The Cloth Story: Accountability in Leadership
It was noon of a Friday. The faithful at Madina had gathered in the Prophet’s mosque to offer the Friday prayers.
Umar, the Caliph arrived to lead the prayers. He said his preliminary prayer and then proceeded to deliver his address to the congregation. He began by reciting some verses from the Holy Quran. Then addressing the congregation he said “Now listen”.
A young man from the congregation stood up to say, “We will not listen to you, until you give us the explanation that you owe to us.”
The people were startled at this audacious interference. Umar paused for a moment, and then turning to the young man said, “Explanation for what?”
The young man said “The other day each one of us obtained a piece of cloth from the Baitul Mal. Today I find two pieces of cloth on the person of the Caliph. I want to know what right had the Caliph to get a share twice the share of an ordinary Muslim?”
Before Umar could explain Abdullah the son of Umar rose up and said, “Friends, the truth of the matter is that like every other person my father and myself obtained a piece of cloth each from the Baitul Mal. My father is so tall that the piece of cloth that he got from the Baitul Mal did not suffice him. So I gave him my piece of the cloth”.
This explanation satisfied every one. The young man who had interrupted the Caliph said, “We are satisfied. You can now proceed with your address. We will listen to you and, obey your commands.”
Turning to the audience Umar said, “What will you do, my friends, in case I deviate from the truth one day?”
Thereupon a man rose up and said, “When you willfully deviate from the truth, we will withdraw our allegiance to you and I for one would feel it my duty to kill you with my sword.”
The Caliph said with an apparent show of anger “Man, do you know to whom you are speaking?”
The man said, “Yes, I am talking to Umar, the Commander of the Faithful”.
“Then how dare you threat him with your sword” said the Caliph.
The man said, “You are our Caliph and Commander as long as you follow the truth. When you deliberately deviate from the path of the truth you no longer command our allegiance. Then we have the right to kill you, because you lead us in the wrong way.”
At this the face of Umar lit up, and a smile of satisfaction played on his lips. Raising his hands towards the heaven he said in a voice choked with emotion “Great Allah, I offer you my thanks that there is no dearth of men among the faithful who have the courage to lift the sword even against the head of Umar when he deviates from the Truth.”
Turning to the faithful, Umar said: “I enjoin you to follow me as long as I follow Allah and his Prophet. When there is any deviation on my part correct me. If I deliberately deviate from the Truth do not follow me. Play that you and I may steadfastly keep to the path of the Truth enjoined by Islam.”
The Hungry Woman: Compassionate Leadership
Imam Ahmad narrated:
Once, In a cold night Umar RA saw a woman who was trying to cook something and her little children were weeping, He said “Assalam-o-Alaikum O people of light“. As he disliked to say O people of fire.
She replied (not knowing that he is Ameer-ul-Momineen): Wa Alaikum As-Salam.
Umar RA asked: What happened to you? And why the children are weeping?
She said: Its a cold night and the children are hungry.
He asked: What are you cooking?
She said: I am deceiving the children so that they may sleep. (i.e. she was just showing that food is going to be ready), ALLAH is in between us and UMAR.
He said: May Allah bless you, How could Umar know your situation?
She said: Umar is our Haakim (Ruler) and still do not know about us?
Umar RA said to his servant: Come with me, and they ran towards the store and took a sack of flour and other food, and said to his servant put this on me.
His servant said: I can take it, Umar RA replied, would you bear my weight on the day of judgment? Umar ran and took the food for that woman.
He helped the woman in cooking and feeding the children.
The woman said: You should be our leader apart from AMEER UL MONINEEN.
Umar RA said: When you meet Ameer-ul-Momineen then you should say something good and talk to me there. Then he sat down and saw the children eating and playing, then the children slept.
Umar RA said: Hunger made them cry and they could not sleep because of that, I wanted to see this (i.e. playing and sleep of children) and I saw that.
Reference: Fadail as-Sahaba of Imam Ahmad 1/290-292, Shaykh Wasi ullah Abbas said chain is Hasan, Sh Zubair Ali Zai said The narration is Hasan Lidhatihi Maqalaat 6/253
Conclusion:
These two incidents from the life of Caliph Umar RA proves that there’s no such thing as unconditional obedience towards any ruler in islam, even if he deviates from the right path.
Important Point to be Noted:
First story has been refuted by Rabeeʿ bin Hādī ʿUmayr al-Madkhalī
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