A member of the Adi clan of the Quraysh tribe, Umar ibn al-Khattab was born in mecca. Initially an opponent of Muhammad, he converted to Islam in about 615. He went on to become one of Muhammad’s closest advisers, accompanying him to medina in 622 during the hijra. He became the Prophet’s father-in-law when Muhammad married his daughter, Hafsa. After Muhammad’s death in 632 Umar supported abu bakr (r. 632–634) to succeed him; he himself succeeded Abu Bakr shortly afterward, becoming the second of the four Sunni “rightly guided” caliphs, or Rashidun, which include Uthman ibn AFFan (r. 644–655) and Ali ibn abi Talib (r. 656–661). Umar was the first caliph to adopt the title Amir al-Muminin, or commander of the faithful. Under Umar’s rule, the Islamic state expanded from a local principality to a major power. He continued the military campaigns begun by Abu Bakr, resulting in the conquest of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, and Iran. Umar established guidelines for administering these new conquests. He left the conquered peoples in possession of the land and did not require them to serve in his army or attempt to convert them to Islam; in return, they paid tribute to the government. As governors and administrators, Umar appointed skillful managers who were loyal to him. He also established garrison cities to administer the newly conquered territory; they included Basra, at the head of the Persian Gulf; Kufa, on the Euphrates River; and Fustat, later to become cairo, just below the Nile Delta. He instituted the empire’s judiciary, set up a postal system, and introduced a system of taxes to finance the state. Umar is also credited with instituting the use of the Islamic calendar. In 644, Umar was assassinated by a slave who had a personal grudge against him. Umar is said to have appointed a committee to choose the next caliph; they named Uthman as his successor (Source: Encyclopedia of Islam, Campo).
Mohammad the Eternal Example of Muslim Community
