Download PDF: [S] ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz’s Simplicity

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sahl bin Yahya Al Maruzi – may Allah be pleased with him – mentions that after they had buried Sulayman bin Abdul Malik and people were returning from the cemetery, an expensive horse from the royal stable was given to Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him.

 

When Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – asked that this was, he was told that this is a special horse only ridden by the Khalifah. He refused to accept this and said that he was satisfied with his simple donkey and did not need any special animal.

 

A special servant approached Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – to hold the reins of the donkey, but he refused to accept this help. He also told thepeople that they should not think of him as some type of super-human as he was an ordinary human like them as well.

 

When Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – came to the main Masjid, he stood on the Mimbar and announced to everyone, “O people! The position of Khilafah has been placed on my shoulders, however, I do have the power to be able to carry this burden. Therefore, those who have sworn allegiance to me, they should swear allegiance to someone else. I do no desire this position and would urge you to choose another person.” When the people heard this, they shouted that they only wanted him to be their leader and no one else.

 

It is also amazing that once an eminent scholar approached Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him. He asked this scholar about what people were saying about him and he was told that people are calling him insane because even though he was the most powerful Muslim of his period, yet he chose to live a simple live. Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – replied that he was not insane but he also knew that he was given poison which is slowly damaging his internal organs.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – then called a certain servant of his and this person also admitted that he was responsible for giving the great Muslim leader poison. He also admitted that he was paid a large amount for doing this. Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – then asked this person to place his payment in the Baitul Maal and leave quietly so that people would not recognize him. In other words, he even pardoned his own killer.