Hazrat Umar Farooq (R)

Hazrat Umar Farooq (R), the second caliph of Islam, was learned, modest and honest. In his childhood, he became famous for his learning and education. He engaged himself in business when he grew up. He was a famous wrestler, brave warrior, poet and good orator.

Embracing Islam

At first he was a deadly enemy of Islam. He went out with an open sword to kill the Prophet (Sm). On the way, he came to know that his sister Fatima and his brother-in-law sayeed become Muslim. At this, he became furious and went to his sister’s house. He became astonished seeing their firm belif in Islam. He was changed. He became strongly eager to be a Muslim. He went straight to the Prophet (Sm) and embraced Islam. Becoming a Muslim he declared boldy: “From now we will perform Salat in front of the house of ka’ba openly. We will do it no more secretly.” The Prophet Muhammad (Sm) was glad and grave him the title “Farook” (one who distinguishes between truth and false).


Impartial judge

The judicial policy of Hazrat Umar (R) was impartial and faultless. There were no differences between high and low, rich and poor, relatives and non-relatives in the eye of law. He gave his own son Abu Shahma severe punishment of drinking wine.

Hazfrat Umar (R) liked to take opinions of others in running his administrative activities. So he performed all important activities of the state after consulting with the Sahabis.




Character

In the character of Hazrat Umar (R) there was a unique combination of delicacy and strictness. He was as hard as thunder in respect of laws and as soft as flowers in the distress of human beings.

He roamed about in the villages at dead of night to know the sorrows and sufferings of the people. Hearing the cries of children in a tent, he himself carried sacks of flour to their tent. He took his wife Umme Kullum to the house of a Bedwin when his wife was in trouble of delivery pain. There is no such instance of showing affection to the subjects in the history of the dings and emperors of the world.

The philanthropist Hazrat Umar (R) was a great ideal of equality and humanity. In Islamic rule, there is a provition of accountability for the rules like that of other people. As a result, once Hazrat Umar (R) had to answer an ordinary person for his action. The man complained: “Nobody could make a complete shirt with the cloth recived from the Baitulmal but a comp;ite shirt of the same cloth is seen in the body of the caliph. Where did the caliph get so much cloth?’ On behalf of the caliph his son Abdullah replied: “I gave ny own pice of cloth to my father. So his shirt was made so.”

If there is provision for accountability for our rulers, it can be expected that they would also be ideal rulers.