Hazrat Umar Farooq — Page 35
3. Rabi-ul-Awwal 9. Ramadhaan 4. Rabi-ul-Saani 10. Shawwaal. 5. Jamaadi-ul-Awwal 11. Dhul Qua ‘ dah 6. Jamaadi-us-Saani. 12. Dhul Hijjah. FAMINE SPREAD IN THE COUNTRY In 18 A. H a famine struck Arabia. There was no rain for nine months. As a result the crops, trees and even the wild plants and bushes died for lack of water. The animals were reduced to skeletons and many died because of hunger. Distressed people flocked to Hadhrat Umar and asked for help. Hadhrat Umar comforted them and ordered that those who were suffering should be helped from the treasury, but soon all food in the Central Treasury at Madinah ran out. It is related that during those days Hadhrat Umar used to go straight to his house and engage himself in prayer until midnight. He would also get up in the later part of the night and cry before his Lord for help. His son Abdullah related that one day he heard his father praying to God saying, “O Allah! Deliver the Muslims from this calamity. Do not let them perish. ” Hadhrat Umar wrote to all Provincial Governors to send food to Madinah immediately. In one such letter to Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas, the Governor of Palestine, he wrote, “ O Amr, if you do not want us to die of hunger, help. ” Similar letters were despatched to the Governors of Syria and Iraq. The tone of these letters show how grieved Hadhrat Umar was at the plight of the people of Arabia. In reply, Hadhrat Abu Obaidah bin Al-Jarrah, the Governor of Syria, sent four thousand camels loaded with grain. Hadhrat Umar directed that the food be distributed to people living in the outskirts of Madinah. Hadhrat Amr bin Al-Aas sent twenty ships full of food. Two large buildings were built at the port to store this food. Hadhrat Umar appointed Hadhrat Zaid bin Saabit to list all the famine stricken people and the amount of food they needed. Coupons, bearing the seal of Hadhrat Umar, the Khalifah, were given to the people against, which they could obtain their food. When Hadrat Umar learnt that more food supplies were on the way to Madinah, he sent his officers all over Arabia to inform the people that aid was coming. Hadhrat Umar instructed his officers to distribute the food under their own supervision and to see that no person dies of hunger. They were asked to distribute the food justly and send any remaining food to Madinah. In Madinah the condition was bad too. A centre was set up where meals were cooked every morning and evening under Hadrat Umar’s supervision. Hadhrat Umar would also sit along with other people to eat. Thus everyone knew that the Khalifah was eating the same food, which they were eating. It is related that at one sitting about seven thousand men ate with him and food for about fifty thousand women and children was sent to their homes. Once someone brought bread dipped in ghee for him. Hadhrat Umar called upon a villager to share the food with him. The villager began to eat hastily. Hadhrat Umar asked him, “How long has it been since you have eaten such a bread?” He replied that he had not eaten ghee or meat for a long time nor did he see anyone eating such delicious bread for that period. Hadhrat Umar resolved that he would not eat ghee or meat unless they were easily available to the public. Once when he was passing near his son Abdullah’s house he smelt roasted meat. He was much perturbed to see that his family was cooking meat while other people were striving to get any food. He went straight in and found that Abdullah was busy in cooking meat. Assuming that the animal was one of that which was sent in aid, he brought the cooking pot outside. His son Abdullah also came out and begged, “Ameer-ul-Momineen! This animal was not from the lot sent in aid. It belonged to my son, 35