Umar bin Abd Al-Aziz (R)

He ruled for less than three years, in the middle of a dynasty not generally remembered for piety, and later scholars called him a mujaddid — a reviver of the religion. This book explains how.

The Life

Dr. Ali Muhammad Sallabi traces his upbringing in Madinah, where he was educated among the scholars, his early service as governor, his accession to the caliphate in 717 CE, and the brief but transformative reign in which he set out to restore sincerity, justice and the Qur'anic spirit to statecraft.

The Reforms

They are documented in detail, and several of them cost the treasury a great deal:

• Equal treatment of converts — ending the practice of continuing to tax the mawali as though they had not accepted Islam, which had been a standing grievance and a standing scandal
• Revised tax practice, and the curbing of fiscal excess
• Administration reoriented toward mercy and accountability, with governors answerable for their treatment of those under them
• Attention to the rights of the poor, and enforcement of Qur'anic standards in public life
• A revival of religious learning and piety across the provinces

He also lived the change personally, giving up the privileges of his office and the wealth attached to it — which is the part that made the reforms credible to the people they affected.

Its Approach

Sallabi combines classical Arabic sources and reliable reports with critical Ahlus Sunnah commentary, and presents both events and their causes: why 'Umar II is remembered as a justice-minded reformer, why later scholars called him a reviver, and how his emphasis on consultation and on the rights of the weak reshaped public life. 735 pages, hardback.

Related Reading

• Caliphate of Banu Umayyah — the Umayyad Caliphate in which he governed
• Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (2 Vol. Set) — the Caliph he consciously modelled himself on
• The Principles of Leadership — the principles of leadership set out directly