Gandavah is a town that serves as the headquarters of Jhal Magsi District of Pakistan 's Balochistan province. Located on a small hill in the middle of the Kach Gandava plain, Gandava is inhabited by a mix of Sindhi , Baloch , Pathan , Brahui , and Hindu communities. The town has a long history and several old architectural monuments including the Moti Gohram tomb, locally known as "the Taj Mahal of Baluchistan". Gandava also faces significant difficulties with needs like water, electricity, gas, healthcare, and education. As of the 2017 Census of Pakistan , Gandava Municipal Corporation has a population of 7,825 people, in 1,256 households, rising to 24,130 in 2023 . Gandawa was one of the provincial headquarters of the Bhil dynasty of India
63-442: The oldest name associated with the city is Qandabil, which appears in medieval Arabic sources. Supposedly the name derives from the sweetness of its drinking water. The present name Gandava first appears in classical Balochi poetry of the 15th century and has been widely used since the 18th century. A third name, Ganjaba, first appears in sources from the 16th century. It refers to "an abundance of water". According to legend, Qandabil
126-438: A poet himself, he developed a love for poetry and literature . According to the tradition of Quraish , while still in his teenage years, Umar learned martial arts , horse riding and wrestling . He was tall, physically powerful and a renowned wrestler. He was also a gifted orator who succeeded his father as an arbitrator among the tribes. Umar became a merchant and made several journeys to Rome and Persia , where he
189-420: A subset of those who are mu'min , and those who are mu'min are a subset of muslims : From the preceding discussion it should be clear that not every Muslim is a man or woman of faith ( mu'min ), but every person of faith is a Muslim . Furthermore, a Muslim who believes in all the principles of Islam may not necessarily be a righteous person, a doer of good ( muhsin ), but a truly good and righteous person
252-585: A Kalhora officer named Murad and were still standing in the 19th century but are now in ruins. In 1740, Nader Shah conquered the Kalhoras and transferred Gandava to the Khans of Kalat . It remained under their control until 1955 and served as their winter residence. Umar Others In terms of Ihsan : Umar ibn al-Khattab ( Arabic : عُمَر بْن ٱلْخَطَّاب , romanized : ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ; c. 582/583 – 644 ), also spelled Omar ,
315-602: A political coup against Ali at the Saqifah. According to one version of narrations in primary sources , Umar and Abu Bakr are also said to have used force to try to secure the allegiance from Ali and his party. It has been reported in mainly Persian historical sources written 300 years later, such as in the History of al-Tabari , that after Ali's refusal to pay homage, Abu Bakr sent Umar with an armed contingent to Fatimah 's house where Ali and his supporters are said to have gathered. Umar
378-483: A section of al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra 's army and they killed him here. Six years later, members of the ' Ilafi tribe killed Sa'id ibn Aslam , the Muslim commander of Makran , at Qandabil. Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf sent Mujja'a ibn Si'r to punish the 'Ilafis in 904; they fled before he could reach them but he was able to subjugate "the tribes of Qandabil" who had probably been aligned with the 'Ilafis. From 704 to 711, Qandabil
441-509: A very particular kind of person. Monks out in the Judaean desert had long been casting themselves as warriors of God. The achievement of Umar was to take such language to a literal and previously unimaginable extreme." Due to the delicate political situation in Arabia , Umar initially opposed military operations against the rebel tribes there, hoping to gain their support in the event of an invasion by
504-447: Is a matter of taking one's inner faith ( iman ) and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions. In Islam , Ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, or excellence, in worship, such that Muslims try to worship God as if they see Him, and although they cannot see Him, they undoubtedly believe that He is constantly watching over them. That definition comes from
567-604: Is generally viewed by historians to be one of the most powerful and influential Muslim caliphs in history. He is revered in the Sunni Islamic tradition as a great just ruler and paragon of Islamic virtues, and some hadiths identify him as the second greatest of the Sahabah after Abu Bakr. However, he is viewed negatively in the Twelver Shia tradition. Umar was born in Mecca to
630-584: Is reported to have warned those in the House that unless Ali succumbed to Abu Bakr, he would set the House on fire and under these circumstances Ali was forced to capitulate. This version of events, fully accepted by Shia scholars, is generally rejected by Sunni scholars who, in view of other reports in their literature, believe that Ali gave an oath of alliance to Abu Bakr without any grievance. But then other Sunni and Shia sources say that Ali did not swear allegiance to Abu Bakr after his election but six months later after
693-477: Is said to have met various scholars and analyzed Roman and Persian societies. As a merchant he was unsuccessful. Like others around him, Umar was fond of drinking in his pre-Islamic days. In 610, Muhammad started preaching the message of Islam. However, like many others in Mecca, Umar opposed Islam and even threatened to kill Muhammad. He resolved to defend the traditional polytheistic religion of Arabia . He
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#1732869718845756-676: The Banu Adi clan, which was responsible for arbitration among the tribes. His father was Khattab ibn Nufayl and his mother was Hantama bint Hisham, from the tribe of Banu Makhzum . In his youth he used to tend to his father's camels in the plains near Mecca. His merchant father was famed for his intelligence among his tribe. Umar himself said: "My father, al-Khattab, was a ruthless man. He used to make me work hard; if I didn't work he used to beat me and he used to work me to exhaustion." Despite literacy being uncommon in pre-Islamic Arabia , Umar learned to read and write in his youth. Though not
819-596: The Banu Hashim , the tribe of Ali , delivered to the latter his disputed estates in Khayber. He followed Abu Bakr's decision over the disputed land of Fidak, continuing to treat it as state property. In the Ridda wars, thousands of prisoners from rebel and apostate tribes were taken away as slaves during the expeditions. Umar ordered a general amnesty for the prisoners, and their immediate emancipation. This made Umar quite popular among
882-509: The Bedouin tribes . With the necessary public support on his side, Umar took the bold decision of recalling Khalid ibn Walid from supreme command on the Roman front. The government of Umar was a unitary government , where the sovereign political authority was the caliph. The empire of Umar was divided into provinces and some autonomous territories, e.g., Azerbaijan and Armenia , that had accepted
945-538: The Hadith of Gabriel in which Muhammad states, "[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you". ( Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim ). According to Muhammad's hadith "God has written ihsan on everything". Ihsan is one of the three dimensions of the Islamic religion ( ad-din ): In contrast to the emphases of islam (what one should do) and iman (why one should do),
1008-547: The Kaaba as the Quraish chiefs, Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan , reportedly watched in anger . This further helped the Muslims to gain confidence in practicing Islam openly. At this stage Umar even challenged anyone who dared to stop the Muslims from praying , although no one dared to interfere with Umar when he was openly praying. Umar's conversion to Islam granted power to the Muslims and to
1071-450: The Kaaba . Umar participated in almost all battles and expeditions under Muhammad, who bestowed the title al-Fārūq upon him, for his judgements. After Muhammad's death in June 632, Umar pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr ( r. 632–634 ) as the first caliph and served as the closest adviser to the latter until August 634, when the dying Abu Bakr nominated Umar as his successor. Under Umar,
1134-542: The Ansar into their old warring factions of Aws and Khazraj tribes. Umar resolved the divisions by placing his hand on that of Abu Bakr as a unity candidate for those gathered in the Saqifah. Others at the Saqifah followed suit, with the exception of the Khazraj tribe and their leader, Sa'd ibn 'Ubada , who were ostracized as a result. The Khazraj tribe is said to have posed no significant threat as there were sufficient men of war from
1197-540: The Budha hinterland, where 'the Budh people' sold their produce and obtained their supplies". By the late 10th century, palm trees had been planted in the area around Qandabil – the anonymous author of the Hudud al-'Alam wrote that it was "a big city, prosperous and pleasant, producing large quantities of dates." In the second half of the 15th century, Gandava (as it was now called) became
1260-516: The Islamic faith in Mecca. It was after this event that Muslims offered prayers openly in Masjid al-Haram for the first time. Abdullah ibn Masud said, Umar's embracing Islam was our victory, his migration to Medina was our success, and his reign a blessing from Allah. We didn't offer prayers in al-Haram Mosque until Umar had accepted Islam. When he accepted Islam, the Quraysh were compelled to let us pray in
1323-708: The Medinan tribes such as the Banu Aws to immediately organize them into a military bodyguard for Abu Bakr. Wilferd Madelung summarises Umar's contribution: Umar judged the outcome of the Saqifa assembly to be a falta [translated by Madelung as 'a precipitate and ill-considered deal' ] because of the absence of most of the prominent Muhajirun, including the Prophet's own family and clan, whose participation he considered vital for any legitimate consultation (shura, mashwara). It was, he warned
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#17328697188451386-718: The Mosque. In 622 CE, due to the safety offered by Yathrib (later renamed Medīnat an-Nabī, or simply Medina ), Muhammad ordered his followers to migrate to Medina. Most Muslims migrated at night fearing Quraish resistance, but Umar is reported to have left openly during the day saying: "Any one who wants to make his wife a widow and his children orphans should come and meet me there behind that cliff." Umar migrated to Medina accompanied by his cousin and brother-in-law Saeed ibn Zaid. Campaigns Umar led during time of Muhammad Expedition of Umar ibn al-Khatab Campaigns Umar ordered During Umar's reign as caliph Muhammad ibn Muslamah
1449-466: The Muslim rear, turning the tide of battle, rumours of Muhammad's death were spread and many Muslim warriors were routed from the battlefield, Umar among them. However, hearing that Muhammad was still alive, he went to Muhammad at the mountain of Uhud and prepared for the defence of the hill. Later in the year Umar was a part of a campaign against the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir . In 625, Umar's daughter Hafsah
1512-502: The Muslims had given their pledge of loyalty to Umar, he was feared more than loved. According to Muhammad Husayn Haykal , the first challenge for Umar was to win over his subjects and the members of Majlis al Shura. Umar was a gifted orator, and he used his ability to improve his reputation among the people. Muhammad Husayn Haykal wrote that Umar's stress was on the well-being of the poor and underprivileged. In addition to this, Umar, in order to improve his reputation and relation with
1575-1072: The Quraish and decided to have Muhammad assassinated . Umar converted to Islam in 616, one year after the Migration to Abyssinia. The story was recounted in Ibn Ishaq 's Sīrah . On his way to murder Muhammad, Umar met his best friend Nu'aym ibn Abd Allah, who had secretly converted to Islam but had not told Umar. When Umar informed him that he had set out to kill Muhammad, Nu'aym said, “By God, you have deceived yourself, O Umar? Do you think that Banu Abd al-Manaf would let you run around alive once you had killed their son Muhammad? Why don't you return to your own house and at least set it straight?" Nu'aym then told him to inquire about his own house, where his sister, Fatima bint Al-Khattab , and his brother-in-law had converted to Islam and were taking lessons from Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt . Upon arriving at her house, Umar found Fatima and her husband Saeed bin Zaid (Umar's cousin) reciting
1638-572: The Quran in the form of a book after 300 huffāẓ (memorizers) of the Quran died in the Battle of Yamamah . Abu Bakr appointed Umar as his successor before dying in 634 CE. Due to his strict and autocratic nature, Umar was not a very popular figure among the notables of Medina and members of Majlis al Shura ; accordingly, high-ranking companions of Abu Bakr attempted to discourage him from naming Umar. Nevertheless, Abu Bakr decided to make Umar his successor. Umar
1701-561: The Romans or the Persians. Later, however, he came to agree with Abu Bakr's strategy to crush the rebellion by force. By late 632 CE, Khalid ibn Walid had successfully united Arabia after consecutive victories against the rebels. During his own reign later, Umar would mostly adopt the policy of avoiding wars and consolidating his power in the incorporated lands rather than expanding his empire through continuous warfare. Umar advised Abu Bakr to compile
1764-423: The best man among your men. Abu Bakr was aware of Umar's power and ability to succeed him. His was perhaps one of the smoothest transitions of power from one authority to another in the Muslim lands. Before his death, Abu Bakr called Uthman to write his will in which he declared Umar his successor. In his will he instructed Umar to continue the conquests on Iraqi and Syrian fronts. Even though almost all of
1827-724: The caliphate expanded at an unprecedented rate, conquering the Sasanian Empire and more than two-thirds of the Byzantine Empire . His attacks against the Sasanian Empire resulted in the conquest of Persia in less than two years (642–644). According to Jewish tradition, Umar set aside the Christian ban on Jews and allowed them into Jerusalem and to worship. Umar was assassinated by the Persian slave Abu Lu'lu'a Firuz in 644. Umar
1890-555: The capital of the Lashari Baloch confederation under alliance with the Samma dynasty . In 1518, Shah Beg Arghun occupied Gandava while on his way to conquer Sindh. The city later came under Mughall rule in 1574 and formed part of the mahal of Fathpur and was administered from Bukkur . Gandava was later ruled by the Kalhora dynasty . The city walls were repaired in the early 1700s by
1953-437: The chances of corruption, Umar made it a point to pay high salaries to the staff. Provincial governors received as much as five to seven thousand dirham annually besides their shares of the spoils of war (if they were also the commander in chief of the army of their sector). Under Umar the empire was divided into the following provinces: Umar was first to establish a special department for the investigation of complaints against
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2016-598: The charge. On occasion, the officers against whom complaints were received were summoned to Medina, and charged in Umar's administrative court. Umar was known for this intelligence service through which he made his officials accountable. This service was also said to have inspired fear in his subjects. Ihsan Ihsan ( Arabic : إحسان ʾiḥsān , also romanized ehsan ), is an Arabic term meaning "to do beautiful things", "beautification", "perfection", or "excellence" (Arabic: husn , lit. ' beauty ' ). Ihsan
2079-576: The community in the mosque, saying: "Whoever worshiped Muhammad, let them know that Muhammad has died, and whoever worshiped Allah, let them know that Allah is alive and never dies." Abū Bakr then recited these verses from the Qur'an 3:144 : " Muhammad is but a messenger; messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him. If, then, he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heel? " Hearing this, Umar fell on his knees in sorrow and acceptance. Sunni Muslims say that this denial of Muhammad's death
2142-455: The community, to be no precedent for the future. Yet he also defended the outcome, claiming that the Muslims were longing for Abu Bakr as for no one else. He apologized, moreover, that the Muhajirun present were forced to press for an immediate oath of allegiance since the Ansar could not have been trusted to wait for a legitimate consultation and might have proceeded to elect one of their own after
2205-467: The concept of ihsan is primarily associated with intention. One who "does what is beautiful" is called a muhsin . It is generally held that a person can only achieve true Ihsan with the help and guidance of God , who governs all things. While traditionally Islamic jurists have concentrated on islam and theologians on iman , the Sufis have focused their attention on ihsan . Those who are muhsin are
2268-495: The death of his wife Fatimah putting into question al-Tabari's account. Either way the Sunni and the Shia accounts both accept that Ali felt that Abu Bakr should have informed him before going into the meeting with the Ansar and that Ali did swear allegiance to Abu Bakr. Western scholars tend to agree that Ali believed he had a clear mandate to succeed Muhammad, but offer differing views as to
2331-531: The departure of the Mekkans. Another reason for Umar to censure the Saqifa meeting as a falta was no doubt its turbulent and undignified end, as he and his followers jumped upon the sick Khazraji leader Sa'd bin Ubada in order to teach him a lesson, if not to kill him, for daring to challenge the sole right of Quraysh to rule. This violent break-up of the meeting indicates, moreover, that the Ansar cannot all have been swayed by
2394-545: The enemy. In 630, when Muslim armies rushed for the conquest of Mecca , he was part of that army. Later in 630, he fought in the Battle of Hunayn and the Siege of Ta'if . He was part of the Muslim army that contested the Battle of Tabouk under Muhammad's command and he was reported to have given half of his wealth for the preparation of this expedition. He also participated in the farewell Hajj of Muhammad in 632. When Muhammad died on 8 June 632 Umar initially disbelieved that he
2457-520: The error of conceit. Do not keep your doors shut in their faces, lest the more powerful of them eat up the weaker ones. And do not behave as if you were superior to them, for that is tyranny over them. Various other strict codes of conduct were to be obeyed by the governors and state officials. The principal officers were required to travel to Mecca on the occasion of the Hajj, during which people were free to present any complaint against them. In order to minimize
2520-458: The extent of use of force by Umar in an attempt to intimidate Ali and his supporters. For instance, Madelung discounts the possibility of the use of force and argues that: Isolated reports of use of force against Ali and Banu Hashim who unanimously refused to swear allegiance for six months are probably to be discounted. Abu Bakr no doubt was wise enough to restrain Umar from any violence against them, well realizing that this would inevitably provoke
2583-461: The governor of Sindh, Hisham ibn 'Amr. Later, in 837, Qandabil was taken by Muhammad ibn Khalil, but 'Imran, governor of Sindh, recaptured the city and restored order. Medieval Qandabil was the capital of the district called Budha or Budhiya (which was named not because its inhabitants were Buddhists but rather because they belonged to the Budh ethnic group) and had the town of Kizkanan or Kikan, possibly
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2646-476: The ground, others claim Fatima was merely hit on accident and lost balance when trying to pull Umar off of Saeed. In both cases, however, his sister began to bleed from her mouth. Seeing what he had done, Umar calmed down out of guilt and asked Fatima to give him what she was reciting. She replied in the negative and said "You are unclean, and no unclean person can touch the Scripture." He insisted, but his sister
2709-598: The meeting, presumably to head off the Ansars' plans for political separation. Arriving at the meeting, Umar was faced with a unified community of tribes from the Ansar who refused to accept the leadership of the Muhajirs. However, Umar was undeterred in his belief the caliphate should be under the control of the Muhajirs. Though the Khazraj were in disagreement, Umar, after strained negotiations lasting one or two days, brilliantly divided
2772-525: The officers of the State. This department acted as the Administrative court , where the legal proceedings were personally led by Umar. The department was under the charge of Muhammad ibn Maslamah , one of Umar's most trusted men. In important cases Muhammad ibn Maslamah was deputed by Umar to proceed to the spot, investigate the charge and take action. Sometimes an Inquiry Commission was constituted to investigate
2835-421: The people in the main mosque , and read the instrument of instructions before them. Umar's general instructions to his officers were: Remember, I have not appointed you as commanders and tyrants over the people. I have sent you as leaders instead, so that the people may follow your example. Give the Muslims their rights and do not beat them lest they become abused. Do not praise them unduly, lest they fall into
2898-506: The provincial level were: In some districts there were separate military officers, though the Wali was, in most cases, the Commander-in-chief of the army quartered in the province. Every appointment was made in writing. At the time of appointment an instrument of instructions was issued with a view to regulating the Wali's conduct. On assuming office, the Wali was required to assemble
2961-436: The same as present-day Kalat , as one of its dependencies. The 9th-century writer al-Baladhuri described Qandabil as being on an elevated site in the middle of the plain, which matches the present-day description of Gandava. A century later, Ibn Hawqal described Qandabil as a large city standing alone on a plain where no date palms grew. Also in the 10th century, al-Istakhri described Qandabil as "the central market-place of
3024-458: The sense of solidarity of the majority of Abdul Mannaf whose acquiescence he needed. His policy was rather not isolating Banu Hashim as far as possible. According to Tom Holland, Umar's historicity is beyond dispute. An Armenian bishop writing a decade or so after Qadisiyya describes Umar as a "mighty potentate coordinating the advance of the sons of Ismael from the depths of the desert". Tom Holland writes "What added incomparably to his prestige,
3087-400: The suzerainty of the caliphate. The provinces were administered by the provincial governors or Wali , personally and fastidiously selected by Umar. Provinces were further divided into about 100 districts. Each district or main city was under the charge of a junior governor or Amir, usually appointed by Umar himself, but occasionally also appointed by the provincial governor. Other officers at
3150-446: The verses of the Quran from Surat Ta-Ha . He started quarreling with Saeed and physically attacking him. When his sister came to rescue her husband, he also started arguing with her. Yet still they kept on saying "you may kill us but we will not give up Islam". Sources differ on what happened next: While some say that upon hearing these words, Umar slapped his sister so hard that she fell to
3213-552: The wisdom and eloquence of Abu Bakr's speech and have accepted him as the best choice for the succession, as suggested by Caetani . There would have been no sense in beating up the Khazraji chief if everybody had come around to swearing allegiance to Umar's candidate. A substantial number of the Ansar, presumably of Khazraj in particular, must have refused to follow the lead of the Muhajirun. According to various Twelver Shia sources and Madelung, Umar and Abu Bakr had in effect mounted
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#17328697188453276-463: Was adamant and cruel in opposing Muhammad, and very prominent in persecuting Muslims. He recommended Muhammad's death. He firmly believed in the unity of the Quraish and saw the new faith of Islam as a cause of division and discord. Due to persecution, Muhammad ordered some of his followers to migrate to Abyssinia. When a small group of Muslims migrated, Umar became worried about the future unity of
3339-456: Was assigned the office of Chief Inspector of Accountability. Muslims remained in peace in Medina for approximately a year before the Quraish raised an army to attack them. In 624, Umar participated in the first battle between Muslims and Quraish of Mecca i.e., the Battle of Badr . In 625, he took part in the Battle of Uhud . In the second phase of the battle, when Khalid ibn Walid 's cavalry attacked
3402-480: Was dead. It is said that Umar promised to strike the head of any man who would say that Muhammad died. Umar said: "He has not died but rather he has gone to his lord just as Moses went, remaining absent from his people for forty nights after which he has returned to them. By Allah, the messenger of Allah will indeed return just as Moses returned (to his people) and he will cut off the hands and legs of those men who claimed he has died." Abu Bakr then publicly spoke to
3465-679: Was founded by Bahman Ardashir to mark the boundary between the Indians and the Turks. Muslim armies first reached Qandabil in 644, but soon withdrew after hearing of the caliph Umar 's death that same year. Qandabil was then controlled by the Brahmin dynasty of Sindh and became a refuge for Arabs fleeing from the Umayyad government. In 688, the Kharijite rebel Atiyya ibn al-Aswad al-Hanafi fled to Qandabil pursued by
3528-501: Was held by Raja Dahir , who appointed his nephew Dhol as governor of Budhiya. In 711, the Muslims under Muhammad ibn al-Qasim decisively gained control of Qandabil, which became part of Muslim-ruled Sindh . In 720, al-Muhallab's rebelling sons fled to Qandabil, expecting to be given refuge, but their ally Wada' shut the gates and refused them entry and they were killed fighting against their pursuer Hilal ibn Ahwaz al-Tamimi. In 754 Arab tribes occupied Qandabil but they were driven out by
3591-506: Was hiding inside and said: "O, Umar! Glad tidings for you. Yesterday Muhammad prayed to Allah, 'O, Allah! Strengthen Islam with either Umar or Abu Jahl , whomsoever Thou likest.' It seems that his prayer has been answered in your favour." Umar then went to Muhammad with the same sword he intended to kill him with and accepted Islam in front of him and his companions. Umar was 39 years old when he accepted Islam. According to one account, after his conversion to Islam, Umar openly prayed at
3654-529: Was married to Muhammad. Later in 627, he participated in the Battle of the Trench and also in the Battle of Banu Qurayza . In 628, Umar witnessed the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah . In 628, he fought in the Battle of Khaybar . In 629, Muhammad sent Amr ibn al-A’as to Zaat-ul-Sallasal , after which, Muhammad sent Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah with reinforcements, including Abu Bakr and Umar, whereupon they attacked and defeated
3717-508: Was not prepared to allow him to touch the pages unless he washed his body. Umar at last gave in. He washed his body and then began to read the verses that were: Verily, I am Allah: there is no God but Me; so serve Me (only), and establish regular prayer for My remembrance (Quran 20:14). He wept and declared, "Surely this is the word of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah". On hearing this, Khabbab came out from where he
3780-638: Was occasioned by his deep love for him. Umar's political capacity first manifested as the architect of the caliphate after Muhammad died on 8 June 632. While the funeral of Muhammad was being arranged a group of Muhammad's followers who were natives of Medina, the Ansar (helpers), organised a meeting on the outskirts of the city, effectively locking out those companions known as Muhajirs (The Emigrants) including Umar. Umar found out about this meeting at Saqifah Bani Saadah , and, taking with him two other Muhajirs, Abu Bakr and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah , proceeded to
3843-467: Was that his earth-shaking qualities as a generalissimo were combined with the most distinctive cast of virtues. Rather than ape the manner of a Caesar, as the Ghassanid kings had done, he drew on the example of a quite different kind of Christian. Umar's threadbare robes, his diet of bread, salt and water, and his rejection of worldly riches would have reminded anyone from the desert reaches beyond Palestine of
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#17328697188453906-426: Was the second Rashidun caliph , ruling from August 634, when he succeeded Abu Bakr ( r. 632–634 ) as the second caliph, until his assassination in 644. Umar was a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . Umar initially opposed Muhammad, his distant Qurayshite kinsman and later son-in-law. Following his conversion to Islam in 616, he became the first Muslim to openly pray at
3969-445: Was well known for his extraordinary willpower, intelligence, political astuteness, impartiality, justice, and care for the poor. Abu Bakr is reported to have said to the high-ranking advisers: His (Umar's) strictness was there because of my softness when the weight of Caliphate will be over his shoulders he will remain no longer strict. If I will be asked by God to whom I have appointed my successor, I will tell him that I have appointed
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