General Advancements in the Time of Hazrat Umar (ra)

In terms of general advancements, it is recorded that Hazrat Umar (ra) did many things for the betterment and progression of the general public. For improvements in agriculture and sourcing water, he arranged for canals to be dug, of which some instances are as follows.

Abu Musa Canal was a nine-mile-long canal which brought water from the Tigris River to Basra; Ma‘qal canal was also dug from the Tigris; Amirul Momineen canal was dug under the orders of Hazrat Umar (ra) to join the Nile to the Red Sea. During the famine in 18 AH, Hazrat Umar (ra) wrote to Hazrat Amr (ra) bin Al-Aas to send aid. There was a delay in the aid reaching [Medina] due to the great distance [from Egypt]. Hazrat Umar (ra) sent for Amr (ra) and said to him that if the Nile was dug up to the sea, Arabia would never suffer from a famine again. When Amr (ra) returned – as he was the governor – he dug a canal from Fustat up to the Red Sea, through which ships could reach the port of Jeddah close to Medina. This canal was 29 miles long and was prepared within six months. Hazrat Amr (ra) bin al-Aas intended to connect the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. He intended to dig a canal from Farma, where the distance between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea was only 70 miles and connect the two rivers. Farma was a coastal city of Egypt. However, Hazrat Umar (ra) was worried that the pilgrims would be looted by the Greeks and did not approve of it. If Amr (ra) bin al-Aas was granted permission, the Suez Canal, which was built later, would have been created by the Arabs.

Various buildings [were built]. Hazrat Umar (ra) built various buildings for the ease of the people; these included mosques, courts, military cantonments, barracks, offices for the infrastructure of the country, roads, bridges, guest houses, watch posts, inns etc. Hazrat Umar (ra) constructed springs and inns at every manzil [a distance of one day’s journey] between Mecca and Medina; he created watch posts as well.

(Al-Farooq, Shibli Naumani, pp. 206- 211, Idaara Islamiyyat, Karachi, 2004)

That is, he ensured security arrangements and also ensured that there were places of rest such as hotels and inns etc. Regarding the development of cities, it is stated that during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar (ra), many new cities were inhabited. Whilst populating these cities, Hazrat Umar (ra) kept the security and economic advantages in mind. The locations of these cities demonstrated Hazrat Umar’s (ra) command and meticulous planning in the art of war, principles of politics and development. These cities were beneficial in both times of war and peace. Hazrat Umar (ra) would ensure that cities were constructed in those Arab lands, which bordered non-Arab lands in order to prevent a sudden attack. The location of these cities was such that was suited to the Arabs. One side of these cities would be from among the Arab lands and served as pasture grounds and the other side would be next to such non-Arab lands that consisted of lush green vegetation, where fruits, grain and other things were grown, i.e. lands that were used for agriculture. When constructing cities, Hazrat Umar (ra) would ensure that a river or sea did not flow in the middle of it.

Hazrat Umar (ra) founded the cities of Basra, Kufa and Fustat. Hazrat Umar (ra) established these cities on strong and correct foundations. He ensured the roads and pathways were spacious and wide and were exceptionally organised. This outlook demonstrated that Hazrat Umar (ra) was an expert in this field and innovative in this regard.

(Sirat Amir-ul-Momineen, Salabi, pp. 214-217, 221, Dar-ul-Marifah, Beirut, 2007)