‘Umar ibn al-Khattab

Circa 586–644

Second khalifah

Sources

Charisma . ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab or ‘Umar I was the second khalifah (reigned 634–644) of the nascent Islamic state and the real founder of the khilafah. During his reign the Muslims achieved major victories against the Byzantines and the Sasanids and consolidated their control of Western Asia. ‘Umar had a towering figure and a powerful charismatic personality that had had a considerable influence on Islam and the emerging Islamic polity. Traditional accounts state that while Muhammad preached secretly in his early career, he had prayed to Allah to strengthen his cause by the conversion of ‘Umar. Indeed, no sooner than ‘Umar became Muslim (perhaps the fiftieth person to do so), he demanded that the Prophet should no longer be deterred by security considerations and that he should begin preaching in public. A hadith (prophetic tradition) is said to have stated that no controversy among the Muslims that had been solved by the Qur’an did not take ‘Umar’s opinion into account.

Devotion . Devoted to the Prophet, ‘Umar initially refused to believe that Muhammad the Prophet had died and vowed to punish anyone who said so. However, the shock soon wore off and because of ‘Umar’s organizational genius and decisive action the Muslim community averted a disaster by nominating Abu Bakr as the successor of the Prophet. Abu Bakr ruled briefly, and he nominated ‘Umar to follow him as the most qualified for the position. No one objected.

Successor . Thus, in 634 ‘Umar became “Successor to the Successor of the Prophet.” He correctly realized the cumbersome nature of this title and in its place he introduced the generic title of Amir al-Mumimn (Commander of the Faithful). He also decreed that the year of the Hijra be the start of the Muslim calendar (622 or 1 A.H.). Furthermore, he regularized taxation, the collection of revenue, and the distribution of wealth among the Umma. He ordered a cadastral survey to be conducted to determine the taxable land and the amount of taxation and established the first bureaus of the government, Diwan al-Jund (army register) and Diwan al-Kharaj (register of the revenue). For the distribution of wealth, he created what is known as Diwan ‘Urnar, a register of the Muslims according to their precedence in the service of Islam: the earlier one converted, the more exalted the rank and the higher the annual stipend he received. Women and children also received a fixed stipend.

Consolidation . To consolidate the state further, he decreed that all officials, including the khalifah, should receive a salary from the central treasury. He also ordered the establishment of three new cities (Kufah, Basrah, and Fustat) and appointed various officials to administer the conquered provinces.

Confiscations . Powerful and austere, he maintained a tight grip on the activities of prominent Makkans, lest they take advantage of their status. The finances of the khilafah were jealously guarded. He maintained a practice of confiscating half of the wealth of dismissed officials after he realized that they enriched themselves during their tenure.

Consultation . Before he died, ‘Umar appointed a council of electors (Shura)to select a successor. The concept of shura (consultation), whether narrowly or broadly defined, became an important feature of Islamic politics.

Sources

G. Levi della Vida, “Umar ibn al-Khattab,” Encyclopedia of Islam, CD-ROM version (Leiden: Brill, 1999).

Muhammad Shibli Nu’mani, ’Umar the Great: The Second Caliph of Islam, 2 volumes, translated by Zafar Ali Khan [and Muhammad Saleem] (Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1956–1957).