Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz - Biography

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz

His name was Umar, and his surname was Abu Hafs. His father’s name was Abdul Aziz, and his mother’s name was UmmuAasim. His father held a special position in the BanuUmayyah dynasty and was the governor of Egypt, ruling for a long period of about 21 years. Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz’s mother, UmmuAasim, was the daughter of HazratAasim bin Umar bin Khattab. Therefore, Hazrat Umar was the great-grandson of Hazrat Umar bin Khattab. Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz was born in the village of Helwan, Egypt, in 62 Hijri.

He spent his childhood in Medina and received his education under the guidance of Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar. He memorized the Quran at an early age and mastered eloquence, grammar, and poetry. He also studied from many scholars and jurists of Medina, becoming a great scholar of his time. AllamaZahabi wrote that he was a great Imam, a distinguished Mujtahid, and a specialist in Hadith.

After the death of Walid bin Abdul Malik, Suleiman bin Abdul Malik became the caliph, who trusted Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz immensely and consulted him on important matters. When Suleiman bin Abdul Malik passed away in 99 Hijri, Raja bin Hayat gathered the BanuUmayyah in the Wabaik Mosque and swore allegiance for the new caliph. According to Suleiman’s orders, Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz was raised and placed on the minbar (pulpit). Hazrat Umar read "Inna LillahiWa Inna IlaihiRaji'oon" and said, "How did this heavy responsibility fall upon me?"

Upon addressing the people, Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz delivered a sermon with the following core message:
"People, I have been made the caliph against my will and against the will of the common Muslims. Therefore, if you wish, I will remove the collar of responsibility from myself. Choose the caliph you desire." Upon hearing this, the people loudly responded, "We have chosen you as our caliph, and we are all satisfied with you. Proceed, in the name of Allah."

Hazrat Umar then said:

"People! There will be no prophet after your Prophet, and no book after the one revealed to him by Allah. What Allah has made lawful will remain lawful until the Day of Judgment, and what He has made unlawful will remain unlawful until the Day of Judgment. I am not a judge of my own; I am only here to enforce the laws of Allah. Whoever obeys Allah’s commands, his obedience is obligatory, and whoever disobeys, his obedience is not lawful. As long as I follow the commands of Allah, you must obey me; if I disobey His commands, you are not obliged to obey me. Fear Allah, for His fear is the substitute for everything, but there is no substitute for it."

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz implemented justice and equality during his reign. He followed in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Hazrat Umar bin Khattab, taking great care of his people. So just was his rule that Yahya bin Sa'id narrated that he attempted to gather charity for the poor in Africa but found no beggars, as Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz had made the people prosperous. He then used the charity money to buy and free slaves.

Hazrat Umar protected the wealth and rights of his people. He built inns, guest houses, and a free kitchen for the poor and needy. His rule was short, but the reforms he made restored the caliphate to the level of the rightly guided caliphs. He improved the state treasury, ensuring the safety of the rights of the non-Muslims and their religious sites.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz was a generous, cheerful, tolerant, and noble person who utterly despised worldly pomp and pride. During his caliphate, he lived a very simple life, wearing plain clothes and eating simple food. His generosity was one of his defining qualities. He always honored scholars and sought their advice. He devoted himself to worship, with a routine that included managing state matters until midnight and spending the rest of the night in worship. After the Fajr prayer, he would go to his room, and no one could enter during that time.

Without a doubt, he resembled Hazrat Abu BakrSiddiq in truthfulness, Hazrat Umar Farooq in justice, HazratUthmanGhani in humility, and Hazrat Ali in asceticism.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz made sure that his personal life and that of his family conformed entirely to the teachings of the Sharia. Unlike the other rulers of the Umayyad dynasty, he adopted the ideals of the Rashidun Caliphs. After assuming the caliphate, he ordered his wife to deposit all her jewels and precious stones in the state treasury. Despite being the daughter of Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan and the sister of two caliphs, she did the same, and Hazrat Umar made sure that the royal family lived a modest life. There was no servant in the palace, and even the caliph's wife, Fatima, took care of the household chores herself. Hazrat Umar abolished the personal property of the caliphs and prohibited the lavish gifts and bribes that had been given in the form of royal charity. He redirected the royal family’s allowances to the public treasury.

Once, Fatima, his wife, had precious gems that were gifts from her father, Caliph Abdul Malik. Hazrat Umar told her to give them to the state treasury. She replied, "I prefer you to all the jewels." Hazrat Umar's principles were based on honesty, justice, and responsibility.

His opponents tried to take advantage of his simplicity, and rebels killed thousands of innocent Muslims in Azerbaijan. Hazrat Umar sent his commander, IbnHatim, to defeat the rebels. Hazrat Umar was as tough on his enemies as he was compassionate towards his people and children, preventing even his beloved daughter from facing hardship.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz once expressed his desire to eat grapes, but his wife told him there was none in the house. He said, "I would rather desire grapes in my heart than eat them and be chained in hell."

Hazrat Umar particularly liked Lebanese honey. One time, his wife sent for a large quantity of it. Upon receiving it, Hazrat Umar recognized it and refused to eat it. He sent it back and wrote a letter to the sender warning him not to send such gifts again.

Many of Hazrat Umar’s relatives from the Banu Marwan were displeased with his reformative policies, especially the seizure of their personal wealth. They came to his aunt, Ummu Umar, complaining that Hazrat Umar had taken back all that they had unjustly received. Hazrat Umar replied, "I did not take what belonged to them. I only took back what they had unjustly acquired from others."

Once, Hazrat Umar’s son received a message from his relatives, asking him to intercede for them. Hazrat Umar said, "Tell them that everything that I took from them was from the state treasury, and I do not fear the consequences of my actions, as I only fear Allah."

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz was a staunch supporter of inter-Muslim unity. He banned the use of abusive language towards the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him. He took action to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among the different factions of the Muslim Ummah.

He made justice and fairness accessible to all. He appointed capable and righteous judges, ensuring that justice reached even the poorest and weakest in society. He also forbade the beheading of people by state authorities without proper investigation and due process. His reign brought an end to all forms of tyranny and injustice, ensuring that even animals like lions and goats drank from the same water sources in peace.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz restored the rights of the Muslim Ummah, recovering two-thirds of the wealth that had been wrongly taken by the BanuUmayyah. He returned the confiscated properties to their rightful owners, ensuring fairness in all transactions.

In his reign, orphans, widows, the poor, the disabled, and the unemployed received stipends from the state treasury. People became so prosperous that, within a year, they no longer needed charity.

His reforms included the construction of inns, guest houses, and bridges across the empire. He abolished harsh tax policies and made the tax collection process simpler. He also banned the taking of jizya from new Muslims and shut down the public sale of alcohol, imposing strict punishments for public drinking.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz viewed his role as caliph not as a leader but as a compassionate father to his people. He ensured that the state's resources were used for the welfare of the people and sent representatives to spread the message of Islam worldwide.

He simplified state expenses, reducing the cost of governance and living simply. He refused any unnecessary expenses and set an example for all other rulers. Under his reign, the state treasury was managed efficiently, and the financial stability of the empire increased.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz also treated both Muslims and non-Muslims equally, ensuring that everyone’s rights were upheld. He took action against anyone who committed injustice, regardless of their position, including the son of Caliph Abdul Malik, who was treated equally to a Christian in a legal dispute.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz passed away after enduring 20 days of suffering from poison. He died on the 25th of Rajab, 101 Hijri, at the age of 39 years and 5 months. He had only ruled for 2 years, 5 months, and 4 days, but in that short period, he brought about significant reforms that madea