Al-Farouk Omar

Author's name: Abdel Rahman Al-Sharqawi

Omar was the first ruler in history to guarantee people freedom of belief and freedom of thought, and to nurture human dignity, respect, determination and pride. He was the first ruler in Islam to gather people to perform the night prayers of Ramadan. He appointed two imams in every mosque in the country to lead the people in Taraweeh prayers, one for the men and the other for the women. He was the first to impose the Kharaj on the people of the cities and the Jizya on the People of the Covenant, and he guaranteed them state protection. He was the first to make the judiciary an independent authority, the first to appoint people who issue fatwas, and the first to hold his workers strictly accountable, empowering the oppressed subjects against the oppressive subjects. In addition to this, he was the first to ask everyone who was in charge of a Muslim matter, “Where did you get this from?”