Khawarij
After reading the conditions up to
this point it is clear that the mischief of the Khawarij continued unabated and
at no time was it stamped out. Whenever a powerful caliph took the throne, they
waited and watched silently and whenever they had an opportunity, they came out
onto the field. Iraq and Khorasan had been the center of the Khawarij for all
their intrigues and rebellions and it was there that their plots were hatched
and reared as will be evident from the following events. Anyway the Khawarij
sometimes openly and sometimes secretly remained busy with their seditious activities.
When Umar bin Abdul Aziz (رحمه الله) became caliph and the people knew of his
nobility and piety, the Khawarij too were ashamed to see his virtue and
courtesy and they decided not to undertake any revolutionary steps against the
authority of such a pious caliph as Umar bin Abdul Aziz (رحمه الله) and better to postpone all their
activities while a caliph with such angelic traits was present. Therefore,
during his caliphate they did not take up arms against him.
Once they revolted in Khorasan. He
wrote to the Governor there that unless they killed someone no step should be
taken against them but keep him of informed of all their activities. Then he (رحمه الله) wrote a letter to the chief of the
Khawarij. I have come to know that you have stood up in support of Allâh and
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
but in this respect we are supposed to do it more than you do. Come and discuss
and debate with us. If we are justified, join us, if you are justified, we
shall join you." After reading the letter, the chief of the Khawarij sent
two of his most clever followers for the debate. They came and debated with
Umar bin Abdul Aziz (رحمه الله). The Khawarij said,
"Your ancestors, Banu Umayyah were unbelievers and cursing them is
obligatory." Umar bin Abdul Aziz (رحمه الله)
said, "You have never cursed even Pharaoh though he was an unbeliever.
Don't take cursing to be essential. How can they be labeled as unbelievers who
believed in Tawhid and the Risalah (Message) and practiced the pillars of
Islam?" The result of the debate was that one of the Khawarij renounced
his group and joined the general Muslim population. The rest of the Khawarij
kept silent and suspended all their activities.
Death
It has been mentioned previously
that Banu Umayyah were extremely displeased with Umar bin Abdul Aziz because
their lands, property and wealth, which they had taken over, were confiscated
and no further illegal gratifications were given by his government. Finally,
their patience wore thin and they planned to murder him. Murdering him was not
a tough job for he never kept bodyguards nor did he take precautions in matters
of eating and drinking. The best way of removing him, they thought, was by
poison, therefore, they allured his slave and made him their accomplice and
poisoned Umar bin Abdul Aziz (رحمه
الله). After he was
poisoned, he became aware of it. When the pain became excruciating, the people
advised him to take an antidote. He said that at the time of my poisoning if
some body had said that I could get well by touching the lobe of my ear, I would
not have touched it.
Mujahid relates that once he (رحمه الله)
asked him what the people said about him (رحمه الله).
He replied that they believed that a spell was cast on him. He replied that he
was not charmed, and that he knew at once when he was administered poison. Then
he called his slave who had poisoned him. When he came, he said to him,
"Alas! You have poisoned me. What tempted you to do so"? He said that
he was given one thousand dinars plus a promise of liberty. He (رحمه الله) asked him to bring those dinars to him.
He brought them to him. He had them deposited in the bait al mal (treasury) at
once and ordered the slave to run away, so that he might not be seen any
longer.
Obaid bin Hassan (رحمه الله)
says that when his end came and the pain of death started, he asked the people
to leave him alone and everybody went out. Maslama bin Abdul Malik and his wife
Fatima bint Abdul Malik remained standing at the door. They heard him say,
"Bismillah (In the Name of Allâh), Please come. These faces are neither of
men nor jinn", and then he recited the verse:
تِلْكَ
الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي
الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
That House
of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high-handedness or
mischief on the earth: and the End is (best) for the righteous. Q.28:83.
When no more voices were audible,
they both entered and found him dead. He died on the 25th of Rajab 101 A.H. at
Dairsaman in Hims after remaining Caliph for two years five months and four
days. When Imam Hasan Basri (رحمه
الله) was informed of
his death, he said, "Alas! The best man in the world has died".
Qatada says that Umar bin Abdul Aziz wrote a note to Yazid bin Abdul Malik that
read, "In the name of Allah who is most Beneficent and most Merciful. This
is from the slave of Allah Umar bin Abdul Aziz to Yazid bin Abdul Malik.
After greeting with peace, I praise
Allah except Him there is no other God. I write this letter to you in a state
of great torment. I know that I will be questioned about the period of my rule
and the questioner is the Master of the world and the hereafter. It is not
possible for me to hide any act of mine from Him. If He is pleased with me, I
receive salvation otherwise I will be ruined. I ask Him to forgive me by His
grace, protect me from the punishment of hell and, being pleased, give me
paradise. You must fear Allah and make allowances for the people. You will also
not live long in this world after I die."
Children
and Wives
He left three wives and eleven sons.
His wife Fatima bint Abdul Malik was as gentle and pious as she was a Caliph's
daughter, a Caliph's sister and a Caliph's wife. She lived a life of
abstinence. His sons Ishaq, Yaqub, Musa, Abdullah, Bakr, Ibrahim were born of
his wives and the rest Abdul Malik, Waleed, Asim, Yazid, Abdullah, Abdul Aziz
and Rayyan were born of slavegirls. His son Abdul Malik resembled his father in
many respects. He often said, "My son, Abdul Malik, inspires me with good
deeds and prayers" but he died in his lifetime.
The inheritance that he left came to
a sum of 21 dinars. Some of it was spent on his burial and the rest was
distributed among his sons and daughters. Abdur Rahman bin Qasim bin Mohammad
bin Abu Bakr says that Umar bin Abdul Aziz (رحمه الله)
left eleven sons and Hisham also left eleven sons. Umar bin Abdul Aziz's sons
received one dinar each in inheritance and Hisham bin Abdul Malik's sons
inherited from their father a sum of one million dirhams each. The narrator saw
one of Umar bin Abdul Aziz's sons giving away 100 horses for jihad and one of
Hisham's sons was found taking charity from the people.
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