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Caliph Umar (period. 634-644)
Abu Bakr had the support of many influential men; one of these men was Umar ibn Khattab (l. 584-644), a high-ranking companion of Muhammad, known for his fiery temper and unshakable stance on justice. Abu Bakr had chosen him as his successor, and it was natural that Umar became the next caliph after his death, adding the phrase “commander of the believers” to his title. Umar continued Abu Bakr’s campaigns, and in the year 636 he brought two great victories to the Caliphate. The Muslim army, led by Sa’ad ibn abi Waqas (l. 595-674), defeated a Sasanian counterattack at the battle of Al Qaddissiya; as a direct result, this battle brought all of Iraq under Muslim control (while the rest of the Sasanian Empire was later conquered). Khalid ibn al Walid’s forces crushed the Byzantines at the battle of Yarmouk – technically the army was commanded by a high-ranking man named Abu Ubaidah (l. 583-639), but Khalid’s expertise saved the day; the Levant was now under Rashidun control.
His period
The city of Jerusalem was peacefully and without bloodshed surrendered to Umar, personally (he had to come to the Levant and Syria to manage internal affairs), in 638 CE. Umar also demoted Khalid from his generalship on the day of his greatest achievement, which has been highly controversial. Some say that Umar had personal problems with Khalid, while others claim that Khalid was too cruel (because there were many quarrels against him and Umar, who was rigid in his parameters of justice, was unwilling to compromise). If the latter is the reason Umar might have hesitated to have the general executed (as he would have done under normal circumstances, of course), because of his recent achievements on the battlefield, nevertheless it was clear that Umar preferred Abu Ubaidah as his potential but this one died in 639 AD as a result of the plague that devastated Syria and the Levant.
“Real founder of the Arab empire”
During his ten-year rule, Umar kept a firm grip on his empire. To this day, he is remembered as perhaps the most famous of the Rashidun Caliphs, and historian J.J. Sauders calls him the “true founder of the Arab empire”. He introduced the diwan – a primitive bureaucracy responsible for paying soldiers’ wages and pensions. Umar also protected the newly conquered population from plunder by his armies by keeping the armed forces separated from the rest of the population in garrison towns such as Fustat in Egypt and Kufa and Basra in Iraq. He introduced many reforms and institutions that the Arabs had not encountered before, such as the police, courts and parliaments, he even introduced the Islamic calendar, which started with the year of Hijra (emigration) – 0 A.H. / Zero” After the Hijra, the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622.
But of all the qualities he had, none are so praised as his piety and his love of justice, earning him the title of Farooq (the one who discriminates between right and wrong). A common story often associated with him tells that one of his sons is said to have been accused of adultery; the witness was a woman who claimed to be the one he had done that with. Umar ordered his own son to be flogged, but the poor boy could not bear it and died. Later the accusation was proved false, Umar was crushed with grief but he did not take revenge for his beloved son.
After the death of Abu Ubaidah, he appointed Muawiya (l. 602-680) as the new governor of Syria in 639, who would in turn elevate his clan – Umayya to caliphate in 661 CE. Umar was murdered, as an act of revenge, by a Persian slave named Lu’lu in 634, who was humiliated by the defeat of the Persians.
The important events during the caliphate the second califa: Umar ibn Khattab
The year 14 (after Hijra) H.: The conquest of Damascus and al-Basrah, among others. The battle of al-Jisr took place. It was an important battle in which eighteen hundred Muslims were killed. It has also been said that there were four thousand. The flight of Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor, from Antioch to Constantinople. The death of, among others, Sa’d Ibn Ubaadah, Hind bint ‘Utbah (wife of Abou Sufiaan and mother of Mu’aawiyah) and Abou Qoehaafah, the father of Abou Bakr as-Siddiq.
The year 15 H.: The conquest of Jordan. The battle of Yarmuk against the Byzantines and this was one of the greatest battles. Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl and others were killed in this battle. The battle of al-Qaadisiyah against the Persians takes place under the leadership of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas. ‘Amr Ibn Umm Maktum, the prayer caller, and others died in this battle.
The year 16 H.: The battle of Djaloulaa’ and the conquest of al-Bayt alMaqdis. The introduction of the era. Ibn al-Musayyieb said: “The first to establish the era was Omar Ibn al-Khattaab; two and a half years after his appointment. He started to write down the era in the year 16 H. after consultation with Ali Ibn Abi Taalib.”
The year 17H.: The outbreak of an epidemic in ash-Shaam that claimed many victims. The expansion of the Prophetic Mosque by Omar Ibn al-Khattaab. The outbreak of famine in the Arabian Peninsula due to prolonged drought. The marriage of Omar to Oum Kalthoum the daughter of Ali Ibn Abi Taalib.
The year 18 H.: The outbreak of another epidemic in Jordan that also claimed many victims. The conquest of several cities.
The year 19 H.: The conquest of Tikrit. In this year, Abdullaah Ibn Hudhaafah as-Sahmi was captured by the Byzantines.
The year 20 H.: The conquest of Egypt. The conquest of the city of Tustur (Iran). Al-Hurmuzan, a viceroy of the Persian Shah, was captured and taken to Omar in Medina. The death of Heraclius who was called to Islam by the Messenger of Allah.
The Year 21 H.: The Conquest of Alexandria. The Battle of Nahawaand and this one is also one of the biggest battles.
The year 22 H.: The conquest of Azerbaijan under the leadership of al-Mugheerah Ibn Shu’bah. The conquest of Tripoli and Djurdjan.
The year 23 H.: The conquest of Karmaan, Sidjistan and Asbahaan, among others. The death of Omar ibn al-Khattaab.
