Justice, even with the enemy

Justice, even with the enemy

This wonderful piece of history is from the life of Omar bin Abdul Aziz, the fifth of the rightly guided Caliphs.

He was also a matrilineal great-grandson of the Second Caliph of Islam, Umar ibn Al-Khattab Raliyallahuanhu.

I would like to unfold the story of Omar bin Abdul Aziz, the fifth of the rightly guided Caliphs. He ruled the vast region from the old world which was never ruled before with utmost justice. Having read the history of his rule, I sincerely felt that am obliged to share his legacy. Unfortunately (Almighty Allah knows best) his life was cut short by an assassination plot. He ruled for two years and five months and died at the age of 35. Omar achieved what humanity considers a dream.

He played a great role in advising the Caliphs and giving them opinions. Because of this, his Uncle Abdul Malik bin Marwan (fifth Umayyad Caliph) respected him and admired his attentiveness during his youth, which made him prefer Omar bin Abdul Aziz to many of his sons.

Abdul Malik got his daughter Fatima married to Omar bin Abdul Aziz. Her brother Suleiman appointed him as the Crown Prince against his will. Immediately after becoming the eighth Umayyad Caliph and assuming the reins of power, he asked his wife to send her jewels to Bait Mahal Treasury. He then made her choose between him and anything that he believed would cause trouble and discord.

Before his accession, the Umayyad state was plunged into corruption and unrest. Because of this, he issued an order to dismiss all the Governors from the states, punished the corrupt, looters of public money, and opportunists, and asked the Umayyad princes to return to the Treasury all the lands and jewelry they obtained unlawfully. Sadly, the present context of the world is not far away from the corruption of yesteryear which has been a vicious cycle.

In his first speech following his succession, Omar bin Abdul Aziz said, “O people, I have been nominated as your Caliph despite my unwillingness and without your consent. So here I am … I relieve you of the pledge that you have taken for my allegiance. Elect whomsoever you find suitable as your Caliph.”

People then shouted in response, “O Omar, we have full faith in you and we want you as our Caliph”.

Then he said, “O people, obey me as long as I obey Allah; and if I disobey Allah, you are not duty-bound to obey me”. What a golden statement. Only a righteous person could be brave to make a bold statement like this.

“O people, whoever accompanies us, let him accompany us with five rulings; otherwise, he should not come near us. He should help in meeting the needs of the people who are in need, in doing good with his own efforts, guide us towards what is good, not backbite us, and should mind his own business.”

This was in the year 99 AH (717 AD). At that time, his rule began with a series of resolute measures that no one could violate, no matter how high his position was or despite his kinship with the Caliph. Therefore, the state, which was across vast areas of the old world, began to rise again, and the economic wheel began to turn productively.

The nation engaged in a fierce fight against usury, and those operating on usury were punished for burdening people with their forbidden interests.

During Omar’s reign, human rights was respected and people with special needs were taken care of. He appointed servants to serve the sick and appointed a servant for every five orphans. He appointed a servant for each blind person to help him meet his needs. It is believed that he refused tributes from the people of the conquered land, for he was more concerned about their guidance to Islam.

He said, “Almighty Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a guide, and not as a collector.”

The rule of Omar bin Abdul-Aziz did not last for more than two years, five months, and four days. This is because he was poisoned by one of his servants who was been hired by some of the Umayyad opposed to the Caliph.

However, when the poisoned ruler learned about the matter, he summoned the servant and asked him how much he was paid to assassinate him. He replied, “1,000 dinars”. Omar then commanded the servant, “Return it to the Treasury, because this is haram money for you. I have forgiven you, so go wherever you want”. How noble he was even knowing what the servant had inflicted on him. It reminds us of what Umar Ibn Al Khattab RA his great-grandfather said when he was stabbed by the Persian slave Abu Lu'lu'a Firuz. Thereupon Umar said, "Praise be to God that I have not been murdered by a Muslim".

It is said that when the news of Omar bin Abdul-Aziz’s death spread, the king of the Roman Byzantines gathered his entourage and said with tears in his eyes, “A virtuous person has passed away. I would hardly be surprised if I saw an ascetic who renounced the world and gave himself to the prayers of Allah. But I am certainly surprised to see a person who had all the pleasures of the world at his feet but still shut his eyes against them and lived a life of piety and renunciation.”

How unfortunate and as predicted Umayyad state did not last 30 years after his death, as it returned to being drowned in corruption and injustices, let alone the spread of rebellion in most of its territories … All this was due to the many Umayyad who wanted nothing from ruling except money and personal benefits. They did not pay attention to everything they achieved during the era of Caliphs who managed to extend their authority on large parts of their territories, especially through justice, which was the basis of rule.

As we read from the past Islamic history as well as from the modern era how corruption and injustice have ruined many nations. The above was another sad end to a rightly guided Caliph’s reign in Damascus. Following the malevolent route of treachery, betrayal, and worldly glory is truly the menu of Shaitan misguiding the Ummah.

The article is sparked from a recent book I was reading compiled by Abdul-Malik Mujahid "Gems & Jewels" which had the synopsis of Umar bin Abdul-Aziz which made me read the history in detail.

How Samarkand (Sothern Uzbekistan) was conquered during his rule and what sequence unfolded after the quest is the core reason which I want to share and certainly learn for every future leader.

Certainly, Omar bin Abdul-Aziz was a?revolutionist Caliph?who made a huge positive impact on the Muslim empire during the Umayyads in a very short period of 2 ? years.

The final verdict by the judge rang a bell and said: "Qutaybah (the Army General), you confessed and by this, the court’s duty ends"

Samarkand is a great country located in North Asia. It has green mountains, hills, and forests that you can never imagine. Samarkand is a city filled with gold, silver, silk, porcelain, and natural resources. People of Samarkand used to worship idols they made of jewelry. They placed these gods in a temple in the mountains. The temples were built for senior monks, and there were many small temples in the center of Samarkand.

In that era, the Caliph who was an example because of his good manners, piety, and fear of God ruled Muslims. He had many of the attributes of his great-grandfather, the second caliph Al-Farooq ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah bless him. He governed a huge country, which had never been ruled by anyone, not even by the Persian Choses or Roman Caesars. His kingdom extended from China to the Atlantic Ocean. His wife Fatima, the daughter of Caliph Abd al-Malik and also the sister of Caliph Suleiman, was the most honorable woman of her time as seven males of her relatives had been rulers. He was the Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz.

The Islamic army was under a commander who was very seasoned and merciful. His name was Qutaybah ibn Muslim. When the Islamic army led by him reached the outskirts of Samarkand, he ordered it to go to the mountain behind the city because he did not want the people of Samarkand to see them. The Muslim army attacked the city. The battalions behind the mountains attacked as if they were a hurricane. They reached the center of Samarkand without resistance. The monks fled to the great temple in the mountains and hid in their homes. The people of Samarkand did not go out of their homes for fear of the Muslims, but for Muslims, the situation was stable.

Slowly the people of Samarkand began to come out of their homes to fetch water and food. They started sending their young children to perform these tasks and the Muslims did not trouble them. Instead, the Muslims helped them to fetch food and water. The children entered their homes with happiness. This situation began to spread feelings of trust and tranquility in the hearts of the people of Samarkand. As a result, people returned to their shops, farms, and properties after some time. They found them intact - same, as they had left nothing more or less. Normal life returned between Muslims and the people of Samarkand. They found that Muslims were faithful in their business and dealings; they did not lie or cheat. This impression rose when two persons quarreled. One of them was from the people of Samarkand, and the other was a Muslim. They went to the judge who favored the man from Samarkand.

The news reached the runway monks in the mountain temple. They said if this was their judgment, then they must have a fair ruler. They ordered their men to go to the ruler of the Muslims?and tell him what happened.

A young man went out. When he arrived at Damascus, he was full of fear. He saw a large palace. He told himself that this is the palace of their leader, but he saw people enter and exit without being stopped by a guard or soldier. He encouraged himself to enter this palace. It turned out to be the "Umayyad Mosque." It was studded with precious gems, ornaments, and majestic minarets. People knelt down in this wonderful place. He saw Muslims praying together and was surprised to see how those people were sitting and how they lined up quickly.

He stood up after the prayer and asked a Muslim about the palace of the ruler: "Where is your leader?" That Muslims told him?he was the man who led the prayer. Did you not see him? He said: no. The Muslims told him: "Did you pray with us?" He said: "What is prayer?" The Muslims said: It is worshipping the Almighty Allah alone and becoming obedient to Him without any partner. The Muslims asked him: "Are you not a Muslim?" He said: no. The Muslims smiled and asked him: "What is your religion?" He said: "the religion of the priests of Samarkand". The Muslims asked: "What is their religion?" He said: "They worship idols." The Muslim told him: We are Muslims. We worship only Almighty Allah.

He described the caliph's home to him. The man went to that place and found an old clay house and a middle-aged man who was mending the wall. His clothes were full of mud. He went back to the mosque and told the Muslim that was making fun of him. “I asked you about your leader’s place and you sent me to a poor man mending his wall,” he said.

The young Muslim came with the stranger to that house and told him, "This is the Emir who is mending his wall." The stranger said, "don't make fun of me.” The Muslim swore by Allah and said, "This is our leader". The stranger from Samarkand remembered the priests and how they were so proud that they did not easily talk to their own people.

While the stranger still stood surprised, a woman came with her son and asked the Caliph to increase her share of the grant from the treasury because she had many children. Suddenly, the son of the woman hit the Caliph's son and hurt him. They fought over a small toy. The Caliph's wife hurried towards her son and carried him away, shouting at the woman. The Caliph bandaged his son's head, went out to the woman and calmed her down and took the toy from his own son, and gave it to the woman's son. Then he told her to go to the Treasurer and say that he can increase her money.

The Caliph's wife said, "Her son hit your son and then you raise her money". The Caliph told her, "you frightened her, and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said that whoever frightens a Muslim Allah will frighten him on the Day of Resurrection.” He then went to complete the repair of his wall.

The young man from Samarkand was surprised at what he saw.?He dared and moved forward to ‘Umar ibn Abdul Aziz and said: You are the Emir of the Muslims? The Caliph Omar answered, "Yes, and what's your business?" The young man replied, "I have a complaint about Qutaibiya Ibn Muslim the general of your garrison."

The young man completed his story: Samarkand priests sent me and they told me that it is from your traditions that when you conquer any country, you make them choose one from three things: invite them to Islam, ask them to pay tribute and in the event of their refusal of both the choices you give them the choice of war. The Caliph said: Yes, this is our custom, and every country has the right to choose among the three. The young man said, "Is it in your custom to start the assault by surprise?" The Caliph said: "It is not our custom to do so and Allah Almighty has ordered us not to do so, and our Prophet forbade us from being unjust." The young man said, "Qutaibiya Ibn Muslim did not do what you say and his army attacked us by surprise."

When the Caliph heard that Qutaibiya did not make any offer and it was not his habit to listen to only one side. He decided to write to the governor of Samarkand. He wrote a few lines and ordered the young man to take it to the governor of Samarkand who will remove the injustice, which has taken place there.

The young man returned from Damascus to Samarkand wondering about what a paper can do in front of the swords of Qutaibiya ibn Muslim! When he arrived at Samarkand, he gave the paper to the priests who told him in return: take it to the Governor to do what was written in it. The young man went to the governor and gave him the letter. The governor was surprised to notice the seal on the letter. He read the letter, which contained the following: "To the governor of Samarkand, peace, and mercy of God be upon you. Appoint a judge between the priests of Samarkand and Qutaibiya ibn Muslim... put yourself in the place of Qutaibiya."

The Caliph did not want to distract Qutaibiya from his duties and defense activity. The Governor could not do anything except obey what was written in the letter. He appointed a judge quickly. The judge selected a day to meet in the mosque and ordered the priests to be present during the meeting. He ordered the people as well to come in the presence of Qutaibiya ibn Muslim. The judge did not like to hear the case in the absence of Qutaibiya who was at the time a very strong commander. He was the head of the most powerful army in the world at the time. Qutaibiya had reached China continuing his?conquests. Nevertheless, the judge ordered him to return, and he did return after two days.

When the priests knew that Qutaibiya has returned, they became very fearful. Qutaibiya entered the mosque, put on his sword, and took off his shoes. The judge told him to sit next to his opponent. The priest stood up and said: Qutaybah Ibn Muslim entered our country without warning us. He did not give us a warning nor gave us the options of invitation to Islam or payment of tribute or war. Instead, he attacked us without warning. The judge turned to the commander Qutaybah ibn Muslim and asked him, "What do you say about this complaint." Qutaibiya said: "war is always fought with strategy and tactics. This country is a great obstacle to us and all those who were like it did not resist paying tribute and did not want to enter Islam, and had we fought them, they would have killed more of us than we would have killed them." He continued, “And by the help of Allah and surprise, we defended Muslims from great harm and history is witness to what I say. Moreover, all the countries beyond them became easy to conquer. Yes, we surprised them but rescued them and let them know about Islam.” The judge said: "Qutaibiya Did you invite them to Islam, tribute, or war?” Qutaybah replied,?“No, we surprised them with what I told you before." The judge said: "Qutaibiya, you confessed and by this, the court’s duty ends”. Qutaybah, Allah supports this nation only by religion and by avoiding treachery and setting up justice. We were out of our homes for jihad for Allah's sake. We didn't go out to conquer lands and occupy countries unjustly."

Then the judge issued his ruling: "I rule that all armies of Muslims in this country should get out of this country and give it back to its people and give them the opportunity to prepare for war, and then make them choose between Islam, tribute or war. If they chose?war then we will fight. Muslims will get out of Samarkand without anything just as they entered and deliver the city to its people, and that is the application of the law of Almighty Allah and the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him".

After this, Muslims started to leave the city. The judge came out in front of the priests. The priests did not believe what they were seeing. The people of Samarkand kept watching Muslims until they all went out of their city.

The young priest said, "What they did proves that their religion is right. I witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger." Now all the priests pronounced that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger and entered Islam.

This is the story of the greatest court in history. It made the people of Samarkand satisfied with the rule of Islam and, as a result, people entered Islam in hordes.

?(References: Stories from the history, the story of Samarkand court by Sheikh Tantawi and Islam and international law by Sheikh Wahbeh al-Zuhili)

Sharwar Hafeez Yoonoos