Introduction

“It is incumbent upon me to increase your grants and livelihoods and fix up, for you, every means of defence. It is incumbent upon me not to throw you into jeopardies, nor confine you in your front posts; and I pledge that if you stay away on missions, I will be responsible for your families …”

Below are excerpts of a memorial speech delivered by ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb — the famed companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the second of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs. The speech addresses duties of leadership, balance between severity and mercy, and a clear call to piety: “Fear Allah, Oh servants of Allah.”

Umar’s Opening: service through strength

“I had been in the company of the Messenger of Allah, and a servant of his; and he had been, as no body else, of extreme lenience and mercy; and he had been, as Allah says of him: ‘[to the believers compassionate and merciful.]’ — Quran 9:138”

Umar recalls how he served alongside the Prophet as an “unsheathed sword” — combining severity when necessary with the Prophet’s merciful example. He acknowledges Abu Bakr’s generosity and frames his own role as a balance: firmness towards oppressors, mercy towards the meek.

Promise of just stewardship

Umar addresses the community plainly: his severity is meant only for the oppressive, while the gentle and the sincere will find from him lenience and protection. He pledges fair management of public wealth and strict avoidance of needless hardship:

“I will not levy any taxes on your products or on any of the booties Allah has bestowed upon you, except what is due; and I pledge not to expend it except where it should be expended.”

This passage stresses two fundamentals of Islamic governance: trustworthy stewardship (amanah) and proportional justice.

Security, provision and family care

Umar vows to strengthen livelihoods and provide means of defence, promising not to put the community into needless danger. He offers a tangible reassurance to soldiers and travellers: their families will be cared for during absences. This is leadership that secures both the public sphere and the private welfare of households.

The moral appeal: Fear Allah

“Therefore, fear Allah, Oh servants of Allah. And help me against yourselves by leaving me in peace; and help me against myself by ordering beneficence and forbidding abomination, and by giving me good advice and counsel in all the affairs of yours Allah has charged me with.”

The core of Umar’s message is spiritual: governance and social order rest on God-consciousness. He asks the people to assist him through moral vigilance — to promote good and forbid evil — and to advise him sincerely.

Reflections — why this speech still matters

• Balanced leadership: strength without injustice; mercy without weakness.
• Public trust: fiscal honesty and protecting the vulnerable are non-negotiable duties.
• Spiritual foundation: effective governance depends on the moral fibre of the community — fear of Allah and mutual accountability.

For students of history and believers alike, Umar’s words offer a concise manual: power must be disciplined by piety; authority must be exercised with compassion. The call to “fear Allah” is not merely private devotion — it is the ethical backbone of public life.