Umar's Assurance

Umar's Assurance (Arabic: العهدة العمرية, romanized: al-ʿUhda al-ʿUmariyya) is an assurance of safety given by the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab to the people of Aelia, the Late Roman name for Jerusalem. Several versions of the Assurance exist, with different views of their authenticity. The traditional view ascribes it to Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab and the time when Muslims captured Jerusalem in AD 637 or 638. The guarantees given to Christians regarding their churches and other property makes it one of the most important documents in the history of the city. The significance of the Assurance is discussed by early Muslim historians, such as al-Waqidi (c. 747–823). The text of the document is included, abridged or in full, in works from the late 9th, 10th, and later centuries. Opinions differ on the authenticity of the different versions of the Assurance. Many historians have questioned the authenticity of the Christian versions of this pact and argue that such documents were forged by Christian scribes to secure their possession of some religious sites. Some historians consider aspects of the version of al-Tabari (copied from Sayf ibn Umar, who died between 786–809) to be authentic. For instance, Moshe Gil while discussing al-Tabari's version points out that "the language of the covenant and its details appear authentic and reliable and in keeping with what is known of Jerusalem at the time."