Who was Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq and why is he called the Leader of the Justice?

The Leader of the Just, Sayyidunā ꜤUmar al-Fārūq al-AꜤẓam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

In the scorching heat of the Arabian desert, a person with a cloth over his head was walking towards Madinah al-Munawwarah زادَ ہَا اللہُ شَرَفاً وَّ تَعْظِیْماً. On the way, he saw a slave riding a donkey and said to him, "The heat is very intense; let me ride behind you." The slave recognised the man, immediately dismounted, and requested, "Please, you ride on it." However, the man replied, "You ride, and I will sit behind you." The slave insisted again, "Please ride, and I will walk," but the man did not agree. Finally, the slave let the man sit behind him. When both riders entered the boundaries of al-Madinah Munawwarah, people were looking at the man with astonishment.[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! The one riding behind the slave was no ordinary man. He was the great personality who lit the lamps of guidance in cities steeped in disbelief. He crushed the pride of the Roman and Persian empires. During his reign, more than a thousand cities were conquered, and over four thousand masjids were built. This respected personality is the Leader of the Just, the Opposer of the Hypocrites, the Leader of the Believers, Sayyidunā ꜤUmar al-Fārūq al-AꜤẓam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.

Teknonym, Title, and Appearance:

His teknonym was 'Abū Ḥafṣ' and his title was 'al-Fārūq al-AꜤẓam'. He was tall, strongly built, and fair complexioned, with a thick and curly beard.[2] He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was born thirteen years after the Year of the Elephant, which corresponds to 583 AD. Both before and after embracing Islam, he was highly prominent among the nobles of the Quraish due to his personal and family status. During the days of ignorance, he served as a representative for the disbelievers of Makkah in several wars.[3] According to one narration, he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ embraced Islam in the sixth year after the declaration of Prophethood, following thirty-nine men, due to the supplication of the merciful Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Upon his acceptance of Islam, a wave of joy spread among the Muslims, to the extent that the disbelievers were forced to say, "Today our power has been cut in half."[4]

Life as a Warrior:

He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ fought the disbelievers with great courage in all battles and served as a commander in several campaigns. As a minister and advisor, he remained a loyal companion of the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ in all Islamic matters and in the planning of peace and war.[5]

Luminous Character:

The level of simplicity, piety, justice, and fear of Allah Almighty he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ possessed was unique to him. Whether traveling or at home, privately or in public, he lived his life with great simplicity. When he needed to rest, he would spread a cloth on the ground and lie on it. Sometimes, he would hang a cloth on a tree and rest in its shade.[6] Once, when delivering a sermon, there were twelve patches on the cloth he was wearing.[7]

Removing Pride:

Despite being the great leader of a vast empire, his humility was such that he was once seen carrying a water-skin filled with water on his shoulder. Someone remarked, "O Leader of the Believers! This work is not suitable for you." He replied, "Delegations of people come to me one after another, because of which I felt a wave of pride in my heart. Therefore, I wish to crush this wave by carrying this water-skin." Then he went to the house of an Anṣārī lady رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا and filled her containers with water.[8]

Fear of Allah Almighty and Worship:

He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ used to ask the children of Madinah al-Munawwarah to pray for him, saying, "Pray that ꜤUmar is forgiven."[9] The words "اَللہُ اَکْبَر" were often on his tongue.[10] In the later part of his life, he started observing continuous fasts.[11]

Era of Caliphate:

He assumed the Caliphate in 13 AH and remained in this position for ten years and six months.

Accountability of His Son:

The profound impact of the company and training of the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم meant that he showed no leniency in implementing and following Islamic laws. Once, he saw a very fat camel being sold in the market and asked, "Whose camel is this?" People told him it belonged to his son. He immediately called his son and asked why the camel had become so fat. His son replied, "This camel grazes in the government pasture, which is why it has become so fat." He ordered, "Sell this camel, keep the normal price of a camel for yourself, and deposit the remaining amount into the public treasury."[12]

List of Assets:

Whenever he appointed someone as a governor of a province, he had a record of all their wealth and assets written down and kept with him. Later, if the assets of any official increased (and they could not give a valid reason for it), he would order those assets to be deposited into the public treasury.[13] He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ himself used to say, "People remain on the right path as long as their leaders and heads remain on the right path."[14]

Importance of Ṣalāh:

He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ gave more importance to Ṣalāh than anything else. He sent an order to the governors of all his provinces, stating, "In my view, Ṣalāh is the most important of all your works. Whoever protects the prayer and is regular in it has protected his religion, and whoever wastes it will waste other matters too."[15]

Martyrdom:

The life of this great ruler is recorded in world history as a supreme example of honour, nobility, and greatness. On the morning of the 26^th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah al-Ḥarām, a Persian slave named Abū Luˈluˈ Fayrūz attacked him during the Fajr prayer, wounding him severely. He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ ordered Sayyidunā ꜤAbd al-Raḥmān b. ꜤAwf رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ to lead the prayer. When people carried him to his home, he had already lost consciousness due to continuous blood loss. As soon as he regained consciousness, he held his son’s hand, made him sit behind him, performed wuḍūˈ, and offered the Fajr prayer.

After spending a few days in a severely injured state, he surrendered his soul to the Creator. Sayyidunā Ṣuhayb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ led his funeral prayer. He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was laid to rest on the 1^st of Muḥarram al-Ḥarām 24 AH in the sacred chamber of the holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, beside the first Caliph, Sayyidunā al-Ṣiddīq al-Akbar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.[16] At the time of martyrdom, his blessed age was 63 years. The number of aḥādīth narrated by him is 537.

Request: To read the detailed life and achievements of Sayyidunā al-Fārūq al-AꜤẓam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, study the book published by Maktabat-ul-Madinah: Faizan-e-Farooq-e-Azam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ (two volumes).