ACKNOWLEDGMENT
OF TRUTH
During the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph, Iraq came under Muslim rule in 16 AH. A question soon arose about how to manage the fertile lands of the Tigris and Euphrates region that had come under Muslim control. According to existing custom, the military commanders believed that the greater part of these lands should be distributed among the soldiers. Umar disagreed. His view was that the land should remain under the control of the public treasury so that future generations could also benefit from it.
This issue led to a strong disagreement, and the debate continued for several days. In particular, Khalid ibn al-Walid, Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, and Bilal ibn Rabah strongly argued against Umar’s view. The disagreement became so intense that Umar eventually said, “O God, relieve me of Bilal! (Allahumma akfini Bilalan).”
Later, a consultative council was formed to help resolve the matter. It included notable figures such as Uthman, Ali, and Talhah. Even then, no consensus could be reached.
After several days of discussion, Umar remembered a verse from the Quran:
“It is for the poor refugees who were driven from their homes and possessions, desiring the favour and the pleasure of God and supporting God and His Messenger. Such people are the truthful. Those who were already settled in the city [Madinah] and firmly rooted in faith, love those who migrated to them for refuge, and harbour no desire in their hearts for what has been given to the [latter]. They give them preference over themselves, even if they too are needy: those who are saved from their own souls’ greed are truly successful. Those who came [into the faith] after them say, ‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in the faith and leave no malice in our hearts towards those who believe. Lord, You are indeed compassionate and merciful.” (59: 8-10)
Umar recited this verse to the people and explained: “This verse, in discussing war gains and public wealth, includes the phrase ‘and those who come after them’. This clearly proves that the wealth acquired through conquest is not meant solely for the current generation—it is also the right of future generations. If I distribute these lands among today’s soldiers, there will be nothing left for the generations to come. This would contradict the intent of the Quran.”
Everyone accepted Umar’s reasoning, and with one voice they said, “Your opinion is correct.” (Al-Kharaj by Abu Yusuf, p. 37)
Following this, a principle was established that lands acquired through conquests would be considered the property of the Islamic state, not personal property to be divided among individuals.
This does not mean that the verse from Surah al-Hashr silenced everyone or left no room for further discussion. The real reason the discussion ended was that the people involved had a sincere desire to accept the truth. Their disagreement was not due to stubbornness but simply because they had not yet understood the issue fully. Once the Quranic verse clarified the matter, it became easy for them to accept it.
In this world, the opportunity to speak is so open that a person can always find words to counter any argument. Those who are not serious often respond to any reasoning with a string of counterwords just for the sake of argument. But those who are sincere and consider themselves accountable before God may oppose a view at first simply because they haven’t understood it clearly. However, when that view is clarified with sound evidence, they accept it without hesitation.
This incident also shows the proper etiquette and principles of free expression. Even an ordinary person has the right to disagree with the Caliph. At the same time, one must also be someone who can recognize a valid argument and be willing to drop their objection once the truth becomes clear.
