Umar Ibn Khattab

8 Key excerpts on "Umar Ibn Khattab"

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  Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture

  An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God [2 volumes]

  • Coeli Fitzpatrick Ph.D., Adam Hani Walker, Coeli Fitzpatrick Ph.D., Adam Hani Walker(Authors)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • ABC-CLIO

    (Publisher)

  U

  ‘UMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB AL-FARUQ (586–644)

  Khaled M. G. Keshk

  ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab al-Faruq (r. 634–644), from the ‘Adi ibn Ka‘b clan of the Quraysh, was the second caliph of the Islamic community after the death of the Prophet. ‘Umar is one of the four Rashidun (“Rightly Guided”) caliphs and was known for his devotion to Islam and to the Prophet.

  ‘Umar initially was one of the most fervent enemies of Islam and Muslims. Muslim sources relate how he converted to Islam after an aggressive confrontation with his sister and her husband, who had secretly become Muslims. ‘Umar had asked to hear the verses from the Qur’an that his sister was reciting, and upon hearing the beauty of the Arabic, he converted. This conversion, according to the sources, took place in and around 618/619, after which ‘Umar was in the vanguard of the new community (umma ) and became one of Muhammad’s closest advisers, second only to Abu Bakr. ‘Umar married his daughter, Hafsa, to the Prophet and participated in all the major battles against members of the Quraysh tribe, who still opposed the Prophet. ‘Umar seemed to be more of the hawk when it came to the Prophet’s policies with regard to the enemies of the umma .

  In 634 ‘Umar was appointed caliph by his predecessor, Abu Bakr. According to the sources, ‘Umar was the first to take on the title amir al-mu’minin (commander of the faithful/believers). In fact, new scholarship has shown that this was the title of the rulers a long time before the use of “caliph” came into play during the Umayyad period. As ruler, ‘Umar continued the conquests started by his predecessor and created institutions that not only affected the empire politically but also had profound religious ramifications.

  ‘Umar’s first order of business was to relieve Khalid ibn al-Walid from his post as commander of the Muslim army in Syria. Some of the sources say that it was because Khalid, while in the field, bathed in wine, while others maintain that it was because of his growing ego that was being inflated by his remarkable victories. Whatever the reason, ‘Umar seems to have been the main reason for the early retirement of this great Muslim general. After three decisive battles in Ajnadayn, Fihl (Pella), and Yarmuk, in 637 the Byzantine Army and its Arab allies (Ghassan, Lakhm, and Judham) were soundly defeated by the Muslims. This opened up Syria (Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon) for the Muslims. In 638 the Muslim armies conquered Jerusalem, and it was ‘Umar himself who went up to Jerusalem and accepted the surrender of the patriarch. It was at this time that the foundations for the al-Aqsa mosque were laid out.

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  Islam in the Middle Ages

  The Origins and Shaping of Classical Islamic Civilization

  • Jacob Lassner, Michael Bonner(Authors)
  • 2009(Publication Date)
  • Praeger

    (Publisher)

  Abu Bakr, perhaps desirous of a seamless transition, broke with the Prophet’s precedent of not naming a successor and chose his close associate ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (r. 634–644). By all accounts, ‘Umar turned out to be the correct choice to command the faithful. The second of the righteous caliphs was an extraordinary administrator, and while many of his alleged inno- vations might very well be back projections of later developments there can be no doubt that the expansion of the ummah was largely due to him. Abu Bakr may have brought the entire Arabian Peninsula under Islamic control and may have sent raiding contingents to probe the soft spots along the frontier separating Arabia from the lands beyond, but it was ‘Umar who set into motion events that paved the way for the Arab conquest and the subsequent expansion of Islam. After ten years at the head of the ummah, ‘Umar was assassinated by a seemingly deranged individual unhappy over his tax burden. As the caliph lingered between life and death, he reportedly pondered his own succession calling attention to the two precedents that had previously guided the ummah: Muhammad’s reluctance to name his successor for whatever reason and Abu Bakr’s decision to arrange for an orderly transfer of power by choosing a successor in advance. Our sources indicate that ‘Umar expired without designating anyone to replace him thus opening the door to forming a new shura drawn from the early companions of the Prophet. The group caucused among themselves but they were unable to reach a unanimous decision. ‘Ali was said to have remained steadfast in his desire to assume the mantle of the Prophet; other candidates had the wherewithal to block ‘Ali but not to insure their own election. After much discussion within the shura, one of the leading claimants withdrew and was given the task of suggesting a candidate upon whom all could agree.

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  History of International Relations

  • Erik Ringmar(Author)
  • 2019(Publication Date)
  • Open Book Publishers

    (Publisher)

  This was the case in northern Africa where the Berbers, after some costly engagements, were not defeated as much as bought off and incorporated into the new Arab elite. During the reign of the second caliph, Umar, who succeeded Abu Bakr in 634 and ruled for ten years, these military campaigns were dramatically extended. The caliphate now became an imperial power. It occupied the eastern parts of the Byzantine Empire, including Syria, Anatolia, and Egypt in the 630s; and then all of the Persian Empire in the 640s, including present-day Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia. Umar’s greatest achievement, however, was to give an administrative structure to the new state. Clearly, the institutions once appropriate for the cities of Mecca and Medina were not appropriate for the vast political structure which the caliphate now had become. Umar’s answer was the diwan , a state bureaucracy with a treasury and separate departments responsible for tax collection, public safety and the exercise of sharia law. Coins were minted by the state and welfare institutions were established which looked after the poor and needy; grain was stockpiled to be distributed to the people at times of famine. The caliphate engaged in several large-scale projects, building new cities, canals and irrigation systems. Roads and bridges were constructed too and guest houses were set up for the benefit of merchants or for pilgrims going to Mecca for the hajj. Umar, the second rightly guided caliph, has always been highly respected by Muslims for these achievements and for his personal modesty and sense of justice. Although the occupation of lands outside of the Arabian Peninsula happened exceedingly quickly, converting the occupied populations to the new faith took centuries to accomplish, and in many cases, it never happened.

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  The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 12

  The Battle of al-Qādisiyyah and the Conquest of Syria and Palestine A.D. 635-637/A.H. 14-15

  • Yohanan Friedmann(Author)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • SUNY Press

    (Publisher)

  r 8 The Caliphate of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab (cont'd) well, and received recognition for it. In honor he surpassed al-Ash ‘ath (b. Qays al-Kindi] in Medina, until al-Kufah was established (qad ghalaba aI-Ash‘ath ‘ala aI-sharaffimd bayna aI-Madz'nah 1'16 an ukhtuttat a1-Kfifah].7° His father had gone to Syria with Abu ‘Ubaydah b. al-Iarrah. Sa‘d appointed Khalid b. ‘Urfutah’l as his deputy. ‘Asim b. ‘Amr al-Tamimi al-‘Arnri72 was put in command of the rearguard, and Sa wad b. Malik al-Tamimi commanded the scouts, Salman b. Rabi‘ah al-Bahili73 the light cavalry, Hammal b. Malik al-Asadi74 the infan trymen, and cAbdallah b. Dhi al-Sahmayn al-Khath‘ami the horse men. The commanders of the flanks (um ara aI-ta‘biyah] were sub ordinate to the amir, the group commanders (umard’ aI-a‘shdr) to the commanders of the flanks; those entrusted with the flags (ashd b aI-rdya't] to the group commanders, the tribal chiefs (ru’fis al-qab d’il] to the commanders (quwwridy5 and to those entrusted with the flags. All [transmitters of these traditions] have said: Abu Bakr did not seek help from the apostates in the wars of the riddah or in the wars against the Persians.76 ‘Umar [on the other hand], recruited them but did not appoint any of them to a position of authority.” 70. The text of this passage is dubious, and the translation far from certain. In par ticular, the phrase fima bayna aI~Madinah 1'16 an ukhtuttat aI-Kfifah is problematic and could not be translated literally. Baladhuri ( Futfil], 1 38] says that Shurahbil vied with al-Ash‘ath for supremacy in al-Kfifah; then he was transferred to Hims at the request of his father. In (‘I.] Ibn al-Athir ( Usd, II, 392] we read: wa-qad taqaddama nasabuhu fi (.1) aI-Ash‘ath b.

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  Available until 27 Jan |Learn more

  Parable and Politics in Early Islamic History

  The Rashidun Caliphs

  • Tayeb El-Hibri(Author)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • Columbia University Press

    (Publisher)

  His charisma and strict moral example are shown to be sufficient deterrents in all political affairs. 79 This said, the image of ‘Umar’s forthrightness depends largely on how strictly one interprets his actions. A significant case in point is the episode of the Saq ī fa of Ban ū S ā ‘ida, which brought about the election of Ab ū Bakr for the caliphate. We have seen how ‘Umar played a critical role on that occasion in cajoling different groups to accept Ab ū Bakr as the first caliph, while ‘Al ī, who was said to be absent due to his preoccupation with preparing the Prophet’s body for burial, was effectively pushed aside. The victory of the Muh ā jir ū n over the An ṣ ā r (and ‘Al ī) in securing Ab ū Bakr’s caliphate can hardly be viewed as the result of mere force, but rather of shrewd diplomacy (or khid‘a). And although Ṭ abar ī throws a blackout on any negative assessment of that decision and, more importantly, denies ‘Al ī any direct criticism of these events, it seems clear that those who do express their anger (mainly Sa‘d b. ‘Ub ā da and al- Ḥ ub ā b b. al-Mundhir, leaders of the An ṣ ā r) speak as if on behalf of ‘Al ī and view the event as a deception engineered by ‘Umar. 80 While the events of the Saq ī fa are tightly controlled in description and the reaction of ‘Al ī is minimized, in later times ‘Al ī could not be kept silent any longer. The first of these occasions came at the sh ū r ā for the succession to ‘Umar’s position. When ‘Abd al-Ra ḥ m ā n b. ‘Awf screened the candidates suggested by ‘Umar in a way that ultimately favored ‘Uthm ā n over ‘Al ī, the latter, although conceding again to the other ṣ a ḥ ā ba, was quick to comment as he rose to give the bay‘a to ‘Uthm ā n, “Verily this has been a deception. What a deception! [ khid ‘ atun wa ayyu khid ‘ a !].” 81 To maintain a logical chain between the characters and statements, it should here be remembered that ‘Abd al-Ra ḥ m ā n b

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  The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 24

  The Empire in Transition: The Caliphates of Sulaymān, ʿUmar and Yazīd A.D. 715-724/A.H. 97-105

  • David Stephan Powers(Author)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • SUNY Press

    (Publisher)

  All is well that ends well, since he is destined to be ’The Umayyad with the scar on his forehead.’ ” 329. That is, 'Abdallah b. 'Umar b. al-Khattab, who died in 73/693. See E12, s.v. 'Abdallah b. 'Umar. The Events of the Year 101 93 Aspects of His Character According to 'Ali b. Muhammad—Kulayb b. Khalaf—Idris b. Hanzalah and al-Mufaddal—his grandfather and 'Ali b. Mujahid— Khalid: When ‘Umar b. 'Abd al-‘Aziz became Caliph, he wrote to Yazid b. al-Muhallab as follows: l’Now then, Sulayman was one of God's servants upon whom God bestowed His blessing and then took him away. He designated me as his successor and he designated Yazid b. ‘Abd al-Malik—if he is still alive—to succeed me. The office that God has entrusted and allotted to me is not easily borne. Were it my desire to take many wives and acquire wealth, then the sums that He has already given me are greater than that attained by any of his creatures.”0 But I fear, in connec tion with the office for which I have been chosen, a difficult reckoning and a painful questioning, except for whatever defense from trial God may grant me, in His mercy. Those at our end have sworn the oath of allegiance, so now let those at your end do the same.” The letter was brought to Yazid b. al-Muhallab, who showed it to Abu 'Uyaynah. After the latter had read it, (Yazid) said, III will not be one of his governors.” Abu ‘Uyaynah asked, I’Why not?” He replied, This is not the way that members of his household have spoken in the past, and he does not intend to follow their example. Nevertheless, the soldiers swore the oath of allegiance after Yazid called on them to do so. He said: 'Umar then wrote to Yazid, saying, “Appoint someone as your representative in Khu rasan and come to me.” He designated his son, Makhlad, as his representative. According to 'Ali—‘Ali b. Mujahid—‘Abd al-A'la b. Mansfir— Maymun b.

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  Road to Manzikert

  Byzantine and Islamic Warfare, 527–1071

  • Brian Todd Carey, Joshua B. Allfree, John Cairns(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Pen & Sword Military

    (Publisher)

  caliph himself, but one was elected by his lieutenants. Abu Bakr (573–634), the Prophet’s most trusted and capable advisor, became the first of what Islam refers to as the ‘Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs’. These four reigns would witness first the consolidation of Islam in Arabia and then the expansion of the faith into North Africa, the Levant and Persia at the expense of the Byzantine and Sassanian Persian Empires in the period between 632 and 661. Abu Bakr, together with his successors Umar (r.634–644), Uthman (r.644–656), and Ali (r.656–661), are also sometimes referred to as the Rashidun Caliphate.

  Although a man of nearly sixty years when he became caliph, Abu Bakr proved to be a shrewd political and military leader. He continued with the conversion of Arab pagans by force, and also declared the Riddah or ‘War of the Apostates’, a roughly one-year campaign (summer of 632 to spring of 633) to bring all of the Arabian Peninsula, both pagan and backsliders, into the Dar al-Islam. In fact, the Riddah ’s main target were those Muslims who had converted to Islam but waivered after the death of the Prophet. From this point forward, Islam strictly prohibited apostasy under punishment of death.

  Most of the Muslim armies dispatched from Medina during the Riddah were made up of the faithful from Medina, Mecca and Taif and consisted of between 4,000 and 5,000 men, large enough to meet and defeat the smaller disobedient tribes. These conquests fell into a similar pattern. Muslim commanders would use political rivalries among local chieftains to divide and conquer, and promised war treasure to those who converted to Islam and joined the effort. Those tribes who refused to convert were defeated in war and then given the choice of conversion or death.53 Abu Bakr did create one larger army, under the command of the newly converted Khalid al-Walid (592–642), to deal with the larger and more dangerous Arab tribes of north-east Arabia, specifically the Banu Hanifa.54 A later tenth century Islamic scholar, Muhammad al-Diyarbakri, wrote of Khalid’s success during these campaigns:

  The Arabs began to flock to Khalid out of desire to adopt Islam or from fear of the sword. Some were captured and claimed either that they had come voluntarily to submit to Islam or that they had never apostatized but rather had been stingy with their property and now would willingly pay their dues. Others, who were not captured, either came to Khalid yielding to Islam or headed to Medina to submit to Abu Bakr.55

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  The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 14

  The Conquest of Iran A.D. 641-643/A.H. 21-23

  • G. Rex Smith(Author)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • SUNY Press

    (Publisher)

  When another caliph comes along, they will say, ’0 Caliph of the Caliph of the Caliph of the Messenger of God!’ But you are the faithful and I am your commander.” So he was called Commander of the Faithful. Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Samad said: I asked (Umm 'Amr) how many years she had lived. She replied, 133 years.” According to Ibn Humayd—Yahya b. wadih554—Abu Hamzahsss—Iabir: Some one addressed 'Umar b. al-Khattab, O Caliph of God.” He replied, God turn you away [from such a remark)!”556 (The man) said, May God make me your ransom! ('Umar) said, “In that case, God will humiliate you!557 His Institution of the [Islamic] Dating System Abi'i Ia'far [al-Tabari] said: ('Umar) instituted the [Islamic] dat ing system and recorded it. According to al-Harith—Ibn Sa'd— Muhammad b. 'Umar: This was in 16 in Rabi' I [April 637]. I have already mentioned the reason for his recording this and the circumstances surrounding it.558 'Umar was also the first to date documents and to stamp them with clay. He was also the first to assemble the people to one imam to lead them in the special Ramadan prayers.559 He sent out written instructions to the provinces to carry this out. According 5 52. An unidentified narrator. 553. An unidentified narrator. 554. Yahya b. wadih has no date of death provided in Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, XI, 293ff. 555. Abu Hamzah Muhammad b. Maymun al-Sukkari died ca. 168/785. See Ibn ,ajar, Tahdhib, IX, 486ff. 556. Arabic, khalafa Allahu bi-ka. A pun with khalifah, caliph, is intended. 557. The man's reply is meant as an apology, but ‘Umar is not appeased. 558. See in the text, Tabari, I, 2480; Translation, XIH, 59. 559. Arabic, tarawih, the special prayers said after the evening prayer in Ramadan. See SEI, s.v. (Wensinck). The Events of the Year 23 1 15 to al-Harith—Ibn Sa‘d—Muhammad b. 'Umar: This was in the year 14 [February 25, 635—February 14, 636]. He also appointed two public Qur’an readers, one to lead the men in prayer, the other the women.

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