Part of Ramadan events and lessons (series completed)
· Lesson 17 of 31
Ramadan events and lessons | Episode (17) | Battle of Wadi Lekka
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Transcript
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Summary of the book:
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"Ramadan:
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Events and Lessons."
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The Battle of Guadalete (Wadi Lakkah).
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The Time:
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On the twenty-eighth of the month of Ramadan,
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in the year 92 AH.
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Allah Almighty sent His Messenger,
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Muhammad ibn Abdillah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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with the religion of Islam,
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to be His final religion for all mankind,
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both Arab and non-Arab,
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across all corners of the globe.
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Allah Almighty said:
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“And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not.” (34:28)
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"...as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner to mankind,
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but most
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of the people do not know."
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For in following this religion
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lies the attainment of immense good
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for its adherents in this world and the Hereafter.
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Thus the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, called
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all of mankind,
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and his Ummah after him called
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to that which he had called to.
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However, the darkness of falsehood
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could never allow the light of truth
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to flow freely to the people without standing
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in its way.
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It was therefore inevitable to take the path of force
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to remove that obstacle
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which stood between the people
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and following the truth.
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For that reason, Allah Almighty revealed
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to His Messenger in the Noble Qur'an
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numerous verses
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granting permission to fight,
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and commanding it thereafter.
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Allah Almighty said:
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"And fight them until there is no fitnah..."
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“And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers.” (2:193)
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"But if they cease..."
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“And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers.” (2:193)
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Thus the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, obeyed
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the command of his Lord,
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setting out with his noble Companions
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to combat those who barred people from the path of Allah.
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The very first expedition he undertook,
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the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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was the Expedition of al-Abwa',
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or Waddan,
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and that took place in Safar
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of the second year of the Hijrah.
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Before it, there had been three reconnaissance detachments
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that he had dispatched.
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Thereafter, the expeditions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, followed in succession,
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beginning with Badr
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and culminating with Tabuk.
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His Companions then followed in his footsteps
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during the era of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate,
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conquering the lands of Iraq and the Levant,
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and subduing the Persians and the Byzantines.
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Then came the Umayyad Caliphate,
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and the dominion of the Muslims expanded
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across vast territories,
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among which was the Far Maghreb.
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The Muslims at that time continued
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to look forward to conquering the lands beyond it,
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such as al-Andalus and the like,
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until Allah prepared the favorable conditions for its conquest
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and eased the path for people to enter Allah's religion in crowds without hindrance.
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Musa ibn Nusayr
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and the Path to al-Andalus:
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Musa ibn Nusayr assumed leadership in the year 89 AH,
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corresponding to 707 CE,
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over the governance of the Maghreb,
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succeeding Hassan ibn al-Nu'man,
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who was dismissed due to a disagreement between him and the governor of Egypt.
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The Berbers revolted at the beginning of his rule,
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but he suppressed their rebellion with great resolve
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and conquered Tangier, where their remaining remnants had taken refuge,
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appointing Tariq ibn Ziyad as its governor.
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He then pursued a wise policy
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to halt the recurring Berber uprisings,
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namely the Islamization of the region,
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that is, bringing its people into Islam.
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He succeeded in winning the hearts of the Berbers to Islam,
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and thousands of them enlisted in his army.
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He also established a formidable navy to defend the frontiers against Byzantine raids,
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and began attacking the islands and naval bases
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off the African coast,
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raiding the Balearic Islands
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and attacking Sicily and Sardinia.
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Nothing remained outside his authority
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except the outpost of Ceuta, east of Tangier,
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as it was heavily fortified.
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Ceuta was under the suzerainty of the Visigoths,
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the rulers of Hispania.
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While he was attempting to conquer it,
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its governor, known as Julian, negotiated with him for peace
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and offered to aid him in fighting the ruler of Hispania,
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named Roderic,
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whom the Muslims called Ludhriq.
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Musa consulted Caliph al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik regarding this offer,
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and he approved it,
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alerting Musa to the importance of exercising caution and prudence,
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lest the matter be a deception.
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Tariq crossed the Strait of Gibraltar—
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which later came to be known by his name—
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aboard the ships of Julian, the governor of Ceuta,
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in the year 92 AH,
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corresponding to 711 CE,
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and anchored his ships by the Rock of Gibraltar,
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which is now known as the Rock of Gibraltar (Jabal Tariq).
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He then began advancing inland
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until he reached Lake La Janda.
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When he learned of the mobilization of the Visigothic king Roderic to confront him,
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he requested reinforcements from Ibn Nusayr,
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who supplied him with ships and five thousand soldiers,
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bringing his army to twelve thousand men.
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Some historians recounted:
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While Roderic was occupied with suppressing uprisings in Pamplona,
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in the north,
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news reached him of the arrival of the Muslim armies
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and their victory over his forces in several skirmishes.
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He was stunned by what had transpired,
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struck with intense panic and dread,
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and rushed back to Toledo.
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He then began mobilizing his army to confront the Muslims.
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The Visigothic army appears to have been confident in its might,
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and was certain of its ability to overcome the Muslims,
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to the extent that they prepared gear to haul Muslim captives,
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as mentioned by Ibn al-Kardabus:
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"When news reached Roderic,
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he marched out to confront him at the head of one hundred thousand horsemen,
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accompanied by carts
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carrying wealth and apparel.
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He rode upon a litter carried by three harnessed mules,
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beneath a canopy crowned with pearls and rubies,
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adorned in a robe of pearls
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woven with silk thread.
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With him were countless pack animals carrying nothing but ropes
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to bind the prisoners,
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for he harbored no doubt of capturing them."
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When Tariq learned of the massive Visigothic mobilization to fight the Muslims,
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he wrote to Musa ibn Nusayr requesting reinforcements.
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Musa dispatched to him an army of nearly five thousand fighters
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under the command of Tarif ibn Malik,
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transported aboard ships built by the Muslims,
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and it was perhaps Julian
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who facilitated the crossing of these reinforcements to al-Andalus.
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Thus the number of the Muslim army in al-Andalus reached
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twelve thousand fighters,
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the vast majority of whom were Muslim Berbers.
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Concerning this, the author of *Akhbar Majmu'ah* states:
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"Tariq
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wrote to Musa requesting reinforcements, informing him that Allah had granted victory over the peninsula,
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that they had taken control of it and the lake,
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and that the king of al-Andalus had marched against him with forces beyond his capacity.
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Ever since dispatching Tariq, Musa had set to work building ships
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until he possessed a substantial fleet.
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He thus transported five thousand men to him,
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bringing the Muslims in al-Andalus assembled with Tariq to twelve thousand."
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The Causes of the Battle of Guadalete:
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When Musa ibn Nusayr conquered the Maghreb
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and established his control over all Moroccan cities,
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there remained only the city of Ceuta,
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situated on the Mediterranean Sea,
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which served as an impregnable stronghold for the Visigoths of Hispania.
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The Visigoths had appointed a governor over it named Julian.
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During this time, an internal power struggle erupted in Hispania,
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wherein Commander Roderic usurped the throne from King Wittiza (Wamba),
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sparking a civil war in Hispania
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between the supporters of Roderic and those of the deposed faction.
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The war initially saw the ascendancy of Roderic's partisans.
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Julian was among the supporters of the deposed monarch,
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and Julian had sent his daughter to the royal court,
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where Roderic violated her,
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which became one of the prime motives to seek revenge against Roderic.
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Thus the deposed faction sought the assistance of the Muslims through Julian,
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agreeing to surrender the city of Ceuta to the Muslims
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so that Tariq's army could launch from it to fight Roderic's forces.
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Tariq's army entered Ceuta, setting out for Cádiz in al-Andalus,
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entering it without significant resistance.
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They then proceeded toward Algeciras and the Rock of Gibraltar,
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where they encountered fierce resistance
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that resulted in heavy casualties among the Muslim ranks.
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He promptly appealed to Musa ibn Nusayr for aid,
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who reinforced him as previously mentioned.
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The Date of the Battle:
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The battle took place on the twenty-eighth of the month of Ramadan,
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in the year 92 AH,
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corresponding to the nineteenth of July,
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711 CE.
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The battle lasted for eight days,
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continuing until the fifth day of Shawwal.
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The Bloody Clash:
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Tariq ibn Ziyad continued advancing with his troops,
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marching along the coastline,
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and pitched his camp in a vast plain
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in the district of Medina-Sidonia,
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in southwestern Spain,
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near the Barbate River
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and the Guadalete River,
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which flows into the ocean near the coastal city of Cádiz.
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Thus, the two armies met, vastly unequal in numbers;
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yet the Muslims possessed a strength unmatched by any force of their enemy,
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namely, the power of firm, unshakable faith.
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A fierce battle erupted between the two sides,
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and both forces clashed with intense savagery,
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to the point that they thought it would end in total annihilation.
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This bloody engagement raged on for eight days.
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The Barbate River had previously
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separated the two warring armies for three days,
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which were spent in mutual skirmishing.
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The Visigothic army occupied the northern bank of the river,
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while Tariq stood on its southern bank.
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On the fourth day,
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the two armies clashed in full force,
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and a violent, all-out battle broke out between them.
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Roderic appeared in the center of the battlefield,
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dressed in royal vestments,
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atop a chariot drawn by noble steeds.
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The Muslim Berbers of the Ghomara tribe displayed
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extraordinary fighting prowess,
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as they were handpicked elite members of that tribe,
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renowned for their daring and bravery,
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and thoroughly trained in military maneuvers of the highest order.
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Tariq had positioned a contingent of black soldiers at the vanguard of his army
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to absorb the initial shock of the assault,
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owing to their well-known patience and steadfastness.
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The Outcome of the Battle:
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First:
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The Muslims were victorious and the Visigoths were routed,
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though it was an exceptionally arduous victory,
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and an exhausting one at that,
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due to the prolonged duration of the battle
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and the overwhelming numerical strength of the Visigoths.
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Second:
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A quarter of the Muslim army was slain,
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amounting to three thousand men.
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Third:
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As for Roderic,
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his fate remains unknown,
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except that the Muslims found his dapple-gray horse that he had ridden,
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along with his saddle encrusted with rubies,
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its legs stuck fast in the mire into which it had plunged,
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but they found no trace of its rider, dead or alive.
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It was also said
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that he drowned instead.
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Fourth:
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The senior commanders of Roderic's army were slain.
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Fifth:
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The Muslims pursued the remnants of the Visigoths, killing and capturing them,
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and the sword was not lifted from them for three full days.
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Sixth:
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Immense spoils of war were seized.
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Consequences of the Muslim Victory at the Battle of Guadalete:
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This Ramadan battle is regarded
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as the master key to the land of al-Andalus,
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and the pivotal encounter in which the power of the Visigoths was utterly broken,
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through which the Muslims advanced to conquer the remaining Spanish cities.
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This battle was truly decisive,
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sealing the fate of Spain into Muslim hands,
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such that one can say
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all the battles that took place afterward across the rest of the peninsula
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were merely minor skirmishes,
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even if some were significant and fierce,
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when compared to this decisive confrontation.
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The Muslim conquest of Spain thereafter did not take,
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despite its rugged terrain and harsh climate,
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more than three years,
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which demonstrates that resistance had practically crumbled.
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Tariq capitalized on this great victory
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to prevent the Visigoths from regrouping their ranks,
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so he immediately marched toward the city of Écija,
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in pursuit of the fleeing Visigoths.
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Its inhabitants met him, joined by a great multitude of the defeated troops,
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and they engaged him in fierce combat;
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but the people of al-Andalus were routed once more,
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and the Muslims never encountered another battle of such intensity thereafter.
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Tariq then encamped by a spring situated between that point and the city of Écija,
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four miles away,
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which has been known as 'Ayn Tariq down to this day.
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Following this battle, Tariq conquered
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Sidonia, Almodóvar, Carmona,
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Seville, and Écija.
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He then dispatched Mughith al-Rumi,
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who conquered Córdoba,
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and sent out military detachments
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that conquered Málaga, Elvira,
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Granada,
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the district of Tudmir,
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Orihuela, and Murcia.
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He then set his sights on Toledo,
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entering it in the year ninety-three of the Hijrah
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without encountering resistance,
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finding it completely deserted except for a small group
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of Jews.
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Its governor had fled alongside his companions—the leading Visigothic nobles and priests—
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toward the northeast,
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carrying the church's treasures with them.
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Tariq left a garrison of his troops in Toledo
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and continued pursuing the fugitives along the route known to the Arabs as
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Wadi al-Hijarah (Guadalajara).
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Near a small town
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called Alcalá de Henares,
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which the Arabs named Qal'at 'Abd al-Salam
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and also referred to as Madinat al-Ma'idah,
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the Muslims overtook the fugitives fleeing from Toledo
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and captured the immensely valuable treasures they carried.
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Tariq ibn Ziyad did not advance beyond the region he had reached,
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perhaps fearing the enemy might cut off his route in these mountainous lands,
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exhausted as his men were from the toll of their exertions
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and weighed down by the extensive spoils they had amassed;
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so he returned to Toledo thereafter.
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From the Battle of Guadalete,
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we derive the following lessons:
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First:
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If the people of Islam truly adhere to their faith as it ought to be upheld,
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purify their intentions for Allah,
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and prepare whatever strength they are able to muster,
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no force of falsehood will ever be able to stand in their way,
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no matter its numbers or equipment,
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for the power of faith surpasses every power that mortals possess.
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Second:
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Lofty goals cannot be attained except through immense sacrifices and redoubled efforts.
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Third:
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Internal dissension and infighting
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are among the greatest causes leading to the collapse of states,
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the disintegration of their armies, and the humiliation of their peoples;
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and that is precisely the breach through which their enemies infiltrate,
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which is the very affliction plaguing our Ummah today.
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Fourth:
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A recognition of the virtue and merit of the Muslim Berbers in introducing Islam to Spain.
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Fifth:
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The permissibility of utilizing the cooperation of certain disbelievers
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against other disbelievers who are actively warring against the Muslims,
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provided that utmost caution and vigilance are strictly observed.
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Ramadan: Events and Lessons.