Hundred Great Muslims

Hundred Great Muslims
63
to maltreat the prisoners. Every prisoner was given a monthly stipend and proper
seasonal clothing. He advised the jail authorities to inculcate love for virtue and
hatred for vice among the prisoners. Education of the prisoners led to their
reformation.
The public welfare institutions and works received much stimulus All
over his vast empire thousands of public wells and inns were constructed.
Charitable dispensaries were also opened. Even travelling expenses were arranged
by the Government for the needy travellers. A large number of inns were
constructed on the road leading from Khorasan to Samarkand.
Umar ibn Abdul Aziz was a capable administrator well versed in his
duties towards this world and the. hereafter. He was extremely hardworking and
when people urged him to take rest, he never heeded them. He had set before
himself Caliph Umar's administration as a model to be copied. According to the
well-known Imam Sufian Suri, there are five pious Caliphs namely Abu Bakr,
Umar Farooq, Usman, Ali and Umar bin Abdul Aziz. The outstanding feature
of his Caliphate was that he revived Islam's democratic spirit which had been
suppressed after the accession of Yazid. In a letter addressed to the Prefect of
Kufa, he exhorted his governors to abolish all unjust ordinances, He wrote,
"Thou must know, that the maintenance of religion is due to the practice of
justice and benevolence; do not think lightly of any sin; do not try to depopulate
what is populous; do not try to exact from the subjects anything beyond
their capacity; take from them what they can give; do everything to improve
population and prosperity; govern mildly and without harshness; do not accept
presents on festive occasions; do not take the price of sacred book (distributed
among the people); impose no tax on travellers, or on the marriages, or on the
milk of camels; and do not insist on the poll tax from anyone who has become
a convert to Islam"
The pious Caliph disbanded 600 bodyguards, meant for guarding the person
of the Caliph. He received lesser salary than his subordinates. He attracted
around him a galaxy of talented men who counselled him on State matters.
That Umar bin Abdul Aziz was very kind and just towards non-Muslims
has been acknowledged by the Encyclopaedia of Islam. As a devout Muslim
hie was not only graciously tolerant to the members of other creeds but also
solicitous towards them. Christians, Jews and fire worshippers were allowed to
retain their churches, synagogues and temples. In Damascus, AI-Waleed had
taken down the 'basilika' of John, the Baptist, and incorporated the site in the
mosque of Umayyads. When Umar became Caliph, the Christians complained
to him that the Church had been taken from them, whereupon he ordered the
Governor to return to the Christians what belonged to them. While he
endeavoured to protect his Muslim subjects from being abused, he was also
anxious that his Christian subjects should not be rushed by oppressive taxation.
In Aila and in Cyprus the increased tribute settled by treaty was reduced by him
to the original amount.