A perusal of the development of the historical image of Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz (99-101 hij / 717-719 AD)dimensions of how it acquired shape
Abdelhadi Nasser Al Ajmi-, Fauclty of Arts, Dept. of History, Kuwait University, Kuwait.
Abstract
Despite the numerous writings and studies that dealt with the personality of Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz (99-101 hij / 717-719 AD), yet no one can claim he exhausted everything pertinent to this character,away from the stereotypic asceticism, fairness, piety, and selectivity. This descriptive narrative continuedto gear many writings and books towards the traditional picture attached to Oman Ibn Abdel Aziz andlater transformed him into an almost holy historical figure, and clad him in excessive imaginationwherein the personal mingled with the objective, or even the mythical.
Hence, the current study aims to clarify how the narrative view of the character of Omar Ibn Abdel Azizdeveloped over a myriad of writings. Through these works, the researcher highlighted the danger oflingering over this traditionally selective records and observations.
Through a survey of literature on Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz in Mawta' Malek (d.
179 Hij, 795 ad)K Kharraj AbiYousuf (d. 182 Hij, 798 ad), Biograpgy of Omar Ibn
Abdel Aziz by Ibn Abdel Hakam 597 (d. 214 Hij, 829ad), Biography and Virtues of
Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz, the ascetic Caliph by Ibn Al Jouzi (597Hij,1201 ad),the researcher explicates how this view emerged and developed until it reached an exaggerated nearholy dimension through unreasonable and almost imaginary assets by narrators and historians. Thesetraits were not there in reality, but were gradually compiled by these narrators and historians withvarying objectives in mind, and finally led to an idealcharacter who presided over both the religious andpolitical scenes in his time.