The Era of the Four Caliphs and the Golden Age - II
The Period of Umar (ra) (634-644)
A prominent member of the Qureysh tribe by the name of Umar (ra) was affected by Muslims' unbending devotion to their faith despite all pressures exerted on them and accepted Islam. He is said to have been the first to declare openly that he accepted Islam. As Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (ra) said, "It was a victory when Umar (ra) became a Muslim." (Usdul-Gaba, IV, p. 151)
After his conversion, he took his place in the company of our Prophet (saas) and because of his strong character and determination, became a leading proponent of Islamic morality. He used his wealth for the spread of the faith. After Abu Bakr (rar) died, Umar was chosen as caliph and proved to be a model of the administration of justice for those who came after him.
Umar (ra) is known for his efforts to the establishment of justice and his devotion to the moral teachings of the Qur'an. When dispensing justice, he treated all people equally, with no regard for anyone's name, wealth, connections or rank. He used every resource at his disposal to ensure the uncompromised dispensation of justice in the areas under his administration.
During his time in power, social justice reigned everywhere. He always felt a deep sense of responsibility for his people. He reportedly said, "If a camel was dying of exhaustion on the banks of the Euphrates, I would feel responsible for it."
The Importance of Consultation for Umar (ra)
If some dispute arose, Umar (ra) would consult with other Muslims according to the principles of the Qur'an, and seek their opinions making a decision. In this way the best course of action would emerge, which they could then acted upon. So, in any important matter, a tradition and a habit of widespread consultation was established—the reason why the people worked in consultation with one another.
Many innovations occurred in the time of Umar (ra). After a while, the country was divided into administrative units. Governors and kadis (judges of the laws) responsible to the caliph were appointed.. With the appointment of kadis, justice and administration were separated for the first time. These years saw the adoption of the Muslim calendar, or Hijri; and a popular assembly and a public treasury were established.
During the caliphate of Umar (ra), many victories were won outside Arabia and Iraq. Iran, Horosan, Syria, Palestine and Egypt all became Muslim territories. As its land expanded, the Islamic state had to organize its administration together with its political, economic and military components. To answer these requirements, Umar (ra) laid the foundations for an institutionalized Islamic state.
According to historical texts, a letter reportedly sent by Umar (ra) to the kadis became a guide for subsequent generations of administrators:
During trials, do not permit excess movement, shouting or undignified behavior. In order for justice to be done, there must be peace and quiet. When the laws are seen to be respected, the Divine of Justice is honored. If a Muslim has good intentions, Allah orders his relationships with others, but He brings disaster on those who are two-faced. The duty then of a judge is to ensure that Allah's treasury of mercy and the people's daily needs are distributed to His servants with justice.
His practice of the moral values of the Qur'an allowed Umar (ra) to administer in a way that won the hearts of the whole of Islamic society. In this way—according to Allah's will—he contributed greatly to the spread of Islam's moral teachings.
The Period of Uthman (ra) (644-656)
 Uthman (ra) with his superior moral values, was the one of the first to accept Islam.
Before becoming caliph, he was one of those closest to our Prophet (saas). In addition to possessing a very pleasant and effective way of speaking, he possessed an excellent memory and learned the Holy Qur'an by heart. Furthermore, he had a great knowledge of the hadiths, the words of the Prophet (saas), and as amanuensis of the revelation, performed great services for Islam.
He was chosen to be caliph after Umar (ra). Nobody objected to his election to the rank of caliph because he was regarded as worthy of it throughout Islamic society, and everyone swore allegiance to him.
During his caliphate, certainly one of Uthman (ra)'s greatest services in the propagation of Islamic moral values was how he had copies of the Holy Qur'an copied and sent to various Islamic centers. Due to differences of accent in his day, the verses of the Qur'an were being read out in different ways, so the Blessed Uthman (ra) set up an institution for the copying of the entire Qur'an. One duplicate was left in Medina, and others sent to Mecca, Damascus, Kufa, Basra, Egypt and other locations.
In the course of his work as caliph, Uthman (ra) made sure that suitable candidates were selected for various appointments. He was determined to develop agriculture and public works so as to raise the level of prosperity in the Islamic community, and he worked to develop gardens and vineyards. One noticeable development that occurred in this period was the increase in the wealth of Muslims and their greater prosperity compared with their lives in the past. And partly as a result, many of those unbelievers living in Islamic territories became Muslims.
The lifetime of Uthman (ra) saw a continuation of Islamic victories in Iran, the Caucasus and Africa. A maritime force was established and took the strategically important Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Many important victories were won against the Byzantines, and order and justice were established in the territories won.
The Period of Ali (ra) (656-661)
Ali was the son of Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet (saas). Historical accounts tell us that he grew up near our Prophet (saas) who later became his guardian.
Ali had the salient characteristics of courage, wisdom and eloquence. Everyone agreed that Ali (ra) was one of the greatest scholars in the Islamic community. As our dear Prophet (saas) said of him, "He is the door of Wisdom City." At the Prophet's side since his childhood, he learned the Qur'an from him and served him as amanuensis and help meet until the Prophet (saas)'s death. For this reason, Ali (ra) came to know a great deal about religious matters and as a result, was called to be among the advisors to Abu Bakr (ra), Umar (ra) and Uthman (ra).
After becoming caliph, he established schools for the education of Muslims, on which he placed great importance. When he was martyred, the Period of the Four Caliphs, one of the most glorious periods in Islam, came to an end.
Glad Tidings of the Golden Age
In many of the Prophet's hadiths that have come down to us, we are told that Islamic morality will once again have dominance in the world, during a period to be known as the Golden Age. We call this period "the Golden Age" thanks to the glorious descriptions of it in the words of our Prophet's (saas). And, by the will of Allah, it will be similar to the Blessed Period we have just described.
During this Age, just as throughout the Blessed Period and the era of the Four Caliphs, the morals of the Qur'an will prevail, and all around the world, there will be love, peace, comfort, justice, abundance and wealth. The Prophet Muhammad (saas) foretold the Golden Age and the emergence of the Mahdi who will be the leader during the End Times:
In the last of times, there will be a khalifa [successor] who will distribute wealth without even counting it. (Sahih Muslim)
The Golden Age will grant a beautiful life to Muslims in this world. As our Prophet (saas) said, this period will be a foretaste of Paradise, a blessing from Allah, and a great reward. With its abundance, as well as its peaceful and comfortable environment, this is a time that every servant of faith who devotes his life to Allah would like to live to see. For all Muslims, it is doubtless a great honor to be accorded the good news of this period.
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Age:
March flies belong to the Tabanidae family and feed mostly on plant pollen. The fossil record shows that all species of flies came into being at the same time and have lived on for millions of years without any change in their physical structures. This proves that flies, like all other living creatures, did not evolve. Evolutionists admit that the origin of flies cannot be explained in terms of the theory of evolution. 
One of the times in which man's helplessness is most apparent is that of sickness. In order that man should experience this feeling, Allah has created hundreds of kinds of different illnesses. Each sickness has different effects on a person's body and mind. Yet they are all evidence of a purposeful design. The way that a virus so small as to be invisible to the naked eye can make someone quite unrecognizable, and the way that a virus in the body may not always be able to be diagnosed, are clear evidence of Allah's might.
Nothing happens because the head structure of woodpeckers is ideally created for such a task. The skull of the woodpecker has a remarkable suspension system that absorbs the force of the blows. Its forehead and some skull muscles adjoined to its beak and the jaw joint are so robust that they help lessen the effect of the forceful strokes during pecking. 
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