😱“You Appointed a former slave to govern the affairs of Makkah?!”

When he was the khalifah, Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the governor of Makkah – when you are out of the city, who do you appoint in your place to handle the affairs?

The governor of Makkah said, “I deputized one man. He is one of our freed slaves.”

Surprised, Umar asked, “you appointed a former slave to govern the affairs of Makkah?”

Now, bear in mind the context: firstly, slaves are the lowest classes of people in the society, and usually do not have privilege of access to knowledge of the wealthy society; how will one expect them to have the basic competencies of leadership to govern a city? Secondly, coming from a heavily tribal society that would glorify their lineage over anything else, back in the days of jahiliyyah before Islam, it was unthinkable to have a non-Quraysh, let alone an outsider and former slave, to govern the affairs of the Holy City of Makkah, that houses the Ka’bah – the direction of prayer of all the Muslims in the world. Leadership of this place isn’t just something you appoint recklessly: it is usually reserved for the elite of the elite. 

Needless to say, to delegate the task of governing Makkah to a former slave, was indeed surprising. 

And so to Umar’s question, the governor replied, “O Amirul Mu’mineen – he is a learned man. He memorized the Qur’an, he learned the fara’id, and he is knowledgeable in the shari’ah.”

Umar replied,“SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah)! Allah uplifts people with the Qur’an, and He humiliates people with the Qur’an.”

Amazing! Consider the following:

1. The month of Ramadhan was the best of the 12 months because it was the month in which it was revealed. Allah says شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ "The month of Ramadhan, in which the Qur'an was revealed" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:185)

2. Specifically in the month of Ramadhan, one particular night stands out - Laylatul Qadar, its virtuous of which is a better than a thousand months. Why? Because it was the night in which the Qur'an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad. إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ ۚ  “Verily we have revealed (the Qur’an) in a blessed night” (Surah Ad-Dukhkhan, 44:3)

3. Allah granted the honour of the rights to be imam to those most knowledgeable in Qur'an, regardless of their age or race. The Prophet ﷺ said, "وَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَكْثَرُكُمْ قُرْآنًا" – “let the one amongst you who knows the most Qur'an lead the prayer.” So much so that Amr bin Salama led his entire tribe in prayer as the imam, even though he was only six years old (Al-Bukhari)

4. The best of mankind. Last but not least - and the most important message to us here - is this. The Prophet ﷺ said, 

خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

"The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it (to others)" (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)