WORLD FUTURE FUND
https://www.worldfuturefund.org

INTRODUCTION    DESCRIPTION    CITIZEN GUIDES    READING LIST    SITE INDEX
  REPORTS    NEWS    MULTIMEDIA   SEARCH    HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
HELP WANTED    VOLUNTEERS    GRANTS    PUBLICATIONS PRINCIPLES    COPYRIGHT NOTICE    CONTACT US 

CALIPH UMAR'S RECORD

GLOBAL RELIGIOUS REVOLUTION

GLOBAL GEOPOLITICAL REVOLUTION

Caliph Omar is without a doubt one of the greatest leaders in world history.  It was under his leadership that Islam became a world empire.  He successfully defeated two of the three greatest military powers on earth. He defeated the Byzantine Empire and took its key provinces in Egypt, Palestine, Syria and the Levant.  To the north he did what the Roman Empire was unable to do for hundreds of years.  He completely obliterated the Sassanid Persian Empire.  He wiped it off the map.  The end result was that Islam under his rule became a world power and remain so for about 1000 years

After the death of Muhammed, Umar became a key figure in the creation of the caliphate. He was able to successfully maneuver through early Islam’s tense political situation and set up Abu Bakr to become the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. Once Abu Bakr passed away, Umar became the caliph and forged a new path for the Ummah – one of tolerance, abundance, and prosperity.

He soon realized however that he would need a way to administer his new empire, and since the Arabs did not know how to build an administrative system, he decided to keep the Roman and Persian system intact, and have it staffed by the same Roman and Persian bureaucrats as before. These Persian and Roman bureaucrats would run the day to day aspects of the administrative system overseen by the Muslims. This was key to the success of Umar’s caliphate; by giving his conquered subjects autonomy, he could keep them content with their positions, keep the empire running, and give himself and the Arabs the time and energy needed to continue their conquests.

Starting under Umar’s rule, people who practiced religions other than Islam were given much more rights and freedoms under the caliphate as compared to when living under their previous empires. Christians and Jews, who had been persecuted during Roman and Persian rule, were given the right to practice their religions undisturbed, and were given the right to free trade – they were not forced to abide by Islamic trade law and instead could trade in accordance with Christian and Jewish law. Non-Muslims living in the caliphate were called dhimmi, which translates to “protected person,” since the state would protect them and their right to practice their religions if they accepted the Pact of Umar if they paid a small tax This idea of religious freedom was a key reason why the Islamic caliphates lasted as long as they did.

Christian rule had been an endless reign of terror and persecutions, often aimed at other Christians.   The arrival of Islam under Caliph Omar was seen as a liberation.

It is impossible to mention Caliph Umar’s religious tolerance without going over how he conquered Jerusalem and its aftermath. Umar’s forces began to siege Jerusalem in late 636, and soon Sophronius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, said that he would surrender but only to Umar himself. Fortunately for all, the siege itself was bloodless. Umar arrived in Jerusalem soon after and accepted Sophronius’s surrender on account that the non-Muslims in the city were to pay a jizya tax. Once getting to Jerusalem, he gave a promise to the people of Jerusalem, known as Umar’s Assurance, that they would be allowed to continue practicing their religions unimpeded as long as they paid the jizya. Umar made sure not to pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre even after Sophronius invited him to do so since Umar thought this could threaten the church’s status as a Christian holy site, showing incredible foresight. For Jews, the conquering of Jerusalem ended 500 years of Roman persecution, and they were finally able to return to the city.

Caliph Umar is not only one of the most important Muslims, but also one of the most important pioneers in history. He expanded the caliphate and spread Islam across Asia, but not to the detriment of his conquered subjects. He was one of the first leaders in history to promote state protected religious freedom. Umar serves as an example of how governing fairly is simply good policy.

Articles:

Caliph Umar - Wikipedia

Bio of Caliph Umar - Al-Islam

Reports on Islam – World Future Fund

The Preservation of Jerusalem: A legacy of the Caliph Umar

Umar the Great – Why Islam

Videos:

The Inspiring Story of Umar Ibn Khattab (RA) | Dr. Omar Suleiman

Omar Ibn Al Khattab (ra): The Convert Who Changed The World | The Firsts | Dr. Omar Suleiman

UMAR LIBERATED PALESTINE

 FROM THE TYRANNY OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE IN 638 AD

A GLOBAL SUPER POWER IS CREATED

THE RISE OF THE ISLAMIC CALIPHATE