Who was “Alexander, the Great” – the Alexander of Macedonia or Hazrat Umar Farooq
(Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) of Islam? Historians of the world are duty‐bound to answer this question.
These are the days of the SMS, the mobile messaging system conveys thoughts in
seconds from one corner of the world to another. Readers and viewers also utilize
this modern facility now – yesterday someone sent a message to me wishing I had
written a column on Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu). This reminded me that that day was the
day of the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhuh) and I am now thinking who was
“Alexander, the Great” – the Alexander of Macedonia or Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) of
Islam.

We had read as a child that the Alexander of Macedonia became a king at the age
of twenty and ventured out of Macedonia at 23. He first conquered the whole of
Greece. Then he entered Turkey. After this he defeated Darius of Persia, entered
Syria, moved to Jerusalem and then Babylon and Egypt and India. In India he
fought King Porus and founded the city of Phalia in memory of his favorite horse.
He started his return through Makran. He contacted typhoid on his way back and
died in the year 323 B.C. at the age of 33 in the palace of Bakht Nasr.

We have been told that he was a great general, conqueror and king in human
history and was given the title of “Alexander, the Great”. We made him “Sikander
Azam”, the king of kings. But, today, I question all the historians of the world if Alexander
deserves this title when we have Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) . I invite all the historians of the
world to compare the conquests and the achievements of Alexander and Hazrat Umar
Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) .

Please compare. Alexander was the son of a king ‐‐ the best instructors taught
him how to ride a horse, he had tutors like Aristotle and was offered the throne at
the age of twenty. On the other hand, Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) did not have any royal
ancestor even in his seven previous generations, grew up minding herds of goats
and sheep and had not got trained in the art of war from anyone. Alexander had
conquered 1.7 million square miles of land in ten years with an organized army ‐‐
Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu), in ten years, conquered 2.2 million square miles of land
including the Roman and Persian super powers with an un‐organized army.

Even in these days of satellites and missiles and submarines, no ruler has a domain as
vast as that of Hazrat Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) which he had not only got conquered on mere horseback
but had also managed and ruled it. Alexander got many of his own generals killed
during his conquests, many generals and soldiers deserted him, there were
rebellions against him and his army even refused to proceed in India, but no
companion of Hazrat Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) ever had the courage to disobey him. He was the
commander who deposed the strongest general of Islam, Khalid bin Waleed (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu)
right in the battleground and no one dared to disobey. He removed Saad bin Abi
Waqas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) from the governorship of Kufa, fired Harith bin Kaab (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) as a governor,
confiscated the wealth of Amro bin al Aas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu) and recalled the governor of Hamas
and assigned him to grazing the camels. No one dared to disobey.

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