الرحلةThe Journey

عمر بن عبد العزيز

'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (RH)

Also known as: Umar II, Umar bin Abdul Aziz

c. 61–101 AH · c. 681–720 CE

Fiqh Hadith

The Umayyad caliph remembered for justice and piety, often called the fifth rightly guided caliph.

'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz was a great-grandson of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab through his mother. He was educated in Madinah among its scholars and later served as its governor. When he unexpectedly became caliph in 99 AH, he gave up his wealth and lived simply.

In his short reign of about two and a half years he ended the cursing of 'Ali from pulpits, returned property seized unjustly, reduced unfair taxes and sent teachers to new Muslims. He is reported to have ordered scholars, including al-Zuhri, to record the Sunnah in writing. Many scholars call him the fifth of the rightly guided caliphs.

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Life journey

  1. c. 681 CE Madinah المدينة
    Some reports say he was born in Egypt; he was raised and educated in Madinah, and later its governor.
  2. 712 CE Damascus دمشق
    Caliph from 99 AH; the year he left Madinah is approximate.
  3. 720 CE Aleppo (Halab) حلب
    Died 720 CE · 101 AH
    Died at Dayr Sim'an near Aleppo.

Places in their life

al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, Madinah
al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, Madinah
Photo: TheHadiRahim, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque, Damascus
The courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque, Damascus
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  • Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, Sirat 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz
  • al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'
  • Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Knowledge, his letter on recording hadith)
Draft, awaiting scholarly review.
Listed among scholars rather than as a ruler; please advise. Birth 61 or 63 AH.