Khilafah: A Model of Disaster Management
When we examine the system which the Prophet (saw) had brought to mankind, we will see that it does not resemble what is currently being implemented in the Muslim lands.
During the Khilafah of Umar ibn Al-Khatab (ra), Madinah had suffered a famine. Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (ra), his Wali (governor) in Syria, said that he would send a train of camels so long that, "... one end will be here at Syria and the other will be at Madinah."
Moreover, Abu Ubaidah (ra) later paid a personal visit to Madinah and acted as an officer of a disaster management division, which was headed personally by Umar (ra). Tens of thousands of people from desert towns had already gathered in Madinah and once an adequate supply of ration reached Madinah, Umar (ra) dispatched his men to the routes of Iraq, Palestine and Syria to take the supply caravans to the desert settlements deeper into Arabia, which by the permission of Allah (swt) saved hundreds of thousands from starvation. For the internally displaced people, Umar (ra) hosted a dinner every night in Madinah. If all this could be achieved by Islamic ruling in an age of camels and messengers on horses, what could be achieved by the Khilafah in today’s time?...Khilafah remained a shining example !!
