Lessons from Umar ibn al-Khattab’s reign as second Caliph

B 584 – D 644 CE [Caliphate 23 Aug 634 – 3 Nov 644 CE]

Umar Al Farooq – The distinguisher of right from wrong

Noted American astrophysicist and writer, Michael Hart names Umar Ibn al-Khattab RA as the 52nd most influential man to have ever lived. [Michael Hart: A ranking of 100 most influential persons in History, 1978] To introduce Umar, his life has been summed up rightly in these words:

Simple and frugal; doing his duty without fear and favour; energetic even to harshness, yet capable of tenderness towards the weak; a severe judge of others and especially of himself, he was born a ruler and every inch a man…. and he was indeed a very tall man.

Umar RA succession as the second Caliph

Umar RA succeeded Abu Baqr al Siddiq RA upon his death in 634 CE as the second caliph of the Ummah.? Abu Baqr himself nominated Umar as his successor before dying and his nomination was accepted by all the high-ranking companions from the Prophet’s time after some initial reluctance.

There were some reservations against his nominations due to his temperament and strict, stern, and autocratic nature. In fact, prima-facie Umar RA’s image as a tough guy could not have been more different from the gentle, understated personality of Abu Baqr.

A look back at what made Umar RA so tough and a towering figure

Umar RA had a difficult childhood. His father was very harsh on him. He grew up as a typical Arab like his peers of Quraysh but possessed an advantage over them by virtue of his knowledge and ability to read and write, which was not very common those days. He became very rough and tough and bore responsibility at an early age due to his very harsh upbringing.

He was tall, stout, and bald.? He was a famous wrestler and a skilled horseman. He was interested in history, people’s affairs and also a good orator.? He was wise and well-spoken and a man of a strong and noble character.

The Servant Leadership style of his Governance as a Caliph

There are some key characteristics of Umar RA that highlight his Servant Leadership style of governance. [Some of these are counter-intuitive to his personality/ image before he took over the mantle of caliphate.] His governance style totally transformed his reputation and peoples’ opinion of him. So, what were those key characteristics? ?

1.????? Listening: He used to listen to the issues, problems, and suggestions of his people, whether against himself, or, against any of his appointed governors. He used to say to his Governors: “Do not close your door to the people or allow the strong to oppress the weak”.

2.????? Empathy: He was known for his night patrols in the streets of Medina to see his people are secure, safe, and not hungry. During the year of the famine people barely had enough food to feed themselves. He vowed not to eat yogurt and is reported to have said: “How can I be concerned for the people, if I do not suffer what they suffer”. He is reported to have also said: “If a dog dies hungry on the banks of the River Euphrates, Umar will be responsible for dereliction of his duty”.

3.????? Healing: He was also known for being kindhearted and answering the needs of orphans and widows. His initiatives in the area of establishing state treasury, the Bayt al Maal, not only reflects his administrative acumen but also concern for the unfortunate and the poor. It led to judicious distribution of wealth for the healing and upliftment of the marginalized section of society and those in the service of the state and its people. Another great example of his healing the community is reflected in his decree of a general amnesty to the thousands of prisoners from the Ridda wars, (Apostate war).?

4.????? Foresight and judgment: His decision of an amnesty to the captives of Ridda war also reflects his foresight and judgment. This made Umar RA quite popular among the Bedouin tribes and extended the reach of his governance and acceptance of his decisions and decrees as a Caliph throughout the Arabia and newly conquered regions. As a testimony of his foresight, narrators refer to several instances where Quran seem to be testifying to Umar RA’s ability to foresee certain things while giving his opinions and suggestions to the Prophet Mohammed PBUH. For instance, earmarking the station of Prophet Ibrahim as a place of prayer (after tawaf – circumambulation of Kaaba), which was corroborated subsequently by revelation of verse (2:125), the issues of veil for the prophet’s wives (verse 33:53), prohibition of alcoholic drinking (verse 2:219), issue of funeral prayer for the hypocrites (verse 9:84) and many others. ?

Another example is of his conquest of Jerusalem when the Patriarch of Jerusalem refused to give the keys of the city to anyone except to Umar RA personally. Umar RA travelled to Jerusalem and met the Patriarch at the gate, and they went together to visit the historical Church of Resurrection. When the time of prayer came, the Patriarch courteously requested that the Caliph offer his prayer in the church. ‘Umar kindly declined his invitation and said, "If I do so, the Muslims may sometime in future infringe upon your rights by pretending to follow my example." Instead of praying inside the cathedral, he offered his prayers outside the cathedral.

5.????? Awareness: One of the secrets of Umar RA success as a Caliph and achievements during his tenure was his “awareness of self and others”. He knew his strengths and weaknesses. He sought counsel from other companions to ensure he was not led into making unfair or unbalanced decisions by either of the two, i.e., driven by his over-confidence on matters of his strengths, and failings in matters of his weaknesses. For instance, he consulted other companions in setting up the Bayt al Maal, and defining its role as a central treasury function. Likewise, he was very well aware of the qualities, abilities, strengths and weaknesses of those around him and those whom he appointed for important positions. There are instances where he appointed some people over others seemingly of greater virtue because he knew who was suited for what kind of roles and responsibilities based on their abilities. He also knew when to remove or transfer someone from an important position to avoid complacency and corruption.?

6.????? Administrative acumen: He was a master administrator of the affairs of the state. He built up an efficient administrative structure that held the rapidly growing geographic regions together as one nation. He divided the vast territory into provincial governance structures for ease of administration of public services and enlarged the public treasury and constituted a revenue department. He considered the rule of law and justice to go hand in hand in any society and therefore, he established courts of justice and appointed judges for the first time in history. (Before this the judicial power customarily remained vested with the rulers and/ or their appointed governors or religious heads in the extended realms of their kingdoms or empires). Umar is considered the founder of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) by most Islamic historians. He is regarded by Sunni Muslims as one of the greatest Faqih (well versed with laws), and, as such, is credited with the process of codifying Islamic Law. He also established an army department and assigned regular salaries for the soldiers. He established schools in all provinces and allocated salaries to their teachers.

7.????? Building community: Umar RA throughout his Caliphate put all his energy in building a strong Ummah united under the banner of Islam with Quran and Sunnah (tradition & practices of the Prophet PBUH) as the constitution.? He worried about the growth, development, and welfare of his people.? He established centers of learning, mosques, army cantonments, empowered and enhanced the role of women in the Muslim society (versus the Jahaliya times – time of ignorance) by appointing them in administrative roles, directed payment of subsistence allowance for the orphans, widows and the elderly. He pulled together the local leaders and the influential members of the public to work towards the common cause of betterment of the people and creating an equitable and just order. He was tough on troublemakers and kind to those who worked with sincerity for the good of others. Through his unstinted perseverance the new territories of Egypt, Syria, Persia, Iraq, etc., started to align as one nation under one central leadership/ caliphate leading to a making of a formidable Muslim Empire that will continue to grow, expand, rule and exert its influence for nearly next 1000 years.