Famine In The Time Of Omar

Famine in the Time of Caliph Omar – عام الرمادة

The people were afflicted by a famine in the time of Omar.
Crops were drying; animals were dying,
The wind blew dust as if it were ashes, so this was called: THE YEAR OF ASHES (عام الرمادة).
One of Omar’s servants bought him milk from the market.
Omar refused to drink it and gave it away in charity.
He vowed not to taste butter, milk and meat – until all citizens living under his rule could afford it.

Omar ibn al-Khattab then said:

كَيْفَ يَعْنِينِي شَأْنُ الرَّعِيَّةِ
إِذَا لَمْ يُصِبْنِي مَا أَصَابَهُمْ
“How can I symphatise with my citizens, if I do not suffer like they suffer?”

[“Tarikh Tabari” 2/508, also Ibn al-Athir in “Kamil”, 2/556].