Author: Khaled Yaghi Zahi
The Exemplary Figures of the History; The Perfect Caliph (Part One)
A Caliph who is an example of the models we see only once in many centuries; in the entire history of nations, there are few like him. He was a scholar before whom great scholars appeared as students; a writer before whom eloquent writers seemed like beginners. He was religious—a religion of action, not merely of speech; a religion of sincerity and secrecy, not one of hypocrisy and ostentation. He was so humble before Allah that a small, poor man was great in his sight, and he was so fierce in the way of Allah that a rebellious bully was humbled before him. He lived in poverty while possessing the treasures of the earth; he spent his life in chastity and deprivation, and even though the beauties of the world were under his dominion, he was a king who, if he were not a human being, I would say was an angel.
Dabiq is a village in the Aleppo region of the Azaz district, where the advanced military camp for the fight against Rome was located. It was the second winter that the young Caliph, Sulayman ibn Abdul Malik, along with his army and officials, was guarding the border in Dabiq to support the army commanded by his brother Moslemah, which was besieging Constantinople. However, there was little hope of victory in this campaign, and Moslemah’s army had become vulnerable, its morale weakening. Military experts and wise men advised breaking the siege, but Sulayman insisted on continuing it. Fever spread among the army, claiming the lives of soldiers one by one, until none of the Caliph’s servants were healthy enough to provide water for his wudu.
In this dire situation, he went to the pulpit and began to speak, his voice resonating in the mosque. However, the fever also afflicted him, and his voice weakened; he was taken home in this state. He made his youngest son his crown prince, but his special advisor, Raja bin Haywa, advised against it and urged him instead to appoint the honorable “Umar bin Abdul Aziz” as his successor. Sulayman replied, “He is a good man; of course, the children of Abdul Malik will not be happy if the caliphate is taken from them.” Raja suggested, “Make Yazid bin Abdul Malik the crown prince after him.” Sulayman agreed and wrote the treaty.
He summoned the Umayyad princes and nobles to swear allegiance regarding the treaty’s contents. Umar approached Raja and said, “O Raja! I fear that the government has been entrusted to me. I swear by Allah I am not capable of it. Tell me now, while he is alive, so that he may hand it over to someone else. Then I will be grateful to you.”
Raja responded, “No, I swear by Allah! I will not inform you of anything.” Umar became angry and returned. Hisham also approached Raja with similar concerns, expressing his gratitude if Raja would inform him of the Caliph’s choices. Raja reiterated, “No, I swear by Allah! I will not tell you anything.” Hisham returned angrily.
Soon after, Sulayman died. Raja gathered the people and opened the letter revealing that the crown prince was Umar. The sons of Abdul Malik created a commotion. When Raja named Yazid as his successor, they fell silent. Umar collapsed and could not get up, saying, “By Allah, I did not ask Allah for this—in secret or openly.”
The people took him by the shoulders and lifted him onto the pulpit, where they fell silent. Umar addressed them, saying, “O people! I was not consulted about this, nor was I given authority, nor do I need it. I withdraw my allegiance from you and swear allegiance to whomever you desire.” Cries arose that they wanted no one other than him. Then he stood and delivered a royal speech, clarifying the charter and policies of his government. He stated that he was not the owner of Sharia; the lawgiver is Allah Almighty. His role was merely to execute the laws, and should he oppose Sharia, his own opposition would become obligatory.
He declared that a caliph is not the leader of the nation in the sense of ownership; rather, he is the servant of the nation. He continued, “Truly, after your Prophet, there is no other Prophet; after the Quran, there is no other book. Be aware: what Allah has made lawful is lawful until the Day of Judgment, and what He has forbidden is forbidden until the Day of Judgment. Be aware! I am not a lawgiver; rather, I am an executor of law. I am not an innovator; I am a follower. Be aware that no one should be obeyed in disobedience to Allah. Be aware that I am not the best of you; I am simply a man among you to whom Allah Almighty has assigned a duty heavier than yours.”
The earth trembled from the sound of the official caravan, and the royal tents were prepared. He dismissed everyone, saying, “I do not need these rides; take them and bring my mule.” He boarded his mule, went to his tent, and ordered that the official caravan be disbanded, along with the furnishings of the royal tents and beautiful clothing, which were to be sold with the proceeds deposited in the treasury.
This was the prevailing atmosphere, and the people thought it was merely a routine matter: a caliph leaves, another enters, and everything remains in its place. The canopy of the house changes, but for someone sitting in a cold and dark house, what is the benefit of changing the canopy?
Continues…
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