Episode 41: Life of Umar ibn al-Khattab
A Severe Drought:
During the same year of the conquest of Egypt (18th year AH), there was a severe incident that afflicted Madinah and the areas around it.
The 18th year of the Hijrah was known as ‘The Year of the Ashes.’ This was because, it was a year where there was a severe drought afflicting Madinah and the cities surrounding it.
This drought led to a famine and there was nothing for the Muslims to eat as the animals were dying from the effects of the famine.
Some scholars say that the reason why this year was known as ‘The Year of the Ashes’ was because the land had become so barren and dry, to the extent that whenever there was any wind, it would lift up the dirt and scatter in the air like Ashes.
Other scholars suggest that it was given this title because the heat was so intense and there was no water coming from the sky to lessen the effect of that heat. Because the heat was so severe, the land actually became darkened and it looked like Ashes.
Another interpretation that some scholars had was that it became known as ‘The Year of the Ashes’ because during that year, so many animals and people died and so much wealth was lost because the main wealth that the people had was from animals.
With all of these animals dying, their wealth was destroyed too and ‘Ashes’ was used as a metaphor for death and destruction.
During this famine, wild animals and rodents that used to live in the desert, would come into the city of Madinah looking for food.
When these rodents were coming into the city, the residents of Madinah would dig holes and make traps near their homes, so they could eat them. This was how desperate they were because they had nothing else to eat.
By this time, the Islamic lands had become very expansive but Persia and Egypt were not affected by the drought.
The Prophet on the Muslim Ummah:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said about the Muslim Ummah: The likeness of the believers in terms of their mutual love, mercy and compassion that they have towards one another is like one body. If one part of the body is ill, then the whole body will feel the effect of that with fever and fatigue.
Umar’s Leadership and Response:
Letter to Amr ibn al-A’as:
Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote a letter to Amr ibn al-A’as (the governor of Egypt), informing him of what was happening in Madinah.
Egypt was the wealthiest land that the Muslims had conquered and when Amr ibn al-A’a received this letter, he was very deeply affected by this.
Amr ibn al-A’as’ Response:
Amr ibn al-A’as took immediate action and wrote a letter back to Umar ibn al-Khattab, saying: Relief is coming O Amir al-Mu’minin. Tell your people to be patient and a little bit longer. Help is coming In sha Allah. I am going to send you a caravan full of food, clothes and supplies that is so big that when the front of it reaches you in Madinah, the back of it will still be with me in Egypt.
Amr ibn al-A’as also said: I will send you this caravan by land and I am going to find a way to send you supplies by sea as well.
Governors in Sham and Persia Send Help:
The governors in Sham and Persia also sent whatever help they could send.
Amr ibn al-A’as Sends Support:
A caravan of one thousand camels sent by Amr ibn al-A’as loaded with food arrived from Egypt in Madinah.
Amr also sent twenty ship loads full of flour, oil and five thousand garments of clothing for the residents of Madinah.
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas Sends Support:.
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas from Iraq, sent 3000 camels carrying food and 3000 pieces of clothing.
Distribution of the Supplies in Madinah:
As soon as the food and supplies arrived in Madinah, the Muslims had to distribute the food to the residents of the city.
Az-Zubayr’s Role in the Distribution:
Umar ibn al-Khattab appointed Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam to go door-to-door with the food and supplies and deliver them to each household.
Az-Zubayr also showed them how to make the most use of the food and supplies they had.
When Umar appointed Az-Zubayr with this responsibility, he said to him: After your companionship with the Prophet, perhaps this is the greatest virtue you will ever attain.
Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah’s Role:.
Umar ibn al-Khattab also tasked Abu Ubaydah with a similar responsibility throughout the lands that the famine afflicted.
After he conducted his duty, Umar ordered for one thousand dinars to be given to Abu Ubaydah.
When Abu Ubaydah was presented with this, he said: I didn’t do this for you, O son of Al-Khattab. I did this for Allah, and I am not going to take any type of payment for this.
Umar explained to Abu Ubaydah: The Messenger of Allah used to send us on many tasks and we would go and complete these tasks and duties. And after we would do this, he would order for some money to be given to us. We would dislike it and we would tell the Prophet that we do not want to take money for this. But, the Messenger of Allah would insist that we take it and when he would insist, we would take it. So, O Abu Ubaydah, take it and In sha Allah it will be a means of assistance for you in your Deen and in your Dunya.
Testimony of Umar ibn al-Khattab’s Leadership:
Regarding the leadership of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Hurayrah said: May Allah SWT have mercy on Umar, I saw him during the year of the famine with his servant Aslam. Both of them were carrying food on their backs to go to the hungry families.
Abu Hurayrah crossed their paths and saw them and Umar asked: O Abu Hurayrah, where are you coming from? Abu Hurayrah replied: I am coming from nearby, let me help you guys.
Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Hurayrah and Aslam went together to an area in the region of Sirar to provide food to the families in that town.
They saw what effect this famine had on the people of Sirar as they were eating the skin of the dead animals.
In addition to this, they would take the bones of the dead animals, crush them and make it into powder which they would eat.
Umar’s Participation in the Relief Efforts:
Umar ibn al-Khattab was deeply affected by what he saw and he unloaded the food and personally started to cook for the families.
Umar stayed there and kept feeding them until they were full. After doing this, they left and made sure that there was a continuous supply of food coming to these people in Sirar.
Abdullah ibn Umar on How Umar ibn al-Khattab Changed During This Period:
Abdullah ibn Umar said: During the year of the famine, my father was a different person. He would lead the people in the Isha prayer. Then, he would go home and start praying Qiyam al-Layl. He would pray pretty much the whole night begging Allah SWT for help. At the time of suhoor, he would go to the outskirts of Madinah and make Dua to Allah. He would say: O Allah, do not allow the Ummah of Muhammad to be destroyed under me. Don’t destroy us with famine and lift this calamity from us.
Umar ibn al-Khattab would continue to repeat this Dua over and over again for the rest of the night.
Umar’s Public Feasts During the Famine:
During the nights of this famine, when the relief was coming in from Egypt and Persia, Umar ibn al-Khattab would arrange these huge nightly public dinners, which were open to everyone.
Umar would be serving thousands of people making sure that everybody was taken care of every night. As for the people who could not come and attend these nightly feasts, he would make sure that he had food delivered to their homes.
Prioritising the Ummah Over Himself:
Umar ibn al-Khattab would not eat any meat and would only eat enough to survive. For months, he was living on oil and vinegar.
During the ‘Year of the Ashes’, the effects of physical weakness could be seen on Umar’s face and body as he favoured the Ummah over himself.
Umar Leads the Rain Prayer To End the Famine:
This famine went on for nine months, and Umar ibn al-Khattab ordered for the people to gather to pray the Rain prayer.
Umar instructed the men, women and children to come out and beg Allah SWT for forgiveness and to lift this calamity from them.
Umar ibn al-Khattab led the people in the Rain prayer and requested the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, to make Dua to Allah SWT to send rain down upon the Ummah.
Umar ibn al-Khattab’s Dua:
Umar ibn al-Khattab in his Dua said: Ya Allah, we used to ask our Prophet to make Dua to you for us, and you would send rain down. now, we are asking the uncle of our Prophet to make Dua to you to send down rain, so ya Allah send rain down to us.
Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib then made Dua to Allah SWT to send down rain to the people.
Rain Brings Relief:
Allah SWT answered this prayer and the clouds started forming in the sky. The people were amazed to see this as they had not seen these rain clouds in a very long time.
The rain started to pour and it lasted for fifteen days. Through this, Allah SWT brought an end to the drought and the famine.
The animals had food to eat, the crops were growing again and the people were able to eat.
A Challenging Time:
This was one of the most difficult periods during the Caliph of Umar ibn al-Khattab.