THE CALIPHATE OF HAZRAT UMAR FAROOQ (R.

A)

ELECTIONS

At his death bed, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) was concerned regarding his successor who had to
assume the office after him. Hence, after a careful thought, he chose to nominate Umar (RA). He
put his proposal before the leading companions. Some Companions had feared that the strict
nature of Hazrat Umar and his authoritarian personality may make him unsuitable as the Caliph.
However, Hazrat Abu Bakr had seen beyond the austere and formidable personality of Hazrat
'Umar and selected him because of his intelligence, determination, and sense of justice. He is
known to have said about Hazrat Umar His strictness was there because of my softness; when the
weight of the Caliphate is upon his shoulders, he will no longer remain strict. If I will be asked by
Allah as to whom I appointed my successor, I will say that I have appointed the best among your
men; Umar was elected in 634 AD.

Upon assuming the Caliphate, he acknowledged and praised the contributions made by Hazrat
Abu Bakr in unifying the Ummah and consolidating the faith of Islam in Arabia. He also assured
the Ummah that he too would endeavor, to strengthen the faith and the state in accordance with
the laws of Allah and His Prophet After taking charge of his office, Hazrat Umar spoke to the
Muslims of Madina:

“O people, you have some rights on me which you can always claim. One of your
rights is that if anyone of you comes to me with a claim, he should leave satisfied.
Another of your rights is that you can demand that I take nothing unjustly from the
revenues of the State. You can also demand that... I fortify your frontiers and do not
put you into danger. It is also your right that if you go to battle I should look after
your families as a father would while you are away.”

“o People, remain conscious of Allah : forgive me my faults and help me in my task.

Assist me enforcing what is good and forbidden what is evil. Advise me regarding the
obligation that has been imposed upon me by ALLAH ...”
Q1. Give an account of the following two battles fought during the caliphate of Umar (RA),
Qadissiya & Yarmuk. (10)
Marking Scheme:

 Battle of Qadissiya (2 paras)

 Introduction, Date, Reasons, No of Army (both sides) ref, main events, results

 Battle of Yarmuk

 Name

 Date
 No of Army

 Main Event

 Ref

 Strategies

BATTLE OF QADESIYA
Hazrat Umar was chosen as the second caliph of Islam in 634 AD. He took the title of “Successor
to the Successor of the Messenger of Allah” and his caliphate lasted for 10 years.

It was Hazrat Umar (RA)‟s glorious caliphate in which the Islamic Empire expanded rapidly; he
fought numerous battles against the Persians and Byzantines to confiscate the land for Muslims.
Unlike Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar (RA) didn‟t have to deal with the questions of political
instability. The entire Arab Peninsula was united under his command & Muslims now had the
military experiences to conquer more land, so battles were fought firstly against the Persians and
then the Byzantines.
After the defeat at Buwayb in 635 AD, a riot erupted in the whole of Persia which disturbed the
rulers. So they replaced the Queen Aazarmi Dukht and Yazdegard was made the king. This time,
Rustam himself started preparations to fight the Muslims. When Umar (RA) got to know of this,
he ordered Musanna bin Haritha to retire to the Arabian Peninsula and thus, he collected his
forces and camped at the Arabian outpost. Hazrat Umar (RA) himself wanted to lead the army but
the Shura didn‟t agree. So finally he handed over the command to Sa‟ad bin Abi Waqas, Hazrat
Talha, Zubair and Abdur Rahman bin Awf with a force of 30,000 men. Umar (RA) marched as
the head of army for about three miles. Sa‟ad bin Abi Waqas continued the march till he reached
Kufah. There he received the news of Musanna‟s death. Musanna‟s brother joined Sa‟ad bin Abi
Waqas with his army of eight thousand men. Umar (RA) chose Qadissiya as the place where the
Muslims were to halt. So in 636, the battle of Qadissiya was fought between the Muslims and the
Persians.
Sa‟ad, on receiving orders from Umar (RA), sent a deputation of fourteen chiefs of different
tribes to Yazdgard. At first, Yazdgard had tried to overwhelm the Muslims and offered them a
huge amount but they refused and asked him to either accept Islam or pay jizyah otherwise, they
would fight with him. Yazdgard became angry while the Muslims remained patient. As a
humiliating reply, Yazdgard got a basket full of earth and placed it on the head of a Muslim
envoy. The envoy took the basket to the commander, Sa‟ad bin Abi Waqas and placing it before
him, said: “Congratulations for the victory! The enemy himself handed over his soil to us.”
Sa‟ad took it as a positive sign of victory for the Muslims.
The standoff continued for three months with attacks on the border settlements in which
Muslims were successful. Desertions and Defections were taking place in the Persian army when
Rustam, the celebrated Persian commander blocked the channel overnight and his troops crossed
over to attack the Muslim army and thus began the battle.
As the battle continued on the third day, it raged with full furry throughout the whole day and
night. Sa‟ad used successful methods, setting archers to overcome the Persian elephant corps.
Muslims knotted their horses‟ neck that the Persian elephants after seeing it panicked and
crushed their own forces as Muslims had planned to hit the arrows in the elephant‟s eyes.
When the fourth day started, the Muslims were in the heart of Persian host noon. At last, Rustam
himself came to the battlefield but got injured. As he tried to run to save his life, a Muslim
soldier, Bilal bin Alqama killed him. The death of Rustam completed the Persian route. Thirty
thousand men of his army were slain and Durfash i Kawayani fell into the hands of Muslims.
Finally, the Muslims got a marvelous victory over the Persians.

Battle of Yarmook
After the Persians, Hazrat Umar (RA) turned his attention towards the Byzantines. Fought in the
summer of 636, the battle of Yarmuk was major conflict between the Byzantines and the
Muslims. The fall of Damascus alerted Heraclius to the Muslim threat from east, to recapture the
city. Heraclius, the byzantine emperor organized a massive army that assembled at jabiya in
Golan Heights. The number of the Muslim army was around 24,000. The roman army also
received reinforcements; this brought their total strength to 240,000. The Muslim army were
under the command of Abu Ubaydah ibn al jarrah, Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan, Amr ibn al Aas, &
Khalid ibn al Waleed. The romans selected Daqosa. By a defensive point of view, this place was
safe as there was a mountain on one side and the river Yarmuk on the other side. Khalid saw that
the Muslim army had no unified command. He clearly saw the danger of four separate
commands, so he called together the commanders and gave a proposal to unite all four divisions
of Muslim army and let him be the commander. He divided army into thirty eight regiments.
Eighteen of them were kept in the middle and appointed Abu Ubaydah there. Ten regiments
were on the right side, under Shurahbeel bin Hasnah and the rest were on the left under Yazid
bin Sufyan. Khalid firstly invited the Romans/Byzantines to Islam or else to pay jizyah. They
refused the proposals and the battle began. Khalid bin Waleed addressed his men,
 THE CALIPHATE OF HAZRAT UMAR FAROOQ (R.A)

Urging them to stick together and be united, “This is one of Allah’s battles. There should be
neither pride nor wrongdoing in it. Strive sincerely; seeking Allah in your work, for this day
also has what lies beyond it.”
Battle of Yarmuk, proceeded by a series of conflicts for about a month and urged into a furious
battle at the end of August when the Muslims, pretending to retreat from their positions, lured
the Byzantines into rough terrain, where they were ambushed. Byzantines divided their army
into infantry and cavalry and separated them, enabling Muslims to inflict great damage on
them. On the other hand, Muslim army was divided into cavalry and infantry into small groups
to make it appear enormous to enemy. Romans couldn’t stay when they faced a rainfall of
arrows from the Muslim side. The Muslims had already blocked the mouth of valley. The full
weight of the Muslim attack now fell on the Roman infantry. They were also unsettled by a
storm. Their main army was trapped in the rugged valleys, with cliffs of Yarmuk gorge behind
them. Khalid captured the old Roman Bridge across Wadi al Ruqqad and the Muslims stormed
the Roman/Byzantine camp at Yaqusa. Byzantines were further demolished and Muslims won a
marvelous victory.
So important was this victory that Hazrat Umar (RA) fell into a prayer of gratitude before Allah,
after hearing the news.

\Q2. Umar‟s caliphate is regarded as the “Golden Era of Islamic History”. Explain. (10)

Briefly include the whole of Caliphate

 Election (brief) intro 1 para + date
 [Administration 4 paras] (detailed)
 Expansion 1 para
 Comparison with other caliphs
 Conclusion\(Significance as a conclusion)

Election (brief) intro + date

At his death bed, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) was concerned regarding his successor who had to assume
the office after him. Hence, after a careful thought, he chose to nominate Umar (RA) because of his
intelligence, determination, and sense of justice. He put his proposal before the leading
companions. After the agreement of all, Hazrat Umar was chosen as the second caliph of Islam in
634 AD. He took the title of “Successor to the Successor of the Messenger of Allah” and his
caliphate lasted for 10 years (634 AD- 643 AD). It was Hazrat Umar (RA)‟s glorious caliphate in
which the Islamic Empire expanded rapidly.

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Administration (Para1) Political administration

Hazrat Umar (RA)‟s caliphate is noteworthy not only for the military conquests, but also his
administration of the Islamic state. Following the pattern of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), Umar also
divided the whole Muslim area into a number of provinces. Each province was in turn divided into
districts. Each province was under the charge of a governor, known as Wali, appointed after
consultation at Majlis e Shura. In the most cases though Wali was the commander in chief of the
army quartered in the province, in some districts, separate military officers were appointed.
Provinces were further subdivided for better administration and were under the Amils. At the time
of Hajj, the amils and walis used to come to Hazrat Umar (RA) and tell them about the affairs and
complaints of the provinces. At the time of selecting governer, Hazrat Umar said, “I want a man
who, when he is among men, should lock like a chief although he is not a chief; and when he
is a chief, he should look as if he is one of them”.

Administration (Para2) Economic Reforms

In economic terms, the conquest brought unimaginable wealth to the Caliphate. Thousands of
silver and gold coins and valuable gems flowed from the conquered lands into Madina. He
introduced and set up a department of Diwan. It was in charge of the revenue of centre and
provinces. Its function was to regulate the receipt and disbursement of caliphate‟s revenues
which were generated from jizyah, zakat, kharaj and fay. A tax called „Ush‟ was also levied on
the produce of the land. Buildings of Bait ul Maal were constructed in all other provinces as
well. He appointed honest and trustworthy officers who kept the account of Bait ul Maal.
Currency coins with Arabic letters were also issued in his era. There was so much economic
prosperity in his time that hardly anyone was in need of Zakat. Hazrat Umar following the
examples of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) consulted with the Majlis e Shura and set up another larger
body called the Majlis e Aam comprising both the muhajireens and the Ansar, which was called
into session of special occasions.

Administration (Para3) Social Reforms

Umar (RA) developed education system very well. He always appointed those persons as
officers who were scholars themselves. Therefore, all the governors and officers were also
responsible to give knowledge of the Qur‟an and Sunnah to the people. He declared Arabic
language and literature as compulsory subjects. He introduced the police departments for law
and order and also constructed jails. He appointed guards whose duty was to patrol around the
city at night. For the development of cultivation, he founded a new law that if a person irrigated
an infertile land, that land would be his property. In this way, many barren lands were made
cultivable. For the purpose of administration of army, he established military centers which were
called jund. These centers were set up at Madina, Kufa, Basra and Palestine etc. barracks were

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built for the residence of troops. A remarkable feature of the army organized under him was that
he had complete control over the military at all times as reporters were attached to every unit
who kept the Caliph fully informed about everything pertaining to the army.

Administration Building of Mosques (Para4)+ Hijri Calander + Judiciary

Hazrat Umar (RA) is known for his glorious efforts of establishing Mosques in many parts of
Arabia. In the newly founded cities of Kufah and Basra, Jami‟ masjid were built in the center of
the city and smaller one in each tribal quarters. He also extended the boundaries of Masjid e
Nabawi. He‟s greatly known for devising the Hijri calendar which is lunar and begins with effect
from the Prophet (PBUH)‟s migration to Madinah in the year 622 AD. Judiciary Hazrat Umar
following the examples of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) consulted with the Majlis e Shura and set up
another larger body called the Majlis e Aam . Umar (RA) was the first person in Islamic history
that separated judiciary from executive. Qazis were appointed as the head of judiciary.

Expansion

Following the death of Abu Bakr (RA), Hazrat Umar (RA) continued setting in motion, events
that would irrevocably change the political and religious landscape of the world. He managed to
consolidate Muslim control over the new territories. In the ten years of his Caliphate, Hazrat
Umar (RA) had conquered an area of 2,200,000 square miles. He fought battles with the Persians
at Namaraq, jasr and Buwayb. Then he confronted them at Qadissiya and Madain.
Except for jasr, the Muslims gained victory in every battle. Here, the prophecy of the Prophet
(PBUH) came true, “A group of Muslims will capture the White Place of the Persian empire.” In
13 A.H the whole of Damascus was conquered. Later, the fall of Jerusalem took place in Rajab 16
A.H and the siege of Alexandria took place in 18 A.H. Thus, after this, Muslims became the
masters of Egypt

Comparison with other caliphs

Unlike Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), Hazrat Umar (RA) didn‟t have to deal with the questions of the
political stability. Entire Arab peninsula was united under his command and the Muslims now
had military experience to conquer more land. No threats of apostasy tribes, false Prophets and
tribes refusing to pay Zakat. On the other hand during Hazrat „Uthman‟s caliphate, there began a
lot of unrest against him. Lastly, there was an early opposition to Hazrat Ali (RA) that caused a
civil war to start.
Umar (RA) wasn‟t only a great conqueror but an administrator par excellence. The institutions
and reforms that he established became the ideals of an Islamic state. He was so conscious of
his duties as a statesman that he would say, “Even if a dog dies hungry at the bank of the

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Euphrates, I will be responsible for dereliction of duty.”

Q3. Umar (RA) made several administrative reforms during his caliphate. Write an account
of any 5 administrative reforms during his caliphate. (10)

• Introduction
• Political Administration
• Economic Reforms
• Social Reforms
• Building of Mosques
• Expansion

(Take its answer from Question no 2)

Q#4 : Write an account about the battle of Yarmuk fought during the caliphate of „Umar.
 (Battle of Yarmuk , Take the answer from the 1 Question)
st

 Name
 Date
 No of Army
 Main Event
 Ref
 Strategies
 Results

Q#5 a) „„Umar‟s caliphate is regarded as a golden era in Islamic history.‟ Write an account
of how „Umar ruled during his ten year caliphate. [10]

Briefly include the whole of Caliphate

 Election (brief) intro 1 para + date
 [Administration 4 paras] (detailed)
 Expansion 1 para
 Problems
 Conclusion/ Martyrdom

Q#6 (a) Trace the expansion of the Islamic empire under the rule of the caliph „Umar. [10]

Battle of Namrak: The Persians were furious at the fall of Hira. They sent a large army under

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Rustum. Muthanna bin Harith asked the caliph for reinforcements and the battle of Namrak was
fought by Muthanna and Khalid bin Waleed in 634. The Persians were defeated. Battle of Jasr
(Bridge): Rustum assembled a huge army at the bank of the Euphrates. The Muslims crossed the
bridge under the command of Abu „Ubaid ath-Thaqafi in 634. Fierce fighting broke out; Abu
Ubaida was martyred and the Muslims were in chaos. Someone cut the bridge to encourage them
to fight but it had the opposite effect. The Muslims lost the battle. Battle of Buwaib: Shocked at
the defeat, „Umar sent reinforcements to Muthanna‟s army. A large Persian force of 200 000 men
under Mehran met the Muslim army at Buwaib; a fierce battle was fought, the Persian commander
was killed and 100 000 of their men lost their lives. The battle was won by the Muslims.

Battle of Qadisiya: The Persian emperor Yezdgird assembled a large force under Rustum. The
Muslim army was led by Sa‟d bin Abi Waqas .A fierce battle was fought in 637. The battle lasted
for three days and a Muslim force of 28 000 men defeated a Persian force of 120 000. Rustum was
killed in this battle and the Persians were defeated. After Qadisiya, Sa‟d, with the permission of the
Khalifa, occupied Madain, bringing the whole territory from the Euphrates to the Tigris under the
banner of Islam. Again, Sa‟d‟s army met the Persians at Jalula and defeated them. Battle of
Nahawand: After the surrender of Jalula, the Persians united against the Muslims. They were
60000 in number and the Muslim forces were 30 000. Both armies met at Nahawand and there was
a fierce battle for two days. On the third day, the Persians took refuge in the forts but by using a
clever strategy the Muslims got them out and defeated them. Thus, in 642 the Persians were
completely defeated at Nahawand.

Fall Of Demascus: Damascus was the capital of Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines forces had
shut themselves up in the city and would not come out to fight. In the company of a few of his
men, he succeeded in climbing onto the city wall and opened the gate of the fort. Hastily, they
opened the opposite gate of the city, went to Abu Ubaidah (R.A) and begged for peace. He readily
granted them peace on easy terms. Damascus was conquered in the month of Rajab in 14 A.H
Battle of Yarmook: When the reports of the fall of Damascus, and defeat at Fihl and Hims were
given to Heraclius he was determined to recover Palestine for Christian rule. Roman emperor sent
an army of 260,000 men against the Muslims. Khalid ibn al-Walid began to group his forces along
the River Yarmuk , the Romans tried to convince the Muslims and even offered Muslims large
amounts of money .The offer was turned down And they were defeated.

Conqust of Jeruselum
After the capture of Antioch, and other key cities of Byzantine 'Amr bin al-'Alas led the Muslim
Army to Jerusalem. Later Abu 'Ubaydah and Khalid bin Walid joined him. They laid siege to
Jerusalem; the inhabitants of the city offered peaceful truce provided the Caliph came in person to

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sign the treaty. As a result 'Umar came to Jerusalem; he was accompanied by his slave. They had
one camel on which each of them rode by turn. 'Umar signed a treaty in the year 16 A.H. /635 A.D.

Conquest of Egypt: Egypt was a great danger to the security of Arabia as it was a powerful
Byzantine province. The end of 17 A.H. (638 A.D.), 'Amr bin al- 'Aase after seeking permission of
the Caliph prepared an army of four thousand men and invaded Egypt. The Muslims entered Egypt
by the route of Wadi al-Arish and after attacking some small towns; they laid siege to Fustat and
conquered it after some resistance.

The Fall of Alexandria: Byzantine Emperor was furious at the fall of Fustat. He sent
reinforcement and supplies through Alexandria, which was a stronghold of the Romans in Egypt.
'Umar sent reinforcement and four experienced leaders came with that force. They were Zubair bin
Awwam, Miqdad bin Omer, Maslama bin Mukhalad and Ubaydah bin Samit. Siege was laid to the
city, which lasted for six months and finally Alexandria was conquered after a fierce battle.

Q#7 (a) Write a detailed account of the administrative measures put in place by „Umar
during his caliphate.

Briefly include the whole of the Caliphate

 Election (brief) intro 1 para + date
 [Administration 4 paras] (detailed)
 Expansion 1 para
 Problems
 Conclusion/ Martyrdom

Q#8 (a) Write about the Battle of the Bridge and the Battle of Buwayb, fought during the
caliphate of ʿUmar. [10]

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE

In 634 AD At the start of Hazrat 'Umar's Caliphate, the Muslim commander Muthana was alone
with his force at the Iraqi border, asked for help. In response, Hazrat 'Umar sent 5000 men under
the command of Abu 'Ubaydah Thaqifi, Ignoring Musana‟s advice, Abu 'Ubaydah launched into
battle with the Persians and not only suffered defeat and loss of the city of Hira, but was also killed
in the war. As the battle site was along a bridge spanning the river Euphrates, this war came to be
known as the Battle of the Bridge.

It is said that the Persian force was led by Rustam, recently appointed as the Commander in Chief;
however, some sources state that the commander of this battle was Bahman. Between the two

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opposing armies lay an irrigation canal with an old bridge which the people of nearby Hira used to
reach their fields, Despite the advice to the contrary, the Muslim commander Abu 'Ubaydah
Thaqifi decided to cross the bridge to meet the enemy. The Persian elephants seemed to have
terrified the Muslim horses, and the Persian archers spread panic among the Muslims dismounted
and engaged in hand to hand fighting. Abu 'Ubaydah himself tried to attack one of the elephants
and was trampled to death. The loss of the commander led to a rout among the Muslims. It was at
this moment that one of the ropes of bridge was cut to stop the Muslims from fleeing. As a result,
many Muslims drowned as they tried to swim to safety. Only a small number of survivors
remained, who rallied around Muthannah and retreated into the desert. The Battle of the Bridge
was the worst defeat the Muslims suffered in the early wars of conquests.

BATTLE OF BUWAYB, 635

Determined to avenge the defeat at the Battle of the Bridge, Hazrat 'Umar sent messengers to all
parts of Arabia to gather a force to face the Persians. In response to this call, many Muslims and
Christians gathered around the standard of Islasm. In 635, Muthanna, though seriously wounded in
the Battle of the Bridge, was given command and he effectively inspired and gave direction to his
men from his sick bed.

The Persians sent a strong force of 12,000 men under the command of Mehran who met the
Muslim army at Buwayb. Both armies were on either side of the river Euphrates; in this battle, the
Persians crossed the river and the battle was fough on its western bank. The Persians were in a far
greater number than the Muslims who fought desperately. In this battle, a young man from the
Taghlib tribe was succsessful in killing the Persian commander, Mehran. His death demoralized
the Persians and they tried to retreat but the Muslims blocked the access to the bridge and managed
to eliminate the opposition forces. Southern Iraq was now in the control of the Muslims and,
having defeated the Persians, the Muslims lost their fear and awe of them.

Q#9: Write an account on battle of Nahwand. [10]

Between the years 638-639, Arabia was struck with a great famine and plague. Even though these
natural calamities brought a lull to the campaigns against both the Persians and the Byzantines, the
expansion of the Islamic territories continued. On the other hand, the Persian ruler Yazdegird's
people continued to incite rebellion against the Muslims and skirmishes ensued. When Hazrat
Umar heard that Yazdegird was determined to recover his control of the rich plains of the
Mesopotamia and was trying to rally support and muster troops at the city of Nahwand . He sent
letters to Kufa and Basra ordering that the armies should be assembled. (Iraq) and was trying to of
Mesopotami y

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The Muslim armies subsequently gathered and marched on to Nihawand. One force was ordered to
station itself on the borders between the provinces of Fars and Isfahan to prevent the Persians
sending reinforcements from the south. The Muslim army of 30,000 was much smaller than the
Persian force. However, there were volunteers who had missed the battle at Qadissiya and the
fighting the armies Iraq, and now wished to prove themselves.

The Muslim army, on reaching Nihawand, found the Persian army drawn upon the near side of a
ravine, which was later to prove fatal to many of them. They had also fortified them behind
trenches. The Muslims tried to storm them outbut without success, and the disciplined Persians
emerged from their fortified positions only when it suited them. After a few days, the Muslim
leaders met in a cound war to decide a better course e of action. It was decided that the cavalry
would advance and pretend to attack the trenches and then withdraw to lure the Persians from the
positions, However, their commander, N'auman ibn Muqarrin, kept the main Musi army in check
until the day was almost over. He exhorted them that they were fighting not for lands and booty but
for their honour and their religion, and when they attacked the enemy, victory came quickly. Most
of the troops fought on foot th drawn swords; the cavalry began to slip on the blood-soaked ground
and the Musi commander N'auman was thrown and killed. Despite this, the Muslims continued to
advance. The Persians began to flee and, in the gathering dark, many of ther lost their way and
plunged to their deaths in the ravine. The surrender of the towns soon followed the military victory.
Immediately afterwards, the Muslims surrounded Nihawand itself and the chief priest emerged to
begin negotiations. He had a price to offer-a large quantity of gems that the king had left for
emergencies. He offered to hand over this treasure for an aman, a guarantee of security for life and
limb the inhabitants. This was duly accepted and the city passed into Muslim rule withou further
conflict. The victory at Nihawand came to be known as Fath al-Futuh, the Victory of Victories.

After this success at Nihawand, Hazrat Umar ordered the invasion of the Persian provinces and by
the next year Isfahan, Khurasan, Rayy, Fars, and the outlying region of Sindh had been conquered.`

Therefore he was buried near the Prophet (PBUH) grave, which also proves he was held in
high honor.

MARTYRDOM
What does the way he died tell us about his character?
Hazrat Umar (RZ) was martyred by a slave named Firoz alias Abu Lulu.
 Feroz was a Persian slave who was allowed to live in Madinah by the caliph after his Maste
Mughairah sought special permission for him due to his extra working skills which could
beneficial for Muslims.
 Feroz was levied with a tax by his master of whom he complained to the caliph one day that

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the tax he paid was excessive.

 Hazrat Umar (RZ) afterwards inquired his master who satisfied the caliph. The caliph on
next visit to Feroz told him that he agreed on the taxes levied on him and he did not find
them excessive.
 Furious by the caliph‟s response, Feroz prepared a dagger himself and one day while the
caliph was leading the prayer he stabbed the caliph with his prepared poisoned dagger
.When Feroz was unable to escape, he committed suicide.
 The wound the caliph received, after few days became the reason of his martyrdom.
 His relation with Feroz proved Hazrat Umar (R.A) s neutrality and refusal to allow
concession to anyone. Therefore his death firstly tells us about his unbiased and just
character in ruling the Empire.
 He was also rigid about the correct observance of all regulations. (Write example)
 On his deathbed the caliph sent his son Abdullah bin Umar (RZ) to Hazrat Ayesha for
seeking permission of his burial beside Holy Prophet (PBUH). The grieved Mother of the
faithful sacrificed her place for the man of high honor and granted permission of the
caliph‟s burial in her apartment.

b) What was the significance of the conquest of Jerusalem in „Umar‟s caliphate? Give
reasons for your answer. [4]

• Jerusalem was one city whose conquest was more symbolic than of military importance.
Jerusalem was the city to which the Prophet (PBUH) travelled from Makkah during Mairaj.
• Jerusalem is where the Prophet (PBUH) led the prophets of the past in prayer before
ascending to the heavens.
• Whilst acknowledging the rights of Christians and Jews in Jerusalem, „Umar was keen to
send the message that the city also belonged to the Muslims.
• It marked the decline of the Byzantine dominance at the time.
• This question does not ask for accounts of how he travelled to Jerusalem or the details of
the surrender of Jerusalem.

(b) Why was victory in the Battle of Buwaib significant for Muslims? [4]
The Persians were one of the two superpowers of the time. Defeating a large, well-equipped army
led by one of their strong commanders was no mean achievement for the Muslims. Their victory
gave a boost to their morale and with this Muslims lost their fear and awe of the Persians. It also
meant that southern Iraq was now in the control of the Muslims.

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Success at Buwaib gave Muslims the confidence to boldly confront the Persians in the Battle of
Qadissiya fought in the following year, 636. This led to another Muslim victory following which
there was peace in the region for the next few months.

(b) Suggest reasons of Muslims hostility and fighting against the Persian Empire?(4)
Muslims relations with Persians were not so good since the first encounter with them.

 When Prophet (PBUH) wrote letter to Persian ruler Khusro Pervez he insulted the
Prophet (PBUH) envoy. This caused displeasure in Muslims.

 After the Prophet‟S (PBUH) death they emerged as Muslims opponent. During the
caliphate Hazrat Abu Bakr (RZ) they helped the enemy of Muslims at campaign in
Bahrain.

 Under the administration of Hazrat Umar (RZ) the relations got worse. The Persians did
not allow Muslims to carry on trade with the flow of Euphrates and Tigris. This served as
an impediment fi Arabian traders.

 Moreover, the Arab tribes of the border of Iraq helped their relatives to rise against
Muslims.

 Finally, Persia as a super power was a threat for Muslim estate.

 Therefore to establish trade and to remove the Persians threat to Islamic Empire Muslims
fought against the Persians and invaded their lands.

Q (b) Write significance of Hazrat Umar (RZ) as a caliph of Islam?

• Hazrat Umar,s caliphate is titled as the golden period in the Islamic history that witnessed
a sound governmental structure of consolidation, peace &stability.
• Apart from keeping a vigilant observation on the states internal matters, Hazrat Umar‟s
reign oversaw great expansion of the Islamic empire with Muslims becoming the masters of
the Byzantine and Sassanid Empire. This resulted in a sudden boost to the spread of the
Islamic message as the number of converts increased rapidly.
• The agreements with the conquered non-Muslims formed the basis of example to be
followed in later years about Zimmies. Also, these agreements resulted in healthy
interaction of Muslims and non-Muslims that made the Islamic empire a Centre of learning
with Muslims developing swift technological lines.
(b) In your opinion what was the most important feature of „Umar‟s administration? Give

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reasons for your answer. [4]

Here candidates need to choose the most important feature of „Umar‟s caliphate and say why in
their opinion it was the most important. They could say that his justice was the most exemplary
feature or his honest management of the immense revenue of the state was the distinguishing
feature of his caliphate. Whichever the choice, it must be supported by reasons.

b) Which in your opinion was „Umar‟s greatest quality as caliph? Give reasons for your
choice.

Candidates are free to choose any one of „Umar‟s qualities and say why in their opinion it was his
greatest quality. They could e.g. write about the justice of „Umar as being his greatest virtue or his
skill as an efficient administrator or military commander being his greatest virtue. All valid
responses to be credited given that they are backed up with sound reasons.

(b) „Umar‟s unbending attitude led to his assassination‟. What can Muslims learn from
this? [4]

„Umar went about conducting the affairs of the caliphate even though there was a threat to his
life, he did not increase the security around him, nor did he succumb to the demands of Abu
Lulu who threatened his life for not relieving him from paying a tax.

Example: Muslims should learn from „Umar‟s action and have complete faith in Allah and
believe that only He is the giver and taker of life. They must not give in to unjust demands and
work honestly at whatever they do, etc.
(add one more point)

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