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ʾUmar ibn al-Khattāb
ʾUmar ibn al-Khattāb (d. 644 (AH 23)). Second caliph (khalīfa) and main architect of the Arab Islamic empire. Originally he was an enemy of Islam, but had a sudden conversion four years before the hijra. In Madīna, ʾUmar's energy of will, piety, wisdom, and organizing ability made him second to the Prophet Muḥammad in authority and prestige. The Prophet nicknamed him faruq, ‘distinguisher’ (between truth and falsehood). As second caliph (khalīfa) he organized the Islamic conquests and the administration of the empire. Traditions reveal, however, that he was feared rather than loved, and at the height of his power he was assassinated at Madīna.
It was during ʾUmar's caliphate that Muslim religious and political institutions arose which were to be the model for future generations. Among these were: the dīwān (‘stipend register’), a form of welfare state by which annual stipends were paid to all Muslims from the public treasury; regulations for non-Muslim subjects (dhimmi); military garrisons which later became the great cities of Islam, e.g. Kūfā and Fustat; the office of qāḍi (judge); religious ordinances such as obligatory nightly prayers in the month of Ramaḍān; civil and penal codes; the hijra calendar; and the standardization of the text of the Qurʾān. Orthodox Sunni sources praise ʾUmar for piety, justice, and make him a model for all the virtues of Islam. In contrast, Shīʿa sources retain an animus against the man who blocked the claims of ʿAlī. |
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JOHN BOWKER. "ʾUmar ibn al-Khattāb." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "ʾUmar ibn al-Khattāb." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-UmaribnalKhattb.html JOHN BOWKER. "ʾUmar ibn al-Khattāb." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-UmaribnalKhattb.html |
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Umar
Umar or Omar , c.581–644, 2d caliph (see caliphate ). At first hostile to Islam, he was converted by 618, becoming an adviser to Muhammad. He succeeded Abu Bakr as caliph without opposition in 634. In his reign Islam became an imperial power. The Muslim generals pushed conquests far and wide—into Syria, Egypt, and the Persian Empire. Umar also laid the administrative base of the empire, creating the office of kadi and establishing fixed taxes. He reopened the canals of Mesopotamia and the waterway from the Nile to the Red Sea. Umar was assassinated by a foreign slave. He had appointed a group to select his successor, and the choice fell on Uthman . |
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"Umar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Umar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Umar.html "Umar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Umar.html |
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Umar ibn al-Khattab
Umar ibn al-Khattab (c.581–644 AD) Second CALIPH of Islam (634–44). He presided over the first major wave of ARAB CONQUESTS, which were the work of great captains such as Khalid ibn al-Walid. Hostile at first to MUHAMMAD, he became an ardent convert. The bond between them was strengthened by Muhammad's marriage to Umar's daughter Hafsa. His genius was administrative rather than military and his achievements included systematizing the rule of his vast territories, establishing the Islamic calendar, organizing state pensions, and upholding justice.
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"Umar ibn al-Khattab." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Umar ibn al-Khattab." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-UmaribnalKhattab.html "Umar ibn al-Khattab." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-UmaribnalKhattab.html |
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Omar
Omar ♂ Biblical name (apparently meaning ‘talkative’ in Hebrew) borne by a character mentioned in a genealogy (Genesis 36:11). It has been occasionally used from Puritan times down to the present day, especially in America. More often, however, it is of Arabic origin, as in the case of the film actor and international bridge player Omar Sharif (b. 1932 in Egypt).
Variant: Umar. |
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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Omar." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Omar." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Omar.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Omar." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Omar.html |
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Omar
Omar (active c.581–644) ( Umar) Second Caliph, or ruler, of Islam. He was converted to Islam in 618, and became a counsellor of Muhammad. In 632, he chose the first caliph, Abu Bakr, and succeeded him in 634. Under his rule, Islam spread by conquest into Syria, Egypt, and Iran, and the foundations of an administrative empire were laid.
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"Omar." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Omar." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Omar.html "Omar." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Omar.html |
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῾Umar
῾Umar, Omar (Arabic) ‘Flourishing’. ‘Umar ibn-al-Khaṭṭāb was the second rightly guided caliph (634–44), a man noted for his justice, administrative ability, and the simplicity of his lifestyle.
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Cite this article
PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "῾Umar." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "῾Umar." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Umar.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "῾Umar." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Umar.html |
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Omar
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Cite this article
"Omar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Omar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Omar2.html "Omar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Omar2.html |
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Omar
Omar see Umar , caliph. |
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Cite this article
"Omar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Omar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Omar1.html "Omar." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Omar1.html |
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