Who Is the real terrorist ?

Dr. Marwa El Sherbiny muslim woman killed by A Christian German terrorist

She was killed because of her veil!”

 These are the first words said by Marwa's brother upon his arrival in ....Germany.....

The facts spurred several months back as the killer sparred with his victim Marwa in a park and slandered her by calling her a “terrorist”.

Consequently, Marwa sued the guy for flinging open neo-Nazi insults onto her in public . The court sentenced him to be fined in compensation; a sentence that afterwards proved to be not deterrent.

 In the context of the hearing and before the judicial panel, the German guy who descends from Russian origins retaliated by stabbing Marwa to death.

 The guards were triggered to shoot him, but ironically they zeroed in on Marwa’s hubby instead who was trying to defend his distressed wife. Marwa’s hubby is now hospitalized and not even aware that his beloved wife has passed away.

Muslims have played a vital role in the progress and advancement of human civilization and culture. Many outstanding Muslims have made great achievements in different spheres of life.

"The Great Muslims" series has been created with a view to provide people in all walks of life, but especially the younger generation, a detailed knowledge of lives, characters, and achievements of these splendid heroes of Islam.

Herewith is the series "Great Men : The Great Muslims," outlining the lives, in short, readable books, the four great caliphs of Islam (Hadhrats Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali), may Allah (swt) be pleased with them.

The Great Men in islam.

The Four Caliphs .

1-Hazrat Abu Bakr.

2- Hazrat Umer.

3- Hazrat Usman.

4- Hazrat Ali

Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq

The First Caliph of Islam

Early Life

"No one has been a better companion to me than Abu Bakr," said the holy Prophet in his last sermon.
A great reward indeed! Abu Bakr had earned it. All his life he stood by the side of the Prophet. He did not care for his life. He did not care for his riches. He did not care for what others said about him. His only ambition was to serve the Prophet more than anyone else. The cost did not matter. The ambition was fulfilled. And Abu Bakr got his reward in full. The Messenger of Allah was well pleased with him. He gave him the first place among the Companions. Abu Bakr was to be the first man to fill the place of the Prophet. He was also to lie in eternal rest by the prophet's side.

Abu Bakr was two years younger than the Prophet. His parents named him Abdul Kaaba, which means the servant of the Kaaba. When he became a Muslim, the Prophet changed his pagan name to Abdullah. Howevr, in early youth he had adopted the surname of Abu Bakr. He had come to be known by this name among people. Even to this day, the world generally knows him as Abu Bakr.

The name of Abu Bakr's father was Uthman, but he was known as Abu Qahafa. Salma was Abu Bakr's mother. She was also known as Umm-ul-Khair. Abu Bakr belonged to a branch of the Quraish.

From early years, Abu Bakr was known for good and upright nature. He was honest and truthful. He came of a noble family. These things won him respect among the people. His goodness also won him the friendship of young Muhammad (Peace be Upon him). The two became fast friends in early boyhood. The friendship was to prove lifelong and history-making.

When he grew up, Abu Bakr became a rich merchang. But he used to be very kind-hearted. When he saw someone in trouble, his heart melted. He did his best to help him. If his money could remove suffering, he did not care home much he had to spend. Once he gave away thirty-five dirhams out of his total fortune of forty thousand. He was so honest in his dealings that people kept their money with him. Above all, Abu Bakr had a sincere heart and a firm will. Nothing could stop him from doing what he thought was the right thing to do.

These great qualities were soon to serve the noblest cause known to the world. Abu Bakr was to become the strongest supporter of the Redeemer of mankind. He was to become the first among the Companions. He was to make ..Arabia.. and thereby the world safe for Islam after the Prophet has passed away.

Service to the Prophet

First among Men

Abu Bakr was always very close to the holy Prophet. He knew him better than any other man. He knew how honest and upright his friend had always been. So he was the first among men to believe in the Prophet's mission. He was the first adult male to accept Islam. After the first revalation, the holy Prophet told him what had happened at ....Mount.. ..Hira..... He told him that Allah had made him His Messenger. Abu Bakr did not stop to think. He at once became a Muslim. Once the holy Prophet himself remarked, "I called people to Islam. Everybody thought over it, at least for a while. But this was not the case with Abu Bakr. The moment I put Islam before him, he accepted it without any hesitation."

Abu Bakr did more than that. As soon as he became a Muslim, he began to preach Islam to others. He had many friends. The friends knew that Abu Bakr was sincere and truthful. They knew he would never support a wrong cause. He called them to Islam and they became Muslims. Among them were men like Uthman, Zubair, Talha, Abdur Rahman bin Auf and Saad bin Waqqas. These men later became the pillars of Islam.

The holy Prophet called at Abu Bakr's house every day. The two sad down and thought out ways of spreading Islam. Together they went to people and places and delivered the message of Allah. Wherever the holy Prophet went, Abu Bakr went with him.

Risks His Life

The messge of Islam made the people of ....Mecca.... very angry. The idols were their gods. The holy Prophet declared that  idols could do neither any good nore harm. Among the chiefs of ....Mecca.... was one Abu Jahl. He became the greatest enemy of the holy Prophet. He was always on the lookout to hurt him or even kill him, if he could. Abu Bakr kept an eye on this man, lest he should do a grave harm to Islam.

One day the holy Prophet was saying his prayers in the Kaaba. He was totally lost in the thoughts of Allah. Abu Jahl and some other chiefs of ....Mecca.... were sitting in the courtyard of the Kaaba. "I must finish with Muhammad today," said Abu Jahl. ....

So saying, he took a long piece of cloth. He put it around the holy Prophet's neck. Then he twisted it hard. He was going to strangle the Messenger of Allah to death. The other chiefs looked on and laughed.

Abu Bakr happened to see this from a distance. He at once ran to the help of the Prophet. He pushed Abu Jahl aside and took off the cloth from around the holy Prophet's neck. Thereupon Abu Jahl and other enemies of Islam came down upon Abu Bakr. They beat him very much. Indeed, the beating was so severe that Abu Bakr fell down senseless. He was carried home. He could not regain his senses till after several hours. And when he did come to himself, the first question he asked was, "Is the Prophet un-hurt?" Abu Bakr did not care for his own suffering. He was glad that he was able to save the Prophet's life. Abu Bakr knew full well that if any harm came to the Prophet, the only hope of mankind would be gone. This made him risk everything he held dear, for the safety of the Prophet and for the spread of his message.

Liberation of Slaves

As years went by, the people of ....Mecca.... became more and more hard upon the Muslims. They made life difficult for them. Muslim slaves who had non-Muslim masters were the worst sufferers. They could not run away from their cruel masters, nor would they give up their faith. The heartless masters tried all kinds of torture to make them give up Islam. They made them lie, all naked, on burning sand. Then they put big stones on their chests. The poor slaves silently bore this all. They had no way of escape. Some of them found escape only in death.

Abu Bakr's wealth came to the rescue of many helpless Muslim slaves. He bought them from their inhuman masters and set them free. Bilal, the negro, was one of such slaves. He was the slave of Omayya bin Khalaf. Omayya was a heartless man. He would strip Bilal of all clothes, make him lie on the burning sand at mid-day and then lash him mercilessly. Despite this torture Bilal would go on saying, "Allah is one! Allah is one!" One day Abu Bakf happened to pass by. He was greatly moved by the sight. "Why are you so cruel to this helpless man?" he asked Omayya. "If you feel for him, why don't you buy him?" retored Omayya. So Abu Bakr at once bought Bilal at a heavy price and set him free. Bilal afterwards became the well-known "Muazzin" [ one who gives the call for prayer ] at the Prophet's Mosque.

Migration to ..Abyssinia..

When Muslims found life difficult at ....Mecca...., they thought of going to some other land. With the permission of the holy Prophet, a part of them went to ..Abyssinia... here they lived in peace. So many more Muslims followed them.

Being the first man to go over to Islam, Abu Bakr had brought upon himself the special anger and hatred of the Meccan chiefs. Soon he felt hard pressed and asked permission of the Holy Prophet to go to ..Abyssinia... The permission was granted and Abu Bakr set off on his journey.

On the way he met the chief of Qara, Ibn-ud-Daghna. "What place are you bound for, Abu Bakr?" he asked.

"The people of ....Mecca.... have cast me out," replied Abu Bakr. "I am going to ..Abyssinia... There I will be able to worship the Lord the way I want to."

"A man like you should not be cast out," said Ibn-ud-Daghna. "You help the poor. You are kind to those in trouble. You are so nice to your guests. I will take you back to ....Mecca.... on my own responsibility."

So Abu Bakr was back at ....Mecca..... Ibn-ud-Daghna declared to the people that Abu Bakr was under his protection, so no one was to harm him. The Meccans said that they would let Abu Bakr alone, only if he did not preach his faith publicly.

Abu Bakr could not act on this condition very long. Soon he was preaching Islam as openly as ever. The Meccans complained to Ibn-ud-Daghna. He requested Abu Bakr not to make his position difficult. To this Abu Bakr replied, "I do not need your protection. Allah is enough for me."

The Title of "Siddiq"

I n the tenth year of his mission, the holy Prophet had the Miraj of Ascension. One night the angel Gabriel came with the word that Allah the Almighty wanted the holy Prophet to come all the way up to the highest heaven. The holy Prophet undertook the journey.

In the morning, after the ascension had taken place, the holy Prophet talked to people about the Miraj. This drew the jeers of his enemies.

"Look!" the howled out, "what nonsense he talks! Surely, now his followers too will laugh at him. Who is going to believe in such a midsummer night dream?"

The talk was going on when Abu Bakr came up. "Do you know, Abu Bakr, what news your friend has for you in the morning?" said one of the mean. "He says he was on the highest heaven last night, having a talk with Allah, the Almighty. Would you believe it?"

"I would believe anything that the Messenger of Allah says," replied Abu Bakr

When the holy Prophet learnt of this, he at once said, "Abu Bakr is the ..Siddiq'." ..Siddiq' is a person so sincere of heart that doubts never mar his love. Abu Bakr earned this title because of his faith was too strong to be shaken by anything.

Migration to ....Medina....

W hen the Meccans were intent on putting out, once and for all, the light of Islam, Allah commanded the holy Prophet to move to ....Medina..... In the burning heat of the ..midday.. sun, there was a knock at Abu Bakr's door. He ran to the door and found the Messenger of Allah standing outside. "I must leave for ....Medina.... tonight," said he.

"Will I also have the honor of going with you?" asked Abu Bakr eagerly.

"Of course," came the reply. "Set about getting things ready."

Abu Bakr was beside himself with joy. "I have been looking forward to this day for months," he exlaimed. "I have specifically kept two camels to carry us to ....Medina....."

It was Abu Bakr who made all the arrangements for the historic journey. for three days he and the Prophet lay hidden in the Thaur cave. Abu Bakr's slave tended the flocks of goats near the cave all day and supplied them fresh milk for food. His son, Abdullah, brought news about what the Meccans were doing.

The Meccans were searching for the holy Prophet like mad hounds. Once they came right to the mouth of the cave. Abu Bakr grew pale with fright. He feared, not for himself, but for the Prophet. However, the holy Prophet remained perfectly calm. "Do not fear," he said to Abu Bakr, "certainly Allah is with us."

Of all the companions, Abu Bakr had the honor of being with the Prophet during the most critical days of his life. Abu Bakr knew full well what this honor meant. And he did full justice to the trust put in him.

Participation in Battles

A bu Bakr took part in all the battles that the holy Prohpet had to fight. All his life, he fought bravely under the banner of the Prophet. At Ohud and Hunain, some of the men showed weakness. They forgot to do their duty. But Abu Bakr's faith never wavered. He always stood like a rock by the side of the Prophet.

At Badr, one of Abu Bakr's sons, who had not yet embraced Islam, was fighting on the side of the Meccan. Afterwards, when he became a Muslim, he one day said, "Father! at Badr you were twice under my sword. But my love for you held back my hand."

"Son!" remarked Abu Bakr, "if I had got that chance only once, you must have been no more."

When peace talks at Hudaibiya were going on, Abu Bakr sat by the side of the Prophet. During conversation, the spokesman of the Quraish ever now and then gave a jerk to the beard of the Prophet, after the Arab fashion. This was too much for Abu Bakr. He took out his sword and looked angrily at the man. "If that hand touches the beard of the Prophet again," he warned, "it will not be allowed to go back."

This amazed the Meccan agents. "What a change in Abu Bakr!" they whispered to one another. "He was known for soft-heartedness. How strong and firm he is now become! He is no longer the self-same Abu Bakr."

Tabuk was the last expedition of the holy Prophet. He was keen to make it a great success. He asked people to help the expedition with whatever they could. This time Abu Bakr beat all past records. He took all his money and household articles and heaped them at the Prophet's feet.

"Have you left back anything for your wife and children?" asked the holy Prophet.

"Allah and His Apostle are enough for them," replied Abu Bakr calmly. Those standing around were stunned. It was impossible to outdo Abu Bakr in the field of service to Islam.

The holy Prophet felt much pleased at this answer. He made Abu Bakr the standard-bearer of the expedition.

Abu Bakr's closeness to the Prophet and his boundless devotion to Islam won him universal respect. Not only was he the first man to accept Islam, he was also the foremost among Muslims to uphold the cause of Islam.

Agent to the Prophet

....Mecca.... fell in the eight year of Hijra. Kaaba was, for the first time, in the hands of Muslims. It had to be cleaned of the traces of idol-worship and the silly practices of pagan days. Hitherto pagan Arabs had done absurd things at the time of Hajj. They went around the House of Allah naked. They did many other foolish and unclean things. All this had to be stopped.

The first Hajj under Islam fell in the ninth year of Hijra. The holy Prophet was too busy at ....Medina.... to lead the Hajj himself. So he sent Abu Bakr as his agent. He was to lead the Hajj in place of the Prophet. Ali was also sent with Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr read the Khutba (Sermon) of Hajj. Then Ali stood up and read out to the people the commandments of Allah concerning the idolworshippers. From that year on, they were forbidden to enter the Kaaba.

Ever since he came to ....Medina...., the holy Prophet himself led prayers in the Prophet's Mosque. It was an unusually high office which the Messenger of Allah himself filled. During his last illness, the holy Prophet could no longer lead prayers. He grew too weak to go to the mosque. He had to appoint someone to act in his place. This honor also fell to the lot of Abu Bakr. Aisha, who was Abu Bakr's daughter and a wife of the holy Prophet, thought that the burden was too much for her tender-hearted father. She pleaded with the holy Prophet to excuse here father from this duty. But the holy Prophet did not change his mind.

Thus in the lifetime of the holy Prophet Abu Bakr came to fill the highest office under Islam. One day Abu Bakr was away on some business and Omar led the prayer in his absence. "This is not Abu Bakr's voice," remarked the ailing Messenger of Allah. "No one but he should lead prayers. He is the fittest person for this high office."

On the last day of his life, the condition of the holy Prophet became suddenly better for a while. It was early morning. Abu Bakr was leading the prayer in the mosque. The holy Prophet lifted the curtain of his door and fixed his gaze on the worshippers. They were busy in prayer under Abu Bakr's leadership. A smile lite up on the pale face of the holy Prophet. He let go of the curtain, as his weak hand could no longer hold it. But he was happy at the thought that he had chosen the best man to fill his place.

Abu Bakr Elected Caliph

A Critical Moment

The holy Prophet occupied a unique place among his people. He was everything to them. From warring ignorant pagans, he had made them a nation of peaceful, God-fearing people. They were "dead" as the Quran puts it and the holy Prophet had "raised them to life." So they rightly came to look upon him as the giver of life. Life without him seemed to be an empty thing.

The news of the Prophet's death came as a stunning shock to everyone. How could it be? He had been ill for some days, they all knew. But death was unbelievable. That simply could not be. A huge crows gathered in the mosque. No one knew what to do. There was utter confusion. Omar was so overcome with emotion that he drew his sword and declared, "If anyone says that the Messenger of Allah is dead. I will cut off his head!"

Things were in this state when Abu Bakr entered the mosque. Finding the holy Prophet better that morning, he had gone a few miles outside of ....Medina...., earlier in the day, but had come back on hearing the sad news. He took his stand in a corner of the courtyard and called out to the people. All eyes were turned towards him. Then he began his famous address:

"O people! If anyone among you worshipped Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead. But those who worship Allah, let him know that He lives and will never die. Let all of us recall the words of the Qur'an. It says, ..Muhammad is only a Messenger of Allah There have been Messengers before him. What then, will you turn back from Islam, if he dies or is killed?"

These words of Abu Bakr worked magic. In no time the confusion was gone. The words of the Qur'an swept of all doubts from people's minds. They got ready to face facts.

Election of Abu Bakr

The first problem before the people was the election of a new leader. There had to be a head of the State of things could not work. The need was too urgent to allow delay. Delay might have meant disorder and the undoing of all that the Messenger of Allah had done. The prophet of Allah had died but the head of the state had to live on.

The two big groups among Muslims were the Muhajirin (refugees from ....Mecca.... ) and the Ansar (helpers or the people of ....Medina....). The Ansar gathered together at Thaqifa Bani Saida, their meeting place, near the house of Saad bin Abada. The talk naturally centered around the election of a Caliph. Saad, the Ansar leader, stood up and said that the Caliph must be from among them. Many voices seconded him. One man, however, stood up and said, "But how about the Muhajirin? They have perhaps a better claim." "Then let there be two caliphs," suggested someone, "one from among the Ansar and the other from among the Muhajirin."

Someone told Abu Bakr what was going on at this gathering. He saw the need to act quickly or confusion might set in again. So taking with him a part of Muhajirin he went to Thaqif Bani Saida. He addressed the gathering and said, "Both the Muhajirin and the Ansar have done great services to Islam. But the former were the first to accept Islam. They were always very close to the Messenger of Allah. So, O Ansar, let the Caliph be from among them."

To this a man from the Khazraj tribe replied, "If you don't want a Caliph from among us, let there be two Caliphs, one an Ansari and the other a Muhajif."

"That won't work," said Abu Obaida bin Jarrah. "O Ansar, you are the people who made Islam strong now, don't do anything that may undo your work."

Hearing this, another man said, "O Ansar, if we did anything for Islam, we did it to please Allah and His Apostle. We did not thereby oblige anybody. This should not be made a plea to win office. Listen, the holy Prophet belonged to the Quraish tribe. The Quraish have a greater right to fill his place. By Allah, I do not think it right to quarrel with them over this matter. Fear Allah, and do not oppose them."

This speach of a man from among them silenced the Ansar. They agreed to have a Muhajif as the Caliph. So Abu Bakr said, "Friends, I think either Omar or AbuObaida should be the Caliph. Chose one of these two gentleman."

Hearing this both Omar and Abu Obaida jumped to their feet, and exlaimed, "O Siddiq, how can that be? How can anyone else fill this office as long as you are among us? You are the top man among the Muhajirin. You were the companion of the holy Prophet in the ....Thaur.. ..Cave..... You led prayers in his place, during his last illness. Prayer is the foremost thing in Islam. With all these qualifications, you are the fittest person to be the successor of the holy Prophet. Hold out your hand that we many pledge loyatly to you."

But Abu Bakr did not stretch out his hand. Omar saw that delay might lead to the reopening of the whole question. That could easily create difficulties. So he himself took Abu Bakr's hand and pledged loyalty to him. Others followed his example. Men from all sides rushed to pledge loyalty to the successor of the Prophet. Abu Bakr became Caliph by the general consent of the people.

The First Address

On the following day, Abu Bakr went to the Prophet's mosque Here people took the general oath of loyalty. When this was over, Abu Bakr mounted the pulpit as the Caliph of Islam. Then he spoke to the gathering as follows:

"O people, I have been elected your leader, although I am not better than anyone from among you. If I do any good, give me your support. If I go wrong, set me right. Listen, truth is honesty and untruth is dishonesty. The weak among you are powerful in my eyes, as long as I do not get them their due, Allah willing. The powerful among you are weak in my eyes, as long as I do not take away from them what is due to others, Allah willing."

"Listen, if people give up striving for the cause of Allah, Allah sends down disgrace on them. If a people become evil doers, Allah sends down calamities on them."

"Listen, you must obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Messenger. If I disobey Allah and His Messenger, you are free to disobey me."

Such was the Magna Carta granted by the first Caliph of Islam to his people, on the first day of his rule, without their asking. Abu Bakr showed by his example that in Islam government means government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Ali's Delay

F or six months Ali and some of his relatives did not pledge loyalty to Abu Bakr. That was because of a difference of opinion with the Caliph. The holy Prophet had some land at ....Medina.... and Khaibar. His daughter, Fatima, and his uncle, Abbas, laid claim to this land. But Abu Bakr set aside the claim, in the light of what the holy Prophet himself had said. "We Prophets cannot be inherited," was his saying; "whatever we leave behind is public property."

..Fatima.. new nothing of this saying of her father. She thought she was perfectly right in her claim. This created a little bitterness in her mind, and the mind of her husband, Ali. The hypocrites were quick to add to the misunderstanding.

But Abu Bakr and Ali were equally unselfish. During ..Fatima..'s illness, Abu Bakr himself went to see her and cleared away the misunderstanding. After her death, Ali went to Abu Bakr and said, "O Siddiq, we admit your superiority. We do not envy the position Allah has given you. But as relatives of the holy Prophet, we thought Caliphate to be our right. You had taken away this right of ours."

These words brought tears in Abu Bakr's eyes and he said, "By Allah, the relatives of the Prophet are dearer to me than my own relatives."

The assurance satisfied Ali. He went to the mosque and publicly took the pledge of loyalty.

Usama's Expedition

Some weeks before his death, the holy Prophet has nominated Usama to lead an expedition against ....Syria..... He was to avenge the death of his father, Zaid, the freed slave of the holy Prophet. Zaid was killed by the Syrians in the battle of Muta. The preparations of the expedition were under way when the holy Prophet fell seriously ill and passed away. That help up Usama's expedition for some weeks. As soon as Abu Bakr became Caliph, the first thing he thought of was the sending out of the expedition.

The death of the holy Prophet led some people to think that Islam was going to end with him. Many tribes had entered the fold of Islam only a short time before. They were by no means firm in the new faith. Many of them, now, showed signs of bolting out of the fold of Islam. Abu Bakr was facing a difficult situation.

But Abu Bakr had to carry out the commands of the Prophet at all costs. He was determined to send out the expedition planned by the Messenger of Allah. Some of the companions said that he had better drop the idea for the time being. Trouble was brewing all around, they said. It was unwise to send troups out when they were urgently needed at home. But Abu Bakr would not listen to them. "How can I fold up the flag," he asked, "which the holy Prohet himself unfurled? It is simply unthinkable."

Then someone suggested that Usama was too raw - he was below twenty - to lead the expedition. It was wiser to put a more experienced man in command. The suggestion made Abu Bakr angry. "What right have I," he demanded, "to dismiss a man appointed by the Messenger of Allah?"

So the expedition left under Usama, about three weeks after the passing away of the holy Prophet. Abu Bakr accompanied Usama some distance out of ....Medina..... The youthful commander was riding a horse, while the Caliph walked by his side. Usama said, "O successor of the holy Prophet, you also get on a horse and allow men to get down."

"By Allah," replied Abu Bakr, "I will agree to neither of the two things. What harm is there is there if a little dust falls on my feet, while I go some steps in the way of Allah? For every step one takes in Allah's way, one gets the reward of seven hundred good deeds."

Omar was also one of the men under Usama's command. But Abu Bakr needed him, at ....Medina...., for purposed of advice. So he made a request to Usama, to allow Omar to remain in ....Medina..... The request was granted.

Before the Caliph bade farewell to Usama, he gave him much useful advice. Some of it was:

"Look! Be not dishonest. Do not deceive anyone. Do not hide the booty you get. Do not mutilate anyone. Do not kill the aged, the children and the women. Do not set fire to date-palms. Do not cut down fruit trees. Do not slaughter a goat, or a cow, or a camel, except for purposes of food. You will come across people who have give up the world and are sitting in monasteries. Leave them alone."

Usama's expedition proved very successful. He raided the frontier districts of ....Syria.... and was back in ....Medina.... after forty days.

The expedition had another good result. It proved an eye-opener to those who thought Islam was dying out. They had a clear proof that Islam was still able to challenge one of the greatest powers of the world. This overawed the wavering tribes. Some of the tribes which had left Islam actually, rentered its fold.

The Imposters

A bu Bakr soon found the country in the grip of a civil war. The outlying provinces, like ..Nejd.., were the first to create trouble. They had accepted Islam when it seemed to be the only safest way to follow. They knew nothing of the true spirit of Islam. For centuries they had known no outside authority. They were wont to be as free as the winds that sweep across the desert. Islam put them under discipline. They had to live by the moral laws of Islam. The drinking and gambling of the "days of ignorance" were no more. The wild spirit of the desert rebelled against this moral control. It saw its oppurtunity in the death of the holy Prophet. Now was the time to throw off the yoke of Islam.

The one thing which was especially irk-some to the chiefs of these tribes was the poor-rate. The government at ....Medina.... took away from them, each year, two and a half per cent of their total wealth. True, this money was spent on the poor of their own tribe. But all the same, it was a burden on their pockets. If only ....Medina.... would stop collecting the poor-rate, they could continue to be Muslims. Many chiefs made this decision known to the Caliph.

A more serious trouble also raised its head at the same time. People who had spent no time with the holy Prophet, nor studied him closely, thought of him as a mere ruler. The more clever among such people began to dream of a similar career. "All we have to do," they thought to themselves, "is to claim to be prophets and get a following." Thus they hoped to rise to power and fame. Many a cunning man fell prey to this ambition. Presently, a host of imposters appeared in different parts of ..Arabia... They all claimed to be apostles of Allah.

Firm Action

The situation was serious. Utmost care was needed to handle it. Abu Bakr called a meeting of the Advisory Counsel and sought its advice. Many of the members were for slow action. "It is not wise," they said, "to start fighting on all fronts at one and the same time. Ignore those, for the time being, who refuse to pay the poor-rate. We can settle with them when imposters have been dealt with."

Abu Bakr would not listen to such counsel. "By Allah," he declared, "even if a single kid is due from a man, he must give it. If he refuses. I will wage war against him. If others do not support me, I will fight alone. No one has the power to change a commandment of Allah."

However, the situation was extremely difficult. Among the non-payers of the poor-rate were the neighbouring tribes of Abs and Zabyan, Asad and Toy. They thought of squeezing a concession from the Caliph before Usma's army was back in ....Medina..... They sent a deputation to the Caliph, offering to stay withing the fold of Islam if they were exempted from paying the poor-rate.

True to his mettle, Abu Bakr firmly turned down the proposal. At the same time, he set about strengthening the defences of ....Medina...., for he expected a treacherous attack from the rebel tribes.

On the third night the treacherous blow came. But Abu Bakr was ready for it. He hit back so hard that the enemy fled back headlong.

In a few days Usama was back in ....Medina..... The Caliph decided to march in person against the treacherous tribes. People begged him not to risk his life but Abu Bakr would not listen. Leaving Usama in ....Medina.... as his deputy, the Caliph led an army against Abs and Zabyan and utterly defeated these tribes. Their pastures were taken over for army use.

This firm action on the part of the Caliph convinced many a waverer that it was impossible to accept part of Islam and reject part of it. That saved the integrity of Islam as a way of life. Abu Bakr's invincible faith helped Islam keep its foundation in tact.

War on Imposters

Each battalion was put under the command of an experienced commander.

The commanders were then told to march against different imposters.

Before these armies left, a general warning was given to the imposters and their followers. They were assured of pardon if they came back to Islam. The Caliph gave the following instructions to his commanders:

"I request the soldiers of Islam to fear Allah, under all conditions. They should do their best to obey the commandments of Allah. They should fight against those who have left Islam and have fallen in the trap of the devil. But before taking out swords, they must declare the message of Islam. If the apostates accept it, they must at once hold back their hands. But if the message is rejected, they must attack and fight till these people give up disbelief. When the apostates re-enter the fold of Islam, the commander of the Muslim army must explain to them their rights and duties under Islam. They should be given their rights and should be made to do their duties. The commander should keep his men from hasty action and mischief. He should avoid a headlong plunge into enemy settlements. He should rather enter them after making sure of all precautions, lest Muslims suffer a loss. Whether he is on the march of in the camp, the commander should be kind and considerate towards his men. He should look to their comfort and should be gentle in speech."

The Caliph explained these instructions to the commanders. Then they led their battalions against the several imposters.

Abu Bakr then came back to ....Medina..... He had already forced the waverers among Muslims to pay Zakat (the poor-rate). Now he launched an all-out attack on imposters and their followers.

Talaiha

Taliaha was one of the imposters. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Asad. On return from the last pilgramage, he laid claim to prophethood. All his tribesman became his followers. The tribes of ..Tay.. and Ghatfan were the allies of Banu Asad. They also joined the imposter. With his huge following, Talaiha was encamping at the Bazakha spring in ..Nejd... Khalid bin Walid defeated the imposter who fled to ....Syria..... Afterwards, he again became a Muslim. He served in the Muslim army during the Iraqi campaign and tried to make amends for his past sins.

Malik bin Nawirah

Khalid next marched against Malik bin Nawirah. He was the chief of the trib of Banu Tamim. He had stopped the payment of the poor-rate and had made war on the Muslims of his tribe. Hearing of Khalid's approach, he disbanded his men. Khalid put him and his men under arrest. The night happened to be unusually cold and the prisoners started shivering. The matter was reported to Khalid who ordered that they be warmed up. But the Arabic phrase for "warming up" also means "salying". Misunderstanding the order, the guards put Malik and his men to the sword.

In the morning when Khalid came to know of Maliks's fate, he felt very sorry. But there was nothing he could do about it. "When Allah has ordained a thing," he said, "it does come to pass." Complaints reached the Caliph that Khalid had not acted on his instructions in this particular case. There was a demand that Khalid be punished for the hasty act. Abu Bakr himself paid bloodmoney for Malik bin Nawirah. "Khalid is the sword of Allah," he said. "This sword has flashed against the disbelievers. Who am I to make it disappear?"

Musailma the Liar

Musailma was the most cunning of all imposters. He belonged to Yamama. When he learnt of the serious illness of the holy Prophet, he wrote him a letter, saying, "Allah has made me your partner in prophethood. Let us divide the earth between ourselves." To this the holy Prophet replied, "To Musailma the Liar! Surely the earth belongs to Allah. He grants possession of it to those of His servants whom He likes."

The death of the holy Prophet gave Musailma the oppurtunity. He collected a large army. This army had first to deal with an impostress - Sajah by name. She ws a Christian. After the death of the holy Prophet, she laid claim to prophethood, "why should all prophets be men?" she said. "In me Allah has now sent a woman prophet." She raised a big army and was marching towards ....Medina..... On the way she came across Musailma's forces. The shrewd imposter at once saw that Sajah was a serious rival. He also felt that he could not defeat her on the battlefield. So he started a love affair, Sajah easily fell into the trap. The two were married. Now Musailma had a huge army, 4,000 strong, under his command.

The battalion under Ikrama bin Abu Jahl was to attack Musailma. The battalion under Shurjil was to reinforce it. Ikrama had orders to wait for the reinforcement. But, hoping to get the whole credit for himself, Ikrama did not wait for Shurjil. He attacked Musailma and was badly beaten. The news made Abu Bakr sad. He at once wrote to Khalid bin Walid to deal with Musailma. The combined battalions of Khalid and Shurjil now fell upon the imposter. Musailma fought desperatley. Once his men reached the very tent of Khalid. But Khalid kept his nerve. He rallied his men and himself led a final attack. Confounded by the suddenness of the attack, Musailma's men took to flight. The imposter and a few of his companions hid themselves in a fortified garden but the Muslim warriors threw open the gates. The infamous imposter and his friends were all put to the sword. Among those who killed Musailma was Wahshi, the negro slave who had killed Hamza, the uncle of the holy Prophet at Ohud. He had done this to win his freedom. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, had promised to buy him his freedom if he slew Hamza. After the fall of ....Mecca...., Wahshi became a Muslim. The Holy Prophet forgave him but said, "Please Wahshi, keep out of my sight. You remind me of my dear uncle."

Wahshi had always felt sorry for his sin. He wanted to wash it out. The battle against Musailma gave him his chance. His javelin was in search of the imposter. With great skill he sank the poisoned end of his javelin into the imposter. The wretch gave a yell and fell to the ground. The next moment his head was cut off. "Thank Allah!" exclaimed Wahshi, "I have been able to make some amends for my sin."

Musailma belonged to the tribe of Banu Hanifa. Orders were received from the Caliph that all mean of the tribe who had taken up arms against Islam should be put to death. But Khalid had already promised to spare their lives. So his wod was honored and the whol tribe re-imbraced Islam.

....Bahrain....

The people of ....Bahrain.... embraced Islam in the lifetime of the holy Prophet. After his death a powerful tribe, Banu Bakr, threw off the yoke of Islam and started fighting against Muslims. Abu Bakr sent a battalino under ....Ala.... bin Hadrami, to deal with the rebel tribe. The Banu Bakr were defeated. Their leader, Hatim, was killed. ....Bahrain.... was once again secure under Muslim rule.

Some tribes of Omman also gave up Islam. The generals of Abu Bakr brought them all back into the fold of Islam.

Thus in a few months Abu Bakr was able to put down the country-wide rising caused by imposters. Khalid bin Walid did more than any other man to make this possible.

The Era of Conquest Begins

The kings of ....Iran.... had done all they could to crush Islam. In fact, the infamous Khusro Parvez had ordered the arrest of the holy Prophet. But a few days after, he was killed by his own son, Sharuya. Since that day, ....Iran.... had known no peace. Abu Bakr had to take account of the ever-present danger on the eastern frontiers.

In the first month of the year 12 A.H., Khalid bin Walid was sent with an army to challenge the might of ....Iran..... Another army under Qaqaa bin Amr was to reinforce him. Khalid was to attack Kamla, the southern outpost of the Iranian empire.

A second army, under Ayaz bin Ghanam, was to strike at the norther boundary of ....Iraq.....

According to the Islamic practice, Khalid addressed the following letter to Hurmuz, the Iranian Commander: "Accept Islam and you will be safe. If not, agree to pay the jizya or you will have to repent. I am bringing against you a people who love death as you love life."

The proud Iranian Commander paid no heed to the warning. He was slain in the battle that followed. The Iranian army was utterly routed. After this a number of well-known Iranian generals came to fight Khalid. Bahman and Jahan were two of them. But they all met defeat. The Iranian losses were heavy.

Hira, on the Iranian border, ws the stronghold of the Christian Arabs. They had so far fought on the Iranian side. Khalid conquered Hira. Soon after, the other frontier chiefs also submitted to Khalid.

After Hira, Khalid conquered Anbar and Ain-ut-Tamr, two important outposts of the Iranian empire. He now received a letter from Ayaz, calling him to his help in ..North Iraq... Ayaz was hard pressed at Dumat-ul-Jundal. Khalid rushed to his help and sent the following message to Ayaz:

"Wait for a while. Camels carrying fierce lions are shortly reaching. Wave after wave of troops are on their way."

One of the enemy generals, Akidar, knew from his own experience how impossible it was to halt Khalid's attack. He advised the other generals to stop fighting against the Muslims. When the advice went unheeded, he quietly left. His friends saw the truth of his remarks when they met humiliating engagement took place at Faraz. A huge force made of Iranians and Arabs crosed the ..Euphrates... On the 15th of Dhul-Qaad, 12 A.H., Khalid routed this host at Faraz. From here he went back to Hira.

Khalid's Exploits

Abu Bakr had no more than ten thousand troops when he took over as Caliph. With this small force, he had to put down a country-wide revolt. To all appearance the task was hopeless. But Abu Bakr met with amazing success. Much of this success was due to his unshakable faith in Allah. "Islam is the path of truth revealed by Allah," he said, "so Allah must defend it against enemies." It was not so much on troops as on Allah's help that Abu Bakr depended. Results proved that he was right in his faith.

There was, however, another important factor which helped Abu Bakr. This was Khalid bin Walid, the greatest general of Islam. His tact and courage made the small forces of Islam look ten times stronger. The results were simply astonishing. With a handful of troops Khalid was able not only to overcome all internal enemies but also to make ..Arabia.. safe for Islam. He was then able to jump on ....Iraq.... and win it for Islam. From ....Iraq.... he marched against the Byzantine forces and put them to rout. All this took place in the space of two years. Throughout the campaign not even once did Khalid meet with a reverse. By forced marches, he often gave a surprise to the enemy and did not rest till he overpowered them. This made Khalid the dread of the enemy. The truth is that Khalid's exploits put to shame the victories of an Alexander or a Napolean.

Allah's Sword

Khalid bin Walid was born a general. At Ohud, he fought on the side of the Quraish. It was he who turned the tide of that battle. Muslim victory was clearly in sight. Quraish leaders were on the run. Suddenly Khalid saw the pass at the back of the Muslim army undefended. At the head of a strong party, he dashed through the pass and took the army of Islam by surprise.

After the peace of Hudaibiya Khalid embraced Islam. His military talent soon began to outshine others. The Holy Prophet at once saw his worth and gave him the title of "Saif Allah" or "Allah's Sword." But it was not till Islam overleaped the boundaries of ..Arabia.. that the world saw Khalid's unequalled military talent.

Abu Bakr was quick to see Khalid's ability. So he put him in charge of the Iraqi campaign. Khalid's exploits in this campaign have few equals in history. In about eleven months, he over-ran the whole of ....Iraq.... and brought it under the banner of Islam. He had no more than ten thousand men. With this small force he defeated hosts twenty times as big. These hosts had superior arms and equipment. But Khalid knew how to win with smaller numbers and inferior arms.

In Iraq Khalid fought fifteen battles in all. He won complete victory in all of them. He never allowed the standard of Islam to leave the battlefield until the enemy was completely beaten. Towards the later part of the campaign, Khalid became the dread of the enemy. The mere fact that Khalid commanded an army made the enemy tremble.

A Good Administrator

Khalid was not only a great conqueror but also a first-rate administrator. He saw to it that things were managed well in the cities and territories he conquered. He never marched on until this had been done. He left behind a deputy to look after things. He also appointed a judge to settle people's disputes.

Khalid was extremely kind hearded and just to the people. His army had strict orders not to do any harm to farmers and other civilians. "They are the real strength of society," he said. "They should always be treated with kindness and respect." This was something new for the conquered people. The Iranian and Byzantine officers had been very hard on them. Khalid's treatment won their hearts. So much so that they came to hate their old masters.

Hard on the Enemy

Khalid was very hard on people who took up arms against Islam. He believed that such people should have only two choices. They should either give in or fight to death. If they fled from the battlefield, he would not let them go. He followed them wherever they went, until they either begged for mercy or were killed.

This policy of Khalid proved very sound. He dealt with the beaten enemy once and for all. He did not allow them to take up arms a second time. Muslim forces were too small to deal with repeated risings.

There is hardly another general in history who combines as many qualities as Khalid. Khalid is unquestionable the greates general produces by Islam.

War with Byzantian

The need for military operations against ....Byzantium.... began to be felt in the life-time of the Holy Prophet. So Abu Bakr was bound to do something about this danger. In the year 13 A.H., he prepared a big army and divided it into four battalions. Each battalion was put under a separate commander. Each of them was to strike at a different point on the Syrian border. Abu Obaida bin Jarrah was to march on Hims, Amr bin al-Aas on ....Palestine...., Yazid bin Abi Sufyan on ....Damascus.... and Shurjil bin Hasna on ....Jordan.....

These battalions were to strike at the enemy at once and the same time. The aim was to keep the enemy from hitting with full force on anyone of the battalions.

Before these armies left, Abu Bakr gave the following instructions to their commanders:

1. Always fear Allah. He knows what is in men's hearts.
   
   
2. Be kind to the men under you and treat them well.
   
   
3. Directions given should be brief. If too long, they are likely to be forgotten.
   
   
4. Improve your conduct first; others will improve when they see your example>
   
   
5. Honor the representatives of the enemy.
   
   
6. Keep your own arrangement a secret.
   
   
7. Be always truthful so you can get good advice.
   
   
8. At night when you are free, sit among your men. This will keep you in touch with them.
   
   
9. Make good arrangements for the watch and ward of the army.
   
   
10. Keep away from untruthful men. Be intimate with truthful and faithful companions.
    
    
11. Be sincere to all whom you have dealings.
    
    
12. Beward of cowardice and dishonesty.
    
    
13. You will come across people who have given up the world and are spending their days in place of worship. Leave such people alone.

The ....Battle.... of Yarmuk

Heraclius learnt that the four Muslim armies had merged into one. He also ordered a smiliar move. The four Byzantine armies combined to fomr a gigantic mass of men. They dug up trenches in the ....valley.. of ..Yarmuk..... By the Caliph's orders the Muslim forces, too, took up position on the opposite side. For weeks the two armies lay facing each other. Neither of the two sides dared to touch on the fighting.

The Byzantine forces had every advantage on their side. In addition to numbers, they had the river in front and the mountains at their back. So the Muslim commanders requested the Caliph for reinforcements. HE at once wrote to Khalid to rush to ....Syria.....

Khalid handed over the charge of affairs in ....Iraq.... to Muthanna bin Haritha. He then hastened to ....Syria.... at the head of ten thousand men. Despite all his haste, Khalid conquered many forts and cities on the way. At last he reached Yarmuk. Almost at the same time, the Byzantine army received a reinforcement. The brought their total strength to two hundred and forty thousand. The Muslim army numbered just thirty-six thousand.

Khalid Reorganizes the Army

Khalid at once saw that he must properly organize the army, in order to win. It meant a single command, in place of the four commands. So he called the other commanders and said, "We are fighting for the sake of the faith. We must all forget ourselves. We cannot afford to be split under many commanders. That would be a help to the enemy. Let there be just one commander, by turns if you please. If you agree to that let me be the commander for the first day of the battle."

All liked the plan. Khalid took the chief command. He divided the army into several sections. Each section was put under a commander. It was further subdivided into many troops, each with a leader. Abu Sufyan was appointed the fiery herald. He went about the army, speaking words of courage to men.

As the two armies stood facing each other, a Muslim soldier remarked. "How numerous the enemy is!" Khalid overheard the remark. "It is not the numbers that matter," he exlaimed, "it is rather the final outcome of the battle."

At long last the battle began. Khalid took some troops with him. He made a wild charge and was soon in the heart of enemy forces. He succeeded in driving a wedge between the enemy cavalry and infantry. The two were cut off from each other.

Fighting unto Death

Ikrama bin Abu Jahl was fighting at Yarmuk. Soon after the battle began, the Muslim troops began to real under the weight of numbers. Ikrama saw this. "Heretofore I fought all battles against the Apostle of Allah," he shouted out. "This is the first time I am fighting for the cause of Allah. In no casse will I turn my back on the battlefield. Now who are going to fight unto death with me?"

Saying this, Ikrama held out his hand to receive the pledge of others. His son, Amr, was the first go give the pledge. He was followed by four hundred more. Like wild cats, these men pounced upon the enemy hordes. They dealt such telling blows that the sea of man cleared before them. Their desperate attack caused confusion among enemy ranks.

Rout of the Enemy

Soon the enemy cavalry found itself walled between Khalid's troops and the main Muslim army. Confusion spread and they fled. The Muslim army made was for them to flee.

Now Khalid fell on the enemy infrantry. THe shield of the cavalry being no more, the infantry was take by surprise. In utter confusion it fell back. But the mountain blocked the way. In despair men ran back to the river. Here a watery death awaited them. Most of the men had tied themselves with iron chains to rule out the possibility of flight. The chains proved traps of death. When a few of the men fell into the river, they also dragged their companions into the watery grave. According to one estimate, one hundred and twenty thousand of them were drowned in the river. The Byzantine rout was complete. The Muslims loss was three thousand killed.

Women's Courage

Muslim women played a notable role in this battle. They formed a battalion which stood at the back of the army. They supplied water to the men. They also dressed their wounds. They shouted words of courage when the army showed signs of weakness. These words put a new heart into retreating men. They dashed forth like lightning and sowed death among enemy lines.

The Byzantine army at first forced the Muslims to fall back. Muslim women stood on a bridge. Khalid came to them and said, "O daughters of Islam, if anyone turns his back on the battlefield, kill him at once."

The women did what Khalid bade them to do. They stood at their post of duty. They had stones at their post of duty. They had stones in their hands and their eyes were fixed on the battlefield. If anyone fled for life, he was met by a shower of stones. Back he ran into the thick of battle and fought to the last.

Many Muslim soldiers had brought their families with them. The women stayed in tents at the back of the troops. Their words of courage for the brave and their taunts for the weak of heart, made a real difference in the tempo of fighting and in the outcome of the battle. Victory of Yarmuk was in no small measure due to the courage of Muslim women.

Two Great Martyrs

On the following morning Khalid took stock of his losses. Ikrama and his son, Amr, were brought to him. They were seriously wounded. Their condition was grave. Khalid put their heads on his lap. In a few minutes, the souls of both of them winged their way to heaven.

Ikrama was the son of Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam. When ....Mecca.... fell, Ikrama fled away for fear of life. But hearing that the Prophet had forgiven all enemies, he came back to ....Mecca..... To his surprise, the Prophet ran out to greet him. From that day on, Ikrama was a true son of Islam. He laid down his life fighting for the glory of Islam.

Unparalleled Selflessness of Khalid

The battle of Yarmuk was on when a letter arrived from ....Medina..... It was delivered to Khalid. It said that Abu Bakr had passed away and Omar has succeded him as Caliph. IT also said that the new Caliph had dismissed Khalid from his command and replaced him by Abu Obaida bin Jarrah. Khalid read the letter. He then informed Obaida that the command had passed to him. But the news was not made public, lest the army should lose heart. The letter had no effect whatever on Khalid. He went on fighting as desperatley as ever.

After the battle was over, Khalid's dismissale became known. Someone said to him, "How is it that the news did not damp your spirit at all?" "I was not fighting for Omar," replied Khalid, "I was fighting for the cause of Allah."

Abu Bakr's Last Illness

On the 7th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 13 A.H., Abu Bakr was taken ill. He had sever fever. Everything was done to bring down the fever, but all in vain. It became clear to the aged Caliph that his end was come.

Even in these last days, the thought that troubled Abu Bakr was the future of Islam. He wanted to make sure that nothing would go wrong with the affairs of Muslims, after he was no more. He had to spend every ounce of his energy to put down the violent storms of unrest that broke loose after the Prophet's death. He did not want this to happen after his own death.

Omar's Nomination

Welfare of Muslims had always been the first care of Abu Bakr. He would allow nothing that made Islam weak. The thing he feared most was division among Muslims. He remembered what had happened after the death of the Holy Prophet. He wanted to make sure that no differences should divide Muslims after he was no more. Unity was the secret strength. Unity must be had at any price.

As his sickness grew, Abu Bakr gave more and more thought to the matter. Who should be the Caliph after him? Should he himself name the best man? Or should he leave the matter to the people? In the latter case, quarrels might arise. These would certainly shake the very foundations of Islam. IT was too great a risk. Abu Bakr was not willing to take that risk.

After careful thought, he chose to nominate Omar. He put his proposal before the leading Companions. Most of them liked the proposal. But someone said, "Omar is no doubt the best man, but he is rather too strict."

To this Abu Bakr replied, "As soon as the burden of Caliphate falls on his shoulders, he will become more mild."

When all Companions agreed, Abu Bakr called Othman. He dictated to him Omar's nomination. It was read out to the people. It said:

"This is the will of Abu Bakr, the Caliph of the Holy Prophet. He is making the will when he is about to leave for the next world. This is the time when even a non-believer begins to believe and even a sinner begins to trust in Allah. I appoint Omar bin Khattab as your ruler. In appointing him, I have kept your welfare fully in mind. I hope he will be truthful and just. But if he leaves his path and becomes unjust, I know nothing about the unseen, I have only the well-being of Muslims at heart. Everybody is responsible for what he does."

The will was read out to the people. After this Abu Bakr went to the top of his house, supported by two men. Addressing the people he said:

"My brethren in-faith, I have not appointed any of my own brothers and relatives as your Caliph. I have appointed a man who is the fittest person among you. Do you approve of him?"

"Of course we do," went up a shout from hundreds of men.

Next he called Omar to his bedside and spoke to him thus:

"Omar! I have nominated you my successor. My parting advice is that you fear Allah and work for the well-being of the Muslims. Remember, Omar, the duties you own to Allah are to be discharged at the proper time. Some of these are to be discharged at night and some during the day time. First things must come first. On the Day of Judgment only those will come out successful whose good deeds are weighty. Those whose evil deeds out-weigh the good deeds, will have a terrible time. For success and salvation, you have to make the Qur'an and the truth your guides. You know, Omar, that the verses of the Qur'an speak of good reward and punishment side by side. This is to put the fear of Allah in the believer's heart and to make him pray for forgiveness. Omar, when you read in the Qur'an about the inmate of fire, pray to Allah not to make you one of them. But when you read about the dwellers of ..Paradise.., pray for being one of them Omar, if you follow the path I have chalked out fo ryou, you will find me by your side."

When OMar had left the dying Caliph raised his hands in prayer and said:

"Lord! I have taken this step in the best interest of the Muslims. I feared disunion among them, so I took this step, the consequences of which are best known to You. After careful thought I have appointed a man who is the sinceristy and the most energetic worker for the well-being of the people. I am at death's door now, so help the Muslims, Lord after I am no more. THye are Your servants. Their future is in Your hands. Lord, keep their rules on the right path. Make Omar one of the noblest Caliphs and help the Muslims help him."

Abu Bakr Passes Away

After an illness of two weeks, Abu Bakr passed away. He was sixty-three at the time. He was buried by the side of the Holy Prophet.

Before his death he said, "Do not use new cloth to cover my dead body. The sheet of cloth I have on will do for me. Wash it clean."

"But this is too old and worn, father," said his daughter Aisha.

"This old and worn sheet will do for me," he replied.

This parting wish was acted upon. The second wish of the dying Caliphs was, "Sell my land and pay back in the public treasury all the money I got as my salary." This was also done. Before he became the Caliph, Abu Bakr was a well-to-day merchant. The affairs of the Caliphate left him no time to look after his own business. The matter was put before the Companions. They allowed the Caliph a salary of six thousand dirhams a year. All this money was paid back to the Bait-ul-Mal (the Public Treasury) after the Caliph's death.

Thus Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, left behind a noble example of selfless service. He lived and worked for Islam to the last breath. And for his tireless labors, he sought no worldly reward.

Two Years of Abu Bakr's Calpihate

Abu Bakr was Caliph for only two years, three months and ten days. This was a relatively short period of time in the life of people. But during this short period, Abu Bakr was able to do great things for Islam. These achievements have made his name immortal. They have placed him among the greatest men of all time.

When Abu Bakr too over, Islam was confined to ..Arabia.. alone. And here, too its hold was rather shaky. In many parts of the country, Islam was but a name. It was not a way of life with most people. Scores of tribes had thought of the Holy Prophet has a mere king. They tried to throw off his yoke as soon as he was no more. Abu Bakr taught these people a lasting lesson. He taught them that Islam was a way of life.

Abu Bakr was able to do this because of his unshakable faith. No difficulties could take him off the path of the Prophet. Usama might be youthful and inexperienced, but Abu Bakr would not hear a word against him. He was appointed by the Prophet. There might be rising in the country, but Abu Bakr would not put off the expedition to Tabuk. The Prophet had ordered it. Abu Bakr stood unequalled in his love for Allah and His Apostle. This was the secret of his unbending strength. It was this inner strength that carried him through the darkest hours of his Caliphate.

Abu Bakr was as sincere as he was firm in faith. He lived up to every word of what he said at the beginning of his Caliphate. He was never anything but the faithful agent of Allah and His Apostle, and the humblest servant of his people. It was this fact which won him the deepest love and respect for all classes of his people. The result was that Islam took an unshakable hold on the coutrny of its birth. Soon it gathered enough strength to overlap its boundaries. It struck at the two most feared powers of the time. And lo! it was successful. Abu Bakr had put Islam on the road to worldwide expansion.

Islam means total submission to the will of Allah. It means that utter absence of all selfishness. The Holy Prophet showed by his example hwo that goal could be reached. He showed how the power of the State should not be used for private ends but for the public good. Abu Bakr was the first among his followers to live up to the Prophet's example. He go tno personal gain out of the Caliphate. He spent every minuted of the last two years of life in the service of his people, but got not a penny as wages.

Abu Bakr had several sons and many near relatives. For public offices, he did not choose anyone of them. He rather chose other people who were more fit for public service. He had to nominate his own successor to prevent quarrels. But his choice fell on none of his own relatives. His choice was rather the man whom he honestly believed to be the best among the Companions. All the same, he did not force his choice on people. He put his proposal before the Companions. When they had agreed to it, he put it before the people.

In short, Abu Bakr showed the world what government of the people, for the people, and by the people really meant. Neither the East nor the West had ever known such a form of government before. The mighty empires of ....Iran.... and ....Byzantium.... were based upon naked force.

In short Abu Bakr kept going the great work of the Prophet. For that he had to fight hard. He fought with a will and with a faith that amazed everyone. Islam is for ever grateful to him for the great services he rendered to it

The Great Men in islam<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />....

.. ..

The Four Caliphs :....

.. ..

1-Hazrat Abu Bakr....

2- Hazrat Umer....

3- Hazrat Usman....

4- Hazrat Ali

 Hazrat Omar bin Khattab....

The Second Caliph of Islam....

Early Life....

The mission of the Holy Prophet was still in the early stage. Islam was still weak and helpless. The chiefs of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />....Mecca.... were up against it. One night the Holy Prophet stood in the Kaaba, lost in thoughts. Presently he raised his hands and turned his eyes heavenward. "Lord!" he prayed, "make Islam strong with either of the two men, Amr bin Hisham or Omar bin Khattab." ....
The prayer was instantly granted. Allah chose Omar to serve Islam. Amr bin Hisham was to die as Abu Jahl( Father of Ignorance ). But Omar was to become a great pillar of strength for Islam. ....
Omar was twelve years younger than the Holy Prophet. He was the son of Khattab. His mother's name was Khatmah. He came of the Adi branch of the Quraish. Banu Adi were held in great respect. They acted as the agents of the Quraish in talks with other tribes. They als acted as judges in their disputes. ....
In early youth, Omar got training in methods of warfare. He also learnt the art of public speaking. From the outset, he showed unusual courage and frankness of manner. Eager to learn, he was earnest and thorough in whatever he undertook. These qualities won him a name in the country rather at an early age. As a trader, he had to travel to other lands. These travels brought him a wide knowledge and a deep understanding of men and things. ....

Acceptance of Islam....

Omar was twenty seven when the Holy Prophet began his mission. Young Omar was one of those who did not care to listen to the message of Islam. He was for the old way of life. As years went by, Islam made a slow headway. This made Omar angry. Do what the Meccan chiefs might, people who once went over to Islam never went back to their old faith. One of Omar's own maid-servants became a Muslim. He beat her as much as he could, but she would not give up the new faith. ....
At last in the sixth year of the ....Mission...., a number of Muslims left for ..Abyssinia... This made Omar boil with rage. "Here is a man," he thought to himself "who has split the people. People lived smoothly enough. He appeared on the scene He has torn son from father and brother from brother. Now his followers are running away to another land. Surely Muhammad is the cause of all trouble. I must slay him and put an end to the trouble." ....
With this resolve Omar drew his sword and set out to kill the Holy Prophet. On the way he met a friend who asked him why he looked so upset. Omar told him what he was going to do. "You better take care of your own kin first," said the friend, "Your sister and her husband have gone over to Islam." ....
These words changed the direction of Omar's anger. He went straight to the house of his sister, Fatima. He knocked at the door. Someone was reciting the Quran inside. ..Fatima.. was terrified when she heard Omar's voice. She hid the portion of the Quran she was reading and opened the door. ....
"What was it that you were reciting just now?" Omar demanded. ....
"Oh nothing," said the sister. ....
"Why nothing?" he shouted in rage. ....
"I have heard it alright. I know you both have accepted Muhammad's faith." ....
Saying this, he began to beat his brother-in-law, Saeed. ..Fatima.. ran to his help and got a blow to the head. The head began to bleed. This made the couple bold. "Yes, we have become Muslims," they shouted at Omar. "Do what you will." ....
The sight of the bleeding sister deeply moved Omar. ..Fatima.. was such a loving sister! Surely there must be some great truth in the Quran which had won her innocent heart. "Would you let me have a look at the Quran?" said Omar. ....
..Fatima.. handed him the few pages of the book she had. ....
Omar sat down to study the pages. Soon his face changed. His anger cooled down. The fear of Allah gripped his heart. He wept and declared, "Surely this is the word of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah." ....
Omar was again on his way to the place of the Holy Prophet. But he was not a changed man. He was not going to slay him but to embrace his faith. ....
The Holy Prophet was sitting in the company of some men. He saw Omar coming and asked, "Omar, what brings you here?" ....
"O Prophet of Allah!" replied Omar, "I have come to embrace Islam." ....
Great was the joy of the Holy Prophet and his followers. Loud shouts of "Allah is Great" rented the air of ....Mecca..... Soon everyone knew that Omar was no longer an enemy of Islam. It was a great day for Islam because one of its bitterest enemies had become its staunch follower. ....

The Title of Farooq....

The coming over of Omar made a difference for Islam. Hitherto, the Muslims had lived in constant fear of the non-believers. Some of them had not even made their faith known to the people. They could not say their prayers publicly. All this changed when Omar became a Muslim. ....
The first thing Omar did was to call together the chiefs of ....Mecca..... Before this gathering he declared himself a follower of Islam. They started at him in silence. No one had the courage to utter a word of reproach. ....
Omar next requested the Holy Prophet to say prayers in the Kaaba. He himself led a party of Muslims to that place. A second party was led by Hamza. When all had gathered, they said their prayers in congregation. The Holy Prophet led the prayer. This was the first prayer of its kind said in the Kaaba. ....
When migration to ....Medina.... started, the same thing happend again. Most of the Muslims left ....Mecca.... silently and secretly. But Omar would not do so. He put on his arms. Then he went to the Kaaba and said his prayer. The chiefs of ....Mecca.... looked at him in silence. After the prayer, he shouted out to them, "I am leaving for ....Medina..... If anyone wants to stop me let him meet me across the valley. His mother shall certainly have to weep for him in sorrow." ....
Despite this challenge, no Meccan would dare to stop Omar. These things earned for Omar the title of Farooq. Farooq is the one who makes a difference. Omar's acceptance of Islam had made a big difference for Islam and Muslims. ....

Devotion to the Prophet....

Omar stood by the side of the Prophet in all battles and expeditions. Great was his love for Allah and His Apostle. He never allowed any blood ties or friendship to stand in the way of this love. ....
The death of the Prophet was a stunning shock to Omar. He could not believe it, so much so that he drew his sword and swore that he would cut off the head of the man who said the Messenger of Allah was dead. He was overwhelmed with grief. Life without the Prophet was unthinkable, he thought. And if the Prophet was really no more, as people said, what was going to happen to Islam and the Muslims? These dark thoughts blotted out all reason from Omar's head. Not till Abu Bakr had reminded him of the clear verdict of the Quran on the point did he come to himself. Abu Bakr, during his calpihate, depended on Omar for advice. That was because the Master, in his life-time, gave great weight to what Omar said. ....

Conquest of ....Iraq........

After Khalid, Muthanna was the Commander of Muslim forces at Hira in ....Iraq..... He was attacked by the enemy once, but he beat back the attack. However, reports were pouring in that the Iranians were preparing for another heavy blow. So Muthanna came to ....Medina.... to explaing things to the Caliph. ....
A day after Muthanna bin Harith reached ....Medina...., Abu Bakr died. But before death he had urged Omar to give first thought to ....Iraq..... ....
People from far off parts of the country soon started pouring into ....Medina..... They came to pledge loyalty to the new Calpih. Omar took advantage of their presence. He spoke to them and urged them to take part in the ....Iraq.... campaign. But most people had come to look upon Khalid bin Walid as the only man who could deal with the enemy. They were doubtful about the outcome of a campaign not neaded by Khalid. However, Omar went on urging people. He wanted to uproot the wrong idea that Islam could not do without a particular man, however great a man might be. At last the well-known chief of Banu Thaqif, Abu Obaid Thaqfi, came out to fight for the cause of Allah. His example was followed by many more. Abu Obaid Thaqfi was given the command of ....Iraq.... operations. ....

Jahan and Narsi Routed....

Defeats in ....Iraq.... had made the rulers of ....Iran.... desperate. The nobles set aside their differences and met in counsel. After much thought, they crowned Princess Puran Dukht as the empress. The well-known noble, Rustam, was appointed her Chief Minister and Commander-in-Chief. ....
The first thing Rustam did was to take back the frontier districts that had fallen to the Muslims. He then sent two big armies under his experienced commanders, Jahan and Narsi. Narsi was a prince and Jahan a famous noble. ....
Abu Obaid's first battle was with Jahan. It was fought at Namariq. Jahan was utterly defeated and was taken prisoner by a Muslim soldier, who did not know who the prisoner was. "I am an old man," Jahan said, "let me go. I will give you good money for it." The soldier agreed. Soon after, some other soldiers identified Jahan. They dragged him to Abu Obaid. Jahan told the commander of the deal he had made with one of his men. Most of the men objected to the deal in strong words. But Abu Obaid said, "We must honor the word given by one of us. Islam does not allow us to go back on our word." Thus Jahan got his freedom. ....
The Iranians, who fled from Namariq, joined the army of Narsi. But Narsi was also defeated. The two victories had a healthy effect on the frontier districts. The chiefs and nobles of these districts presented themselves before Abu Obaid to pledge loyalty. ....

The Equality of Islam....

Some of the chiefs from frontier districts brought with them choice dishes for Abu Obaid. ....
"Is this food for me alone or for the whole army?" he asked. ....
"It was difficult," they pleaded, "to prepare food for the whole army in such a short time." ....
"Well," replied the Muslim commander, "these men and I are partners in spilling our blood. I cannot part company with them at the dinner table. I must eat what they eat." ....
This was something unheard of for these proud chiefs, who were used to the Iranian way of life. The Muslim way of life amazed them beyond description. ....

The ....Battle.... of the Bridge....

The defeat of Jahan and Narsi startled Rustam. He was bent upon doing something about the Arabs. Immediatley he collected a very huge army. He put it under the command of his bravest general, Bahman Juduya. He gave Bahman the famous Durfash-i-Kawayani. This was the sacred flag of ....Iran..... It was taken out only on very special occasions. ....
In the month of Shaaban, 13 A.H., Abu Obaid advanced to meet Bahman. The ..Euphrates.. lay between the two armies. Bahman asked Obaid whether he would cross over or he should do it. Leaders of the Muslim army liked to stay on this side of the river. But Abu Obaid was carried off his feet by over-confidence. He chose to fight across the river. ....
A bridge of boats was built and the Muslims crossed the river. Here they found themselves at disadvantage. The ground was uneven. The army could not move freely. On top of this, the Iranians stood shielded by a thick wall of elephants. The Arab horses had never seen the giant beasts before. They got frightened and became difficult to manage. ....
Seeing this, Abu Obaid ordered his men to get down from their horses. With their swords, Muslim soldiers cut down the ropes of the howdahs, brought down the riders and killed them. But the elephants still remained a problem. They trampled men to death. A white elephant was the leader of the herd. Soon the white giant became a terror. Wherever it went, panic overtook the Arabs and their lines broke. Abu Obaid decided to do something about it. So with one stroke of his sword, he cutt of the trunk of the white elephant. The next moment, the angry beast trampled the Muslim Commander to death. ....
His brother stepped forward to hold the standard. He also met the same fat. In this way seven relatives of Abu Obaid fell one after another. ....
This made the Muslim army lose heart. There was a rush for the bridge. But there was no bridge! It had been cut by a young man of Banu Thaqif, lest the Muslim army should take to flight. ....
The outlook was hopeless. Muthanna had now the command. He ordered the rebuilding of the bridge. In the meantime, he held back the enemy. But even so, the Muslim army suffered a heavy loss. Almost four thousand men, out of an army of nine thousand, could be save. ....

Preparation for Revenge....

The defeat made Omar very sad. How strongly he felt for the precious lives lost! He sent words to different tribes to fight under the command of Muthanna. It was not long before Muthanna had enough men to re-start the fight. ....
This time Rustam chose Mehran to fight the Muslims. This general had had long experience of Arab warfare. Rustam felt sure that Mehran would be more than a march for Muthanna. To be doubly sure, he put twelve thousand men of the Royal Guard under Mehran's command. ....
The two armies met were Kufa now stands. The ..Euphrates.. lay between them. Mehran asked if Muthanna would cross over. He refused. So the Iranian host crossed the river. ....
The battle began. It was a grim fight. The Iranians were several times in number. But the Muslims sought desperatley. With amazing daring, they plunged into the heart of the Iranian host. A young man of Banu Taghlab identified Mehran. He flew at him and cut off his head. The he cried out, "I am a youth of Taghlab and the killer of the Iranian commander." ....
Panic overtook the Iranian host. There was a wild rush for the bridge. Muthanna had his plans ready for removing the bridge before the enemy could get to it. With the bridge gone, thousands of the fleeing Iranians got drowned. No less than a hundred thousand of them lost their lives in this battle. Muslim victory was complete. The whole of ....Iraq...., west of the ..Euphrates.., was now in Muslim hands. ....

Yezdgird Crowned King....

The defeat greatly disturbed the rulers of ....Iran..... Again the nobles met in secret counsel. The situation must be saved, they said. No price should be considered too high. ....
At last they agreed that a woman could not manage the affairs of the State. They replaced the queen by a male ruler. Yezdgird who was a spirited young man of twenty-one was made the king. The new king set about his task in right earnest. He reorganized the army. He strengthened the frontier defences. He stirred the nobles into action. Everyone in ....Iran.... felt a new upsurge of life. Parts of ....Iraq.... taken away by the Muslims were taken back. When Omar knew of this, he ordered Muthanna to retire to the Arabian border. The Caliph did not want to risk the lives of his men. Accordingly, Muthanna collected his forces and encamped at Dhiqar, an Arabian outpost. The whole of ....Iraq.... was once again in Iranian hands. ....
For a short time, ....Iran.... seemed all powerful again. It had won back what it had lost. The youthful Yezdgird seemed to have given back to ....Iran.... its past glory. His nobles and his men were beside themselves with joy. But their joy proved short-lived. Things across the border were taking a fearful shape. ....

The ....Battle.... of Qadisiya....

The challenge of ....Iran.... had to be met. Omar started preparations on a big scale. Orders were sent to governors to send to the capitol brave warriors, tried generals and good speakers. These orders were carried out. ....Medina.... was soon flooded with the best sons of Islam. ....
Omar himself wanted to lead the army. Talha, Zubair, Abdur Rahman and other noted companions were appointed commanders of different regiments. Omar marched at the head of the army for about three miles. Then he encamped to decide finally whether or not he himself should command. The general opinion was for it. But the veterans said it was a risky affair. No one could foretell the outcome of the battle. If the Muslims lost, fighting under the command of the Caliph, nothing could give them back their confidence and prestige. Omar saw the point. He handed over the command to Saad bin Abi Waqqas, the maternal uncle of the Holy Prophet, and himself returned to ....Medina..... ....
Saad continued the march until he reached where Kufa stands now. Here he received news of Muthanna's death. Muthanna's brother joined Saad with his army of eight thousand. He also brought far the new commander some very useful hints which his late brother had given. ....
Sitting in ....Medina...., Omar gave careful thought to the smallest details of the campaign. Saad was constantly receiving instructions from the Caliph. If was Omar who said how the army should be organized. Again it was he who chose Qadisiya as the place where the Muslims were to halt. He then asked for a detailed map of the surrounding country. In the light of this map he sent further instructions about the tactics to be used. ....

Yezdgird Hears Strange Talk....

Saad received orders that an offer of peace be made to the enemy before fighting was begun. So he chose fourteen chiefs of different tribes to be the envoys of Islam. ....
Yezdgird held his court to receive the envoys. The court was a mirror of the pomp and glory of ....Iran..... The Iranians wanted to dazzle the eyes of the desert dwellers by the display of their splendour. But the Muslims turned out to be made of a different stuff. With shawls of ....Yemen.... flung across their shoulders, leather boots on their feet and whips in their hands, they walked fearlessly into the court. The courtiers and the Emperor alike were amaed at the dauntless bearing of the Arabs. ....
The peace talks began. Yezdgird asked the envoys what had brought them into his territory. Naaman bin Maqran, the leader of the deputation, came forward and said: ....

"O king, not long ago we were an ignorant and wild people. Allah had mercy on us. He sent to us His chosen Prophet. The Prophet showed us the path of truth. He called us towards good life and rid us of all evils. He had said that if we accepted his message, we would be successful in this world as well as in the next. ....
We accepted his message. He then ordered us to carry his message to the people living in the neighborhood. This message is Islam. It is the fountain-head of all good. It clearly tells what is good and what is bad." ....
"O nobles of ....Iran...., we call you to the path of the holy faith. If you accept it nothing can be like it. We will leave you alone. We will hand you the book of Allah. That will be your guide. You will have to follow its commandments. But if you reject the message of Islam, you will have to pay the jizya and live under us. You will have to give an undertaking that there will be no more injustice of evil doing in your country. If you refuse to accept this offer too, the sword must decide." ....
 Yezdgird calmy heard this speech, then said: ....
  "O Arabs, not very long ago no people on earth were so wretched or rotten as you. The smallest favor from us was enough to win you. Whenever you did a mischief, we wrote to a frontier chief and he set you right. I advise you to give up your whims of conquest. If you do not have enough food or other necessities, let us know. We will send you supplies. We will also appoint a good ruler over you, that he may treat you kindly." ....
 When the king had finished, Mughira bin Zarara rose and spoke back: ....
  "O king, we were certainly as wretched as you have said; perhaps worse. We ate dead animals, wore skins and slept on the bare ground. But ever since Allah's chosen Prophet appeared among us, we have totally changed. His wonderful teachings and his lofty example have made us leaders of the world. Even proud kings like you fear us now." ....
"O king, any further talk is useless. Either accept the chosen Prophet of Allah and bow before his blessed teachings or agree to pay the jizya. If you accept neither of the two things, then wait for the sword to decide." ....

Mughira's words made the king lose his temper. "By Yazdan," he roared in anger, "if it were not against the law to shed the blood of envoys, I must have got you beheaded. But I am sending Rustam to deal with you. He will bury you and all your commanders in the trenches of Qadisiya. You are going to get nothing from us except dust." ....
Then the king asked, "Who is the most respectable among you?" ....
"I" replied Asim bin Omar. ....
The king got a basket full or earth and had it placed on Asim's head. Asim galloped away, carrying the basket. He took the basket to the Commander, Saad, and placing it before him said, "Congratulations for the victory! The enemy himself has handed over his soil to us." Then he recounted all that had taken place at the Iranian court. ....
Saad felt much pleased. He took it as a good omen for Muslim victory. Later events proved that he was right. ....

Rustam Humbled

With an army of hundred and twenty thousand, Rustam advanced to Qadisiya. Here he dug up for the battle. But he feared the Muslims at heart. So he went on putting off the battle for weeks. Envoys kept coming and going from one side to the other.

The last envoy to visit Rustam was Mughira bin Shaaba. Rustam did all he could to dazzle the eyes of the Arab envoy. He sat on a throne of gold with a crown of diamonds on his head. The whole court was decked with brocades, gold and diamonds. ....

Mughira got down from his hourse and walked straight to Rustam's throne. He climbed onto it and sat by Rustam's side. All present were taken back. The guards ran forward and made Mughira get down from the throne.

Mughira remained cool. Addressing the courtiers, he said:

  "O nobles of ....Iran...., I thought you were wise. But you have proven quite silly. We Muslims do not raise men to the position of gods. The weak among us do not beleive in the overlordship of the strong. I thought you also followed the same practice. I never knew that the strong among you were raised high and were worshipped by the weak. I never knew that you did not believe in the equaitly of men. If I had known that, I would never have come to your court. But let me tell you that you cannot save your empire by these methods. Unrest among the weak will turn the tables against you."

Mughira's speech ended the peace talks. But his words continued to ring in the ears of the Iranian nobles.

The Battle at Last

In the month of Muharram, 14A.H., the battle of Qadisiya began at last. Saad bin Abi Waqqas, the Muslim Commander, was sick with sever pain. So he sat on the roof of a near-by house and directed the operations from there. After the early afternoon prayers, Saad ordered the attack. As was the Muslim practice, the commander raised three shouts of "Allah is Great!" At the fourth shout, the army went into action. ....

The fight went on until late in the evening. Iranian elephants were again a bug-bear fo the Arab horses. Muslim archers did their best to him them and their riders. But the elephant problem still remained unsolved. The first day ended with an advantge for the Iranians. ....

On the morning of the second day, the battle began again. The dead were buried. The wounded were left to the care of the women. Before fighting started, reinforcements from ....Syria.... arrived. These troops were six thousand in number. But they came galloping in small parties. Thus they kept pouring in until evening. The strategy made the Iranians think that the Muslim army was swelling at a fearful rate. The thought sowed dread in the hearts of the Iranians. ....

The Syrian troops thought of a very clever way of fighting the elephant danger. They covered their camels with big black, flowing cloaks. The sight made the Iranian elephants unmanageable. The two armies remained locked in a life and death struggle until ..midnight... Bahman, Prince Shahr Baraz and many other Iranian leaders were killed. The Muslims had a clear advantage on the whole. ....

A Strange Incident

A strange incident took place on the second day of the battle. Abu Mahjan Thaqfi was a great warrior and a good poet. Saad put him in prison because he had been found drunk. From the prison window, the brave warrior looked at the stirring scenes of the battle. He longed very much to be in the thick of the fighting. Presently Saad's wife, Salma, passed by. He entreated her to set him free so that he might also fight. "If I live until evening," he assured her, "I will walk back into this cell and put on the fetters." ....

Salma was moved by the appeal. She set him free. Abu Mahjan at once darted into the thick of the battle. Saad noticed from the house top the outstanding feats of a particular warrior. Whichever way he turned, he broke the lines of the enemy. Saad was full of praise for his courage and wanted to know who he was. ....

At night, Abu Mahjan came back to his prison and put on the fetters. In the morning Saad's wife told her husband all about the brave prisoner. Saad then knew who the wonderful warrior of the previous day was. ....

"By Allah!" declared Saad, "I cannot keep behind bars a man who loves Muslims so much." ....

"By Allah!" declared Abu Mahjan as he got his freedom, "I will never touch wine again." ....

Rout of the Iranians....

The battle entered the third day. The Iranian elephants were still a problem. Saad asked to Iranian Muslims how best to solve the problem. ....

  ....

"Put out their eyes," they said. ....

There were two big elephants the led the rest of the herd. Two Muslim warriors took it upon themselves to deal with one of the giant bests. At one and the same time, they put out both its eyes with their spears. Then one of them cut off its trunk. The same thing was done to the second giant beast. Mad with pain both the elephants reeled back into the river. The rest of the herd followed the blinded leaders. From then on, the elephants were seen no more. ....

The battle raged with full fury the whole day and throughout the night. When morning came, the chiefs of different Arab tribes shouted out to their men to make one final rush. At this call, men jumped down from horses. With drawn swords they thrust themselve into enemy lines. Before ..noon.. they were in the heart of the Iranian host. Some of them reached as far deep as Rustam, the Iranian Commander. Sitting on his throne of gold, Rustam was directing the fight. Take by surprise, he jumped down and gave a good fight. But he was slain at last by a Muslim soldier, Halal bin Alqama. Halal jumped onto Rustam's throne of gold and shouted out, "By the Lord of the Kaaba, I have slain Rustam.!" ....

The death of Rustam completed the Iranian rout. Darufsh-i-Kawiyani fell in Muslim hands. Thirty thousand Iranians were killed. The Muslim loss was eight thousand killed. ....

Calpih Receives the News....

Omar was very anxious about the outcome of the battle. Each morning, he walked a few miles out of ....Medina.... and waited for the messenger of Qadisiya. One day, as he sat waiting, a camel-rider appeared in the distance. ....

"Wherefrom?" asked Omar, as the man came near. ....

"From Qadisiya," came the reply, and the man kept galloping on. ....

Omar ran by his side to keep pace and asked, "But what news have you brought?" ....

"Allah has granted victory to the Muslims," was the answer. ....

Thus Omar went on running by the side of the messenger, getting more details from him. When the two reached the town, people greeted Omar as the "Commander of the Faithful". The messenger was taken aback. He had never seen Omar before. ....

"O Commander, of the Faithful," he said in a low voice, "why did you not tell me who you were?" ....

"No harm has been done," said Omar. "Please go on with the details of your message." ....

The Conquest of ....Iran........

A party of Muslims will take the ....White.. ..Palace.... of the Iranian Emperor," the Holy Prophet had foretold several years ago. ....

Madain was the proud capital of ....Iran..... Here lived the mighty Emperor, in his well-known ....White.. ..Palace..... The imperial city was not more than forty miles for Qadisiya. ....

Saad's army rested after the Qadisiya victory for two months. When the men were fresh again, Saad ordered them to march towards Madain. Cities and forts that stood on the way were easily taken. Soon the Muslims reached the banks of the ..Tigris... The ....White.. ..Palace.... shimmered in the sun, on the oppostie bank. ....

The Iranians had destroyed the bridge on the river. So Saad ordered some of his men to get across and make the opposite bank safe for a landing. At once sixty horse-men threw themselves into the river. The sight so frightened the Iranian guards that they ran off, shouting, "The gians have come! The giants have come!" ....

Saad crossed over with his army. There was no opposition. Yezdgird and his courtiers had already fled. ....

At last the Muslims were inside the ....White.. ..Palace..... Here they met with heaps of precious stones and untold treasures. One-fifth of this rich booty was sent to ....Medina..... The rest was divided among the men. Every soldier got twelve-thousand pieces of gold, in hard cash, in addition to other valuable objects. ....

Saad and Omar were both grateful to Allah. Their men had shown perfect honesty and uprightness throughout the campaign. ....

Omar Weeps....

The rich booty from the ....White.. ..Palace.... at last reached ....Medina..... It lay heeped in the Prophet's Mosque. The sight of it brought tears to Omar's eyes. ....

"There is nothing to weep at," remarked one of the men standing near him. ....

"I weep," said Omar, "because riches beget enmity and mutual bitterness. A nation which has these evils loses its respect." ....

The botty also included the Emperor's sword. Its handle was inlaid with jewels or rare beauty. The Caliph admired the beauty of the sword and also praised the honesty of the troops, who has kept back nothing from what had fallen into their hands. ....

"Commander of the Faithful," remarked Ali, "When you yourself set a lofty example of honest, why should your people not be honest?" ....

The ....Battle.... of Nahawand....

Omar had no wish to conquer ....Iran..... All he wanted was to take back Arab lands from the Iranians. This done, he watned to be left alone. He often said, "I wish there was amountain of fire between us and the Iranians, so that we could live in peace." ....

But Yezdgird would not let the Muslims live in peace. All the time he was trying to get back what was once his. This led to constand fighting, the one at Jalul being a most terrible battl.e Everywhere the Iranians were beaten. Yezdgird fled form place to place but he would not make peace. At last he went to Khorasan and settled down in Merv. Here he began preparations for an all-out war on the Muslims. ....

Saad wrote to the Caliph about what was going on in ....Iran..... Some people suggested that Omar himself should lead an army against Yezdgird. But Ali differed with this view. He wanted the Caliph to remain in the capital. Omar liked Ali's advice. He appointed Naaman bin Maqran the Commander of the Army sent against Yezdgird. Naaman was ready to give battle in the month of Muharram, 19 A.H. ....

The Iranian Emperor led an army of one hundred and fifty thousand men. The two armies met at Nahawand. For two days they fought without a clear gain to either side. On the third day, the Iranians went behind fortifications. The Muslims did not want to prolong the fighting; so, by a clever stratagem, they lured the enemy out into the open. ....

Grim hand-to-hand fighting now began. It went on until late in the evening. So much blood flowed that the battlefiled became slippery. Commander Naaman's horse slipped. He fell down and got wounded. But his brother at once sent him to a safe place. Then he put on Naaman's turban and cloack, and rose his horse. Thus the army knew nothing about the Commander's absence and kept on fighting as desperatlye as ever. ....

Under cover of night, the Iranians took to flight. But they were pursued and killed by the thousands. Huge booty fell into the hands of the victors. ....

Naaman's wounds proved fatal. However, he liked to hear the happy news of victory. "A thousand thanks to Allah," he gasped, "send news to Omar." The next moment he was no more. ....

Omar was glad to hear the news of victory. But when the messenger told of Naaman's death, the Caliph started weeping and wept for a long time. ....

....Iran.... in Muslim Hands....

After the victory of Nahawand, Omar made up his mind to put an end to the problem of ....Iran.... once and for all. The cities of Basrah and Kufa had already been founded in ....Iraq..... They served as military bases for the Muslims. From these bases, several armies were ordered to march under different commanders to the various provinces of ....Iran..... They completed their task of conquest in about five years. By the year 23A.H., almost the whole of ....Iran.... was part of the Muslim empire. ....

Hakam bin Omair Taghlabi marched as far east as [..East Pakistan..]. A big Baluch army came to oppose him. The Raja of Sind also sent his army to reinforce this host. Hakam won the day. Makran became a prt of the Muslim empire. Hakam wanted to march still farther east. He wanted to carry the standard of Islam to ....India..... But Omar was not in favor of extending his empire. He did not want to spill Muslim blood for the sake of extending his frontiers. So he forbade Harkam to march beyond Makran. ....

Yezdgird continued to cause trouble for some time. He made several bids to win back power by raising armies. He even got military aid from the neighboring Turkish kingdoms. However, all his attempts failed. At last he gave up hope and fled to Transoxnia, where he was killed during the reign of Othman. ....

The Syrian Campaign....

War with ....Byzantium.... was on when Omar became Caliph. In a few more days the enemy suffered a big defeat at Yarmuk. But the enemy was not oging to take this defeat as a final settlement of relations with the Arabs. ....Byzantium.... was bent upon wiping out the blot of the defeat. Soon big armies were gathered at ....Damascus.... and at Fahl. The emperor of ....Byzantium.... wanted to take back what he had lost. He also wanted to teach the Arabs a lesson, which they might never forget. ....

The Muslim Commander, Abu Obaida wrote to the Caliph asking for instructions. Omar wrote b ack that he must offer a fight on both fronts. So Obaida laid a seige to both the cities. ....

Fall of ....Damascus........

....Damascus.... was the capital of ....Syria..... Its defences were very strong. Abu Obaida, assisted by able generals like Khalid bin Walid, Amr bin As and Yazid bin Abu Sufyan, was directing the attack. But the Byzantine forces had shut themselves up in the city, and would not come out to fight. ....

Khalid was constantly on the look-out for an oppurtunity. He hardly slept at night. One night he noticed unusual excitement inside the city. Spies brought the news that a son had been born to the Governor and people had given themselves up to drinking and merry-making. ....

Khalid saw his chance. He crossed the moat, in the company of a few picked men. They had strong ropes with them. With these they succeeded in climbing onto the city wall. Then they jumped down, killed the guards and threw open the gate. Up went the shout of, "Allah is Great," Khalid's troops had rushed into the city! ....

The Byzantine commanders were taken by complete surprise. Hastily they opened the opposite gate of the city, went to Abu Obaida and begged for peace. Abu Obaida knew nothing of Khalid's daring exploit. He readily granted them peace on easy terms. ....

Marching from the opposite gates, Khalid and Abu Obaida now knew of the cleverness of the enemy. However, he stuck to the terms that had been granted. ....Damascus.... fell in the month of Rajab 14A.H. ....

Yazid bin Abu Sufyan was appointed governor of ....Damascus..... He and his younger brother, Muavia, conquered the surrounding country and its towns. ....

Khalid's Merits Recognized....

From ....Damascus.... the Muslim army marched on Fahl and conquered it. Next, it took the strongholds of Marj Room, Hims and Qansrin. In all these battles, Khalid played the leading role. ....

When Omar learnt of Khalid's daring exploits, he was all praise for him. "May Allah bless the soul of Abu Bakr!" he exclaimed. "He knew men better than I do. He put Khalid in the right place. I did not dismiss him for any fault of his. I was afraid less Muslims come to depend on him too much. Anyhow, by his services, Khalid has earned for himself the rank of a Commander." ....

The Caliph raised Khalid's rank and increased his powers. ....

Heracleus Flees from ....Syria........

The emperor of ....Byzantium.... was at ....Antioch.... when ....Damascus.... fell. Close on the heels of his defeat came the rapid fall of other important cities. Byzantine forces were being simply swept away by the advancing of Arab conquest. Constant defeats at last made the Emperor despair of ....Syria..... He left this country for good and set off to the safety of ....Byzantium..... "Good-bye, O fair ....land.. of ..Syria....," he said, with a sigh, as he stood on top of a hill. "Never again shall I set my eyes on you." ....

The Magic the Muslims Had....

On reaching ....Byzantium...., Heracleus sent for a former prisoner of war. He had fallen in the hands of Muslims and had recently escaped. ....

"What kind of people are they?" asked the Emperor. ....

"O Emperor," replied the man, "they are a wonderful people. They are fearless warriors in the daytime but spend their nights in prayers. They do not get anything from the conquered people without paying for it. Wherever they go, they carry peace and justice with them. But if a people oppose them, they do not leave them alone until they give in." ....

"If they possess such magical powers," said the Emperor, "they are sure to conquer some day the ground under my feet." ....

Fall of ....Antioch.... and Ajnadain....

The Muslims now took Alleppo. Next they marched on ....Antioch..... This key-city was the Asiatic capital of the Emperor. It was taken without much resistance. ....

When Abu Obaida and Khalid were busy in ..Northern Syria.., Yazid son of Abu Sufyan was mopping up enemy pockets in the Lebanese coasstal strip. Taking Beruit, he marched up and down the entire length of the coast and occupied it. ....

The stronghold of Ajnadain fell next. Now it was the turn of ....Jerusalem..... A Muslim army was already laying seige to it. ....

Fall of ....Jerusalem........

Amr bin As was laying seige to ....Jerusalem..... After the fall of ....Antioch...., Abu Obaida, Khalid and other Muslim generals also joined Amr. The Christians had little hope of help from ....Byzantium..... So they decided to give in. ....

However, the Christians had some fears. They knew that other cities had given in before. In each case the victors had respected the life and property of the defeated. They had left alone their places of worship. They had allowed them to follow their own religion. But about ....Jerusalem.... the Christians were not very sure. It was as sacred to the Muslims as it was to them. Before giving in they wanted to make very sure that they would be treated well. ....

So the Christians put their proposal before Abu Obaida. "We are ready to give in," they said, "but your Caliph must come here in person and sign the treaty of peace." ....

The Muslim generals met in counsel and thought over the proposal. At last they decided to accept it. "Why spill human blood" they said, "if things can be straightened out without it?" ....

So the Christian proposal was conveyed to the Caliph. ....Jerusalem.... could be taken without shedding a drop of blood. But for that Omar had to come all the way from ....Medina.... to ....Jerusalem..... To this Omar readily agreed. ....

Omar in ....Jerusalem........

The Caliph left Ali in ....Medina.... as his deputy and himself left for ....Jerusalem..... He had only one attendant with him and only one camel to ride. Omar and the attendant rode the camel by turns. It happened to be the servant's turn to ride on the day when they were to reach ....Jerusalem..... "Commander of the Faithful," said the attendant, "I give up my turn. It will look awkward, in the eyes of the people, if I ride and you lead the camel." ....

"Oh no," replied Omar, "I am not going to be unjust. The honor of Islam is enough for us all." ....

Abu Obaid, Khalid, Yazid and other officers of the army went some distance to receive the Caliph. All of them were wearing silk cloaks. This made Omar angry. He took some pebbles and threw them at his generals, saying, "Have you changed so much in just two years? What dress is this? Even if you had done this two hundred years from now, I would have dismissed you." ....

The officers replied, "Commander of the Faithful, we are in a land where the quality of clothes worn tells the rank of a man. If we wear ordinary clothes, we will command little respect among the people. However, we are wearing our arms underneath the silken robes." ....

This answer cooled down the anger of the Caliph. ....

Next the Caliph signed the treaty of peace. It ran as follows:....

"From the servant of Allah and the Commander of the Faithful, Omar: The inhabitants of ....Jerusalem.... are granted security of life and property. Their churches and crosses shall be secure. This treaty applies to all people of the city. Their places of worship shall remain intact. These shall neither be taken over nor pulled down. People shall be quite free to follow their religion. They shall not be put to any trouble..." ....

The gates of the city were now opened. Omar went straight to the ....Temple.. of ..David.... (Masjid-i-Aqsa). Here he said his prayer under David's Arch. ....

Next he visited the biggest Christian church of the city. He was in the church when the time for the afternoon prayer came. ....

"You may say your prayers in the church," said the Bishop. ....

"No," replied Omar, "if I do so, the Muslims may one day make this an excuse for taking over the church from you." ....

So he said his prayers on the steps of the church. Even then, he gave the Bishop a writing. It said that the steps were never to be used for congregational prayers nor was the Adhan [ call to prayer ] to be said there.

Omar's Mosque

Omar wanted to build a mosque in ....Jerusalem..... He asked the Bishop which place would be suitable for the purpose. The Bishop suggested the "Sakhra," or the rock on which Allah had talked to Prophet Jacob. Here the Christians had heaped garbage to tease the Jews. ....

Immediatley the Sakhra was cleared of the garbage. Omar himself worked like a laborer with the rest of his men. Jeruslaem, the city of David and of Christ, wittnessed the equality of Islam. When the Sakhra had been cleared of every trace of dirt, a mosque was built on the site. The mosque stand to this day and is known as Omar's Mosque. ....

Northern Iraq.. Occupied

..Northern Iraq.. had thus far been left alone. This part of ....Iraq.... was called 'Jazira.' The people of Jazira made a plot to oust the Muslims from ....Syria..... They asked the Emperor of Byzantium to send out an army to help them carry out the plot. He did so. The people of Jazira joined hands with this army. Abu Obaida and other Muslim generals were forced to shut themselves up in the city of ....Hims..... The enemy laid seige to the city. The Caliph got the alarming news. He himself set out at the head of a forces to help his men. But before he reached the city, the enemy had been beaten off. ....

The Caliph now ordered the Jazira be occupied. Ayaz bin Ghanam carried out the order and overran Jazira. ....

The Great Plague

In the year 17-18 A.H., ....Iraq...., ....Syria.... and ....Egypt.... found themselves in the grip of a widespread plague. The epidemic took away a great part of the population. ....

The Muslim army in ....Syria.... was also hit by the epidemic. So heavy was the toll taken by it that Omar himself had to go to ....Syria.... to study things. At Saraa, he was received by army leaders. They implored him to keep out of the affected area. The Calpih sought the advice of leading Companions. They differed. At last Omar chose to go back. Seeing this, Abu Obaida said "Omar, are you running away from teh decree of Allah?" ....

"Yes," replied Omar, "I am running away from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah." ....

In the meantime Abdur Rahman bin Auf also came up. "I have heard the Messenger of Allah say," he said, "'Do not go to a place where an epidemic is raging.'" ....

Some days after Omar had left, Abu Obaida died of plague. His successor, Maaz bin Jabal met the same fat. The command now passed into the hands of Amr bin As. He at once ordered his troops to spread out on hill tops. This wise step brought the epidemic under control. But no less than tweny thousand warriors had already died. Among them were some of the topmost generals of Islam. These men, if they had lived on, could have conquered the whole world of Islam. ....

When the epidemic was over Omar paid his last visit to ....Syria..... The purpose of the visit was to settle on the spot many problems created by the terrible epidemic. Some miles from the city of ....Ela...., he gave his horse to his servant and himself rode the servant's camel. ....

"Where is the Commander of the Faithful" people asked the servant. ....

"There he goes before you!" the servant replied, pointing to the camel-rider. This amazed the people. They could hardly beleive their eyes. At last they knew that Islam makes no distinction between master and servant. ....

During his stay in ....Syria...., the Caliph distributed relief to families that had lost their bread-winners. New officers were appointed in place of the ones who had died. ....

One evening, people insisted that the Calpih should request Bilal to say the Adhan. Bilal who had never said the Adhan after the Prophet's death, accepted Omar's request. As he began, his melodious voice recalled to people's minds the good old memories of the Prophet's Mosque and all began to weep. ....

The Famine....

In the following year there was a great famine in Hijaz. The Calpih took steps to get food supplies from ....Syria.... and ....Egypt..... All the same, the general suffering was widespread. ....

Omar felt very much for his people. So much so that he swore not to touch butter and honey as long as the famine lasted. ....

This had a bad effect on his health. Seeing this, his servant managed to get some butter and honey with the meals on day. But Omar refused to touch them, saying, "If I do not taste suffering, how can I know the suffering of others?" ....

The Egyptian Campaign....

Amr bin As was very keen to conquer ....Egypt..... He had been to that country and knew how green and fertile it was. In 18 A.H., when Omar visited ....Syria...., Amr asked permission to invade ....Egypt..... The Calpih was not very willing, but Amr pressed his point. At last Amr was allowed to march at the head of four thousand men. ....

Amr had not yet crossed into ....Egypt.... when he received a letter from the Caliph. It called him back. The thought that human blood would be unnecessarily spilled had made Omar change his mind. But Amr was so bent on conquering ....Egypt.... that he did not open the letter until he had crossed into that country. ....

The Viceroy's Daughter Treated with Honor....

....Egypt.... was under the rule of a Viceroy of the Emperor of Byzantium. The Emperor kept a large number of troops in ....Egypt..... The troops were under an imperial commander. ....

Amr bin As had his first battle with the imperial troops. The battle went on for a month. At last Amr won a victory in the end. This made further advance easy. ....

Continuing his march, Amr took the city of ....Balkis..... Here lived the Viceroy's daughter. She had been married to the Emperor's son but had yet to leave for ....Byzantium..... She was preparing to leave for her husband's city. With her rich dowry she fell into Muslim hands. But Amr sent her to her father, with all her belongings. The Viceroy felt very grateful to Amr for this act of kindness. ....

The Viceroy Gives In....

Amr now marched on to the biggest stronghold of the imperial forces. It stood on the easter bank of the ..Nile... Facing it, stood the Viceroy's palace on the western bank. ....

The commander of the imperial forces shut himself up in the fortress. Amr laid seige to it. The seige went on but there seemed little hope of victory. So Amr wrote to ....Medina.... and the Caliph sent a reinforcement of twelve thousand men. With it came some of the most noted veterans. One of them, Zubair, was a very strong man. He managed to climb on the wall of the fortress. After him went many more. Together they raised the shout of "Allah is Great." The imperial commander lost his nerve. Boats stood ready at the back of his fortress. He and his men sat in the boats and sailed off. ....

The sheild that protected the Viceroy was now gone. So he sent men to Amr to sue for peace. Amr kept the envoys with him for two days so that they might study the Muslim way of life. Then he sent them back with a hopeful reply. ....

When the envoys went back, the Viceroy asked them what kind of men the victors were. ....

"Our lord," they replied, "the Muslims are a people who love death more than we love life. They love humility better than pride. Greed is unknown to them. They do not think it degrading to sit on the ground. They eat without sitting at a table. Their Commander is just one of them. There is no special mark about him. The Muslims know no distinction between the high and the low of the master and the servant. When the time for prayer comes, they all wash up and stand shoulder to shoulder, in all humility, before the Lord." ....

The Viceroy was much impressed. ....

"Such a people," he declared, "will overcome any power. We better make peace with them." ....

So the Viceroy signed a treat of peace. By this treaty, the Muslims granted the Coptics security of life and property and freedom of faith. The Coptics, on their part, undertook to help the Muslims in their fight against imperial troops. ....

The treaty made the Emperor of Byzantium very angry. But the Viceroy of Egypt did not care for it. He firmly stood by the terms of the treaty and so did the Muslims. The result was that in a short time the greater part of ....Egypt.... was cleared of imperial troops. ....

Fall of ....Alexandria........

....Alexandria.... was the last stronghold of the imperial forces in ....Egypt..... ....Byzantium.... could easily sent men and supplies to ....Alexandria.... by sea. Its fall, therefore, seemed difficult. ....

At last Amr laid seige to the city. For six months the seige dragged on and victory seemed no nearer. This worried Omar and he wrote the following letter to Amr: ....

 "I am afraid the Muslims have not lived up to the teachings of the Quran and the example of the Holy Prophet. Tell all Muslims to beware of this shortcoming. Urge them to be sincere, jardy and warlike. Give the enemy a final blow with the help of other army leaders." ....

Amr read out the Caliph's letter to the army. These orders were at once carried out. At last ....Alexandria.... fell after a seige of a full six months. ....

It was ..midday.. when the messenger reached ....Medina.... with the news of victory. He did not like to disturb the Caliph at that hour of the day and sat down in the Prophet's Mosque. But a servant told Omar of the messenger's arrival. The Calpih ran out and said to the messenger, "Why did you not come striaght to me?" ....

"I thought," replied the man, "you might be having a nap." ....

"What a pity you thought so!" exclaimed Omar. "If I start sleeping during the day, who will look after the affairs of the State?" ....

The conquest of ....Egypt.... was now complete. Amr founded a city on the Nile bank and named it Fustat. In the middle of it, he built a big mosque. In the course of years, the city of ....Cairo.... grew up in the neighborhood of this city. By the year 23 A.H., Amr had pushed Muslim arms as far as west ....Tripoli..... ....

Omar's Letter to the ..Nile......

The Coptics were Christians. But they followed a savage practice. They used to hold a big festival in the early summer each year. This was a day of general merrymaking. However, the day was also marred with human sacrifice. A beatiful maiden, dressed as a bride, was thrown into the ..Nile... People that that the sacrifice was necessary to please the ..Nile.., and get a big flood of water for their parched fields. If the ..Nile.. got displeased, they thought, there would be no flood and hence no crops. ....

The Coptics asked Amr's permission to sacrifice a maiden as usual. He disallowed the savage act. It so happened that the ..Nile.. had very little water that year. Crops failed. Many of the peasants decided to leave the country. Amr wrote to the Caliph for advice. ....

The Caliph approved Amr's action. He also sent a letter, addressed to the ..Nile... It said: ....

"From the servant of Allah and Commander of the Muslims to the River of the Nile of Egypt. O Nile, if you flow of your own will, then do not flow. But if your flow is controlled by Allah, the Almighty, we pray to Him to keep you flowing." ....

This letter was thrown into the river, as directed by the Caliph. The river overflowed its banks that year. Such a big flood had not been seen for years. The country was once again green with crops. The peasants were happy. The savage practice of human sacrifice came to an end for ever. ....

Omar's Death....

There lived in ....Medina.... a Persian slave, Abu Lolo Firoz by name. One day, he came to the Calpih and said, "My master squeezes too heavy a tax out of me. Please get it reduced." ....

 "How much is the tax?" asked Omar. ....

"Two dirhams a day," replied the slave. ....

"And what skills do you posses?" was the next question of the Caliph. ....

"I am a carpentar, a painter, and a black-smith," Firoz said. ....

"Then the tax is by no means too heavy," the Calpih remarked. "A person with your skills can easy pay this tax and shall live comfortably." ....

"All right, I will settle with you," grunted the slave as he went away.....

Omar took no notice of the words. ....

"I have been rebuked by a slave." he remarked with a smile. ....

Early next morning Omar went to the mosque as usual to lead the prayer. Abu Lolo was already hiding in the corner, with a dagger in hand. As soon as Omar began the prayer, the slave jumped on him. He gave six cuts with the dagger on the Caliph's body. The horrified worshippers overpowered the assasin. Thereupon the wretch slew himself with the same dagger. ....

Omar kept lying in a pool of blood until the prayer was over. Then he was carried home. ....

"Who is my assasin?" he asked. ....

"Abu Lolo," said the people. ....

"Allah be thanked!" said Omar. "It is not a Muslim who has shed my blood."....

A physician was called in to dress and treat the wounds of the Caliph. He said they were too deep to be healed. At this many people who stood around began to weep. ....

"Please do not weep," implored Omar. "Have you not heard the Messenger of Allah say that the weeping of relatives adds to the torture of the dead person?" ....

Finding his end in sight, Omar called his son, Abdullah. ....

"My son," he said, "go to Aisha. Give her Omar's greetings. Do not refer to me as the Commander of the Faithful; for I am no longer one. Place before her my wish to be buried in her room, by the side of the Prophet and my illustrious predecessor." ....

Abdullah found Aisha weeping. He delivered his father's message to her. ....

"I wanted to reserve this spot for my own grave, but I prefer Omar to myself," said Aisha. ....

Abdullah conveyed Aisha's consent to his dying father. ....

"Allah be thanked!" said Omar. "This was the greatest wish of my life. But look, son, when you take my dead body to Aisha's room, again give her my greetings and ask her permission. If she allows, bury me there, otherwise bury me in the graveyard of ....Medina....." ....

Question of Successor....

People asked the dying Caliph to name the man who should fill his place. ....

"If I do so," said Omar, "I have the example of Abu Bakr before me. But if I do not do it, there is the example of the Messenger of Allah. If Abu Obaida Jarrah had been alive, I would have nominated him. That is because I heard the Prophet of Allah call him 'the trustee of the people.' Of if Hazifa's slave, Salim, had been alive, I would have nominated him. That is because I heard the Prophet of Allah call him 'an ardent lover of Allah.'" ....

"Nominate your own son Abdullah," suggested someone. "Because of his learning and piety he is a very fit person." ....

"One man is enough from Khattab's family," spoke back Omar, "to answer before Allah, for the management of the affairs of Islam. If Omar can render an even account, he will feel most happy. I have borne this burder during this life. I don't want to keep it on my shoulders after I am dead." ....

When aksed again about this question, he said, "There are six men. The Prophet of Allah has foretold about their entering the kingdom of heaven. They are Ali, Othman, Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Saad bin Abi Waqqas, Zubair bin Awam and Talha bin Obaidullah. I ask them to sit together and choose one of them as the Caliph. If all of them cannot agree on the name, let the vote of the majority decide on the matter." ....

Omar left a will for his successor which said: ....

 "Fear Allah and protect the rights o the Muhajireen and the Ansar. Take from the rich and give to the poor. Treat the non-Muslims well and always keep your word." ....

The End....

As the end drew in sight, Omar began to weep, because of the fear of Allah. ....

"My son," he called out to Abdullah, "help me put my forehead on the ground." ....

Abdullah obeyed. ....

"O Allah," murmured the dying Caliph, "cover me with Your forgiveness. If that does not happen, woe to me and woe to the mother who bore me." ....

The next moment Omar was in the lap of Allah's mercy and forgiveness. He died on Wednesaday the 27th of Dhul Hajjah, 23 A.H., after lying wounded for three days. He was sixty-three at the time of death. ....

The Years of Omar's Calphate....

Omar was Caliph for ten and a half years. This period stands out as the golden age of Islam. The tender plant which the Holy Prophet left behind and Abu Bakr had protected against storms grew into a huge overspreading tree under Omar's untiring care. Islam became a world power. It could now stand the wear and tear ot time. The thing for which the Holy Prophet had prayed years before was now a fact. Omar had made Islam strong and great! Thereby he had also made his own name immortal. ....

Omar's amazing success was due to two things - his fear of Allah and his love for the Prophet. In all his dealings he never forgot for a second that he was answerable to Allah. He strictly followed the example set by the Prophet. These two things made him at once the most powerful ruler and the most selfless man of his time. He used all his power for the greater glory of Allah and His Prophet. ....

Omar's armies overthrew two mighty empires of the time. But he himself led an extremely simple and hard life. Hurmuzan, the ruler of ..Ahwaz.., came up for an interview with the Caliph of Medina. He was dressed in shining silks and was wearing a crown set with jewels. But he was stunned to see the Caliph in coarse, patched clothes. ....

Besides the small monthly allowance that he was allowed, Omar would not spend a penny from the public funds on himself or his family. ....

He had diplomatic relations with other rulers. Once his wife asked the envoy to ....Byzantium.... to take for the Emperor's wife her gift of a phial of scent. In return the Empress went he a necklace of pearls. Omar came to know of this and gave the necklace to the Public treasury. "The envoy travelled at public expense," he told his wife. ....

At night the Caliph would burn oil from the Bait-ul-Mal (Public Treasury) only as long as he went through official papers. After that he put out the lamp, even though there was no other light in the house. ....

Omar personally looked into the smallest affairs of the people. He worked like a laboror all day. At night, he went around the city to find out for himself how people lived and felt. He was ever ready to help those who needed his help. He would carry supplies on his shoulders and deliver them at the homes of the poor. Nothing could stop Omar from doing his duty to the people. ....

All citizens, including the Caliph himself, were equal before the law. Once Omar appeared before the court of Medina. Somebody had made a complaint against him. The judge stood up to show respect to the Caliph as he entered the court. "This is the first injustice you have done to the plantiff," said Omar, addressing the judge. Modern democratic states have yet to reach this level of democracy. Their heads cannot be summoned before an ordinary court. ....

The greatest desire of Omar was to see the blessings of Islam flow in full measure to all people, in all countries under him. He himself could be approached by anybody. Even the humblest of men could stop him in the street. He could ask the Caliph why he had done a particular thing. A poor woman could speak back to him. She could point out to him any of his mistakes. With all his power and piet, he never considered himself above mistakes. He welcomed the opinions of those who differed with him. In fact he used to say, "Allah's mercy be on those who bring me the knowledge of my shortcomings." ....

Omar wanted his deputies to be as democratic as he himself was. He dreaded very much the anti-democratic traditions of ....Iran.... and ....Byzantium..... He was afraid lest these traditions should encrust the free spirit of Islam. So his governors had strict orders not to cut themselves off from the people. They had orders to eat simple food and wear simple dress. They were forbidden to build porches in front of their houses. They were forbidden to have door-keepers. Omar insisted that the rulers should be one with the people. He insisted that they should mix freely with the people. He wanted them to be at the call of every man and woman who lived under their rule. To make sure of this, Omar kept himself in close touch with the day-to-day doings of his officers. Trusted observers went round in the vast empire of Islam and sent reports to the Caliph. ....

Once Omar came to know that one of his governors had cut himself off from the people. At once he was called to ....Medina..... The Calpih made him take off his silk robes. The he sent the fellow into the desert to tend a herd of sheep. No rank was too high to sway Omar's hand of justice. ....

Omar had a huge empire to manage. He proved more then equal to the task. He was called upon to look after huge military campaigns, going on at one and the same time, in the east and the west. He met this challenge with amazing success. History was nothing to put beside this achievement. Next he was called upon to bring peace and order to his vast empire. Here again his success was unequalled. The freedom, justice and security which he gave to his people were unknown in any other part of the world. In short, Omar made himself the fountain-head from which flowed the undiluted blessings by the Holy Prophet for manking.....

The Great Men in islam<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />....

.. ..

The Four Caliphs :....

.. ..

1-Hazrat Abu Bakr....

2- Hazrat Umer....

3- Hazrat Usman....

4- Hazrat Ali

Hazrat Usman bin Affaan ....

The Third Caliph of Islam ....

 Early Life ....

May Allah be the guardian of the couple! After <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..Lot.., Usman is the first man who, with his wife, has given up the comfort of his home for the cause of Allah."

Thus said the Holy Prophet when his son-in-law, Usman, left ....Mecca.... for ..Abyssinia.., to excape persecution at the hands of the Meccans.

Usman was born some six years after the birth of the Holy Prophet. His father's name was Affan. Arwa was the name of his mother. His grandaughter, Baiza, was a daughter of Abdul Muttalib and therefore an aunt of the Holy Prophet. Usman belonged to the Omayya branch of the Quraish. Banu Omayya were thought to be the equals of Banu Hashim. The national flag of the Quraish was in their keeping.

When Usman grew up, he became a cloth merchant. His business grew rapidly and he came to be looked upon as a top business man of the city. He often visited ....Syria.... in connection with his business. Flourishing business brought him both wealth and position.

However, Usman was an extremely kindhearted man. He looked upon wealth as a means of helping others. If money could remove suffering, Usman was always ready to help.

Acceptance of Islam ....

It was Abu Bakr who won Usman for Islam. He and Usman were great friends. The Holy Prophet belonged to Banu Hashim and Usman belonged to Banu Omayya. There was old rivalry between the two tribes. This did not keep back Usman from accepting the truth. As soon as he heard the message of Islam, he accepted it. He was one of the first Muslims. The Holy Prophet gave to him his daughter, Ruaqayya in marriage.

By becoming a Muslim, Usman drew upon himself the anger of his relatives. His uncle, Hakam, tied his hand and foot. He then shut him up in a dark room. Usman gladly underwent all kinds of torture, but refused to give up Islam.

The Quraish who once loved Usman now became his enemies. His own relatives would have nothing to do with him. This made Usman feel miserable. He went to the Holy Prophet and asked permission to go to ..Abyssinia... The permission was given. Usman was the first Muslim to leave for ..Abyssinia... He and his wife crossed the ..Red Sea.. and sought refuge in ..Abyssinia... They were the first to give up their home and all they had for the cause of Allah.

When migration from ....Mecca.... began, Usman and his wife Ruqayya also went to ....Medina.... and settled there.

Closeness to the Prophet ....

Usman was among those who were very close to the Holy Prophet. He fought by the side of the Prophet in all battles except Badr. He could not go to Badr because his wife, Ruqayya, was very ill. The Prophet himself told Usman to stay back at ....Medina.... and attend to his ailing wife. Ruaqayya died of this illness.

Usman took the death of Ruqayya very much to heart. He was all the more sad because he no longer enjoyed the honor of being the son-in-law of the Prophet. The Holy Prophet saw this. So he married to Usman his second daughter, Umm Kulthum. This was a rare honor. It earned for Usman the title of "Zun-Noorain," or "the possesor of two lights."

In the sixth year of Hijra was signed the treaty of Hudaibiya. Usman played an important part in the peace talks. It was he who was sent by the Holy Prophet to contact the Quraish. The Quraish said they had no objection if Usman alone visited the Kaaba, but they were unwilling to let the Messenger of Allah enter ....Mecca..... To this Usman replied: "It is unthinkable that I take preference over the Prophet. If he can't visit the House of Allah, I too, will not visit it." Usman's firm stand at last forced the Quraish to yield ground.

In the meantime, a rumor got afoot. It was given out that Usman had been killed by the Quraish. The report shocked the Prophet. He determined to avenge the death of Usman. He stood under a tree and took a pledge from his followers. He struck his hand on each man's hand and the man said, "I will fight unto death for the sake of Usman."

Such was the regard in which Usman was held by the Prophet! However, the rumor proved to be untrue. Usman came back safe and sound.

When the Muslim refugees first came to ....Medina...., they had great difficulty in getting drinking water. There was just one well but it was owned by a Jew. The Jew would not allow the refuges to get water from it. So the holy Prophet said, "who is there that will buy this well for the Muslims? Allah will reward him a fountain in ..Paradise..." Usman at once responded. He brought the well for twenty thousand dirhams and gave it away for the free use of Muslims.

When the Muslims grew in numbers, the Prophet's Mosque became too small for them. The holy Prophet said, "Who will spend money for the extension of the mosque?" Usman again came forward. He bought the adjoining piece of land for the extension.

In the ninth year of Hijra, reports reached the Holy Prophet that the Emperor of Byzantium was preparing a march on ....Medina..... These reports disturbed the Muslims. The Holy Prophet began to counter preparations. He appealed to people to give whatever they could. Usman gave one thousand camels, fifty horses and one thousand pieces of gold. The holy Prophet looked at the heap of gold and declared, "Whatever Usman does, from this day on, will do him no harm."

Usman was one of the scribes of the Prophet. He was one of the men who wrote portions of the Qur'an as they were revealed. He was also one of the ten Companions whom the holy Prophet gave the good news of the ....kingdom.. of ..Heaven.....

Closeness to the Prophet won Usman a high place among the Companions. He was one of the advisors of Abu Bakr and Omar during their Caliphate.

Usman's Election....

Omar had nominated a six-man council to choose a Caliph from among its members. These members were: Ali, Usman, Abdur Rehman bin Auf, Saad bin Abi Waqaas, Zubair bin Awwam and Talha bin Obaidullah. The electors were to meet and finish their task within three days of Omar's death. Such was the will of the late Calpih.

The electors met. Talha had been out of ....Medina.... for some days, so he could not attend the meeting.

The council of electors had a long sitting. It could not come to an agreed decision. There was an impasse. So Abdur Rehman bin Auf said, "If any man is willing to withdraw his name, he will have the right to nominate the Caliph. Who will withdraw?" All kept silent. Then Abdur Rehman said, "I withdraw my name."

All except Ali said they were ready to accept Abdur Rehman's decision. Abdur Rehman asked Ali what he had to say. He replied, "Promise to be just. Promise not to be partial on account of kinship. Promise to be led by the welfare of the people alone. If you promise these things, I agree to abide by your decision."

Abdur Rehman promised all these things. The election of the Caliph now rested with Abdur Rehman bin Auf.

Abdur Rehman was fully alive to the heavy responsibility he had placed upon himself. The news of Omar's death had drawn to ....Medina.... the leaders of public opinion from all over the empire. Abdur Rehman went to each one of them and held long talks. The Banu Hashim were for Ali. All others favored Usman. Other candidates were out of the picture.

Abdur Rehman now talked to the two likely candidates.

  "Who do you think is the fittest person after you?" he asked Ali.

"Usman," was the reply.

He put Usman the same question and he named Ali.

At last the third night came. In the morning Abdur Rehman was to announce his decision. He sat up whole night, holding long talks with the other four members of the council. He made a last effort to get a unanimous decision. But he failed in this effort. The differences between Banu Hashim and Banu Omiyyah could not be patched up. At last the call to the morning prayer brought these talks to an end.

When the prayer was over, people in the mosque were all ears to hear what Abdur Rehman had to say.

Abdur Rehman stood up. For some minutes he prayed to Allah to guide his thoughts. Then he said, "O people," I have given my best thought to the matter. I have talked to different people and got their opinion. I hope you will not differ with my decision."

Then Abdur Rehman called Usman and said, "Promise that you will act according to the commandments of the Qur'an and the example set by the Holy Prophet and his two Caliphs."

"I promise to do that to the best of my knowledge and ability," declared Usman.

Thereupon Abdur Rehman bin Auf pledged loyalty to Usman. His example was followed by all present. Ali also pledged loyalt to the new Caliph. Usman became the third Caliph of Islam.

First Address....

When the pledge was over, Usman rose to address the gathering. All were eager to hear what the new Caliph had to say. But the weight of the new responsibility made Usman's body shake. All he could say was, "O people, it is not easy to manage a new horse. There will be several occasions to speak to you. If I live, I will address you some other day. But you know, I am not very good at speech-making."

The First Case....

The first case that came up before Usman was the case of Obaidullah the second son of Omar. Obaidullah had slain to Persians, Hurmuzan and Jafina. That was because he believed them to be co-plotters with Abu Lolo. Abu Lolo was the murderer of his father.

The evening before Omar was mortally wounded, Abdur Rehman son of Abu Bakr had seen Abu Lolo standing with Hurmuzan and Jafina. The three were whispering to one another. As Abdur Rehman passed by, the three got startled. A double edge dagger had falled on the ground. After his father's death, Obaidullah examined the dagger of the asassin. It answered exactly to the description given by Abdur Rehman. Obaidullah felt sure that Abu Lolo alone was not responsible for killing his father. He flew into a rage and killed the other two partners in the plot.

The case came up before Usman. He put the matter before the leading Companions. Ali said that the evidence of one man was not enough to prove Huramuzan and Jafina guilty. The other Companions differed with this view. Usman found a way out of the difficulty. He himself laid the bloodmoney for the two Persians. As they had no relatives, the Caliph had the legal right to act in their behalf. The decision of Usman was liked by all.

Expansion of the Empire ....

The First Directive

The new Caliph issued a directive to all civil and military officers. It said that they should be just in their dealings, honest in money matters and tolerant towards non-Muslims. Further, the officers were told to keep their word, even with the enemy. They were reminded that they were no more than the servants and guardians of the people not their masters and rulers.

Saad bin Waqqas was the Governor of Kufa. He took a loan from the public treasury and foiled to return it in time. The Treasury Officer, Abdullah bin Masud, reported the matter to the Caliph. Usman dismissed Saad bin Waqqas. This was in the year 26 A.H.

A Woman Warrior....

Azarbaijan and ....Armenia.... were conquered during Omar's time. But these provinces were afterwards lost. Both provinces were under the Governor of Kufa. When Saad bin Waqqas was removed from governorship, Azarbaijan rebelled. Usman ordered military action against it and the province was once again under the Muslim flag.

Usman deputed Salmab bin Rabia and Habib bin Muslima to reconqure Armeina. In this campaign Habib's wife also went with him. On day Habib came to know that the commander of the Armenian army was preparing to strike. Habib did not have enough troops, so he decided to carry out a night raid, before the enemy could strike.

Habib's wife saw him put on armour one evening. She asked him what made him buckle on armor at a such late hour. "My goal tonight is the ten of the Armenian commander of the ....Garden.. of ..Paradise....," replied the husband. A suddent thought struck the lady. "When should not I share the honor with my husband?" she said to herself. As soon as her husband was gone, she dressed like a soldier and rushed off to the enemy camp.

At the dead of the night Habib carried out his raid. The enemy was taken by complete surprise. Killing the Armenian guard, Habib reached the commander's tent. He was amazed to find his wife already waiting for him at the tent door. She was dressed like a soldier and was fully armed. Together the couple fell on the enemy commander and killed him.

....Cypress.... Occupied....

Muawia was the Governor of Syria under Usman. ..Anatolia.. was still under ....Byzantium..... Skirmishes with the Byzantine troops were common. In the year 26 A.H., Muawia led an army into ..Anatolia.. and took the city of ....Amuria..... He wanted to advance, but troop movement by land seemed difficult. So he had to stop short.

Muawia now turned his attention to the ..Mediterranean... He saw the importance of the islands in this sea and made plans to occupy them.

Muawia had a strong liking for the sea. He foresaw the Islam could not be strong without a powerful navy. During Omar's caliphate he put this plan before the Calpih, but Omar was opposed to sea fighting. He did not think it was wise to risk the lives of Muslims in sea-battles. So he did not approve of Muawia's plan. When Usman became Caliph, Muawia again took up the question of the navy with the Caliph. Usman agreed to Muawia's plan, on condition that no one was to be forced against his will to take part in the naval campaign.

In 28 A.H., Muawia prepared a fleet of ships. The Governor of Egypt joined him with his own fleet. The two fleets jointly invaded ....Cypress..... The people of the island fought bravely but had to give in at last. They made peace with the Muslims. The victors undertook to defend the island. In return they got the right to use the island as a military base.

Occupation of ..North Africa......

Amr bin As was the first Muslim Governor of ....Egypt..... For some time he continued to be the Governor under Usman. He was replaced by Abdullah bin Sarah, in 25 A.H. Soon there was a rising in ....Alexandria..... ....Byzantium.... was at the back of this rising. Usman again sent Amr bin As to ....Egypt...., who put down the rising. After this, Abdulah bin Sarah again took over as Governor of Egypt.

In 26 A.H., the Governor of Egypt got order from the Caliph to advance into ..North Africa... In Omar's time, Amr bin As had occupied ....Tripoli..... Abdullah bin Sarah was now to march into ....Tunisia..... The Caliph also sent an army from ....Medina.... to help his Egyptian governor. This army men included men like Ibn Abbas, Ibn Omar, Ibn Jaafar, Ibn Zubair, Hasan and Hussain. The Caliph wanted to make sure that the ..North Africa.. campaign succeeded well. So he went some of the best men to ....Medina.... to help Ibn Sarah.

The rising in ....Alexandria.... had under lined the need of occupying ..North Africa... Byzantine bases in ..North Africa.. were an ever-present threat to Safety of Egypt. The Caliph decided to remove this threat.

A Romantic Story....

Abdullah bin Sarah spread his armies in ....Tripoli..... From these military bases he was to strike at the Byzantine forces.

Near the city of ....Yaquba...., Abdullah found his way blocked by a hug Byzantine army. It numbered more than one hundred and twenty thousand. The Muslim army was far smaller.

The battle began. It went on for some days without a clear gain to either side. The Berbers formed the bulk of the Byzantine army. They were fearless fighters. For several days the outcome of the battle seemd to hang in the balance. Seeing this, the Byzantine commander thought of a clever plan. He announced a fat reward for the man who would strike off Abdullah's head. The reward consisted of a hundred thousand pieces of gold and the hand of his beautiful daughter. By killing the Muslim commander, the clever Byzantine general hoped to dampen the spirit of the Muslim troops and win the battle.

This announcement put Abdullah bin Sarah on his guard. He stayed most of the time in his tent. Abdullah bin Zubair noticed this. So he made a counter announcement in the Muslim army. Anyone who would cut off the Byzantine commander's head was to get a hundred thousand pieces of gold and the hand of the beautiful Byzantine princess. Shortly after the announcement the Byzantine commander was slain. His army fled and the Muslims won a complete victory.

Seach now began for the man who had slain the Byzantine commander. However no man came out to claim the reward. At last the beautiful daughter of the Byzantine commander herself identified the man who had slain her father. The hero was none other than Abdullah bin Zubair. The princes was married to him.

The victory cleared the way for the Muslims to advance in ..North Africa... Muslim troops now spread out in ....Tunisia.... and ....Morocco.... and occupied important points.

The North African Campaign went on for full fourteen months. During this short period, Muslim armies were able to overrun the whole of ..North Africa.. and make it a part of the Arab world.

The First Naval ....Battle........

In the year 31 A.H., the Arabs fought their first naval battle. ....Constantine.... was now the emperor of ....Byzantium..... He made a daring bid to take back ....Alexandria..... A fleet of 500 ships sailed off to ....Egypt.....

The Muslims got ready to beat back the attack. Muawia's fleet set sail from ....Syria..... Abdullah bin Sarah, the Governor of Egypt, also advanced with the fleet. The two fleets met in mid-sea. Together they sailed on until the enemy fleet was sighted.

A terrible naval battle took place. It was the first experience of sea-fighting for the Arabs. But they found no difficulty in proving their superiority. The sea around was soon cultured with the dead bodies of the Byzantine troops. So much blood flowed that the sea-water became red all around. The Byzantine fleet was crippled. Enemy ships that remained took refuge in the ....island.. of ..Sicily..... The Muslim fleet came back victorious.

This fateful sea battle laid the foundation of Muslim sea power. It was to give the Arabs the unchallenged mastery of the seas for long centuries to come. It was not until the beginning of the sixteenth century that the Arabs lost their hold on the seas. And with it the decline of the Muslim world began.

....Persia.... and Tabristan....

In the years 26 A.H., there was a rising in ....Persia..... The Muslim governor of ....Basra.... marched against the rebels. They were defeated and punished. Once again peace and order returned to ....Persia.....

In 30 A.H., the Governor of Kufa lead a huge army to Tabristan. Tabristan was conquered. In the following year there was a rising in Khurusan. It was soon put down.

In 31 A.H., Yezdgird, the former king of ....Iran...., was also killed. He had lost his empire but had not lost hope. He wandered from place to place and created unrest in the frontier districts. It was he who had been the cause of most of the risings in ....Iran.....

His last exploit was a raid on Sistan. With the help of some chiefs of ..Turkistan.., he fell upon Sistan. He was utterly defeated and fled for life. Wandering alone, he sought refuge in a water-mill. The miller did not know him but was tempted by his jewels and rich clothes. So he killed the wretched king and threw his body in the river. Thus ended the wandering career of the last emperor of ....Iran..... With the death of Yezdgird also ended the constant trouble in ....Iran.....

The Civil War ....

Usman's caliphate was marred by a terrible civil war. It led to the murder of the Caliph himself. Usman was a very gentle and soft-hearted man. He often overlooked the faults of others. This made the provincial governors and other officers overbold. Omar's stern hand had stopped his officers from adopting the undemocratic customs and practices of the courts of ....Iran.... and ....Byzantium..... Usman's hand proved too weak to do the job. The result was unrest in the provincial capitals. It grew until it engulfed the whole of Islam.

Moreover, Usman was an old man when he took over. Clever people took advantage of his weakening grip on state affairs.

Abdullah bin Saba....

Abdullah bin ..Saba.., a clever Jew or ....Yemen...., played a leading role in this drama. During Usman's calpihate, he came to ....Medina...., and made a show of becoming a devout Muslim, but he had his own plans. He stayed for some months in ....Medina.... and studied things. He saw that Banu Hashim regarded the Caliphate their natural right. They thought that Ali, and not Usman, should have been the Caliph. Abdullah bin ..Saba.. determined to make capital out of this.

With great cunning, he set about his task. He made "love of the Holy Prophet and his relatives" his starting-point. Out of this, he spun a clever story. Every Prophet, he said, left behind a "Wasi." The Wasi must be a near relative of the Prophet. Aaron was the Wasi of Moses. In the same way, the Holy Prophet must also have a Wasi, to carry on his mission. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last of the Prophets. So, his Wasi, Ali, was the last of the Wasis. Being the Wasi, Ali was the only rightful man to be the Caliph. Usman, therefore had to be removed from the caliphate.

Abdullah bin ..Saba.. began to preach his views secretly. He visited important cities in the Muslim empire. In each city, he set up a secret society. He picked up men who lent an easy ear to what he said. These were generally the men who had some real or imaginary complaint against the officers. It was easy to tell these men that the Caliph was the real cause of all trouble.

When the network of secret societies was complete, Abdullah bin ..Saba.. set up his headquarters in ....Egypt..... The secret societies rapidly increased their strength. For this they used the following method:

1.      Their members made a great show of piety. They posed as the real well wishers of the people.

2.      They invented complaints against Usman and his officers. Some of the complaints were no doubt real. Under cover of these, they also said things that did not exist.

3.      A regular campaign was started against all officers. They were described as irreligions and inefficient.

4.      Forged letters were sent from city to city. These letters talked of injustice and unrest in the city of origin. The Sabaites read out the letters to as many people as possible. Letters were also forged to show that Ali, Talha, Zubair and other noted Companions had full sympathy with the movement. This led people to think that there was widespread unrest and that the leading Companions wanted to remove the Caliph.

Unrest in Provinces <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />....

Abu Musa Fired

Abdullah bin <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..Saba..'s plan worked well. ....Basra.... was the capital of one of the provinces. Abu Musa Ashari was its governor. One day Abu Musa gave an address. In it he told the people how, in the early years of Islam, Muslims walked on foot all the way to the field of battle. He went on to explain what great reward such people had found from Allah.

After some days, Abu Musa had to goto a battle-front. He rode on a horse. This produced an uproar against him.

"Look at the Governor!" went round the story, "he says one thing and does another. Why does he go to the battlefield riding on a horse? Why does he not earn a greater reward from Allah by walking on foot?"

The agents of Ibn Saba played with the feelings of people. So much so, that the people get really angry with Abu Musa. A deputation marched to ....Medina..... The Caliph foundh his hands forced to dismiss Abu Musa.

Abdullah bin Amir became the new governor of ....Basra..... The Sabaites started a campaign against him too.

"He is a raw yougn man," they said, "moreover, he is a relative of the Caliph. Usman is filling all key-posts with his kinsmen."

Kufa in the Grip of Hooligans ....

Kufa was the capital of another province. Saad bin Waqqas was its governor. He was the conquerer of ....Iran..... He took a loan out of public funds and could not return it in time. The complaint reached the Caliph and Usman dismissed him.

Saad was replaced by Wali bin Uqba. Walid was a strong man. He took quick action against mischief-mongers. Some of them one night broke into the house of a man. They took away all his money and killed him also. They were all arrested and put to death.

The death of this gang made Sabaites angry. A strong man like Walid bin Uqba was a real danger to them. So they brought a false complaint against him. They said that he was given to drinking. A deputation set off to ....Medina..... Two men bore witness before the Caliph and his advisory council that they had seen their Governor drinking wine. Ali gave the ruling that the man was guilty. So Usman dismissed the Governor.

Walid was replaced by Saad bin As. The new governor received people at his house each night. He sat among them and discussed things with them. Everyone was free to drop in. The Sabaites came to these meetings in large numbers. Gradually, the started creating trouble. One night they came down upon a man and beat him in the presence of the Governor.

The Governor felt humbled. But he also felt helpless. The mischief-mongers were all-powerful. He could not lay hands on them. Things became so unbearable that the people wrote to the Caliph. They begged him to rid the city of the hooligans.

Usman wrote to the governor to send this gang to Muawia, in ....Syria..... He hoped that Muawia would set them right. The Caliph's order was carried out. Muawia treated these people well. He tried to win them over with kindness. They began to be rude to Muawia. So Muawia wrote to the Caliph, telling him that he could do nothing to reform such bad men.

Usman next sent them to Abdur Rehman bin Khalid, the governor of Hims. Abdur Rehman was a stern man. He was really hard on these fellows. This brought them to senses. They repented for what they had done and promised to behave well in the future. Abdur Rehman informed the Caliph about it. Usman wrote back to him, telling him to send the men back to Kufa, if they really meant what they said. But once in Kufa they were as active in mischief-making as ever.

The Central Command....

Abdullah bin ..Saba.. chose ....Egypt.... to be the center of his party. He did this for a number of reasons. In the first place, ....Egypt.... lay in the middle of the eastern and western wings of the empire. Secondly, Amr bin As, the former governor of ....Egypt...., had been a popular governor. His successor, Abdullah bin Sarah, could not be equally popular. Amr bin As had been removed by Usman. This gave ..Saba.. ready ground to whip up discontent among the people. Thirdly, the North African campaign kept the new governor away from ....Egypt.... for more than a year. This gave ..Saba.. a free hand to work out his plans.

In Egypt Saba also had two powerful allies in Muhammad bin Hudhifa and Muhammad bin Abu Bakr. Both of them were against Usman. The former had been left an orphan and was brought up by Usman. When he grew up, he asked the Caliph to make him the Governor of some province. Usman did not see him fit for so high an office and turned down the request. This made Muhammad bin Hudhifa angry with the Caliph. He came over to ....Egypt.... and became active against Usman.

Muhammad bin Abu Bakr was also angry with the Caliph on personal grounds. He had been brought up by Ali. His mother, the widow of Abu Bakr, had married Ali, after the first Caliph's death. Muhammad bin Abu Bakr owed a debt to a certain creditor. He failed to pay back the money in time. The creditor complained to the Caliph. Usman was very impartial in his ruling. This offended Muhammad bin Abu Bakr. So he also came to ....Egypt.... and joined hands with the enemies of the Caliph.

Abdullah bin ..Saba.. took full advantage of these factors. The central command of the Sabaites in ....Egypt.... sent forth a flood of propoganda against Usman. Letters poured into each city, telling stories of the terrible plight of people in other places. Local Sabaite agents gave full publicity to these letters. Before long the people of each city came to think that theirs was the happinest lot. They came to believe that life was unbearable in other parts of the Mulsim empire. And they held the Caliph responsible for this all.

The means of communication being difficult in those days, people had no way of knowing the real truth about life in provinces other than their own. The Sabaites took full advantage of this situation.

The Socialist Companion....

Since Omar's day, Muawia had been the governor of ....Syria..... Muawia was a very wise and tactful ruler. He knew how to keep the situation in hand. So the Sabaite agents had no success in ....Syria.....

Abu Dhar Ghiffari, a well-known Companion of the Holy Prophet, lived in ....Syria..... He always kept aloof from the affairs of the world and its riches. He held that public income should be spent on the poor the moment it was received. He was against hoarding any money in the public treasury. "Public money is people's money," he said, "and should be spent on people the moment it comes in." Muawia was of a different view. He thought that public income could be kept in the treasury to meet unforseen public needs of the future. He called public money "Allah's money." He said that the ruler, as the agent of Allah, had a right to spend public money as he thought fit. Abu Dhar thought otherwise.

In Syria Saba tried to take advantage of the difference of opinion between the Governor and Abu Dhar, the noted Companion. He went to Abu Dhar and said, "It is strange that Muawia calls public money, 'the money of Allah.' He means there by that people should have no say about the way public money is spent."

Abu Dhar easily fell into the Sabaite trap. He went straight to Muawia and said, "How is it that you call public money the 'money of Allah'?"

  "Oh Abu Dhar?" replied Muawia mildly, "we are all the servants of Allah. So all our money is Allah's money."

.. ..

The reply did not satisfy Abu Dhar.

"All right," siad Muawia, "in future I will call this money public money."

Now Abu Dhar raised another point. He preached that the rich had no right to amass wealth. Whatever was over and above their immediate needs, he said, should be given away to the poor. In support of this, he cited the following words of the Qur'an:

  "They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, tell them of a painful doom on the day when it will all be heated in the fire of hell. Then their foreheads, their flanks and their backs will be branded therwith. Here is what you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard."

Here again Muawia differed with Abu Dhar. He held that after a man had paid the poor-rate of two and a half percent, he was free to own health.

Abu Dhar's views made a great appeal to the masses. The great majority of people were poor. They wanted to share the comforts of the rich. Abu Dhar's movement began to gain ground rather rapidly.

Muawia wrote about this to Usman. The Caliph wrote back that Abu Dhar be sent to ....Medina...., with all the honor due to him.

In ....Medina...., Abu Dhar started the same movement. Usman called him and said, "O Abu Dhar, I will force people to pay whatever they owe to Allah and His Apostle. In return, I will grant them the rights they have over me. But I can force no one to give up the world."

"Well, then send me out of ....Medina....," said Abu Dhar, "The Prophet of Allah told me to leave ....Medina.... when it had expanded up to Salah."

So Usman sent Abu Dhar to a small village away from ....Medina..... He gave him some camels and also two servants to look after him.

Other Factors....

It is true that Abdullah bin ..Saba.. and his men did much to stir up discontent against Usman. But it is equally true that under Usman several things did go wrong. Things were very smooth when Usman took over. In the years that followed, disturbing factors slowly crept in.

Omar did not allow his officers to own property outside their native city. One of his Governors once asked permission to build ahouse in the provincial capital.

"No," replied Omar, "you have a house of your own in ....Medina..... You do not need another as long as this one is there."

This policy of Omar kept the leading families of Islam in the national capital. Usman gave up this policy and allowed people to settle and own property wherever they liked. The result was that the leading families of the Quraish spread out in different cities. There they built up power. This naturally lead to a race for supreme power. Each family tried to outshine all others.

Banu Umayya and Banu Hashim were old rivals. The first two Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Omar, belonged to Banu Umayya. He gave his kinsmen high offices in the State. This offended Banu Hashim and their supporters. In later years, Usman came to depend to much on one of his kinsment. Marwan, who was a very clever man and was disliked by the people.

During Usman's calpihate, the expansion of the Muslim empire almost came to an end. Man who had been kept busy by military campaigns now began to take interest in politics.

Kufa, ....Basra.., ..Egypt.... and ....Syria.... were important military bases. These bases were mostly in the hands of men who had spent no time in the company of the Holy Prophet. The ultra-democratic spirit of Islam was a thing unknown to them. As soon as Omar's strong hand was gone, these officers went back to old ways of dealing with people. They tried to be the rulers of people, rather than their servants. They tried to have for themselves the same comforts and luxuries as the old rulers of ....Iran.... and ....Byzantium.... enjoyed.

This created a distance between the rulers and the ruled. There free spirit of Islam got a set-back. Naturally people who knew what equality was felt bitter. And the common man who had tasted of it in full measure during Omar's regime, put the whole blame on the new Calpih.

Things take a Serious Turn ....

Conference in ....Medina....

Discontent and unrest went on growing in parts of the empire. At last its effects began to be felt in ....Medina..... All leading Companions pressed the Caliph to do something in the matter. Usman agreed. He wrote to all his Governors to meet him when they came for the Haj of 34 A.H.

The Calpih and the governors met in a conference.

"What is the real cause of unrest?" asked Usman.

"It is the doing of the mischief-mongers," they replied. "They throw mud at the Caliph and his officers. They want to overthrow the government."

"How do we put a stop to this?" demanded the Caliph.

Different remedies were suggested. But all agreed on one thing. They said that the Calpih should adopt a stern policy towards those who created trouble. To this Usman did not agree. In a spirited speech, he said, addressing his Governors.

  "I have heard your opinions. I fear this is the evil foretold by the Prophet of Allah. If so, I will do what I can, with all the kindness and forgiveness at my command, to keep its gates shut. I will prove by my deeds that I was not slack in doing good to the people. I will not allow any blame to rest on me when I face Allah tomorrow. I feel sure that the evil time is sure to come. Yet blessed will be Usman if he lays down his life but does not bring the curse nearer."

The conference ended. Usman allowed the Governors to leave. Muawia said, "O Commander of the Faithful! I do not think ....Medina.... is a safe place for you to live. You better go with me to ....Syria....."

"Even if my head is cut off," replied Usman, "I will not leave ....Medina..... No price can take away from the neighborhood of the Prophet."

"Then allow me to send some troops from ....Syria....," said Muawia, "to serve as your guards."

"No," was the reply. "I do not want that people living in the neighborhood of the Prophet should be put to any trouble on my account."

Then the Caliph sent four men to tour the provincess and report on things. Three of them came back with the report that conditions were normal. Ammar bin Yasir, however, who was sent to ....Egypt...., did not come back. The Governor of Egypt informed the Caliph that Ammar had gone over to the Sabaites.

Trouble Begins ....

The plan of the Caliph's enemies was to cause a general rising when the Governors were away for the conference at ....Medina..... But the plot could not be carried out The hooligans of Kufa, however, did not allow their Governor to enter the city when he came back from the conference. They wanted Abu Musa Ashari to be their Governor. The Calpih granted their request and made Abu Musa the Governor of Kufa.

The hooligans now made another plot. Their ring-leaders, from each province, decided to meet in ....Medina..... They were to study things in the capital and decide upon the future course of action.

Accordingly, the ring-leaders from all provinces met outside ....Medina..... The Calpih came to know of their coming. He sent of them two men whom they trusted. The men came back with an alarming plot. They said the ring-leaders were bent on mischief. Their plan was to go back and tell the people that the Caliph had refused to listen to their complaints. In the following year, they intended to march on ....Medina.... at the head of large parties and to kill the Caliph. The Caliph heard the report calmly but did nothing in the matter.

The ring-leaders then entered ....Medina..... The Caliph had been told about their future plans. Some people suggested that they should all be killed. That would dry up the source of mischief, they suggested. But the Caliph replied, "I cannot kill any man without sufficient legal reasons. These people have some misunderstandings. I will try to remove these. I will be kind and forgiving to them and try to bring them to the right path. If kindness fails to work, I shall give myself up to Allah's will.

Usman Rebuts Charges <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />....

The Caliph then called together the leading men of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />....Medina.... as well as the ring-leaders who had come from the provinces. He addressed that gathering thus:

"It is said I have reserved some pastures for public use. By Allah, I have not reserved any pasture which was not so reserved before me. In these pastures graze the animals that are public property. Moreover, the pastures are open to everybody. Only those were disallowed their use who offered bribes to get more than what was their due. As for my use of these pastures, I have no more than two camels. These camels serve me at the time of Hajj. You all know that before I became Caliph, no one in ..Arabia.. had more animals than I.

I have sent authorized copies of the Qur'an in all parts of the empire. There are people who object to this. You all know that the Qur'an is only one book sent down by Allah. The Companions who wrote down this book, under the eyes of the Holy Prophet, are still alive. It is they who compiled the copy which I have sent everywhere.

It is said I have appointed young men as officers. The fact is that it is not age but ability and character that guides my choice. Here are men from the provinces. They cannot deny the ability and honesty of my officers. Young age is no disqualification. The Holy Prophet gave Usama the command of an army, although he was younger than all the men I have appointed.

It is said I gave to the Governor of Egypt the whole booty of ..North Africa.. as a reward. The fact is that he was given only one-fifth of the fifth part due to the State. There are examples of such rewards before my time. Anyhow, when I came to know that people objected to it, I took back the money from the Governor.

It is said I love my kinsmen and bestow rewards on them. It is no sin to love one's kinsmen. But this love has never made me unjust to other people. As for rewards, I have never given a kinsmen any thing out of public funds except what was his due. But I do make gifts to my kinsmen out of my own pocket. I spent on them before I became Caliph. Now that I am old and do not hope to live long, I do not wish to keep anything with me. I do not think it right to spend anything on my kinsmen out of public funds. In fact, I do not get anything out of these funds for my own expenses either. The revenue of each province is spent on the people of that province. The public treasury at ....Medina.... receives nothing but the fifth part of booty. This money is spent by the people themselves in times of need.

It is said I have given lands to my friends. This is not true. Many people from ....Medina.... went with the conquering armies. Some of them settled in the conquered lands. There they acquired pieces of land. Afterward, some of them came back to sell their lands in distant parts of the empire and give them the price therof."

The Caliph asked his hearers if these facts were true. All said they were!

It became clear to all present that the charges heaped on the Caliph were false. However, no one suggested a way to clear him in the eyes of the common man of these false charges.

Rioters March on ....Medina........

The ring-leaders went back to their provinces. They told people that the Caliph was not willing to set things light. They waited for the next Haj. As the time for Haj came near, they decided to send strong parties from ....Basra...., Kufa and ....Egypt...., seemingly for Haj. From ....Mecca...., these parties were to march on ....Medina.... and decided things with the sword.

The Caliph had known about this plot of the mischief-mongers long before. But he did not want to use force against his enemies. He was determined to win them with love or to perish in the attempt.

In the month of Shawwal 35 A.H., rioters set off from ....Basra...., Kufa and ....Egypt..... They left in small parties. They numbered about one thousand from each province. They marched on ....Medina.... and encamped some miles away from the city, at three different places. Some of the Egyptians came to Ali and requested him to accept their leadership. He refused. Some men from ....Basra.... went to Talha with a similar request and got the same answer. The rioters of Kufa made the same request to Zubair. He too refused to be a party to their evil plans.

Ali Sends Rioters Away ....

Usman came to know what the rioters had in mind. He went to Ali and requested him to use his influence with the mischief-mongers and to sent them away.

"Did I not tell you so often," said Ali, "not to be led by your kinsmen? But you listned to Marwan, Muawia, Ibn Amr, Ibn Abi Sarah, and Saeed bin As. How can I sent back these men now?"

Usman assured Ali that in the future he would be guided by his advice and would not listen to his kinsmen.

"You better say this thing publicly in the mosque," said Ali. "That would make the change in State policy known to everyone. The rioters then will have no excuse to create trouble."

Accordingly, Usman went to the mosque and said in his address: "If I have made any mistakes, I beg Allah's forgiveness. I request all men of insight among you to give me the right advice. By Allah, for the cause of truth, I am ready to obey even a slave. I promise to be led by your wishes. No longer will I listen to Marwan and his men."

Tears flowed down the Caliph's cheeks as he finished the address. The hearers also began to weep.

Ali now went to the Egyptians. He assured them that all their complaints would be removed. They seemed to be satisfied and set off on the road to ....Egypt..... Rioters from ....Basra.... and Kufa also marched off to their cities. The storm seemed to have blown over.

The Mysterious Letter....

Everybody in ....Medina.... thought that the trouble had ended. Presently, the streets of the city began to ring with the shouts of the rioters. They trooped aroung the Caliph's house and ringed in on all sides. Loud shouts of "Revenge! Revenge!" rented the air of ....Medina.....

Ali came to the Egyptians and asked why the had come back.

"You assured us," they said, "that our complaints would be removed, but we saw a messenger hurry past ut. We stopped him and searched his person. We found him carrying a letter from the Caliph, ordering the Governor to kill us as soon as we were back. Here is the letter It bears the Caliph's seal. This is a clear breach of faith. The Caliph must suffer for it."

"And what has brought you back?" Ali asked the rioters from Kufa nd ....Basra.....

"We had to help our Egyptian brothers," they said.

"But your roads were so apart. How did you come to know of the letter, after having gone several miles on your roads?"

To this there was no reply.

"It is clear," said Ali, "that you have made a plot. You seem to be bent on putting it through."

"Say what you will," replied the rioters, "we do not want Usman to be the Caliph. Allah had made his blood lawful to us. You too, should help our cause."

"By Allah," replied Ali, "I will have nothing to do with you."

"Then why did you write letters to us?" they demanded.

"What letters?" said Ali in amazement. "By Allah, I never wrote to you anything."

Ali saw that things were beyond his control. The rioters seemed bent on dragging him in as well. Ali saw that his position was becoming difficult. So he left for Ahjaruzzet, a place some miles from ....Medina.....

The rioters showed the letter to the Caliph and said, "Did you pass this death sentence on us?"

"I swear by Allah," replied Usman, "I know nothing about this letter."

"Well, then you are not fit to continue as Calpih," roared the rioters. "If you wrote the letter, then you are clearly unfit to be the Caliph. But if someone else wrote it and you know it not, even then you are equally unfit. If such important orders can be sent out without your knowledge, you should not continue as head of the State. We demand that you give up the Caliphate."

Usman rejected the demand. "I will not take off with my own hands," he delcared, "the robe of honor which Allah made me put on."

The Siege....

Seeing that Usman would not part with the Caliphate, the rioters laid siege to his house. For forty days the siege went on. As days went by, the blockade became more tight. Rioters disallowed even the supply of water to reach the aged Caliph.

There were other men inside the house besides the Caliph and his family. Among them were Hasan, Husain, Muhammad bin Talha, Abdullah bin Zubair, Abu Huraira, Marwan and others. These men served as the guards of the Caliph. They had some encounters with the rioters. In these encounters Hasan and Marwan got wounded. Marwan's wounds were serious. But the rioters avoided a pitched battle. They knew that because of Hasan and Husain, men of Banu Hashim would join the fight against them.

It was during the siege that Usman sent Abdullah bin Abbas to ....Mecca..... He was to lead the Haj as the Caliph's deputy. The Caliph also sent messengers to provincial Governors to tell them of the siege.

When the hardship of the siege grew, Mughira bin Shaaba requested the Caliph to do something about it. He put three proposals before him. "Come out of the house," he proposed, "and fight the rioters. You have men with you. The people of ....Medina.... will also fight at your side. Moreover, you are in the right truth and must win. Or, leave by the back-door and reach ....Mecca..... The rioters cannot lay hands on you in the holy city. Or, go to ....Syria..... There you will be safe with Muawia to protect you."

To this Usman replied, "I do not agree to the first proposal because I do not want to be the first Caliph to shed the blood of Muslims. I do not accept the second proposal either. This is because I do not want to become a danger to the holy city of ....Mecca..... The third proposal is also unnacceptable. At no price will I give up the neighborhood of the Prophet."

Things were getting worse every day, but Usman was bent upon fighting evil with love, even though it cost him his life.

Usman Murdered ....

Usman made use of only one weapon. It was his kind and soft words. He went to the roof of his house several times and spoke to the rioters. He told them how close he had been to the Holy Prophet. He reminded them what services he had rendered to Islam. But his words fell on deaf ears. Nothing could stop the rioters from mischief.

As the day of Haj grew near, the rioters' anxiety grew. In a few days hundreds of men would be back from Haj, they knew. Help from provinces might also arrive. They had to put through their plot without delay or it would be too late. They had to act quickly.

Usman's house was very big. Hasan, Husain, Muhammad bin Talha and Abdullah bin Zubair stood guard at the main gate. The rioters had no wish to cross swords with these men. That would draw the kinsmen of these men into the fight. To avoid this, a part of rioters stealthily jumped over the backwall of the house, and rushed towards where the aged Caliph was. The guards at the main gate knew nothing about what was going on inside.

Usman was sitting with the Holy Book open before him. He was reciting the Qur'an. Muhammad bin Abu Bakr was leading the party of assassins. He got hold of the Caliph's beard and pulled it.

"My dear nephew," said Usman, looking into Muhammad's eyes, "if your father had been alive, he would not have liked this conduct of yours."

The young man was cut to the quick and turned back.

Then another another man hit the Caliph on the head with an axe. The third struck him with a sword. Naila, the faithful wife of Usman, had her fingers cut off in trying to shield her husband. Then all the rioters fell upon the aged Caliph. They inflicted several wounds on his body. One of them, Amr bin Hamq by name, cut off his head.

The news of Usman's cruel murder came as a rude shock to everybody. Ali was stunned when he heard of it. He rushed to ....Medina.....

"Where were you?" he rebuked his sons, Hasan and Husain, "when the Commander of the Faithful was murdered?"

Similarly, he was angry with Abdullah bin Zubair and others who stood guard at the gate.

Usman was murdered on Friday, the 17th of Dhul Hijja, 35 A.H.

After killing the Caliph, the rioters plundered his house. Then they rushed to the public treasury and looted it. Horror-stricken people looked on the orgy from behind closed doors. No one dared to call a halt to it. ....Medina.... seemed to be at the mercy of the rioters. For three days, Usman's dead body lay unburied. Rioters would not allow anyone to bury it. At last some people went to Ali and spoke to him about the matter. At Ali's request, the rioters allowed the burial. Late in the evening, seventeen men carried the dead body to the graveyard of ....Medina.... and buried it there.

Such was the end of Usman, the apostle of love and peace. He wanted to prevent blood-shed at all costs. He did his utmost to counter trickery and violence with love and kindness. The attempt failed. Usman had to pay with his own life for this failure.

Twelve Years of Usman's Caliphate ....

Usman was Caliph for about twelve years. Compared with the caliphate of Omar, this period looks desolate. The end of the period saw the forces of lawlessness get the upper hand. But Usman was not much to blame for this.

Omar's period was a period of conquests. In the wake of conquests came a flood of riches. Omar himself once wept when he saw a heap of riches lying in the Prophet's Mosque. Asked why he wept, he had said that riches always brought with them jealosy and malice and these were the real seeds of disunity. Omar was perfectly right. His fears came true in the years that followed his death.

The holy Prophet, too, had foretold a period of great unrest. This period was to accompany the prosperity of his people. He awoke one night greatly disturbed. He looked agitated and said, "Glory be to Allah! What great treasures He has given my people! And what an unrest has come down upon the people in the wake of the treasures!"

From the beginning of the unrest, Usman felt sure that the terrible unrest foretold by the Prophet was at hand. The calamity he thought, was inevitable and must come down. He could delay it, but could not stop it. Firm and strong action, he believed, would bring it nearer. So he tried to delay the onset of unrest with kindness and forgiveness. These were the weapons on which he relied. If they did not work, the fault was not Usman's. It was the fault of men who could not see right from wrong.

Usman also had another prophecy of the Prophet constantly in mind. It said, "When the sword is once out among my followers, it will be three till the Last Day."

There had been two Caliphs before Usman. Their swords fought the enemies of Islam. They never led an army against the Muslims. Here were Muslims up in arms against Usman. Should he draw his sword against them? He could easily do this. The rioters were no more than three thousand in number. ....Medina.... had beaten back much larger armies. If only Usman had drawn his sword, there must have been hundreds of swords to fight for him. In fact, he could have obtained troops from ....Syria.... well in time to crush any number of rioters. But nothing could induce Usman to make use of the sword. That would have made him the first Caliph of Islam to shed the blood of Muslims. The sword once out would always be there. And Usman was the last person to let loose a curse that would hanve over the Muslims for ever. It was far easier for him to lay down his life. So he chose the easier course. He gave his life so that his people might be saved the terrible curse of the sword.

"Usman is the most modest of my Companions," once said the Holy Prophet. His modesty did not leave Usman even after he was the ruler of a big empire. He was generous and soft-hearted. He was always inclined to overlook people's faults. High virtues indeed! But as the head of a big State, Usman needed to be something more. He needed to be strong, firm and prompt. However, Usman's heart would not allow him to follow the course of firmness. He knew full well where the path of love was going to lead and gladly paid the price with his life.

Since Usman, was kind to all people, he was all the more kind to his kinsmen. Some of them took undue advantage of this thing. They made a bid to gather all power into their hands. Many of the key-posts in the empire came to be filled by them of by their friends. Marwan got such a hold on the old Caliph that he sometimes acted in his name without telling him what he was doing. The Caliph came in for criticism for the doings of Marwan.

The courage and faith showed by Usman have few parallels in history. He prized the neighborhood of the Prophet over all things - even his life. Nothing could drive him away from ....Medina...., where the Prophet lay in eternal rest. Death started him in the face but he welcomed the death that would send him to a grave in ....Medina..... This death was far more precious to Usman than life elsewhere. That explains the courage with which he met his death.

Despite internal troubles, Usman's Caliphate did see expansion of the empire. ..North Africa.. was added to it. Risings in different parts were quickly put down. ....Byzantium.... was not allowed to take advantage of the internal troubles of Islam.

At bottom, Usman's murder was the result of political differences. A party of men wanted to remove him from the Caliphate. They wanted to see another man as the Caliph. But the method they used to bring this about was unfortunate. HItherto Caliphs had been chosen by the general vote of the people. The Companions were the leaders of public opinion. It were they who by a majority vote decided who should be the Caliph. The rioters of ....Egypt...., Kufa and ....Basra.... did away with this tradition. They made the sword the deciding factor.

Their method of violence produced another unfortunate result. Political parties soon hardened into religious groups. These groups were further subdivided. This dealt a sever blow to the unity of Muslims. The sects came to stay. That which the Prophet had foretold did come to pass! The sword was out among his followers and it had come to stay!

Usman did a great service to Islam by sending out standard copies of the Qur'an to provincial capitals. The need arose from a dispute about the way of reciting the Holy Qur'an. People of ....Iraq.... recited it one way and the people of ....Syria.... in another way. The matter came up before the Caliph in 30 A.H.

"We copy the way of Abu Musa Ashari," said the Iraqis.

"And we follow the way of Miqdad bin al-Aswad," declared the Syrians.

Usman put the matter before the Companions. All agreed that the copy prepared in Abu Bakr's time was the standard one. After Abu Bakr, it had passed into the hands of Omar, and now it was with his daughter, Hafsa. Usman got this copy. Zahid bin Thabit, the trusted scribe of the revelation, was asked to prepare seven copies from it. He was to be helped by three more men, who had the Qur'an by heart.

Zaid himself had the whole Qur'an by heart. He was also one of the scribes of the revelation. First, he wrote out the whole book from memory. Then he read it out to a gathering of Muhajirun and Ansar three times. Then he compared this copy with the one that was with Hafsa. The two copies were exactly alike. Seven more copies were then written out and sent to different parts of the country.

A word here may be said about relations between Usman and Ali. It is true that Ali disagreed with the aged Caliph on many points. He particularly disliked the man who acted in his name. All the same, Ali did nothing that might have harmed Usman. He advised him to get rid of Marwan and other Omayyads. But he also pleaded with the rioters to give up mischief. He flatly refused to help their evil cause in any way.

When Ali came to know that the rioters had cut off the water supply of the Caliph, he went to them and said, "O people. you are doing an evil thing. Such an act does not befit Muslims. Even non-Muslims do not do this. Why do you cut off the food and water supply of Usman? When the Iranians and the Christians take someone a prisoner, they give him food and water. What harm had Usman done to you? Why have you beseiged him?? Why are you sent on taking his life?"

These words had no effect on the rioters. Seeing this, Ali threw his turbon in Usman's house. He wanted the Caliph to know that he did come to plead with the rioters but could not succeed.

Usman knew that Ali was sincere. He never said a word of complaint against Ali. All he said was that Ali should have been more active in his support. But for this lukewarmness, Ali had reasons. He believed that all trouble was due to Usman's advisors. He wanted them to go. The rioters made the same demand. Usman assured Ali that he would dismiss these men. He said so publicly in the Mosque. This removed all misunderstanding between the two sons in-law of the holy Prophet. They were once again as close to each other as ever.

But nothing could have been more hateful to the rioters. Throughout they had been using Ali's name to fan the fire of discontent. How could they see him stand by the side of the Caliph? So they forged the fateful letter. That letter put both Usman and Ali in awkward positions. It gave the rioters a good excuse to go ahead with their evil plans. They simply refused to listen to Ali. Ali felt helpless. In the face of the mysterious letter, he could do nothing. So he left the city. However, he ordered his sons to stand guard at the gate of the Caliph.

The most remarkable thing about Usman is his faith. He had heard the Prophet say that civil war, when once touched off, would know no end. Usman did not want to be the man to touch it off. He would allow no one to draw sword for his sake. On the last day of his life, there was a fighting between the rioters and the guards at the gate. The rioters wanted to force an entry into the house. The sons of Ali, Zubaid and Talha put up a stiff fight. Usman came to know of it.

"No," he exclaimed, "I do not want to spill the blood of Muslims, to save my own neck."

Saying this, he sent them all home. If civil war could be stopped at the cost of his life, Usman was most happy to pay that price. He believed that by laying down his life he could delay the advent of the cursed sword foretold by the Prophet (peace be upon him). So he would neither use sword to hit back, nor flee from the city of the Prophet. He willingly died that Islam might live. For a great cause and a great conviction, he made the greatest sacrifice a man can possibly make. Thus he joined the ranks of the great martyrs of all time.