economic thought of the rightly guided caliphs 101other Muslims found difficult to understand. He disagreed with the
Prophet and Muslims on some political issues, and his views turned
out to be what the Revelations supported later. The issue of the
prisoners of war who were taken from the leading Makkahns at the
battle of Badr (the first battle between Muslims and Makkahns) is
an example. The prisoners who included rich Makkahn leaders were
ransomed in favour of having a financial support that might help
the new Islamic community. Caliph Umar strongly disagreed advo-
cating that if they were ransomed they would return to fight Muslims
with more power and greater strength; they should be killed instead
as that would weaken the enemy. Later, the Revelations strongly
denied the taking of ransom and rebuked the taking of it, “for seek-
ing the chance of gain in this world while God desired for them the
world to come”, (Qur"àn, 8:67). Another example could be taken
from Caliph Umar’s perception of the prohibition of alcoholic bev-
erages. Alcoholic beverages were prohibited in phases in the Qur"àn,
starting with the phase of ordaining Muslims of not being drunk
while praying. But Caliph Umar was not satisfied with the partial
prohibition praying to God that it would be completely abolished.
Eventually, verses were revealed to stipulate a complete prohibition.
Furthermore, Caliph Umar is reported to have been among the very
few who envisaged the form of the prayers’ call, the “Aûan”. This
has given the Islamic call its uniqueness differentiated from that of
other religions. Moreover, he is reported to have recommended to
the Prophet the covering of the Prophet’s wives and their segregation
from male Muslims in general meetings. Revelation came later in
support of that recommendation. The establishment of the Islamic
calendar is, also, attributed to him, after he became caliph, who adopted
the date of the Prophet’s emigration to al-Medìnah as the start of
the calendar (Al-Suyùtì). With the help of the calendar Muslims were
able to historise events, which was impossible to do so with preci-
sion before then. Those qualities of mind which the second caliph
had, helped develop Islamic jurisprudence in general and Islamic
economic thought in particular. Indeed it had characterised Umar’s
thinking and made him more of an innovator than a follower. The
originality of the economic thinking of the second caliph is examined
below after looking at the expansion of the state under his reign.