The History of Jerusalem in the Caliphs era
Introduction
When Prophet Mohammed, PBUH, died, and the Companions ruled Muslims, they took excellent care of the Holy Land. Abu Bakr and Omar bin Al-Khattab, the one who wrote the Omari Covenant, gave Jerusalem much of their attention.
Apostasy Wars
The Apostasy Wars occurred in the Islamic lands during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr. He sent armies to liberate the Levant and died afterwards. After Abu Bakr, Omar bin Al-Khattab became the Caliph and sent an army with Abu Obaida Amir bin Al-Jarrah as its Commander. He assigned Abu Obaida in this position because he was called “Amin Al-Ommah” (the Keeper of the Nation) and loved peace and reconciliation, and this was what Omar bin Al-Khattab wanted, in order to liberate the lands peacefully.
Abu Obaida’s Letter to the People of Jerusalem
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
From Abu Obaida bin Al-Jarrah to the patriarchs and people of Jerusalem. Peace be unto those who seek truth and believe in Allah and the Messenger.
We invite you to bear witness that there is no God but Allah, Mohammed is His Messenger, the Hour is surely coming, and that Allah will raise up those who are in the graves. If you bear witness to that, then we shall consider your blood, property, and offspring sacred, and will have you as our brothers. If you decline, then acknowledge our right in making you pay tribute (Jizyah) willingly while you are humbled. And if you decline, I’ll approach you with an army whose members love death more than you love drinking and eating ham, and, Insha’Allah, will not let you go until I kill all of your soldiers and take all of your offspring as captives”.
The Reply of the People of Jerusalem
When Christians in the city received the letter, they were stalked by fear, and sent a letter proposing conciliation and handing the keys of the city to Muslims. Yet, they stipulated that the Muslim Caliph himself receive the keys. So Omar bin Al-Khattab arrived in Jerusalem, stood on Al-Mukaber Mount, which is located on the southern side of the Holy City, saw the city’s walls, and yelled loudly: “Allah is Great”, and so did the Muslims with him, and so people knew that they arrived.
The Omari Covenant
One of the great situations of Omar bin Al-Khattab is when he wrote the Assurance of Safety that the people of Jerusalem requested in detail. He gave them this Omari Assurance letter that is still very well remembered until today. In it, he’s said : “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. This is the assurance of safety [aman] which the servant of God Omar, the Commander of the Faithful, has given to the people of Jerusalem. He has given them an assurance of safety for themselves, for their property, their churches, their crosses, the sick and healthy of the city, and for all the rituals…”.
The First Call to Prayer by Bilal bin Rabah After the Death of Prophet Mohammed
It is known that Bilal bin Rabah, after the death of Prophet Mohammed, had never called for prayer. Yet, because Omar insisted, he stood and called for prayer in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the same voice that echoed in the time of the prophet, PBUH. When he said “I bear witness that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah”, he burst out crying, and Muslims cried with him, yearning for Allah’s Prophet, PBUH.