Harun al-Rasyid, the Best Caliph of the Abbasid Dynasty

One of the great figures of this people who succeeded in making the Romans bow their heads because his authority was al-Khalifah al-Mujahid Harun al-Rashid rahimahullah. A noble man whose history is obscured and killed by his character by people who hate Islam and the Muslims. He is described as a crazy drunkard. Masher man with many concubines. Cruel and tyrannical leader. Though he is the best caliph in the Abbasid Daula. He is a mujahid. Leaders who are concerned with science and scholars. And other virtues. Maybe this is what caused the slander to be exhaled. He is described as an irresponsible leader. Next to him there was only khamr and drunk. False stories and false stories were made to support the slander.

Ibn Khalkan said, "Harun al-Rashid included the most noble and great caliph who served the most. He is hajj, jihad, war, brave, and intelligent. "(Siyar A'lam Nubala, Juz: 7 al-Rasyid).

Nasab and Birth

The reason is Abu Ja'far. While the name and nasab are Harun bin al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Manshur Abu Ja'far Abdullah bin Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abdullah bin Abbas al-Qurasyi al-Hasyimi al-Abbasi. So, he was a Quraysh of one tribe with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And the descendants of the Prophet's uncle, Abbas bin Abdul Muthalib radhiallahu ‘anhu.

Harun al-Rasyid was born in 148 AH in the City of Ray. At that time, his father became the leader of the Ray and Khurasan region. His mother is al-Khayziran (Arabic: الخيزران), the ummah of Ummul Hadi.

Since childhood, Harun al-Rasyid has had special qualities such as courage and strength. This trait made him very worthy of being his father's successor when he was in his 20s.

Serve the Caliph

Harun al-Rashid served as caliph of the Abbasid Daula to replace his father, Mahdi. His appointment took place on Saturday night 16 Rabiul Awal 170 H. He occupied the highest position in the Abbasid Daula until the end of the month of Jumadil 194 H.

When he served as caliph, he was only 25 years old. He gathered with Abu Musa, but people worshiped him with Abu Ja'far.

Caliph the Salih

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi mentions in the Baghdad Date, "Some of Aaron's companions told him that he prayed 100 times a day. He did this with istiqomah until he died. Unless there is a reason that prevents it. He gives charity by donating 1000 dirhams every day. If he performs the Hajj, participates with him 100 Muslim jurists (ulama) and their children. If he does not perform Hajj, then he presents 300 people with supplies of armor, kiswah, and others. "(Baghdad Date Bab al-Ha-u)

Al-Mas'udi noted the years in which Harun al-Rasyid performed the Hajj. From his notes Harun al-Rasyid Hajj in the years 170, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 181, 186, and 188 H.

Adz-Dzahabi said in his article, "In 179, Harun al-Rasyid passed away in the month of Ramadan. He is always in his ihram until the Hajj season arrives. He walked from his house to Arafat. "(Siyar A'lam Nubala, Juz: 7 al-Rasyid).

The practice of Harun al-Rasyid denies those who are not pilgrimage for reasons of social care. Both of these services can be done without sacrificing one of them. Harun al-Rasyid had pilgrimage and also had great attention in social relations.

His life is a model

Al-Manshur bin Ammar said, "I do not see people who are more easily shed tears when dhikr exceeds three people: al-Fudhail bin Iyad, (Harun) al-Rashid, and others." (Mukhtashar Tarikh Dimasyq, Juz: 27 , P. 19).

It was reported, one day Ibn as-Samak met al-Rasyid. At that time Harun al-Rasyid asked for a drink. Give him a bowl of drink. Ibn as-Samak said, "O Amir al-mu'minin, if you are prevented from drinking this drink - you don't even have one of these water bowls - what are you going to buy it for?" "With half my kingdom," replied al-Rasyid. "Drink it, may Allah give you peace," said Ibn as-Samak.

After al-Rashid finished drinking the water, Ibn as-Samak again said, "If this water is blocked from coming out of your body, with what would you redeem it so he could come out?" "With all my kingdom," replied al-Rasyid. Ibn as-Samak continued, "Actually the price of a kingdom is only with a sip of water and urine. It's really inappropriate for someone to compete for it. "Harun al-Rasyid burst into tears. (Tarikh al-Khulafa, Juz: 1, p. 216).

Ibnul Jauzi recounts, "al-Rashid said to Syibyan, 'Nashiatilah aku'. Syibyan said, "Befriend people who make you afraid, but with that you feel safe. This is better for you than making friends with people who make you feel safe, but you become scared. "

"Explain the purpose of the statement to me," said al-Rasyid.

"The person who told you," You are responsible for your people, so fear Allah. " Such people are better for you. Instead of those who say, au You are ahlul bait (apostle's family). Your sins are forgiven. You are a relative of the Prophet ’’. "Harun al-Rashid cried, to the point that people around him felt sorry for him (Tarikh al-Khulafa, Juz: 1, p. 216).

Loving the Sunnah and the Ulama

Al-Rasyid is a leader who loves the scholars. He glorifies and glorifies religion. Hate debate and talk a lot. Al-Qadhi al-Fadhil in some of his letters said, "I did not know that there was a King who had never rested for knowledge, except al-Rashid. He went with his two sons, al-Amin and al-Makmun, to hear al-Muwatha read by Imam Malik rahimahullah. "(Tarikh al-Khulafa, Juz: 1, p. 217)

When the news came to him a figure of tabiut tabi'in, Abdullah bin al-Mubarak rahimahullah, died, Harun al-Rasyid sat sad. And the characters tried to cheer him up.

Abu Muawiyah adh-Dharir said, "It is not for me to call the Prophet-before al-Rashid unless he says sallallaahu‘ ala sayyidi (prayer of Allah upon my master). Then I narrated to him his hadith,

وددت أني أقاتل في سبيل الله فأقتل ثم أحيى ثم أقتل

"If only I had fought in the way of Allah, then killed. After that I came back to life and was killed again. "(Narrated by al-Bukhari 6799).

He sobbed until he sobbed.

From Khurzadz al-Abid, he said, "Abu Muawiyah delivered a hadith - Nabi ﷺ - to al-Rasyid. Namely the hadith about the story of Prophet Adam defeating the prophet Moses. Then someone asked, "Where did the two meet?" Al-Rasyid was angry and said, "Lay the skin and pull the sword. A zindiq has insulted the hadith ". Abu Muawiyah also harassed Harun al-Rashid to extinguish his anger. (al-Fawa-id adz-dzahabiyah min Siyar A'lam Nubala, Juz: 1, p. 10)

The hadith are:

عن طاوس قال سمعت أبا هريرة يقولا قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم احتج آدم وموسى فقال موسى يا آدم أنت أبونا خيبتنا وأخرجتنا من الجنة فقال له آدم أنت موسى اصطفاك الله بكلامه وخط لك بيده أتلومني على أمر قدره الله علي قبل أن يخلقني بأربعين سنة فقال النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَحَجَّ آدَمُ مُوسَى فَحَجَّ آدَمُ مُوسَى

Adam and Musa aih alaihimasslam debated each other. Moses said, "O Adam, you are our father. You have disappointed us and brought us out of heaven because of your sins. "


Adam replied, "O Moses, God has chosen you with His word and wrote the Torah to you with His hand. Do you condemn the things God has determined for me forty years before He created me? "

The Prophet said, "Adam's argument defeated Moses. Adam's argument defeated Moses. "(Narrated by Muslim No.4793).

Hearing this hadith, spontaneously one of the assemblies in Harun al-Rasyid joked, "Where did the two meet?" But Harun al-Rasyid captured this statement as a response to refute. So that he immediately responded seriously to someone he considered daring to belie the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. An-nuth'u wa as-saif (sword), said al-Rasyid. An-nuth'u is a skin that is spread out to execute someone so that the blood does not wet the floor.

Denied the hadith is not a small matter in the eyes of Harun al-Rasyid. He came to call the person with zindiq, that is, a person who denied and denied the Shari'a. While the Muslims today easily reject the hadith, without feeling the slightest guilty. They said, "This hadith is no longer relevant to the present", "This hadith is such an interpretation and thus - means to reject the hadith-", etc.

Al-Fudhail bin Iyadh rahimahullah said, "No one died, it felt heavier than the Amir al-mu'minin Harun. I wonder if God added his age from my age. "He continued," It feels heavy to us. When Harun died, slander arose. Al-Makmun (Aaron's son) called on the people to believe that the Qur'an was a creature. "(At-Tafsir min Sunan Said bin Manshur, p. 25)

Harun al-Rasyid and Roman Emperor Nikephoros I

In 187 AH, Harun al-Rasyid received a letter from the Roman Emperor Nikephoros I. The letter contained the cancellation of the peace agreement between the Romans and the Abbasids which had been agreed upon by the previous Roman Reverend. The contents of the letter Nikephoros are as follows:



From Nikephoros, Roman Emperor, to Aaron, King of Arabia. Amma ba’du ..

Actually, the emperor before me gave you the position of the fort (in the chess pen game). And he positioned himself as a pawn. He brings to you his assets. Actually I can give an amount many times from him. But it was because of his weakness and stupidity as a woman. If you read my letter, return what you have before me! If not, then the sword (who speaks) between me and you!

When al-Rasyid read this letter, he was furious. No one dared to look at his face. Moreover, issued a word to him. The people who were sitting with him stepped aside out of fear. The minister was silent. Al-Rasyid wrote a reply letter:

Bismillahir rahmanir Rahim.

From Aaron Amir al-mu'minin, to Nikephoros the Roman dog. I have read your letter O infidel girl. The answer is something you will see before you hear.

That day Harun al-Rasyid led his own troops to Rome. Until finally al-Rashid succeeded in conquering the City of Hercules - a city near Constantinople -, Nikephoros was frightened. He again called for a peace treaty and was willing to pay tribute (Tabari's chapter on the Sanah Sab'u wa Tsamanin wa Mi-ah).

Prosperity in the Era of His Government

There is a piece of sentence uttered by Harun al-Rasyid describing the extent and prosperity of his territory. One day al-Rasyid saw a cloud, then he said,

أمطري حيث شئت ؛ فسيأتيني خراجك

"It's raining wherever you want. The produce will come to me. "(Mausu'ah Akhlak wa Zuhd wa Raqa-iq Juz 1 p. 198).

The rain will be beneficial to the Muslims, both descending in the Dintasti Abbasid Islamic jurisdiction or outside the region. If he goes down in the Islamic region, the Muslims will use the water to drink and irrigate their fields. And if it comes down in addition to the territory of the Muslims, the results of the earth will come to Muslims in the form of jizyah.

This is a picture of the glory, prosperity, and power of the Muslims in the era of Harun al-Rashid Rahimahullah.

Al-Rasyid's death

Harun al-Rashid had dreamed of his death. In his dream he saw himself holding a red land. That's where he died.

The dream came true. When al-Rasyid traveled to Khurasan, upon arrival in Thousand City, he fell ill. Al-Rasyid ordered his servants, "Bring me a container of land from this place." Then he gave the red land in the diversity. Seeing that, al-Rashid said, "By Allah, this is the palm of the hand that I see. And the land in his hand. "

He ordered the excavation of his tomb while he was still alive. Then he asked to read the Koran in its entirety. After that, he asked to be taken to his tomb. "Heading to this place is the journey (life), O son of Adam," said al-Rasyid. He also cried. Three days later, he died.