Umar I
Umar I, also known as ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, was a prominent early convert to Islam and a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Initially a member of the Quraysh tribe who opposed Muhammad, he converted to Islam around 615 CE and played a significant role in early Islamic history, including participating in key battles such as Badr and Uhud. After the death of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, Umar assumed leadership of the Islamic state in 634 CE. Under his rule, the Islamic empire expanded significantly, achieving victories against the Persians and Byzantines, which led to the end of the Sāsānian Empire and the Byzantine presence in regions like Greater Syria and Egypt.
Umar is recognized for his administrative reforms and his stance on justice, ensuring fair treatment of both Muslims and non-Muslims. He was the first Muslim ruler to adopt the title Amir al-Mu’mineen and is credited with initiating the collection of the Qur'an, establishing the Hijrah calendar, and implementing a taxation system. His leadership style, characterized by asceticism and integrity, has left a lasting legacy in Islamic tradition, with numerous sayings and practices attributed to him. Umar was assassinated in 644 CE, marking the end of his impactful caliphate.
Umar I
Related civilizations: Islam, Arabia
Major role/position: Caliph
Life
One of the early converts to Islam, ՙUmar ibn Khaṭtāb (oh-MAHR ihbn ahl-kah-TAWB) was Muḥammad’s father-in-law and, after Abū Bakr, the prophet’s closest companion. Originally he was a member of a clan of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh and initially opposed Muḥammad. In or around 615 c.e., he converted to Islam, and by 622 c.e., he had accompanied Muḥammad and other Meccan Muslims to Medina on the hijrah. He took an active part in the Battle of Badr (624 c.e.) and the Battle of Uhud (625 c.e.), protecting Muḥammad from the attacks of the Meccans. He and Abū Bakr were carrying dust while the prophet was digging at the Battle of Trench՚s (627 c.e.). He put his signature on the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (628 c.e.). After Muḥammad’s death in 632 c.e., he helped to bring about the Medinan Muslims’ acceptance of the caliphate of Abū Bakr, a Meccan. Abū Bakr ruled for two years, and in 634 c.e., ՙUmar took over the caliphate.
During ՙUmar’s rule, the Islamic state rose to worldwide influence. He defeated the Persians first at al-Qādisīyah (636 c.e.) and then at Nahāvand (642 c.e.), where he broke down the strength of Yazdegerd III and put an end to the Sāsānian Empire when Yazdegerd was finally killed in Khurasan (651 c.e.). The Byzantine presence in Greater Syria came to an end with a series of conquests that started with the Battle of Yarmuk (634 c.e.) and ended with the Patriarch Sophronius handing over the keys of Jerusalem to ՙUmar (637 c.e.). The fall of Alexandria (642 c.e.) meant the end of Byzantine rule in Egypt. He was stabbed to death by a Zoroastrian slave in 644 c.e.
Influence
ՙUmar I is renowned for his administrative innovations and equal treatment of both Muslims and non-Muslims. The first Muslim ruler to use the title of Amir al-Mu՚mineen (commander of the faithful), he is credited for persuading Abū Bakr to collect the writings of the Qur՚an, adopting the Hijrah calendar, introducing the diwan system, and imposing taxes. He was known for his asceticism, integrity, and justice, and more than five hundred Islamic traditions have been attributed to him.
Bibliography
The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Prepared by a number of leading orientalists; edited by an editorial committee consisting of H. A. R. Gibb et al. under the patronage of the International Union of Academies. New ed. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 1960-[2000].
Esposito, John, ed. The Oxford History of Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Holt, P., ed. The Cambridge History of Islam. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1980.
Kennedy, Hugh. The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates. London: Longman, 1986.
Walker, George Benjamin. Foundations of Islam: The Making of a World Faith. London: Peter Owen, 1998.