page_title: Umar II
section_title: Reforms
hierarchical_section_title: Umar II / Caliphate / Reforms
caption_attribution_description: Português: Dirrã do califa Omar II emitido em 718-719
context_page_description: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, commonly known as Umar II, was the eighth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 22 September 717 until his death in 720. Umar made various significant contributions and reforms to the society, and he has been described as "the most pious and devout" of the Umayyad rulers and was often called the first Mujaddid and the fifth righteous Caliph of Islam.
  He was also a cousin of the former caliph, being the son of Abd al-Malik's younger brother, Abd al-Aziz. He was also a matrilineal great-grandson of the second caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab.
  Surrounded with great scholars, he is credited with having ordered the first official collection of Hadiths and encouraged education to everyone.
  He also sent out emissaries to China and Tibet, inviting their rulers to accept Islam. At the same time, he remained tolerant with non-Muslim citizens. According to Nazeer Ahmed, it was during the time of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz that the Islamic faith took roots and was accepted by huge segments of the population of Persia and Egypt.
context_section_description: Umar was a scholar and surrounded himself with great scholars like Muhammad ibn Ka'b and Maymun ibn Mihran. He offered stipends to teachers and encouraged education. Through his personal example, he inculcated piety, steadfastness, business ethics and moral rectitude in the general population. His reforms included strict abolition of drinking, forbidding public nudity, elimination of mixed bathrooms for men and women and fair dispensation of Zakat. He undertook extensive public works in Persia, Khorasan and North Africa, including the construction of canals, roads, rest houses for travellers and medical dispensaries.
  He continued the welfare programs of the last few Umayyad caliphs, expanding them and including special programs for orphans and the destitute. He would also abolish the jizya tax for converts to Islam, who were former dhimmis, who used to be taxed even after they had converted under other Umayyad rulers.
  Umar II is credited with having ordered the first official collection of hadith (sayings and actions attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad), fearing that some of it might be lost. Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Hazm and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri are among those who compiled hadiths at Umar II's behest.
  He made other reforms:
  State officials were excluded from entering into any business.
  Unpaid labour was made illegal.
  Pasture lands and game reserves, which were reserved for the family of the dignitaries, were evenly distributed among the poor for the purpose of cultivation.
  He urged all of the officials to listen the complaints of the people; he would also announce at any public occasion that, if anyone witnessed a public official mistreating others, he should report him to the leader and would be given a reward ranging from 100 to 300 dirhams.
caption: Silver dirham of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
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