitting. He also cared about
the animals under his rule and afraid if something happened for them like tumbling in the rode
will be because he did not do his job as it should be. He was very involved with his people’s
problems. He deprived himself from everything his people were deprived from, “How can I
consider myself to be a shepherd and I am not struck with what my flock is struck with?” (4) said
by him. He wrote letters of advice and guidance to his generals and followers to guid them to the
right path during war and peace. This is part of one of his powerful letter he said, “The thing that
strengthens one in execution of work and that one should not procrastinate; for if you do so, your
affairs will heap up and overwhelm you and you will not then be able to decide what to do and
what not to do, and you will fail in your work.”(5) Those standards by which he lived can teach
us so much about determination, kindness that lead to success.

Umar bin al-Khattab was unbiased and justice leader. He believed that individuals should never
lose their freedom and self-respect. Under his leadership Islam spread widely not by the sword
but by virtue of its beauty, simplicity, openness and the leadership provided by him. He believed
that every human being was born free and no one should have to abase himself in front of others.
So as a result, during his era the non-Muslims enjoyed freedom of religion, and were free to
perform their religious rites and ceremonies. ”They -non-Muslims — shall not be required to
change their religion, nor shall any interference be made in their religious practices.”(6) said by
Umar bin al-Khattab.

Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s actions and legacy speak about his leadership and his numerous
achievements are reflection of his life as a successful leader. Umar had many achievements in
the Islamic Actions and Social Mandates. After prophet Mohammed death most of his
Companions who had learnt the Holy Quran by heart were martyred and died so Umar started the
project of writing dow the Quran and have one ap- proved copy to keep with trusted person. And
that saved the Quran from being lost or have any corruption to its original text. Umar also
invented the Hijri Calendar the calendar that Muslims use until today and help them to keep track
of the Islamic holly days and events. Umar known in the Islamic history as the Caliph who
eliminate and minimise slavery. He sat very harsh roles to it, in the top of them was the role of
no Arab could be a slave and that happened in era where the world economy was based on
slavery.

Umar ibn Al-Khattab also had many successful political and governmental actions that effected
the whole word. Because the Islamic empire was grown enormously at that time, Umar had to
establish an administrative system. As a liberal and open minded leader Umar used Persian and
Romanian experiences in administrating and add more to it to best suit his organization. Umar
also established the public treasury that allowed him to sit salaries for all the empire employees
including him and the army. He also established Land Revenue Department. Umar was
politically genius so he had remarkable organization of his military and army. The most
interesting feature was that he had a complete control over the army. The control was facilitated
influences and inspiring from Umar personality as a leader. The army were well organized where
the reporters were attached to every unit which kept Umar fully informed about everything and
connected him to the army. For the first time in the Islamic word Umar sat up an effective
system of judicial administration and built a Police Department as a result he became first ruler
in history who separated judiciary from the executive.

In conclusion, Umar bin al-Khattab was a unique and great leader. The Islamic world will always
be proud of his achievements like his political and governmental actions, and his great deeds to
Islam and Muslims. In the top of everything he had a great personality that inspire people
throughout the ages. Umar born as a leader with his natural ability to be in charged and the
history will always remember him as one of the greatest leader. — — — —

Lessons from him

1. You’re accountable for everything. So act accordingly

Conclusion

He (‘Umar, r.a) was concern with the protection and development of the institutions of the state
serving the financial, judicial, and military fields as well as matters pertaining to the appointment
of governors. He strove to make the people adhere to the command of Allah and the commands
of His Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) . He strove to make people avoid that which has been
forbidden by Allah and his prophet using his position as caliph of the Muslim and through the
governors of the provinces. (As-Sallabi, 2007, vol 1, p.293).

Umar RA was indeed an exemplary leader for anyone who wishes to rule successfully. His
actions and standards, while seemingly idealistic, did not compromise on his values and beliefs.
His was not a writhing, multi-faced, compromising, and mischievous approach to grab and hold
power, as Machiavelli preached. Umar RA held firm in the face of the lure of this world. After
all, He had just amassed all the treasures of Persia when he conquered its capital. He was, as
described, a man to whose door the treasures of the world came knocking, and he turned them
away.

Responsibility
When the name of Omar is mentioned, he is always described as al-Farouk, or the distinguisher
between right and wrong.

As a leader, Omar was known to be humble, aware of the significance and seriousness of his
responsibility. At night, he was known for going around to inspect the conditions of Muslims.
Those night tours weren’t common before his reign, and weren’t done at the same pace even
after his death.

His sense of responsibility and kindness also extended to animals, whom he valued because they
are God’s creations. Omar is often quoted declaring that “if a mule stumbled in Iraq, he was
responsible for not having the road paved.”

Dawud ibn Ali quotes Omar as once saying: “If a lost sheep under my care were to die on the
banks of the Euphrates, I would expect Allah the Exalted to question me about it on the Day of
Resurrection.”
Leadership and management
And because under his leadership the Muslim world expanded to reach Persia, Syria and Egypt,
Omar is seen as the architect of the Islamic Empire. As a statesman, he established a political
structure to hold the vast Islamic state together.

He divided the state into provinces and appointed governors, whom he did not allow to exceed
two years in power, out of fear it would influence their roles.

Among his numerous achievements as a ruler, Omar decreed the Hijri or Islamic calendar, which
counts starting from the year Prophet Mohammad left Makkah to Medinah.

In 641, he established Bayt al-mal, or the “House of Wealth”, the first financial institution in the
Islamic state to overlook taxes and administrate the distributions of zakat revenues for the public.
He also provided stipends for poor Jews and Christians.
Tolerance
Omar valued individual freedoms and applied the principle of equality among Muslims and non-
Muslims within the borders of the Islamic state.
It was narrated that Omar once heard that the son of Amr bin As, a companion of the prophet and
the ruler Omar appointed for Egypt, has abused and beat up a Coptic Christian.
Omar ordered the son of Amr be punished in public on the hands of the victim. He then was
quoted telling both, the father and son: "Since when have you turned men into slaves, whereas
they are born free of their mothers?"

Assassination
Umar was assassinated at the hands of a Persian slave, Piruz Nahavandi (also known as Abu
Lulu al-Majousi). It is said that Piruz attacked Omar while he was leading the morning prayers,
fatally stabbing him in the belly and on the navel.

Omar succumbed to his wounds three days later.