Umari Treat and opening of al-Quds

When Abu `Ubaydah (`Amr b. Al-`Aas) (ra) arrived to open the land of Al-Quds, he requested that its people sign a treaty agreeing that their leader would be the Amir of the believers, Khalifah `Umar b. Al- Khattab (ra). `Ubaydah wrote to `Umar with this, and thus `Umar prepared his traveling gear to depart for Bait-ul-Maqdis (Al-Quds).

`Umar (ra) traveled to Bait-ul-Maqdis with his servant and only one camel to ride. He took turns riding the camel until they neared Bait-ul-Maqdis. When it was the servant's turn to ride, `Umar walked. Upon reaching an area that was patched with mud and water, `Umar raised his clothing to avoid it, and Abu `Ubaydah (ra) commented on this, fearing that the people of Al-Quds might belittle `Umar. `Umar replied with his famous words: "Oh, Abu `Ubaydah, we were once a disgraceful people, and Allah made us honourable with Islam, thus if we sought honour in anything other than Islam, Allah would disgrace us." This was the reply of the one who went to open Bait-ul-Maqdis, to open it to Islam for the honour of Islam alone. After all, he understood that if were not for Islam, `Umar would still be in Makkah making idols out of dates, worshipping these idols, and then eating them when he became hungry.

`Umar (ra) was not a Palestinian who was proud of his nationality, nor an Arab who was proud of his being Arab, rather he was a Muslim whom Allah (swt) had made honourable with Islam. It was for Allah (swt) alone that he opened these vast lands and ruled the people with truth and justice. This was a state that united all Muslims, regardless of nationalities or origins.

Once `Umar b. Al-Khattab (ra) entered Palestine and opened it to Islam, he offered the people of Bait-ul-Maqdis security. This was given to the people in the form of the `Umari Treaty. It stated: "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Beneficent. This is what the slave of Allah, `Umar b.Al-Khattab, the Amir of the believers, has offered the people of Illyaa' of security (and Illyaa' is Al-Quds) granting them Amaan (protection) for their selves, their money, their churches, their children, their lowly and their innocent, and the remainder of their people. Their churches are not to be taken, nor are they to be destroyed, nor are they to be degraded or belittled, neither are their crosses or their money, and they are not to be forced to change their religion, nor is any one of them to be harmed. No Jews are to live with them in Illyaa' (Yes, oh Muslims, no Jews are to live with them in Illyaa) and it is required of the people of Illyaa' to pay the Jizya, like the people of the cities. It is also required of them to remove the Romans from the land; and whoever amongst the people of Illyaa' that wishes to depart with their selves and their money with the Romans, leaving their trading goods and children behind, then their selves, their trading goods and their children are secure until they reach their destination. Upon what is in this book is the word of Allah, the covenant of His Messenger, of the Khulafaa' and of the believers if they (the people of Illyaa') gave what was required of them of Jizya.

The witnesses upon this were Khalid b. Al-Walid, `Amr b. Al-`Aas, `Abdul-Rahman b. `Awf and Mu'awiyah b. Abi Sufyan. Written and passed on the 15th year (after Hijrah)."

Translated from Arabic