Reforms of Hazrat Umer Bin Abdul Aziz

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.
After being nominated caliph, Umar addressed the people from the pulpit saying: “O people,
I have been nominated your caliph despite my unwillingness and without your consent. So
here I am, I relieve you of your pledge (baiyat) that you have taken for my allegiance. Elect
whomsoever you find suitable as your caliph." People shouted: "O Umar, we have full faith
in you and we want you as our caliph." Umar continued, “O people, obey me as long as I
obey Allah; and if I disobey Allah, you are not duty-bound to obey me."
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 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 behes.
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
other, he should report him to the leader and would be given a reward ranging from 100
to 300 dirhams.
 He abolished many taxes like home tax, marriage tax, stamp tax, and many others.
Omar bin Abdul Aziz was the first Muslim ruler who moved his horizons from external
conquests to internal revival. He recalled his armies from the borders of France, India and the
outskirts of Constantinople. 

 The reforms of Omar II were too much for the disgruntled Umayyad’s and the rich
merchants. Omar II was poisoned and he died in the year 719, after a rule that lasted only two
and a half years. He was thirty-nine years old at the time of his death. And with him died the
last chance for Omayyad rule.

Downfall of Umayyad’s
The Umayyad Caliphate ended when the Abbasid family usurped power in AD 750. The
Umayyads had come to power in AD 660 when Muawiya took the caliphate from the Fourth
and last "Rightful" Caliph `Ali in the "First Fitnah" war and moved the capital to Damascus.
Many Muslims did not believe that the Umayyads were the right people to lead the Muslim
community (the "umma"). They argued instead that only those of Muhammad's family (or
tribe) had the right to the caliphate. They therefore had a sizeable proportion of their
population that resented their control from the beginning. 
This was not a problem at first as the early Umayyads were quite competent. When they
ruled, the caliphate was reasonably stable and prosperous. They were able to expand the
limits of the caliphate, including the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula and to the far reaches
of Persia. They also oversaw an imposition of Arabic as the administrative and religious
language of the whole caliphate
Those poor people who accepted Islam and work under Umayyads were known as Mawali.
They were highly dissatisfied because Umayyad rulers deprive them of their Islamic benefits.
Sometimes they had to pay Jazia and Kheraj which was illegitimate. Umayyads monopolizes
all the government post and show discriminating behaviour with Mamalis. Non-Arabs
considered themselves more civilized then Arabs so they never liked the Arabs dominancy so
they join the Hashmi movement group by group.
. 
However, in the 8th century, a succession of relatively weak caliphs threatened the Umayyad
dynasty. Although they had claimed initially that they would select the best candidate - the
most competent, strongest, most pious man irrespective of family - to be the next caliph, they
always selected within the family and while they were lucky with some heirs, by the end,
they proved rather unlucky. Add to that infighting within the family further weakened the
dynasty. This proved increasingly unpopular with religious scholars (who disapproved of the
monopolization of religious authority in one family) and the population at large who objected
to the increasing pretensions of the family.
One of the reasons of downfall of Umayyads was Khawarij. This group was in favour of
democratic government and raises the slogans of Islamic equality in the society. They were
against Banu Umayyads and monarchical absolutism. They consider Umayyads dynasty un
Islamic and usurped one. They always stand against Umayyads rule. Thousands of Khawarij
killed but they don’t accept Umayyad’s obedience. They could not demolish Umayyad’s
dynasty but the diverted Umayyads power to themselves which can be utilized on other
enemies.
The Abbasids traced their descent to an uncle of Muhammad and therefore claimed a natural
right to the caliphate. At first, while there were powerful Umayyads, they had not been able
to capitalize upon this. However, once the weaker Umayyads began squabbling and fighting,
they were able to take advantage. They tested their support carefully in the Khurasan region
of Persia and finding success, the new leader of the Hashmi clan (of which the Abbasids were
part) - Abu Muslim - moved into an open revolt in AD 746. They began in Khurasan,
securing control there and using its resources to build their forces and finally defeat the last
Umayyad caliph, Marwan II. The first Abbasid caliph, Abu al-Abbas, became caliph in 750
and moved the capital to Baghdad.
n the Umayyads era, although the government was confined to one family but the proper
rules and regulations of succession were absent in them. In Marwan I’s reign people
nominated two successors at a time. In result circumstances became worst then ever and the
first nominee conspired against the second and tries to snatch all the powers from him. It
causes great anarchy in the royal family which also affects the whole government system.
Governors also divided in groups. Every new ruler tries to take revenge from his enemies.
Like Salman, who after sitting on the throne of authority take revenge from the conquerors of
his predecessor’s time, named Waleed because they were against him. It not only negatively
effects the government but also to Arab nation bears a lot of turmoil.
Governors, Army leaders and parliament members whose political vision and abilities was
responsible for the prosperity, progress and establishment of Umayyads were disgraced and
maltreated by Umayyad rulers. Salman disgrace Musa Bin Nusayr who was a great
conqueror. These types of acts created nihilism in the governors and the spirit of loyalty and
faithfulness for the government was ended in them.
Abbasid movement made downfall of Umayyads suitably very closer to them. The abilities
and wisdom of Abbasid leaders and Abu Muslim Khorasan’s praise worthy qualities put to
end Umayyads dynasty because with the help of their organizational abilities, political vision
and supporters they propagated against Umayyad’s tyranny and cruelty in a way that all the
unsatisfied people of the society gathered around the Abbasid. From every corner of the state
slogans were raised against Umayyads so the Umayyads dynasty doomed to downfall.