The Biography of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz ‘may Allah have mercy on him’ (Part 13)
Circulars and Letters
Allah Almighty sent the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and revealed the Quran to him as a book of guidance. At that time, you, O people of the Arabs, were in complete error, ignorance, confusion, and disagreement. Seditions among you had reached their peak. Other nations had dominion over you, and in societies where there was even a shred of religion left, you were deprived of it. Whoever among you lived in ignorance and misguidance, and whoever among you died and departed, his destination was Hell until Allah Almighty saved you from idolatry, war and conflict, hatred of one another, and all social and communal disasters.
Some of you denied it, while others accepted it, and the Messenger of Allah called to the Book of Allah. Initially, very few of you—the weak among you—believed in him, and they were always afraid that someone would destroy them. Finally, Allah Almighty saved them and aided them with unseen help, adding to their number the believers that Islam sought.
The time of the Prophet’s departure from this world had come, and Allah Almighty wanted to fulfill His promise through His Messenger—a promise to a point where change and transformation would become impossible. Most people were surprised by this promise, except for a few sincere Muslims. Allah Almighty said in this regard: «هو الذي ارسل رسوله بالهدى ودين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون.» “It is Allah Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religions, even though the polytheists may dislike it.”
And in another verse, He promised the believers: «وعد الله الذين امنوا منكم وعملوا الصالحات ليستخلفنهم فیالارض كما استخلف الذين من قبلهم وليمكنن لهم دينهم الذي ارتضى لهم و ليبدلنهم من بعد خوفهم امناً يعبدونني لا يشركون بي شيئاً» Translation: “Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, as He made successors of those before them, and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely replace their fear with security, so that they worship Me and associate nothing with Me.”
Allah has fulfilled the promise He made to His Prophet and His believing servants. O people of Islam! Remember this: everything that Allah Almighty has bestowed upon you has been for the sake of Islam; through the blessing of Islam, you will achieve victory over your enemies, and because of it, you will be witnesses on the Day of Judgment. There is no salvation, no proof, and no refuge for you in this world and the Hereafter except through Islam.
I fear for you the dire consequences of abandoning the Quran; as a result of this abandonment, incidents like killing, slaughter, displacement, disagreement, and discord have arisen. Therefore, turn away from what Allah Almighty has forbidden you in His Book, for nothing is more worthy of your fear and caution than the promises of Allah.
What compels me to write this letter is that I have been informed about some inhabitants of the villages and those who have once again become rulers and responsible. These unfortunate individuals are illiterate and ignorant; they have no knowledge of the divine laws and are completely deceived regarding the blessings of Allah. They have forgotten the blessings Allah Almighty has shown them and have been ungrateful for those they did not deserve.
I have been informed that some of them, during the war, take refuge with the Muzar tribe and the people of Yemen, imagining that they are their supporters and allies. Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him! How much ingratitude and ungratefulness this is! And how much they love humiliation! Do you not see what position they have chosen for themselves, depriving themselves of security and safety while associating with what group? Now I understand that the unfortunate become miserable by their own will and desire. Hell was not created in vain.
Have they not heard the words of Allah in the Holy Quran, which say: «إنما المؤمنون إخوة فاصلحوا بين أخويكم واتقوا الله لعلكم ترحمون» “The believers are brothers, so make peace between your brothers and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.”
Have they not heard this verse: «اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإسلام ديناً» “Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as a religion.”
I have heard that some people invite others to war in the manner of the pre-Islamic period, while the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the promise of absolute support, stating: “There are no agreements in Islam for racial or tribal prejudice.”
During the time of ignorance, each ally expected their ally to be steadfast in the agreement between them, even if the support was oppressive and immoral, contradicting the commands of Allah and the Messenger.
I fear for you the punishment of Allah. Whoever hears the contents of this letter or has it reach him must not take refuge in something other than Islam and abandon Allah, the Messenger, and the believers, nor take others as friends. I warn you with strong emphasis and repeatedly, and I call to witness the One in whose possession the souls of all living beings are, the One who is closer to every person than his jugular vein.
