The Khilafat of Hazrat Umar (ra)

Whilst mentioning the era of Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states: “Muslims always kept in their minds the following verse:

تُؤَدُّوا‭ ‬الْاَمٰنٰتِ‭ ‬اِلٰٓى‭ ‬اَهْلِهَا‬‬‬

“That is, ‘Only those individuals should be given this trust who are worthy of it and have the capability to deal with administrative issues.’ The people who were given this trust always remained mindful of the Quranic injunction that they must rule with integrity and justice. They knew that if they were unmindful of justice and were not entirely honest, or betrayed their trust, they would be answerable to God and would be punished for their sin. The above-mentioned Quranic injunctions were so deeply instilled in the personality of Hazrat Umar (ra) that one will find it astounding. He was the second Khalifa of Islam, who made tremendous sacrifices for the progress of Islam and Muslims.

“Even those European writers who routinely criticise the Holy Prophet (sa) – accusing him, God forbid, of dishonesty in his dealings – cannot but admit that the way Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra) worked tirelessly and selflessly in the service of mankind is unparalleled in history. These authors are especially complimentary to Hazrat Umar (ra). According to them, he was a man who worked with total dedication day and night to spread the message of Islam and to advance the Muslim cause. However, despite his tireless effort, countless sacrifices and the pain and suffering he endured for the sake of Muslims, what was his assessment about himself? He remained mindful of the following:

اِنَّ‭ ‬اللّٰهَ‭ ‬يَاْمُرُكُمْ‭ ‬اَنْ‭ ‬تُؤَدُّوا‭ ‬الْاَمٰنٰتِ‭ ‬اِلٰٓى‭ ‬اَهْلِهَا‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“And:

وَاِذَا‭ ‬حَكَمْتُمْ‭ ‬بَيْنَ‭ ‬النَّاسِ‭ ‬اَنْ‭ ‬تَحْكُمُوْا‭ ‬بِالْعَدْلِ‬‬‬‬‬‬

“That is, ‘When you are appointed to an office of trust by the decree of God, and your countrymen and brethren appoint you to the responsibility of governance, it is incumbent upon you to rule with justice and spend all your efforts and faculties for the welfare of mankind.’

“How painful is the following episode of his life! When a person – out of foolishness and ignorance that Hazrat Umar (ra) had been unjust – fatally stabbed him, Hazrat Umar (ra) lay in anguish on his deathbed with the following words on his lips:

اَللّٰهُمَّ‭ ‬لَا‭ ‬عَلَيَّ‭ ‬وَلَالِيْ۔‭ ‬اَللّٰهُمَّ‭ ‬لَا‭ ‬عَلَيَّ‭ ‬وَلَا‭ ‬لِيْ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“His only thought was, ‘O Lord! You gave me this authority and trust. I do not know if I truly fulfilled my duty. Now the time of my death is near and I am about to leave this world and return to You. O my Lord! I do not ask for any compensation for my services and I do not seek any reward. Instead, I only seek your mercy. If I have done any wrong in discharging the responsibilities that were assigned to me, I seek your forgiveness.’

“Hazrat Umar (ra) was a man of such high calibre that it is hard to find other examples in history that come close to his sense of equity and justice, yet he died under the weight of the Quranic injunction:

وَاِذَا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ اَنْ تَحْكُمُوْا بِالْعَدْلِ