The Exemplary Figures of History; The Perfect Caliph (Part Three)
One of Walid bin Abdul Malik’s sons dared to write a strong letter against him and threatened rebellion and overthrow. Umar, known for his calmness and humility, could not help but feel anger for the sake of Allah. Suddenly, he seized Walid’s son like a roaring lion and quickly dragged him to the court of justice. If Walid’s son had not repented, he would have been nearly handed over to the executioner’s sword. Everyone bowed their heads, returned whatever wealth they had in their hands, and accepted the rights they received from the treasury. But Umar did not stop there; he cut off these rights as well and gave them their share like ordinary people, making them work just as hard as others. Peace spread everywhere, rebellions subsided, and happiness returned to the people. There was no sign of excessive enjoyment or poverty. This vast land, stretching from France to China, seemed to have become a kind of internal school or spiritual community living with love, friendship, and sincerity. His letters and circulars served as effective methods of refinement and reform, full of knowledge, guidance, order, and management.
After all of this, let us examine who Umar ibn Abdul Aziz was. How did he navigate life among the Umayyads? An Umayyad whose home was not a house of piety and worship? What is the biography of him and his family? You might wonder how the son of Abdul Aziz achieved such advantages while the Umayyads were not traditionally known for asceticism and piety, aside from Uthman and Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with them.
To answer your questions, I will take you back fifty years—to the time of the great Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him! As was his custom, Umar would go around at night to inquire about the well-being of the people. On one such occasion, he passed by the tent of a Bedouin and heard a woman say to her daughter, “Pour water into the milk.” The girl replied, “Haven’t you heard that the messenger of Umar has prohibited this?” The mother said, “Pour; neither Umar sees you nor his messenger.” The girl responded, “I will not openly obey him and secretly disobey; if Umar is absent, his Lord (Allah) is present—He hears and sees.” They were indeed like that. The ruler sought the pleasure of Allah and the benefit of the people when issuing orders and prohibitions, and the people, viewing obedience to the ruler as part of their faith, endeavored to get closer to Allah through their compliance. Hazrat Umar then instructed his servant, “Point out this tent,” and they departed.
In the morning, Hazrat Umar inquired about the girl and discovered that she was an orphan. Umar called his sons together and said, “I know of a virtuous girl; who among you is willing to marry her?” Abdullah replied, “I have a wife,” and the others responded similarly. Asem said, “I do not have a wife,” so the girl was given in marriage to him. She was a superior woman and bore a daughter named Umm Asem (some sources indicate her name was Layla). Umm Asem lived a virtuous life, just like her mother. When Abdul Aziz bin Marwan sought to marry, she was introduced to him, and he married Umm Asem. Thus, Umar bin Abdul Aziz, son of Umm Asem and Asem ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, came into being. Umar’s noble character can be traced back to these roots. His father desired the best for him and entrusted him to the learned Imam and Sheikh of the Muslims, Abdullah Ibn Umar, who raised him under his supervision.
What do you think of someone who was raised by Abdullah Ibn Umar and great scholars such as Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utbah, Anas, Al-Sa’ib, and Ubadah?
When his father was appointed governor of Egypt, he left Umar in his care and appointed Salih bin Kaysan as his guardian. One day, Umar was late for prayer, and Salih reprimanded him. Umar excused himself, claiming that his barber had spent too long oiling and combing his hair. Salih wrote to Umar’s father about the matter, leading to a stern order that Umar’s hair be shaved!
Umar grew up in luxury and comfort—with a soft bed and privileges other teenagers did not enjoy. This was understandable, given his father’s position as governor of Egypt, his grandfather Marwan’s status as caliph, and his uncle Abdul Malik’s rule. However, when it came to religion and obligatory matters, the concept of comfort was set aside, and he faced reprimands with firm determination, as illustrated by the incident regarding his hair.
Despite his prosperity, he was also a scholar and devoted worshiper. He wore royal attire, often discarding each outfit after wearing it once. He walked with a luxurious gait that became a trend, leading other youth to imitate it, dubbing it “the walk of Umar.” His presence was marked by the best fragrances; a fragrant breeze seemed to flow from him as if it came from a garden.
Abdul Malik married his daughter Fatimah to Umar, the esteemed lady of that era—perhaps no other woman could match her nobility. Her father, Abdul Malik, was a caliph, ruling over a vast dominion. Her grandfather Marwan was also a caliph, and her brothers—Walid, Sulayman, Yazid, and Hisham—along with her husband Umar, all held the position of caliph. Which woman in history is known to have nine relatives as caliphs? Fatima was a beautiful and devoted woman, while Umar was the embodiment of youth, possessing charm in appearance, character, words, and actions. The blessings aligned for both of them, and their hearts were filled with love. They experienced joyous times together happier than any couple before them.
