Umar Bin Abdul Aziz (Umar - Ii) 717-720 A.D

UMAR BIN ABDUL AZIZ (UMAR – II) 717-720 A.
D
Introduction:
1 After the death of Suleiman bin Abdul Malik, Umar bin Abdul Aziz became the caliph.
2 He stands out as a bright and noble exception among the godless, greedy and self-
seeking
rulers of the house of Umayyad.
3 The prime objective of Umar-II was to consolidate the Empire rather than to expand it
and increase power and pelf.
4 It was because his rule was inspired by the considerations of religion.
5 His methods were based on justice, tolerance, moderation and public welfare.
6 He was deeply impressed by the spirit of Islam, particularly of his namesake Umar
(R.A), the second pious caliph.
7 He copied all the methods which prevailed during the illustrious caliphate of Umar 1 of
Khilafat.
8 Thus, his caliphate was the return of the system of Umar (R.A), and he is rightly called
the 5th pious caliph.
Al-Walid I's era

Unlike most rulers of that era, Umar formed a council with which he administered the
province. His time in Medina was so notable that official grievances sent to Damascus all
but ceased. In addition, many people emigrated to Medina from Iraq seeking refuge
from their harsh governor, Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef.[citation needed] That angered Al-Hajjaj,
and he pressed al-Walid to remove Umar. Much to the dismay of the people of Medina,
al-Walid bowed to Hajjaj's pressure and dismissed Umar from his post. By this time,
Umar had developed an impeccable reputation across the Islamic empire.
Sulayman's era
Umar continued to live in Medina through the remainder of al-Walid's reign and that of
Walid's brother Suleiman. As Suleiman fell seriously ill and was unlikely to recover, he
was anxious to leave the throne to one of his sons who were still minors, but was unable
to do so because of their youth.[citation needed] His advisor Raja ibn Haywah then
promptly proposed Umar as the successor to the throne. Suleiman accepted this
suggestion and Umar reluctantly accepted the position after trying unsuccessfully to
dissuade Suleiman.
Character and Achievements of Umar bin Abdul Aziz

1. A Democratic Ruler:
·0 Like his ideal, Umar-I, he was also democratic by birth.
·1 As a governor of Madinah, he established Majlis-e-Shura on the pattern of
Hazrat Umar (R.A).
·2 When he was made successor of Suleiman, he refused to accept his succession
until it was ratified by the people in a democratic way.
·3 Thus, from his election to the last day of his rule, he was democratic through and
through.
2. Paragon of Justice:
·4 Exactly like Umar-I, he ensured the provision of justice.
·5 He was more concerned about the selection of a Qazi than a governor.
·6 His justice worked regardless of the family, status and influence of the offender.
3. An egalitarian:
·7 By the time he became caliph, the ethnic differences between Arab and Non-
Arabs had been deep-rooted in the Muslims Empire.
·8 Arab considered themselves superior to the non-Arab Muslims.
·9 Umar discouraged this social evil and promoted the concept of equality in the
Islamic Empire.
4. Reconciliatory and Peaceful:

·10 Umar was reconciliatory and peaceful by nature.
·11 He stopped the practice of cursing Hazrat Ali (R.A) and his descendents hich was
started by his predecessors Umayyad caliphs.
·12 His peacefulness impressed even the most violent faction of society i.e Kharjaites
who gave up insurgency during his rule.
·13 He also adopted peaceful foreign policy for the Muslim Empire.
5. Liberal and Tolerant:

·14 Umar was most liberal and tolerant in his religious policy.
·15 He permitted the restoration of Saint John church at Damascus which was put-off
by Walid -I.
·16 He also tendered religious freedom to the Jews.
·17 He put an end to Umayyad hostility to the family of the Prophet (P.B.U.H).
·18 He gave back the garden of ‘fidak’ to the heirs of the Prophet (P.B.U.H)
6. Simple and Modest:

·19 He adopted the lifestyle of Hazrat Umar-I (R.A).
·20 He drew a very meager salary for himself.
·21 He asked his wife to discard jewelry given to her by her relatives.
·22 He also returned all the lands and property which he received from his elders.
·23 Thus, he was far from the worldly desires and ill-gotten gains.
REFORMS OF UMAR BIN ABDUL AZIZ

1. Eradication of administrative evils: Nepotism and Favouritism
2. Accountability of officers.
3. Return of exploited property.
4. Revenue reforms.
5. Treatment with dhimis.
6. Propagation of Islam.
7. Rectification of Bait-ul-Maal
8. Ban on un-Islamic traditions.
9. Abolition of the abuses in the sermon of Friday prayers.
10. Social welfare.
Reforms
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz was a scholar himself and surrounded himself with great scholars
like Muhammed bin Kaab and Maimun bin Mehran. He offered stipends to teachers and
encouraged education. Through his personal example, he inculcated piety, steadfastness,
business ethics and moral rectitude in the general population. His reforms included strict
abolition of drinking, forbidding public nudity, elimination of mixed bathrooms for men
and women and fair dispensation of Zakat. He undertook extensive public works in
Persia, Khorasan and North Africa, including the construction of canals, roads, rest
houses for travellers and medical dispensaries
He continued the welfare programs of the last few Umayyad caliphs, expanding them
and including special programs for orphans and the destitute. He would also abolish the
jizya tax for converts to Islam, who were former dhimmis, who used to be taxed even
after they had converted under other Umayyad rulers.
Umar II is credited with having ordered the first official collection of hadith (sayings and
actions attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad), fearing that some of it might be
lost. Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Hazm and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, are among those who
compiled hadiths at Umar II’s behest.
He made other reforms:
·24 State officials were excluded from entering into any business.
·25 Unpaid labour was made illegal.
·26 Pasture lands and game reserves, which were reserved for the family of the
dignitaries, were evenly distributed among the poor for the purpose of
cultivation.
·27 He urged to all of the officials to listen the complaints of the people and during
any occasion, he used to announce that if any subject had seen any officer
mistreating others, he should report him to the leader and will be given a reward
ranging from 100 to 300 dirhams.
Taxation
Under previous Umayyad rulers, Arab Muslims had certain financial privileges over non-
Arab Muslims. Non-Arab converts to Islam were still expected to pay the jizya poll tax
that they paid before becoming Muslims. Umar put into practice a new system that
exempted all Muslims, regardless of their heritage, from the jizya tax. He also added
some safeguards to the system to make sure that mass conversion to Islam would not
cause the collapse of the finances of the Umayyad government. Under the new tax
policy, converted mawali would not pay the jizya, but upon conversion, their land would
become the property of the villages and remain liable to the full rate of the kharaj, or
land tax. This compensated for the loss of income due to the diminished jizya tax base.
Military
Though Umar did not place as much an emphasis on expanding the Empire's borders as
his predecessors had, he was not passive. Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari states that he
sent Ibn Hatim ibn al-Nu'man to repel Turks invading Azerbaijan. He faced a Kharijite
uprising and preferred negotiations to armed conflict, personally holding talks with two
Kharijite envoys shortly before his death. He recalled the troops besieging
Constantinople led by his cousin Maslama. The Second Arab siege of Constantinople had
failed to take the city and was sustaining heavy losses at the hands of allied Byzantine
and Bulgarian forces. Its defeat was a serious blow to Umayyad prestige

Umar Bin Abdul Aziz (Umar - Ii) 717-720 A.D

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Umar Bin Abdul Aziz (Umar - Ii) 717-720 A.D

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Umar Bin Abdul Aziz (Umar - Ii) 717-720 A.D

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

UMAR BIN ABDUL AZIZ (UMAR – II) 717-720 A.

Al-Walid I's era

Character and Achievements of Umar bin Abdul Aziz

4. Reconciliatory and Peaceful:

5. Liberal and Tolerant:

6. Simple and Modest:

REFORMS OF UMAR BIN ABDUL AZIZ

He made other reforms:

·25 Unpaid labour was made illegal.

You might also like