Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz

Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, born on November second, six hundred eighty-one, was the eighth Umayyad caliph, ruling from seven hundred seventeen until his death in seven hundred twenty. His reign is noted for significant reforms that transformed the Umayyad central government into a more efficient and egalitarian institution. Among his notable achievements was the first official collection of hadiths and the establishment of universal education for the populace.

During his brief but impactful three-year rule, Umar dispatched emissaries to China and Tibet, inviting their rulers to embrace Islam. His leadership coincided with a period when large segments of the populations in Persia and Egypt accepted the faith. Despite ordering the withdrawal of Muslim forces from various fronts, including Constantinople, Central Asia, and Septimania, his reign also saw the Umayyads expand their territories in the Iberian Peninsula.

Umar is revered by many Sunni scholars as the first mujaddid and is often referred to as the 'fifth rightly guided caliph' due to his commitment to just governance. Some scholars even consider the brief caliphate of Hasan ibn Ali as part of the rule of his grandfather, Ali ibn Abi Talib, citing a hadith that describes the rightly guided caliphate as lasting thirty years. Additionally, he is honorifically known as Umar al-Thani, or Umar II, in homage to his great-grandfather, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, who ruled from six hundred thirty-four to six hundred forty-four.