Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (عمر بن عبد العزيز)

Lineage and Titles of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz

ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam was a Qurashi from Banu Umayyah. He was known as the Imam, the hafiz, the scholar, the mujtahid, the ascetic, the worshipper, and the truly rightly guided caliph. He was also called “the scarred one” of Banu Umayyah because of a scar on his forehead.

His Teachers and Sources of Knowledge

He narrated from major Sahabah such as ʿAbd Allah ibn Jaʿfar, al-Saʾib ibn Yazid, and Sahl ibn Saʿd. He also learned from leading Tabiʿin like Saʿid ibn al-Musayyab (d. 94 AH), ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr (d. 94 AH), Abu Salamah ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman (d. 94 AH), and Abu Bakr ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith (d. 94 AH). His narrations reached the level of high authenticity and breadth.

His Students and Those Who Narrated from Him

Many great scholars narrated from him, including Abu Salamah, Abu Bakr ibn Hazm (d. 120 AH), Rajaʾ ibn Haywah (d. 112 AH), Ibn al-Munkadir (d. 130 AH), al-Zuhri (d. 124 AH), Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani (d. 131 AH), Ibrahim ibn ʿAblah (d. 150 AH), and others.

His Attributes According to the Scholars

Ibn Saʿd (d. 230 AH) said that he was trustworthy, pious, deeply knowledgeable, and a just Imam.
Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar (d. 256 AH) mentioned that his siblings were ʿAsim, Abu Bakr, and Muhammad.
Al-Fallas (d. 249 AH) and Khalifah ibn Khayyat (d. 240 AH) both reported that he was born in 61 AH, the year al-Husayn was martyred.

Saʿid ibn ʿAffir (d. 226 AH) described his physical appearance as handsome, slim, fine-featured, and bearing a scar from a horse’s hoof.
Ismaʿil al-Khatib also recorded that he had sunken eyes and grey hair.

His Upbringing and Early Signs of Righteousness

Even as a child, ʿUmar showed deep fear of Allah and strong attachment to the Qur’an. His mother found him crying over the thought of death while he was still a young boy.

His father, ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Marwan, sent him to Madinah to learn from its scholars rather than indulging him in worldly luxuries. There, he developed close ties with the major scholars of the city.

His Repentance and Respect for the Sahabah

When he mistakenly spoke against ʿAli, he was corrected by ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUtbah (d. 98 AH), who reminded him that Allah was pleased with the people of Badr. ʿUmar repented immediately and from that moment only praised ʿAli.

His Marriage and Rise in Status

ʿUmar married Fatimah bint ʿAbd al-Malik, daughter of the caliph, further elevating his status within the Umayyad family. His marriage was praised in poetry celebrating her noble lineage.

His Governorship of Madinah

Under al-Walid ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, ʿUmar governed Madinah from 86 AH to 93 AH. He reformed public life by reviving prayer at its proper times, consulting the scholars in all major decisions, and removing the corrupt officials of al-Hajjaj.

He was described as a just ruler who always consulted the senior scholars and refused to make arbitrary decisions.

Al-Layth ibn Saʿd (d. 175 AH) narrated that Rabiʿah ibn Abi ʿAbd al-Rahman (d. 136 AH) considered his judgments to be completely correct.

His Character and Worship

He was known for his intense humility, refusing extravagance even when wealth and authority were within his grasp.
He rode a simple mule rather than luxurious horses and lived modestly even as a caliph.

Abu Jaʿfar al-Baqir (d. 114 AH) said that ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz would be resurrected as an entire Ummah on his own due to his piety and leadership.

Al-Thawri (d. 161 AH) narrated that the scholars were like mere students in front of him due to his depth of knowledge and understanding.

His Appointment as Caliph

He was appointed caliph after the death of Sulayman ibn ʿAbd al-Malik (d. 99 AH) at Dabiq, through the advice of Rajaʾ ibn Haywah (d. 112 AH).
The pledge of allegiance was taken under strict confidentiality, and once his appointment was announced, the people accepted it reluctantly but fully.

When he was placed in the position, he initially wept and hesitated, but he then delivered a speech affirming that he would follow the Sunnah and enforce justice without innovation.

His Reforms and Justice

ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz began by returning unjustly seized wealth, starting with the wealth held by his own family.
He removed corrupt governors and placed righteous men in charge.
He returned Fadak to the descendants of Fatimah (as narrated by Abu Dawud and others).
He upheld the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ in wealth distribution, governance, and dealing with grievances.

His Personal Worship and Fear of Allah

He lived in constant remembrance of Allah. He once said that he had not lied since he knew that lying harms the liar.

He feared the heavy burden of ruling the Ummah and often cried out of fear that he would fail in delivering people’s rights.

His Death

He ruled for about two years before he was poisoned by those who hated his reforms. He died in 101 AH.
He was considered among the rightly guided caliphs (al-khulafaʾ al-rashidun) and the mujaddid (reviver) of his century.

What the Scholars Said About Him

• Ibn Saʿd (d. 230 AH): Trustworthy, deeply knowledgeable, pious, just.
• Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar (d. 256 AH): Noble lineage, knowledgeable.
• Abu Jaʿfar al-Baqir (d. 114 AH): A whole Ummah on his own.
• Al-Thawri (d. 161 AH): Scholars were like students in front of him.
• Al-Layth ibn Saʿd (d. 175 AH): Upheld justice entirely in judgments.
• Mujahid (d. 104 AH), Maimun ibn Mihran (d. 117 AH): His visitors ended up being his students.
• Tawus (d. 106 AH): Declared him the reviver of his time.

ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz combined scholarship, piety, asceticism, political wisdom, and justice in a way that made him a model for caliphs and scholars alike. His short rule left a lasting mark in Islamic history as a symbol of just governance and sincere leadership.

Siyar A’lam an-Nubala by Ad Dhahabi (5/114-130)