Hadha Umar (ra)
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When 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) became the Ameer of the Muslims, he has been reported to have given this speech:
"O’ People know that I have been appointed to govern your affairs. So realise now, that my roughness is now weakened. But I will still be rough and harsh on the people of oppression and transgression. And I am not going to see anyone who oppresses others but I am going to have them put one of their cheeks in the dirt and I will step with my foot on the other cheek until they give the people what is due to them. But I will put my cheek on the floor to the people of piety and righteousness. And I will promise you a few things which you can hold me accountable to. I promise you that I will take nothing from what your land produces and I will take nothing from the spoils of war that you get except that which is rightfully taken, that I am allowed to take according to the Book of Allah and that money I will spend it according to the Law of Allah. And I promise you that I will increase your salaries and your provisions and I promise you that I will protect your borders. I promise you not to throw you in destruction and I will not keep the soldiers away from their families for extended periods of time and when I send you out in Jihad I will be the father of your children until you come back so have Taqwa O’ servants of Allah."
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One day ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab passed by and saw some slaves standing and not eating with their master. He got angry and said to their master: What is wrong with people who are selfish towards their servants? Then he called the servants and they ate with them.
"By God, he that is weakest among you shall be in my sight the strongest, until I have vindicated for him his rights; but him that is strongest will I treat as the weakest, until he complies with the laws." (The Encyclopædia Britannica)
"Beware," he would say, "of Persian luxury, both in food and raiment. Keep to the simple habits of your country, and Allah will continue you victorious; depart from them, and He will reverse your fortunes." (Washington Irving)
...his food consisted of barley-bread or dates; his drink was water; he preached in a gown that was torn or tattered in twelve places; and a Persian satrap, who paid his homage as to the conqueror, found him asleep among the beggars on the steps of the mosque of Medina. (Gibbon)
Umar also introduced child benefit and pensions for the elderly. Initially Umar introduced a state funded allowance for children who had been weaned from breast feeding but one night he heard the consistent crying of a baby and after asking the baby's mother why he wouldn't stop crying she replied to him that it was because he was hungry as she was trying to wean him away from breast milk so that she could receive the allowance. The baby was only a few months old. This distressed Umar considerably and he advised her to not rush the weaning of her child. During the morning prayer his words were difficult to make out as he was crying and regretting his decision which had put children's health at risk. He then asked for the announcement to be made that all new born Muslims would be given an allowance.
(Originally mentioned in Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah 7/140 of Ibn Kathir)
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As for the pension, Umar once found an old, blind Jewish man who was a citizen of his state begging so that he could pay his taxes. Umar instructed for money to be taken from the state treasury to be given to the man as they had been unjust to him because they took taxes from him when he was young but in his old age he was unable to provide for himself, so the state provided for him.
(This is a well known story in Islam and has been reported by big scholars such as Ibn al-Qayyim and as-Sayyuti)
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Muslim News
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