As-salaamu'alaykum,
Umar said,
“The people will fulfil the rights of their leader (only) to the same extent that their leader fulfils the rights of Allah. If a leader gives way to his desires (while forgetting his responsibilities), his people will do the same.”
(Mausoo’ah Fiqh Umar ibn al-Khattab, pg. 146)
People, therefore are only as good as their leaders are, which is to be expected since people naturally look to their leaders for guidance, expecting them to be paragons of virtue, nobility, decency, and honour. If they witness their leader living a life of luxury, a life of extravagance, and a life that is without sacrifices, they will despise him if they are poor, they will become worldly minded and selfish if they are from the middle classes, and they will imitate him if they are rich. But if a leader is pious, if he is sincere, and if he makes sacrifices, that he does not even expect his people to make, his people will honour him, and they will aspire to live as unselfishly he lives. All of this is only human nature, which is why it is so important for a leader to be an ideal role model for his people – and which is why the rightly guided Khaleefahs enjoyed so much help and cooperation from Muslims during the periods of their caliphates.
Hence Umar was very strict in checking on himself and his family. He knew that people were looking at him and watching closely, and that there was no point in being strict with him if he let his family have free rein, for which he would be brought to account in the Hereafter and for which people would not show any mercy in this world. When Umar forbade the people to do something, he would go to his family and say:
"I have forbidden the people to do such and such, and the people are watching you as a bird watches a piece of meat. If you break the rules, then so will they, but if you refrain then so will they. By Allah, if a man is brought to me who has done that which I forbade the people to do, I will punish him double, because of his relationship to me. So whoever among you wants (to do that), let him go ahead, and whoever wants to refrain, let him do so."
(Mahd as-Sawaab, 3/893)
And he used to keep a very close eye on the actions of his children, wives and relatives.
Umar forbade his family to make use of public facilities that had been set up by the state for the benefit of certain people, fearing lest he show favoritism to his family therein. Abdullah ibn Umar said:
"I bought some camels and let them graze in al-Hima (a common grazing area set up by the state), and when they grew fat I brought them (to sell). Umar entered the market and saw some fat camels.
He said,
"Whose are these camels?"
Someone near him replied,
“They belong to Abdullah ibn Umar.”
Umar then said,
“O Abdullah ibn Umar! Wonderful! Wonderful (obviously, he said this with a degree of sarcasm)! The son of the Leader of the Believers.”
Umar then asked,
“Where did you get these camels?”
Abdullah replied,
“These are camels that I purchased and that I sent to the enclosed field for grazing. I merely wanted to benefit from the same services that other Muslims want to benefit from.”
Umar said,
“They (i.e., the people who are in charge of taking of people’s animals in the enclosed filed) surely say,
‘Care for the camels that belong to the son of the Leader of the Believers. Provide drink for the camels that belong to the son of the Leader of the Believers. O Abdullah ibn Umar, go take your principal capital, and place whatever is left over in the Muslim treasury.”
(Manaaqib Umar, pgs 157, 158)
Umar said,
“The people will fulfil the rights of their leader (only) to the same extent that their leader fulfils the rights of Allah. If a leader gives way to his desires (while forgetting his responsibilities), his people will do the same.”
(Mausoo’ah Fiqh Umar ibn al-Khattab, pg. 146)
People, therefore are only as good as their leaders are, which is to be expected since people naturally look to their leaders for guidance, expecting them to be paragons of virtue, nobility, decency, and honour. If they witness their leader living a life of luxury, a life of extravagance, and a life that is without sacrifices, they will despise him if they are poor, they will become worldly minded and selfish if they are from the middle classes, and they will imitate him if they are rich. But if a leader is pious, if he is sincere, and if he makes sacrifices, that he does not even expect his people to make, his people will honour him, and they will aspire to live as unselfishly he lives. All of this is only human nature, which is why it is so important for a leader to be an ideal role model for his people – and which is why the rightly guided Khaleefahs enjoyed so much help and cooperation from Muslims during the periods of their caliphates.
Hence Umar was very strict in checking on himself and his family. He knew that people were looking at him and watching closely, and that there was no point in being strict with him if he let his family have free rein, for which he would be brought to account in the Hereafter and for which people would not show any mercy in this world. When Umar forbade the people to do something, he would go to his family and say:
"I have forbidden the people to do such and such, and the people are watching you as a bird watches a piece of meat. If you break the rules, then so will they, but if you refrain then so will they. By Allah, if a man is brought to me who has done that which I forbade the people to do, I will punish him double, because of his relationship to me. So whoever among you wants (to do that), let him go ahead, and whoever wants to refrain, let him do so."
(Mahd as-Sawaab, 3/893)
And he used to keep a very close eye on the actions of his children, wives and relatives.
Umar forbade his family to make use of public facilities that had been set up by the state for the benefit of certain people, fearing lest he show favoritism to his family therein. Abdullah ibn Umar said:
"I bought some camels and let them graze in al-Hima (a common grazing area set up by the state), and when they grew fat I brought them (to sell). Umar entered the market and saw some fat camels.
He said,
"Whose are these camels?"
Someone near him replied,
“They belong to Abdullah ibn Umar.”
Umar then said,
“O Abdullah ibn Umar! Wonderful! Wonderful (obviously, he said this with a degree of sarcasm)! The son of the Leader of the Believers.”
Umar then asked,
“Where did you get these camels?”
Abdullah replied,
“These are camels that I purchased and that I sent to the enclosed field for grazing. I merely wanted to benefit from the same services that other Muslims want to benefit from.”
Umar said,
“They (i.e., the people who are in charge of taking of people’s animals in the enclosed filed) surely say,
‘Care for the camels that belong to the son of the Leader of the Believers. Provide drink for the camels that belong to the son of the Leader of the Believers. O Abdullah ibn Umar, go take your principal capital, and place whatever is left over in the Muslim treasury.”
(Manaaqib Umar, pgs 157, 158)