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Monday, April 30, 2007

Wisdom under caliph 'Umar bin Khattab

The expansion of Muslim to the whole world shows its mark, over centuries Muslim had lead the power, and restore the great contribution to the expanded area, and slowly sustain the Islamic way to prevail the peace of the country.
Among the foremost apprehensive leader of Islam, and faithful is 'Umar bin Khattab, the charismatic leader who sought to develop the peaceful in Jerusalem principalities, where it has become of blood shedding before and massacre. The coming of Muslim to the holy city has brought the light and great joy-ness to the civil people.
It is stated when Jerusalem submitted to the Caliph 'Umar b. al-Khattab: "In the name of God, the Merciful. The Compassionate! This is the security which 'Umar, the servant of God, the commander of the faithful, grants to the people of Ælia. He grants to all, whether sick or sound, security for their lives, their possessions, their churches and their crosses, and for all that concerns their religion. Their churches shall not be changed into dwelling places, nor destroyed, neither shall they nor their appurtenances be in any way diminished nor the crosses of the inhabitants nor ought of their possession, nor shall any constraint to be put upon them in the matter of their faith, nor shall any one of them be harmed."
Tribute was imposed upon them of five dinars for the rich, four for the middle class and three for the poor. In company with the patriarch, 'Umar visited the holy places, and it is said while they were in the church of the resurrection, as it was the appointed hour of prayer, the patriarch bade the caliph offer his prayers there, but he thoughtfully refused, saying that if he were to do so, his followers might afterwards claim it as a place of Muslim Worship.
It is in harmony with the same spirit if kindly consideration for his subjects of another faith, that 'Umar is recorded to have ordered an allowance of money and food to be made to some Christian lepers, apparently out of the public funds. Even in his last testament, in which he enjoins on his successor the duties of his high office, he remembers the dhimmis (or protected persons of other faiths): "I commend to his care the dhimmis, who enjoy the protection of God and of the prophet; let him see to it that the covenant with them is kept, and that no greater burdens than they can bear are laid upon them."



A later generation attributed to 'Umar a number of restrictive regulations which hampered the Christians in the free exercise of their religion, but De Goeje and Caetani have proved without doubt that they are the invention of a later age; as, however, Muslim theologians of less tolerant periods accepted these ordinance as genuine, they are of importance for forming a judgment as to the condition of the Christian churches under Muslim rule. This so-called ordinance of 'Umar runs as follows;-" In the name of God, the Merciful the Compassionate! This is writing to 'Umar b. al-Khattab from the Christians of such and such a city. When you marched against us, we asked of you protection for ourselves, our posterity, our possessions and our co-religionists; and we made this stipulation with you, that we will not erect in our city or the suburbs any new monastery, church, cell or hermitage; that we will not repair any of such buildings that may fall into ruins, or renew those that may be situated in the Muslim quarters of the town; that we will not refuse the Muslims entry into our churches either by night or by day; that we will open the gates wide to passengers and travelers; that we will receive any Muslim traveler into our houses and give him food and lodging for three nights; that we will not harbor any spy in our churches or houses, or conceal any enemy of the Muslims; that we will not teach our children the Qur'an; that we will not make a show of the Christian religion nor invite any one to embrace it; that we will not prevent any of our kinsmen from embracing Islam, if they so desire. That we will honour the Muslims and rise up in our assemblies when they wish to take their seats; that we will not imitate them in our dress, either in the cap, turban, sandal, or parting of the hair; that we will not make use of their expression of speech, nor adopt their surnames; that we will not ride on saddles, or grid on swords, or take to ourselves arms or wear them, engrave Arabic inscriptions on our rings; that we will not sell wine; that we will shave the front of our heads; that we will keep to our own style of dress, wherever we may be; that we will wear girdles round our waists; that we will not display the cross upon our churches or display our crosses or our sacred books in the streets of the Muslims, or in their market places; that we will strike the bells in our churches lightly; that we will not recite our services in a loud voice when a Muslim is present, that we will not carry palm-branches or our images in procession in the streets, that at the burial of our dead we will not chant loudly or carry lighted candles in the streets of the Muslims or their market-places; that we will not take any slaves that have already been in the possession of Muslims, nor spy into their houses; and that we will not strike any Muslim. All this we promise to observe, on behalf of our selves and our co-religionists, and receive protection from you in exchange; and if we violate any of the conditions of this agreement, then we forfeit your protection and you are at liberty to treat us as enemies and rebels."
Thus, the earliest mention of this document is made by Ibn Hazm, who died in the middle of the fifth century of the hijrah.

Written by Romi Adetio S
Graduate Student of Aligarh Muslim University, India.



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