In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

The Knowledge of Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez [may Allaah have mercy upon him] and His Eagerness For Knowledge and Good Manners at An Early Age

Az-Zubayr Bin Bakkaar said, “The first affair that manifested from Umar’s uprightness was his fervent desire for knowledge and good manners. He was very young when his father was appointed as the governor of Egypt, so his father wanted to travel with him from Syria to Egypt, but he said to his father, ‘O father! Perhaps something else might be more beneficial for me and you!’ His father said, ‘What’s that?’ He said, ‘Take me to Madeenah to sit with the Fuqahaa and learn from their manners’. So, his father sent him to Madeenah together with a servant. He sat with the Mashaayikh of Quraish and avoided their youth, and he did not cease doing so until he became well known”. (1)

His Status In The Eyes of The Scholars

Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِينَهَا

Allaah will raise for this Ummah at the end of every hundred years the one who will revive its religion for it. (a)

A Brief Reminder On The Hadeeth: [إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ – Allaah will raise for this Ummah]- meaning the Ummatul Ijaabah [i.e. the Muslims]. [عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ – At the end of every hundred years]- meaning at the end of every hundred years when there is little knowledge of the Islamic legislation and the authentic Prophetic Tradition, whilst ignorance and religious innovation is rife. [مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِينَهَا – One who will revive its religion for it]- meaning a scholar who is alive and well known. He will clarify the authentic Prophetic Tradition and distinguish it from the religious innovations. knowledge will be abundant again and its adherents will be aided, and the proponents of religious will be overcome and degraded. This reviver is non else but a scholar who has sound understanding of the religious sciences that deal with acts of worship, the underlying wisdoms of the religion and the texts that deal with beliefs of the heart. (b) A group amongst the scholars- including Ahmad Bin Hanbal – stated that Umar Bin Abdul Azeez was alive at the end of the first hundred years and he is more worthy and entitled to be entered into this category of people due to his leadership and striving to establish truth. (2) Maymoon Bin Mehraan said, “The scholars were students in the presence of Umar Bin Abdil Azeez”. (3) Anas Ibn Maalik [may Allaah be pleased with him] said, “I have not prayed behind an Imaam whose prayer resembles that of Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] more than this young man [Umar Bin Abdil Azeez]”. (4)

His Support For The Seekers of Knowledge

He used to give a 100 Deenaars a year from the state fund to those who travel to the central mosque of their country to study Fiqh , spread knowledge and teach recitation of the Qur’an. (5)

Self-scrutiny: One day, he spoke in the presence of a group of his companions and Allaah granted him the ability to convey a fine admonition, then he saw a man in the gathering whose eyes were filled with tears, so he immediately stopped talking. The man said to him, “O Ameerul Mumineen! Carry on with your admonition because indeed I hope that Allaah will bless the one who hears or the one it reaches”. He said to the man, “O Abu Ayyoub! Take this from me, for indeed there is trial whose evil the speaker may not escape when speaking to the people. Acting is more appropriate for the believer than speaking”. (6)

A man called him saying, “O Allaah’s Caliph on the earth!” He said, “When I was born, my family chose a name for me and named me Umar. Had you said, ‘O Omar!’ I would answer you. When I grew up, I chose a kunya for myself, so I was called Abu Hafs. Had you said, ‘O Abu Hafs’. I would answer you. When you appointed me to look after your affairs, you called me the leader of the believers, so if you were to call me, ‘O leader of the believers’, I would answer you. As for for the title “Allaah’s Caliph on Earth”, I am not like that; but rather Allaah’s Caliphs on earth is Dawud the Prophet [peace be upon him] and those similar to him. Allaah [Blessed and Exalted be He] said:

[ يَـٰدَاوُ ۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَـٰكَ خَلِيفَةً۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ – O Dawud (David)! Verily! We have placed you as Khaleefah on earth]. [Surah Saad. Aayah 26] (6.1)

Humility In The Company of Others Despite His Lofty Status In Knowledge and Worldly Affairs

One night he was with some people due to some need when his lamp swifted off, so he got up and fixed it. It was said to him, “O leader of the believers! Do we not suffice to do this for you?” He said, “What harmed me? I got up while I was Umar Bin Abdul Aziz, and I came back while I was Umar bin Abdul Aziz”. (7)

[a]Silsilah As-saheehah. Number 599
[b] Sunan Abee Daawud. Hadeeth Number 4291. Declared authentic by Imaam Al-Albaanee [rahimahullaah] in Saheeh Abi Daawud. Publisher, Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif. Awnul Ma’bood Sharh Sunan Abee Daawud. Vol 11. Pages 259-260. Publisher: Daar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah. 1st Edition 1419AH (Year 1998). Slightly paraphrased
[Ref 1: An Excerpt from Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah. Vol 9. Pages 193-202. Publisher: Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif and Daar ibn Hazm. 9th Edition. 1414 AH (1994)
[Ref 2: An Excerpt from Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah. Vol 9. Pages 303-309. Publisher: Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif and Daar ibn Hazm. 9th Edition. 1414 AH (1994)]
[Ref 3: An Excerpt from Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah. Vol 9. Pages 193-202. Publisher: Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif and Daar ibn Hazm. 9th Edition. 1414 AH (1994)
[Ref 4: An Excerpt from Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah. Vol 9. Pages 193-202. Publisher: Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif and Daar ibn Hazm. 9th Edition. 1414 AH (1994)
[Ref 5:Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah. Vol 9. Pages 303-309. Publisher: Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif and Daar ibn Hazm. 9th Edition. 1414 AH (1994)
[Ref 6: Excerpt from Al-Bidaayah Wan Nihaayah. Vol 9. pages 213–217. Slightly paraphrased. Publisher: Maktabah Al-Ma’aarif and Daar ibn Hazm. 9th Edition. 1414 AH (1994)
[Ref 6.1: Seerah Umar Bin Abdul Azeez pages 51-52 by Abdul Hakam]
[Ref 7: Seerah Umar Bin Abdul Azeez page 46 by Abdul Hakam]