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Biography of Omar ibn al-KhattabName: Omar ibn al-KhattabBirth Date: N/A Death Date: 644 Place of Birth: N/A Nationality: Arab Gender: N/A Occupations: caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab Omar ibn al-Khattab (died 644) was the second caliph of the Moslems and directed the spectacular Arab conquests and organized the Arab Empire.Because Omar was one of the most adamant opponents of Mohammed's preaching in Mecca, his dramatically sudden conversion to Islam in 615 is often regarded as a turning point in the career of the Prophet. The fierce loyalty which he gave to Mohammed, both as a warrior in the battles against the Meccans and as an adviser, was reinforced by marriage when his daughter Hafsa married the Prophet.Nevertheless, in spite of his vigorous support of the Prophet, Omar does not figure prominently in Islamic history until the death of Mohammed in 632, and even then it is as a supporter of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, whose selection Omar imposed on the divided Moslem community by the sheer force of his own personality. Although some modern historians have claimed …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…manner, coupled with devotion to his religion--the prototype of the unspoiled Arab ruler. A Persian slave, outraged by Omar's refusal to reduce a heavy tax, mortally wounded the Caliph in 644 while Omar was leading the prayers. Refusing to name his successor on his deathbed, he established still another precedent by appointing a council to choose the new caliph. Further Reading The only biography in English is Muhammad Shibli Numani, Omar the Great (Lahore; trans., vol. 1, 1939; rev. ed. 1943; vol. 2, 1957). Detailed studies can be found in William Muir's dated but still useful study The Caliphate (1891; rev. ed. by T. W. Weir, 1915), and in Maulana Muhammad Ali, Early Caliphate (Lahore; trans. 1932). For general background see Thomas W. Arnold, The Caliphate (1924); S. Khuda Bukhsh, The Caliphate (1927); Philip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs (1937; 10th ed. rev. 1970); Carl Brockelmann, History of the Islamic Peoples (1939; trans. 1949); and Bernard Lewis, The Arabs in History (1950; rev. ed. 1958). |