Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik designates Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz as caliph

عهد سليمان بن عبد الملك بالخلافة إلى عمر بن عبد العزيز

Safar 99 AH

When death came upon Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik at Marj Dabiq, he summoned Raja' ibn Haywa, Muhammad ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Makhul and other scholars of his army. They wrote his will and he had them bear witness to it, instructing that when he died they should proclaim that the people must assemble for prayer, and then read the letter to them ¹. When his burial was finished, the proclamation was made; al-Zuhri stood and asked the people, 'Are you content with the one whom the Commander of the Faithful named in his will?' He then read the letter, which named Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, and after him Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik ². Umar was among the last of the people; when his name was called he said the formula of return (istirja'), and he was taken by the hand until he climbed the pulpit. Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik was the first to pledge allegiance, the people pledged after him, and Sa'id and Hisham pledged two days later ². The book states that this was ten days before the end of Safar 99 AH, the day of Sulayman's death ³.

Overview

Bakr relates that Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, while dying at Marj Dabiq, wrote his will and named Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz in it. ¹

The will

Sulayman summoned Raja' ibn Haywa, Muhammad ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Makhul and others of the scholars in his army. He wrote his will and had them witness it, and ordered them that when he died they should call out "the prayer is gathered" and then read the document to the people. ¹

The reading and the allegiance

After the burial it was called out. Al-Zuhri asked the people: are you content with the one whom the commander of the faithful named in his will? Then he read the document. It contained the name of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, and after him Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik. ²

Umar was among the last of the people, and when his name was called he said the formula of return. He was taken by the hand until he went up the pulpit; the first to give him allegiance was Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik, then the people gave theirs. Sa'id and Hisham gave theirs two days later. ²

The book says this was on the tenth day before the end of Safar 99 AH, the day of the death of Sulayman. ³

Sources

The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002) , p. 261-262

The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002) , p. 262

The Umayyad State — Bakr Muhammad Ibrahim Bakr (1st ed., Markaz al-Raya lil-Nashr wal-I'lam, Cairo 2002) , p. 261

The Founding of al-Ramla

In al-Baladhuri: al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik gave his brother Sulayman command of the Filastin jund, and he settled at Lydda then founded the city of al-Ramla and made it an amsar — the first thing he built being his palace and the house known as Dar al-Sabbaghin with a central cistern, then he laid out the mosque's plan and built it, taking the caliphate before completing it and finishing it in his reign, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz completing it while reducing the plan, saying 'the people of al-Ramla are content with this measure'; when Sulayman built for himself he gave people leave to build and they did, digging the canal called Barada and wells for them, a Christian clerk of Lydda named al-Batriq ibn al-Nakka overseeing the expenditure on the works and the congregational mosque; the city of al-Ramla did not exist before Sulayman, its site being a sandy tract; the Umayyads spent on its wells and canal after him, then the Abbasids did likewise, the charge issuing yearly from caliph to caliph until al-Mu'tasim entered it in the register, whence it became a standing annuity reckoned to the claimants.

Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik designates Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz as caliph

At a glance

Overview

The will

The reading and the allegiance

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

The Founding of al-Ramla