Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 49
Khilafat Centenary communities were guilty of anti-state intrigues and violation of their undertakings. The Jews were settled in Syria in 638 C. E. The y were allowed to carry all their movable possessions and were given better and more spacious land. The Christians were transferred to Iraq. Hasan, in his book on Hadhrat Umarra, refers to the following conditions which governed their transfer: i. They were allowed to carry all movable items ii. Their immovable property was acquired by the state on payment iii. They were exempted from payment of Jizi yah for the first two years (Hasan, p. 126) The Christians were assured that their lives, property, churches, and crosses would be safeguarded. The Jews who had suffered immensely at the hand s of Romans, Persians, and Byzantines br eathed a sigh of relief and tasted freedom for the first time. Commending the great change, Sha hin writes: J ews were allowed to return to J erus alem after a 500-year ban stipulated by the Romans and maintained by the Christian rulers. Shahin, page 8 Martin has paid tribute to Hadhrat Umar's ra farsightedness with reference to his stay in Jerusalem: 6. Relief Measures during Famine In an unprecedented display of tolerance, Umar granted --------~-------. the Christians protection of their A severe famine struck the Arabian Peninsula in 639 C. E. Hadhrat Umar ra personally organized and supervised effective relief measures. He imported grain and other food substances from far flung provinces and distributed it in the affected areas. Shah mentions that throughout the famine Hadhrat Umar ra stopped eating meat , oil, and other rich nutrients, which told upon his health and even the appearance of his skin (Shah, p. 164). Moreover, he is credited for the opening of many public kitchens, shelters for travelers, and orphanages (Shah, p. 165). According to Asad, Hadhrat Umar ra tried to implement his vision of a Welfare State. He conducted a census and the office of Diwan (Finance) paid allowances to the poor , needy, the disabled and the aged, who also received an adequate quantity of wheat or flour (Shah, p. 92). Hadhrat Umar ra was the Umma's greatest jurist among the Hol y Prophet's sa'" companions. As a result of famine, some people were compelled by hunger to resort to petty stealing. Hadhrat Umar' a suspended the pun is hm ent of amputation of the hand for that crime. No other person would have the nerve to do that. 7. An Unmatched Conqueror Muslims conquered Palestine in 638 C. E. Hadhrat Umar' a travel ed to Jersu salem to accept the city's s urrender from Patriarch Sophronius, and granted the people a comprehensive protection, which is preserved in the document known as Umar's Pact. religious sites and vouchsafed for their safety. He even refused the Patriarch's offer to perform the midday prayer in a Christian shrine, recognizing the significance of the prayer in the appropriation and sanctification of space. He exp lained his reasons for ref using, saying that he did not want to create a pretense for future generations that they may find justification for the confiscation of this Christian shrine and turn it into a place of Islamic wors hip. Martin , page 314 Tritkovic, a pungent critic of Islam, praises not only Hadhrat Umar's'a graceful attitude at the triumphant entry into Jerusalem , but also its far- reaching effect on succeeding generations: "Admittedly Umar ended the ban preventing Jews from living in Jerusalem, and Saladin, after conquering the city from Crusaders, told the Jews that they could come back; but at all times there was a position of natural inequality" (Tritkovic, p. 184). The author should be excused for giving vent to his anger in the concluding words! Hadhrat Uthmanr a bin Affan Hadhrat Uthman 'a had been known as a pious, wealthy and benevolent business man prior to his election as a Khalifa. According to Khan, soon