Abdur Rahmaan Falcon of Spain

Abdur Rahman I was emir of Muslim Spain (Andalus) from 756 to 788. He was the son of the Umayyad prince Muawiya and a Berber lady and a grandson of Hisham, the 10th Umayyad Caliph. In 750 he was one of the few members of his family to escape slaughter by the Abbasids who overthrew the Umayyad Caliphs. He fled, travelling across North Africa for 5 years, finally gaining refuge among his mother’s tribe, the Berbers of Morocco. In 755, Abdur Rahman landed in Spain and was accepted as chief by the Syrian immigrants, loyal to his family. After defeating the governor he entered the capital, Cordova, and was proclaimed emir.

He became known as the Falcon of Andalus and founded a Muslim dynasty that ruled Spain for 3 centuries. He was skilled in poetry and the military arts. He subdued many rebellions. He perfected the administration, built roads, aqueducts, and the famous Musjid called the Mezquita de Cordova. Jews and Christians were allowed to retain and practice their faiths. 80% of Andalus converted to Islam. In his rule and after Muslims introduced the sugar-cane, cotton, rice, and fruits such as peaches and oranges. It was through them that the arts of making paper and glass passed into Europe. The potteries of Malaga, the cloth of Murcia, the silk of Almeria and Granada and the weapons of Toledo, were world-renowned. Some say Abdur Rahman is buried under the Musjid he began, the Mezquita de Cordova.

Jawhar al-Siqilli

Jawhar ibn Abdallah, surnamed al-Siqilli (“the Sicilian”), al-Rumi (“the Greek“), al-Saqlabi (“the Slav”), al-Katib (“the Chancellor”) and al-Qaid (“the General”), (Arabic: جوهر الصقلي ‎, born early 10th century, died 992),^[1] was the most important military leader in Fatimid history.^[2] He led the conquest of North Africa^[3] and then of Egypt, founded the city of Cairo^[4] and the great al-Azhar mosque.

Biography

Jawhar was a Sicilian ghulam of Greek ethnicity. His family originated from the Emirate of Sicily (hence the epithet الصقلي = the Sicilian), and came as a slave to North Africa. He was sent to the Caliph Ismail al-Mansur on account of his intelligence and cunning. Under his son al-Muizz (953-975) he gained his freedom and became his personal secretary. Soon he was Vizir and the highest-ranking military commander of the Fatimids. In this role he resumed the expansion of the Fatimids and, together with the Zirids, conquered Fez in Northern Morocco, and pushed towards the Atlantic. Only the strongholds of Ceuta and Tangier could be retained by the Umayyads of Córdoba.

 

After the Western borders had been secured, Jawhar as-Siqilli pushed towards Egypt and occupied the land around the Nile from the Ikhshidids after a siege at Giza. The conquest was prepared by a treaty with the Vizir of the Ikhshidids (by which Sunnis would be guaranteed freedom of religion), so the Fatimids encountered little resistance. Afterwards Jawhar ruled Egypt until 972 as viceroy. In this capacity he founded the city of Cairo on 969 north of Fostat, to serve as the new residence of the Fatimid Caliphs,^[11] and the al-Azhar mosque in 970. Although Palestine was occupied after the conquest of Egypt, Syria could not be overcome, following a defeat at the hands of the Carmathians at Damascus. However, when the Carmatians overran Egypt, Jawhar was able to defeat them north of Cairo on the 22 December 970, although the struggle continued until 974. To secure the southern border of Egypt a legation was sent to the Christian land of Nubia.

 

After the establishment of the residence at Cairo, Jawhar fell into disfavour with al-Muizz. Under his successor al-Aziz (975-996) however, in whose accession to the throne Gawhar played an important role, he was rehabilitated. He was regent again until 979, but was finally stripped of power after a campaign against Syria was once again defeated near Damascus. Gawhar died on February 1, 992.

 

Uqba ibn Nafi

Uqba ibn Nafi (born 622, died 683 in Sidi Uqba, Algeria) was an Arab general who participated in Jihad under Muawiya radhiallahu anhu. He began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb (North Africa), including present-day Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco.

He was the nephew of Amr ibn al-Aas radhiallahu anhu, the general who led the conquest of Egypt. Uqba is linked to the Banu Fihri, a clan connected to the Quraysh. He founded the cultural city of Kairouan in Tunisia. Uqba accompanied Al-Aas radhiallahu anhu in his initial raids and capture of cities in North Africa starting with Barca, then proceeding to Tripolitania in 644 CE.

 

In 670, now the commander, Uqba led an Arab army to North Africa, crossing the Egyptian deserts, and setting up military posts at regular intervals along his route. When Uqba reached the Atlantic coast he rode his horse into the sea and said: ‘Oh God, if the sea had not prevented me, I would have galloped on for ever like Alexander the Great, upholding your faith and fighting the disbelievers.’

 

Uqba led the conquest of the Roman provinces in North Africa such as Mauretania Tingitana. His descendants can be found in the area stretching from the Lake Chad region to Mauritania’s coast. The trans-sahel Arab tribe of Kounta traces its origins to Uqba. In Algeria, Tunisia and Libya some of his descendants are known as Ouled Sidi Ukba.

 

In 683 Uqba was ambushed and killed near Biskra by Kusaila.

Musa Ibn Nusair

Musa Ibn Nusair (640-716) was one of the great tabi’ee Umayyad generals of this Ummah and was in charge of fighting against the Berbel rebels and conquering the rest of North Africa and conquering Andalus or Spain for the Muslims. Hs father Nusair was a christian and actually accepted Islam at the hands of Khalid Ibn Walid. The Muslims had conquered most of North Africa but were constantly under threat from Berber rebels who would continue to attack the Muslim armies. The Ummayyad Khilafah was struggling to to deal with these constant repetitive rebellions but this all changed when Musa Ibn Nusair was appointed as commander.

 

Musa Ibn Nusair fought the Berber rebels and took all of North African in seven years. What Musa did different was appoint scholars and teachers to every city that he conquered to convert and teach the people that they had conquered to bring them to Islam and stop further rebellions and also to have a future army which would conquer Spain. In 710, the khalifah Al Waleed gave Musa permission to conquer Spain. Spain or Vandalus (later Andalus in Arabic) was ruled by the Visigoths at that time and there was much internal strife and problems which made Spain an easy target for the Muslims. Musa Ibn Nusair attacked Ishbiliyyah (Seville) in 712 with an army of 8000 men and conquered it. Then on Eid Al Fitr conquered Mardas after a siege. Musa Ibn Nusair won Spain for the Muslims along with Tariq Ibn Ziyad. He was a great mujahid at the frontline constantly and a great general who brought the Christian kingdoms of the Visigoths in Spain to a complete end.

 

He won all his battles and conquered Spain, setting the foundation for one of the greatest empires and civilizations to emerge. It was his conquest that brought light to darkened middle ages of Europe and changed Europe forever. He was the one who conquered a land that would remain in muslim hands for 7 centuries to come and would sprout out the greatest advancements in so many fields that would change the world from then on. After Spain had been captured, Musa Ibn Nusair along with Tariq Ibn Ziyad was summoned to return to Damascus to speak personally about their conquests to the Khalifah Al Waleed. Musa passed away in 716 after conquering Spain in less than 4 years. He was yet another in the line of Mujahid’s who did not attain shahadah on the battlefield but died naturally. Musa Ibn Nusair secured North Africa and captured Spain for the Ummah and it was due to his great conquests that the Muslims had such great power. There is one account where it is reported that Musa Ibn Nusair’s horse was nearly submerged in the waters to the west of Morroco and he said: “If it had not been for me and my horse drowning, I would have taken Islam to the ends of the earth.”