[artkolkovk]

`Umar ibn `Abdil `Aziz


`Umar ibn `Abdul `Aziz was the revivalist of the first century after Hijrah. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was the first person to declare him as such and there was no disagreement among the Muslim scholars on this matter.

During the rule of Banu Umayyah, the succession of power was hereditary, and was thus confined in the Banu Umayyah family, until Sulayman took power. Upon appointing his successor, Sulayman sought the advice of the sons of the Prophet’s companions. They advised him to choose `Umar Ibn `Abdul `Aziz. When `Umar was chosen, the people carried him over their shoulders to the pulpit. He thanked Allah and said: “O people! This matter has befallen on me without my knowledge, nor have I asked for it, nor have I been consulted about it, and I am now resigning, so choose a Khalifah among yourselves.” The people shouted with one voice: “We have chosen you O `Umar and have accepted you as our Khalifah!”

That was `Umar’s first act of revival: to change the succession of power from being hereditary to become subject to consultation, where the Muslims choose their ruler. `Umar earnestly started the revival movement. He abolished the luxuries that the rulers before him had for their use, and all the privileges enjoyed by the ruler’s family and relatives. He asked his wife to choose between staying with him or keeping the wealth her father gave her. She chose to stay with him, and took her jewelry to the state treasury.

Next, he made sweeping changes in the government. He appointed jurist scholars known for their righteousness and piety, and dismissed the corrupt ones. He abolished taxes and distributed the wealth with justice. He organized the collection and distribution of Zakat so well that there was a time when no one came to ask for it, and the Zakat distributors could not find anybody to take it.

Then he worked toward the purification of the Muslims’ souls and of the social and moral environment. For this reason, he encouraged the scholars to spread the true Islamic knowledge among the Muslims, and to call the disbelievers to Islam. He fought the deviations and innovations inherited from those before him. He gave back to the people of the book the rights that the Qur’an prescribed. He appointed scholars to record by writing the hadith of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, and the quotations of his companions, radhiallahu `anhum. It was in fact the first organized movement to record the hadith.

These reforms had a deep impact on the Muslim ummah and that it why`Umar ibn `Abdul `Aziz deserves to be called the revivalist of the first century.

Wasalam.

[artkolkovk]

Hazrat Umar Bin Abdul Aziz, the celebrated Umayyad Caliph whose empire stretched from the shores of the Atlantic to the highlands of Pamir, was sitting in his private chamber examining a pile of State documents. The dim light of the room was adding to the serenity and sombreness of the place and the Caliph could scarcely feel the arrival of his wife, Fatima, till she addressed him, "Sire! Will you spare a few moments for me? I want to discuss a private matter with you." "Of course", replied the pious Caliph, raising his head from the papers, "But, please put off this State lamp and light your own, as I do not want to burn the State oil for private talk."

The obedient wife, who was the daughter of Abdul Malik, the mighty Umayyad Caliph and the sister of two successive Umayyad Caliphs, Waleed and Sulaiman, complied accordingly.

[mrPronmaker]

Assalamu alaykum

From Bayan:

Once Khaleefa Umar bin abdul azeez RA family didn't had money to spend for Eid. The children demanded new clothes, his wife suggested to borrow a month's wazeefa (salary) in advance. The khaleefa requested the treasurer of baitul maal to give a month's salary in advance. The treasure replied "give me in writing the assurance that you shall live for on extra month". The khaleefa returned and children wore washed clothes for the eid. After leading the eid prayers when the khaleefa returned, he saw the whole family covering their mouths with clothes. When asked they the servant said, we had our bread with raw onion. ON AN EID DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The state of his empire was that the people used to search for a needy person to give their charity.

[MadMark]

Assalamu alaykum

From Bayan:

Once Khaleefa Umar bin abdul azeez RA family didn't had money to spend for Eid. The children demanded new clothes, his wife suggested to borrow a month's wazeefa (salary) in advance. The khaleefa requested the treasurer of baitul maal to give a month's salary in advance. The treasure replied "give me in writing the assurance that you shall live for on extra month". The khaleefa returned and children wore washed clothes for the eid. After leading the eid prayers when the khaleefa returned, he saw the whole family covering their mouths with clothes. When asked they the servant said, we had our bread with raw onion. ON AN EID DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The state of his empire was that the people used to search for a needy person to give their charity.

Umar bin Abdul Azeez (ra) is has been rightfully called the Fifth righteous Khalifa by many of the ulema. After all he is the great grand-son of Umar Al Farooq (ra).

Also a similar incident I heard in a bayan. When Umar bin Abdul Azeez (ra) passed away. One of his relatives asked his wife to change his cloths to better ones. But when he came back the wife hadn't changed his cloths. He repeated the instruction to change the clothes. Still the wife didn't do anything, then He became angry, then Umar bin Abdul Azeez's wife said, 'By Allah this is the only cloth that he possess.' Just imagine, this is the Khalifa we are talking about. Within just over 2 years of his rule, there was so much Barakah, that it was difficult to find poor people to give Zakat.

[effenseshoora]

One day, ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz [Rahimahullah] heard that his son bought a ring for 1,000 dirhams, so he wrote a letter to his son, saying:

بلغني أنّك اشتريت خاتمًا وفصّه بألف درهم، فإذا أتاك كتابي هذا فَبِعْ الخاتم، وأشبع به ألف بطن، واتّخذ خاتمًا بدرهمين، واجعل فصّه حديدًا صينيًا واكتُب عليه: رحِم الله امرءًا عرف قدره
“It has reached me that you bought a 1,000 dirham ring, so when this letter reaches you, sell the ring and fill 1000 stomachs (CHARITY)!!! Then buy a ring for 2 dirhams and the inside of it should be of iron and engrave on it the following words: “May Allaah have mercy on the person who knows his limits!”

{“Madarij As-Salikien”, 2/331}