Episode 9: Life of Umar ibn al-Khattab
Vast Expansion of Muslim Lands:
Among the greatest of Umar ibn al-Khattab’s accomplishments was the vast expansion of the Muslim lands during his Caliphate.
Lands that are today known as Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Afghanistan, South-Western Pakistan.
All these countries came under Muslim rule during the time that Umar ibn al-Khattab was the Khalifah.
During the Caliphate of Umar, the Persian Empire was completely destroyed and the Byzantine Empire also lost 75% of their land to the Muslims.
These were the two biggest Empires in the world at one point.
Removal of Khalid ibn al-Walid from Military Command:
When Umar ibn al-Khattab became the Khalifah, he removed Khalid ibn al-Walid from his position as the military commander.
Khalid ibn al-Walid never lost a single battle in history, before and after Islam.
Umar removed Khalid from the role of military commander because he feared that the people would start attaching victory to him. He felt that people would be reliant on him as they knew if Khalid was the commander, automatically they wouldn’t be defeated.
Victory only comes from Allah SWT and Umar ibn al-Khattab did not want the people to lose that connection with Allah.
Umar ibn al-Khattab Explaining His Reason For Removing Khalid:
The people were shocked that Umar ibn al-Khattab removed Khalid ibn al-Walid from the military.
Umar then explained it to the people: I am not dismissing Khalid because I am angry at him, or because he did anything wrong. The only reason for why I am removing him is because I fear that the people will rely on him for victory when in reality, it is only Allah alone that grants victory.
Khalid ibn al-Walid After He Was Removed From His Position:
When Khalid ibn al-Walid was completely removed from the military, he did not know how to live a regular life, as all his life prior to this was dedicated to fighting in battles before and after he accepted Islam.
In his free time, Khalid ibn al-Walid started dedicating his time to reading the Quran. Khalid said about this: my fighting in the way of Allah (Jihad) has prevented me from reciting the Quran.
After being removed from the military, Khalid didn’t live much longer and he died during the Caliph of Umar.
On his deathbed, he was upset by this and said: I have fought in so many battles. There is not a single spot on my body that does not have a wound or a scar. But today, instead of dying on the battlefield, I am dying on my bed like an old camel. May the eyes of the cowards never sleep.
One of his friends told Khalid: Ya Khalid, Rasoolullah gave you the title of the ‘Sword of Allah.’ How can the ‘Sword of Allah’ fall down on the battlefield? The fact that you are the ‘Sword of Allah’ means that the sword cannot be broken? That’s why you never died on the battlefield. It is not decreed for you because you are the ‘Sword of Allah.’
Umar ibn al-Khattab When Khalid ibn al-Walid Passed Away:
When Khalid ibn al-Walid passed away, Umar ibn al-Khattab cried a lot, and the women from the clan of the Quraysh that Khalid was part of also cried.
Some of the people went to Umar and said: some of these women are crying too much, maybe you can stop them?
Umar replied: why shouldn’t they cry? Khalid is a person who deserves to be cried upon. Let them cry as long as they don’t beat their cheeks and rip their clothes, let them cry.
Abu Bakr on Khalid ibn al-Walid:
Abu Bakr used to say about Khalid ibn al-Walid: the women are not able to give birth to anyone like Khalid anymore.
The Conquest of the Persian Empire:
Umar conquered the strongest empire of that era, the Persian Empire.
This conquest started during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr where they conquered Iraq but it was not completed. This continued during the Caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab.
Persian Leadership after the Conquest of Iraq:
After Iraq was conquered, the Persians went to two of their military commanders, Rustum and Faruzan, who were highly respected.
After the Muslims conquered Iraq during Abu Bakr’s Caliphate, the family of the Kisra went into hiding out of fear that the Muslims would kill them.
Rustum and Faruzan decided to take advantage of this and became leaders of the Persian Empire, even though they were not part of the Royal Family.
However, they each wanted power for themselves and did not want to share the power so they would fight with each other too. Because of this, the Persian Empire was in complete disarray.
Some of the important people within the Persian Empire approached Rustum and Faruzan and said: You need to get your act together! You are fighting with each other whilst the Muslims are coming to take our lands. Instead of fighting our enemies (the Muslims) you guys are too busy fighting each other. How are we going to defeat them if you have so much internal fighting going on amongst yourselves?
The Persians then decided to unite under one leader that everyone would accept. They started this search and finally one of the sons of the Kisra, Yazdegerd decided to step up and take the position and everyone agreed with this decision.
Yazdegerd wanted to recoup the army and regain the lands that the Muslims had taken.
Muslim Awareness and Strategic Response:
Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha, who was stationed in Iraq by Abu Bakr, saw what the Persians were planning and sent a letter to Umar ibn al-Khattab, informing him about the situation and that the Muslims in Iraq needed support.
Umar put together an army to face the Persian Empire and sent messages throughout the Arabian Peninsula to gather soldiers and send them to Iraq.
Umar ibn al-Khattab also prepared an army from Madinah to go to Iraq and he was planning to lead the army from Madinah himself, but as the Amir al-Mu’minin, he was not sure if it was the right decision for him to go.
Leadership Decisions of Umar:
Umar ibn al-Khattab gathered his closest advisers and asked for their advice.
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf told Umar: you should stay in Madinah and appoint someone to lead the army on your behalf. Because, if you go and if something happens to you, we are afraid that the state of our Ummah will be in disarray.
Umar ibn al-Khattab agreed with this.
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas Appointed as the Commander of the Muslim Army:
One advisor told Umar ibn al-Khattab: I know who we should appoint. The gathering asked: who?
The advisor replied: The lion, the lion. The people asked: who is the lion?
The advisor responded: The lion who is in its den, the strong lion? The people were excited by this and continued to ask: who is this lion?
The advisor then said: Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, he is the right person to take this position.
Umar ibn al-Khattab and the rest of the advisors agreed with this decision.
Background of Sa’d ibn Abu Waqqas:
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas was the first person to ever shoot an arrow in Islam and he was from the very early Muslims in Makkah and one of the ten companions who were promised Jannah.
He was related to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the Prophet’s mother’s side.
Instructions and Guidance to Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas:
Before Umar ibn al-Khattab sent Sa’d away, he said: Don’t let the fact that you are related to the Prophet, don’t let that fact deceive you into losing your humility. Don’t let that make you arrogant. Remain humble. Because surely Allah SWT does not erase evil with evil, but he erases evil with good. Make sure that you follow the way of the Prophet ﷺ.
Umar sent Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas to Iraq with an army of four thousand soldiers.
Umar’s Letter to Sa’d:
While Sa’d and his army were on their way to Iraq, he received a letter from Umar ibn al-Khattab with more instructions.
Umar said: From Amir Al-Muminin to Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas. I order you and all the troops that are with you to be obedient to Allah in all circumstances. Obedience to Allah is better than the weapons against the enemies. I order you and all the soldiers to be more cautious and afraid of your own sins, more than your enemy. Your own sins are more dangerous to you, than the enemy. The Muslims are victorious only because the enemies are disobedient to Allah.
Umar continued: If it weren’t for the fact that our enemies are disobedient to Allah and we are obedient to Allah, we would not win. We would not have power over them. We don’t have as many men as they have, their weapons are much more than our weapons, they have more supplies than we have. What differentiates us from them is that they are disobedient to Allah and we are obedient. So if we become disobedient to Allah, then surely, they are going to defeat us. The advantage that we have over them is our obedience to Allah. Don’t lose that advantage and make sure you remain obedient to Allah SWT.
Umar then said: if we commit crimes and sins like our enemies do, then our enemies will have superiority over us in power and we will not gain victory over them, because we do not overpower them in strength and numbers. You should know that this marching of yours in the way of Allah SWT, you should know that there are angels upon you that know what you are doing. Be shy from them, and do not commit acts of disobedience to Allah while you are going for Allah’s cause.
Umar continued: And don’t deceive yourselves by saying ‘our enemy is worse than us, so they will not overpower us’, don’t be deceived to think like this. Perhaps some people who are worse than others, may overpower the others, as the Majus overpowered the Bani Israel, when the Bani Israel involved themselves with disobedience to Allah SWT.
Umar concluded by saying: Ask Allah for assistance for yourselves, continue to make Dua to Allah and ask Allah to save you from sins and to protect you from disobedience. Just as you asked Allah for victory over your enemies. In the same way, don’t forget to ask Allah to protect you from disobeying Him.
Arrival at Al-Qadisiyyah;
Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and his army of four thousand men reached Al-Qadisiyyah, and they joined forces with the army of Al-Muthanna, which consisted of eight thousand men.
The Muslim army now had twelve thousand soldiers at this point and they were stationed at Qadisiyyah, waiting for the Persian army to make their move.
Death of Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha:
By this time, Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha had passed away as he succumbed to previous wounds that he suffered before the Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah.