Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Umar’s Nomination as Caliph
Umar bin Abdul Aziz achieved prominence and popularity in the time of Walid as well as Sulayman bin Abdul Malik (96-99A.H.). Had he been ambitions he could have dislodged either of these two rulers. With complete sincerity, he gave his counsel to Walid and told the truth fearlessly. When Walid wanted to set aside the succession of Sulayman and sought Umar’s concurrence he rejected the proposal. In Su’.ayman’s short reign, Umar’s uprightness \\as a force to be reckoned with. His piety, scholarship and honesty o\eravved Sulayman who, however, benefited from his guidance. The
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nomination of Umar bin Abdul Aziz was a major step of the Sulayman’s policy. Sulayman’s action was perhaps the only one of its kind since the historical days of Amir Muawiya. It was very conductive to the principles of Islamic polity. When the succession of Umar was announced by Reja, Muslims everywhere rejoiced. Until then, they had seen ugly politics and family interests being upheld in important matters of State.1
”Despotic and hereditary form of government,” says Abul Hasan Ali, ”had produced a despondency which had left no hope for any change in the prevailing conditions and it appeared as if the fate of the Muslims had been sealed for a fairly long time. It required a miracle alone for the Islamic precepts to find an expression again in the political law guiding the community’s behaviour. And the miracle did happen at the most appropriate time.” As the will of Sulayman was disclosed to Umar, he did not welcome the news. He shivered as he imagined that the mantle of the true Caliphate was not without its hardships and responsibilities. On the one hand he remembered the lives of Abdullah bin Umar and Salih bin Kiyan and on the r ^er, the deeds of his own dynasty. As he undertook to function as the head of the commonwealth, he decided to follow the former. The duties of the office with which he was loaded, filled him with anxiety, and ”caused many a heart-searching.”