Hazrath Umar RA Part 23

Main Topic

An analysis of the early Caliphate of Sayyidina Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (Radiyallahu Anhu) through the lens of Sayyidina Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu)'s biography, focusing on two critical decisions: dispatching the army of Usama bin Zaid (Radiyallahu Anhu) and confronting those who refused to pay Zakat.

Key Lessons

• Unwavering Adherence to the Sunnah: Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu Anhu) stood firm on executing the explicit instruction of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) to dispatch Usama's army, despite overwhelming logical arguments from other Sahaba to keep the army back to defend Madinah.
• Humility in Accepting Truth: Sayyidina Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) demonstrated remarkable humility and lack of pride by immediately submitting and admitting he was wrong once Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu Anhu) clarified the Shari'i reasoning regarding Zakat and Usama's leadership.
• Haqq vs. Majority Rule: In Islam, truth (Haqq) is based on the Qur'an and Sunnah, not majority consensus or public opinion.

Quranic/Hadith References

• Description of the Post-Prophetic Era: Sayyidatina Aishah (Radiyallahu Anha) remarked that the trials which descended upon her father after the demise of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) would have crushed unshakable mountains.
• Fighting for the Sanctity of Zakat: Sayyidina Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) cited the Hadith where Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "I have been ordered to fight against the people until they say La ilaha illallah..." Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu Anhu) clarified that Zakat is the due right of wealth and swore to fight anyone who separated Salah from Zakat.
• Qur'anic Instruction on Modesty: Reference to Surah Al-Ahzab (33:33) "And stay in your houses..." (وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ) regarding the modesty and sanctity of women's voices.

Practical Advice

• Grieving Period: Observe the Islamic boundary of mourning for up to three days for relatives, and resume life progressively (except for widows in Iddah).
• Overcoming Pride: When corrected or shown that a stance contradicts Islamic principles, immediately acknowledge the error rather than persisting out of ego.
• Firmness in Faith: Remain steadfast on truth and Islamic values even if popular consensus or societal pressure points in the opposite direction.