Tuesday, 28 August 2012


Muhammad Al-Fatih: The Conqueror of Constantinople

(3 votes, average 5.00 out of 5)
By islamweb.net
Saturday, 28 July 2012 00:00
Muhammad al-Fatih
Although he was very busy, he managed to establish more than 300 mosques, 192 of which were in Istanbul alone. He also built 57 schools.
For eight centuries, the conquest of Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey) was a dream for the Muslim commanders.
Ever since the era of the revered companion, Mu`awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, there had been many attempts to conquer it, but none had succeeded.
Every Muslim commander wanted to be the conqueror praised in the narration in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"You will conquer Constantinople. Its commander is the best and its army (that will conquer it) is the best." (Al-Bukhari)
             Muslim Leaders & Pioneers
Who was then the person about whom Prophet Muhammad gave glad tidings?
It was Muhammad Al-Fatih son of the Ottoman Sultan Murad II.
Muhammad Al-Fatih As A Child and His Excellent Preparation
Muhammad Al-Fatih was born on 27th.Rajab, 835 A.H., 30th. March, 1432. He was brought up under the supervision of his father, Sultan Murad II, the seventh Ottoman Sultan. His father prepared and trained him to shoulder the responsibilities of the position of a Sultan. Muhammad Al-Fatih memorized all the Quran, learnt the Prophetic narrations, Islamic jurisprudence, mathematics, astronomy and the skills required for war.
He also learnt Arabic, Persian, Latin and Greek languages. He joined his father in his battles and conquests.
His father appointed him as a ruler of a small emirate so that he could receive practical training on administering state affairs under the supervision of some of the top scholars of that time. This matter influenced the character of the young prince and tinted his personality with Islamic morals and manners.
Sheikh Aaq Shamsud-Deen, one of the scholars who supervised the upbringing and education of Muhammad Al-Fatih, managed to inculcate in his heart the spirit of Jihad and the desire to be a person with high ambition.
The Sheikh also told Muhammad Al-Fatih that he may be the one referred to in the Prophetic narration mentioned above. All this shaped the character of Muhammad Al-Fatih. He was devoted to Jihad, highly ambitious, widely cultured, and had deep knowledge of the skills of war and combat.
Taking Power and His Efforts to Achieve the Glad Tiding
After the death of his father, Sultan Murad II on 7th. February, 1451 A.C., Muhammad Al-Fatih took over and became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He was a strong young man, only twenty years old, very enthusiastic and ambitious. He was thinking of the conquest of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. This dream overwhelmed him to the extent that he would not talk about any subject except for the conquest of Constantinople. He would not even allow anyone who was sitting with him to talk, except about the expected conquest.
The first step in achieving his dream was to take control of the Strait of Bosporus so that he could prevent any support or supplies that might come to Constantinople from Europe. So he built a huge castle on the European seashore of the Strait of Bosporus. Along with top senior officials, he personally participated in building the castle. It took three months to build this castle that came to be known as the Roman Castle. On the other bank of the Strait of Bosporus, there was the Castle of Anatolia. It then became impossible for any ship to cross unless it obtained permission from the Ottoman forces.
At that time, a talented engineer managed to make a number of cannons for the Sultan, Muhammad Al-Fatih. One of these cannons, never known before that time, was 700 tons and its projectile weighed 1,500 kilograms.
The sound of its shell could be heard from a long distance away. It was pulled by one hundred oxen aided by one hundred strong men. This giant cannon was called the Sultanic Cannon.
The Conquest of Constantinople and the Realization of the Glad Tidings
After completing his preparations, Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih marched to Constantinople with an army of two hundred and sixty-five thousand fighters. This army had infantry forces as well as horsemen. Huge cannons supported this army. The army besieged Constantinople and the Ottoman cannons started to fire their missiles at the fortified walls of the city day and night. From time to time, the Sultan surprised the enemy with a new war plan until the city defenders lost control and their forces gave up.
The Sultan was very tolerant and merciful with the people of the city, and acted according to the teachings of Islam.
At dawn of Tuesday, 20th. Jumada Al-Awwal, 827 A.H., 29th. May, 1453 A.C., the Ottoman forces managed to penetrate the walls and drive away the defenders who fled. The people of Constantinople were taken by surprise when they saw the Ottoman flags waving on their walls and the soldiers flooding into the city.
After the Ottoman forces conquered the city, Sultan Muhammad arrived on his horse in a great procession that included his ministers and army commanders. Ever since that time, the Sultan was known as Muhammad Al-Fatih (the Conqueror). The soldiers were shouting:
Mash-Allah! Mash-Allah! Long live our Sultan! Long live our Sultan!
The Sultan's procession marched until it reached Hagia Sophia church where the people of the city had gathered. When they knew that the Sultan had arrived, they bowed and prostrated and they were all weeping and crying because they did not know their fate; what Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih would do to them.
When the Sultan arrived, he dismounted from his horse and prayed two Rak`ahs thanking God who had blessed him with this conquest. Then the Sultan addressed the people of the city who were still bowing and prostrating in tears:
"Stand up! I am Sultan Muhammad and I would like to tell you, your brothers, and all the people present that your lives and freedoms are protected."
The Sultan ordered that the church be turned into a mosque and for the first time, the call for prayer was heard from this place. Until now, this mosque is still known as the Mosque of Hagia Sophia. He also decided to take Constantinople as a capital of his country. It was called Islambul, meaning the House of Islam. Later on the word was viciously twisted to become Istanbul.
The Sultan was very tolerant and merciful with the people of the city, and acted according to the teachings of Islam. He commanded his soldiers to treat their prisoners of war in a good manner. The Sultan himself paid the ransoms for a large number of prisoners of war from his own money. He also allowed those who left the city when it was under siege to return home.
The Aftermath of the Conquest of Constantinople
Muhammad Al-Fatih attained this victory when he was twenty three years old. This indicated his early military genius. He also deserved the glad tidings of Prophet Muhammad who foretold that a good person would conquer that city.
Later on, Muhammad Al-Fatih headed to complete his conquests in the Balkan. He managed to conquer Serbia, Greece, Romania, Albania and Bosnia Herzegovina. He also looked forward to conquering Rome so that he would have another source of pride in addition to the conquest of Constantinople.
In order to achieve this great hope, he needed to conquer Italy. He prepared a tremendous fleet for this mission. He managed to land his forces and a large number of cannons near the Italian city Otranto. Consequently he managed to capture its castle in July 1480 A.C.
Muhammad Al-Fatih decided to take Otranto as a base for his northern military operations until he could reach Rome. The European world was terrified because of this attempt and they expected the fall of the historical city, Rome, into the hands of Muhammad Al-Fatih. However, he died suddenly (on 3rd. May, 1481 A.C.) while he was preparing to realize this dream. All Europe was very happy when they knew about his death. The Pope of Rome ordered that thankfulness prayer be held in churches as a means of expressing joy and happiness over the news.
Muhammad Al-Fatih as a Statesman and a Sponsor of Civilization
During the reign of Muhammad Al-Fatih and because of his wise leadership and well-planned policy, the Ottoman State reached boundaries that it had never done before.
Muhammad Al-Fatih managed to realize his dreams through hard, continuous work, and well-organized planning.
All these conquests were not the only achievements of Muhammad Al-Fatih. Through the help of some of his loyal men, he managed to establish a constitution based on the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet and the Ottoman state adhered to this constitution for about four centuries.
Although he was very busy, he managed to establish more than 300 mosques, 192 of which were in Istanbul alone. He also built 57 schools. Among his most famous architectural monuments are the Mosque of Sultan Muhammad, the mosque of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, and Sarai Tub-Qabu Palace.
Muhammad Al-Fatih was known for his love for literature. He was a good poet and a regular reader. He liked the company of scholars and poets and made some of them ministers. Whenever he heard about a great scholar in any field, he would help and support him or ask him to come to Istanbul in order to benefit of his knowledge.
The Character of Muhammad Al-Fatih
Muhammad Al-Fatih was a committed Muslim who abode by the rulings of Islamic jurisprudence. Because of the way he was brought up, he was a pious man. As for his military conduct, it was very civilized and it was unfamiliar to Europe in its Medieval Ages.
Owing to his ambition fostered by his teachers who always encouraged him to be the conqueror of Constantinople, he managed to make the greatest of his achievements by conquering this city.
Muhammad Al-Fatih managed to realize his dreams through hard, continuous work, and well-organized planning. For example, before besieging Constantinople, he prepared for the war by making cannons, preparing his fleet, and making use of all the factors that might render him victorious.
Through high ambition, determination, and the effort to achieve his goals, he managed to materialize his dream, make his hope an existing reality which made him one of the great Muslim heroes and conquerors.
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Saladin: A Benevolent Man Respected By Christians

A Hero Respected By Both Muslims & Christians

(14 votes, average 4.71 out of 5)
By Faysal Burhan
Sunday, 26 August 2012 00:00
Saladin
After capturing Jerusalem in October 1187, Saladin's civilized act in signing the peace treaty and saving Christian blood was indeed a pious act.
Both Christians and Muslims admire Saladin.
Saladin's traits and virtues were purely a reflection of the teachings of his faith.
He defeated the Crusaders, known to Muslims as the Franks, and recaptured Jerusalem in 1187.
The experience of the Crusaders with the Muslims demonstrates that Muslims and Christians are in no civilization clash, but rather in civilization bondage.
                  Muslim Pioneers
In 1099 Jerusalem had fallen to the First Crusaders slaughtering its Christian, Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, after promising them safety, but did not spare the lives of children, women or elderly. The Latin Kingdom formed in the following year lasted until Saladin destroyed King Guy's army at the Horns of Hettin in 1187 and shortly after recovered Jerusalem.
In stark contrast to the Crusades 88 years earlier, Saladin, adhering to the teachings of Islam, did not slaughter the city's Christian inhabitants. Saladin's noble act won him the respect of his opponents and many more people throughout the world. King Richard I of England, better known as Richard the Lion heart, who led the Third Crusade in 1189 to recover the Holy City, met Saladin in a conflict that was to be celebrated in later chivalric romances.
Although the Crusaders failed in their purpose, Richard the Lion heart gained Saladin's lifelong respect as a worthy opponent. Saladin's generosity and sense of honor in negotiating the peace treaty that ended the Crusade won him the lasting admiration and gratitude of the Christian world.
Saladin's Birth and Lineage
Saladin was born in Tikrite (a city on the Tigris River), Iraq in 1137. His family was of Kurdish ancestry. The Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad, al Mustarshid, had appointed his father Ayyub, an earnest Muslim, skilled in administration and diplomacy, as the governor of the town.
Childhood and Education
Saladin received his early childhood education in Baalbek and Damascus, Syria. In 1143, when Saladin was six years old, Sultan Zengi of Musel appointed his father Ayyub as the governor of Baalbek. Sultan Zengi defeated the Crusaders south of Aleppo in 1130 and in 1144 recovered the city of Edessa. When Zengi died in 1146, his son Nur al Din succeeded him. Nur al-Din was a respected devout leader. After few years, Nur al Din appointed Ayyub as the Head of Damascus Militia. Ayyub's younger brother, Shirkuh, who was an officer, was promoted to a senior command in the military establishment in Aleppo. Saladin grew up at the center stage where political decisions regarding the Crusades were made. His cultural and religious education was typical of the environments surrounding Baalbek and Damascus. Like his young peers, Saladin learned Arabic, poetry, the formal prayers and memorized what was required of him to memories of the Quran and the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Saladin in His Early Adulthood
In this Court, Saladin learned to appreciate the wisdom and justice of the Islamic law as it applied to the injustices and criminals
The expectation of life in the Middle Ages was short and the youth were given responsibilities of manhood at an early age. Saladin was fourteen years old when he got married. He was then sent to his uncle Shirkuh in Aleppo on a career that would lead to his becoming one of Nur al Din's emirs. The devout Nur al-Din soon became a great mentor for the young Saladin. Sultan Nur al-Din, who succeeded his father Zengi in 1146, respected scholars and endured knowledge and turned Syria into a large intellectual center. He built and funded schools and hospitals. In the presence of a scholar the Sultan was known to rise to his feet as a sign of respect and invite him to sit next to him. He promoted the divine values of Islam and governed in the light of the Quran.
Nur al-Din set up the Court of Appeals over which he presided in person to deal with administrative injustices. Saladin regularly attended the Court of Appeals as a student and to be associated with his master, Nur al-Din. In this Court, Saladin learned to appreciate the wisdom and justice of the Islamic law as it applied to the injustices and criminals. Nur al Din was the first Muslim ruler who saw that the Jihad against the invading Crusaders could only be successful if Muslim states were united, and soon begun implementing this unity. Such was the man who, next to his own father, Saladin respected more than any others. Even though there were differences between Nur al-Din and Saladin over certain policies in Egypt, one thing was sure, he never ceased to follow Nur al-Din's example uniting his people, implementing the divine systems of Islam and keeping nothing for himself.
Saladin in His Adulthood
Saladin, who learned his military lessons in Nur al-Din's militia at the hands of his uncle Shirkuh, soon began to stand out among Nur al-Din's leaders. In 1164, at the age of 26 he was an assistant to his uncle Shirkuh in an expedition to rescue Egypt from an invasion by Amalric, king of Jerusalem. Saladin made a lasting impression on his peers during this expedition.
In 1169 Saladin with his uncle Shirkuh was on another expedition to Egypt to defend it against yet another Crusader attack. Later, he was able to rule Cairo and defeat the Fatimid who ruled Egypt. Saladin borrowed the idea of building intellectual centers from his father Ayyub and master Nur al-Din, who had earlier turned Syria into a large intellectual center. In twelve years Saladin united Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, the Western parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Yemen under the Ayyubid Dynasty. Saladin used diplomacy and the administrative skills in piecing together this badly divided region. Saladin's scope of vision was that he gave each situation its due attention and weight, and he never broke a bridge of diplomacy or peace initiative with his opponents. The power or wealth he acquired never spoiled him. Power and position did not mean anything to him. Despite his advisor's request to keep some of the revenues he received from Egypt and Syria, he never kept any of it. When he died, his wealth was only few dinars.
The Decisive Battle of Hettin
He spared the lives of 100,000 Christians and allowed Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem after its fall.
In return for an attack made by the Crusaders of the Kerak on Muslim pilgrims in 1187, Saladin moved his army to northern Palestine and defeated the much larger Crusader army in the decisive battle of Hettin (July 4, 1187). Three months after this battle, Saladin captured Jerusalem. Unlike the Christians 88 years earlier, who made Jerusalem a bloodbath, Saladin did not loot, murder or seek revenge for the Muslims. He spared the lives of 100,000 Christians and allowed Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem after its fall. In this benevolent act, Saladin was simply emulating Prophet Muhammad as the Prophet reentered his birth-city of Makkah. When Prophet Muhammad returned to Makkah with ten thousand people, he entered it without any bloodshed. He told its people with his famous words: "Go about (wherever you please), for you are set free." (Al Albani)
Prophet Muhammad's generous act to the people of Makkah was made despite the 20 years of constant attacks, torture, extradition and execution that he and his companions had been receiving from them. This is indeed an example of nobility in forgiving when you are strong and able. Forgiveness is also the teachings of Christianity. In fact, the Bible is "a gospel of love," and there is no reference in the Gospels for violence and murdering innocent people, such as the massacre the Crusaders carried out in Jerusalem in 1099. On the contrary, the Bible teaches:
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew, 5:44)
"If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also." (Luke, 6:29)
Recapturing Jerusalem shocked the West, and as such it brought about the Third Crusade led by Richard the Lion heart, King of England in 1189. The Third Crusade army was the combined armies of England, France and Austria. Saladin's army (composed mainly from Egyptians, Syrians and volunteer Turks) checked the massive Frankish armies and weakened them in a war of attrition on the land of Palestine. In the end the expedition failed to enter Jerusalem. It was during this period Richard negotiated peace with Saladin and gained a lasting respect for him. This was because Saladin was leveraged to make no peace treaty. His army was strong and in control, while the Third Crusade army was exhausted. Furthermore, King Richard was determined to go back to his country. It was Saladin's generosity and sense of honor in negotiating this treaty, which ended the Crusades and won him the lasting admiration and gratitude of the Christian world. Saladin was precisely following the teaching of the Quran and philosophy of Islam in prevention of bloodshed that says:
{But if they (the enemy) incline towards peace, do you (also) incline towards peace.} (Al-Anfal 8:61)
Magnanimity and Benevolence at Work
Chivalric romance often times is no more than an act, a dream or a wish, but for Saladin and the Muslims it was a living reality. In his 28 years of battling the Crusaders, Saladin left many heart-touching impressions in the minds and hearts of his opponents as a reminder of his magnanimity. The author selected few of these stories as follow in order to help the reader understand why Saladin became a legendary figure in the Western world:
a- Prevention of Christian Bloodbath
Saladin was in a strong position to seek revenge for his people. He did not go this route, however, because his faith taught him otherwise
After capturing Jerusalem in October 1187, Saladin's civilized act in signing the peace treaty and saving Christian blood was indeed a pious act. He not only spared the lives of 100,000 Christians, but also guaranteed their safe departure along with their property and belongings. They were given forty days to prepare for departure. In this way eighty four thousand of them left the city to their relatives or co-religionists in the costal line of Syria in perfect safety. What is important to understand is that Saladin was in a strong position to seek revenge for his people. He did not go this route, however, because his faith taught him otherwise to be merciful, forgive and make no revenge. God said in the Quran:
{The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from God: for (God) loves not those who do wrong.} (Ash-Shura 42: 40)
The Quran also states:
{Seek not mischief in the land, God does not love mischief makers.} (Ash-Sh'ara' 28:77)
Let us stop here to reflect on the example of the magnanimity of Prophet Muhammad's mercy even on his opponents. When Prophet Muhammad was extremely tired from the rejection of his people in Makkah, he went to Ta'if (150 kilometers southwest of Makkah) calling its people to worship God. There he was utterly turned down by its three leaders. The first leader told him: "If God sent you, I will tear down the hangings of Ka'bah." The second leader said to him: "Could God find not but you to send?" As for the third leader, who learned the news of the other two totally refused to meet with him, but sent his servant with this message: "I do not need to speak to you. For if you are a messenger from God as you claim, then you are too great of a person for me to address; and if you are a liar, it is not befitting for me to speak to you."
Despite this type of denial and humiliation, the Prophet returned back once more to the leaders of Ta'if asking them for protection (asylum), since he left Makkah, he could no longer enter it without protection. His request was again turned down. Then he asked them to conceal his news of rejection from the people of Makkah. Their answer was denied. Instead, they insisted to deliver the bad news to Makkah. Finally, he asked for their permission to speak to their people, they not only refused, but as he was leaving town, heart-broken, they stirred up their servants and children to insult him and throw rocks and stones at him. As a result, he was cut in his head and bled severely so that his shoes got full and saturated with blood. As he reached the outskirts of Ta'iff, he made this prayer:
"O my God, unto You I complain of my weakness, of my helplessness, and of my lowliness before men. O Most Merciful of the merciful, You are Lord of the weak. And You are my Lord. Into whose hands will You entrust me? Unto some far off stranger who will ill-treat me? Or unto a foe whom You have empowered against me? I care not if Your wrath is not on me…" (As Sayuti)
In this example, the Prophet was so compassionate that he denied himself and refused the request to punish the people who rejected him in the anticipation that at one point in the future they or their offspring may came to realize the truth.
Saladin, clearly followed the example of the Prophet in saving the lives of Christians.
b- Releasing Prisoners Who Were Not Able To Pay Their Ransom
he refused to go back on his word and turned his advisors' request down. He allowed the wealthy Christians to depart with all their wealth intact
Part of the condition of the surrender of Jerusalem, was that each Christian pays her or his ransom. Thousands of Christians, mainly women, were not able to pay their ransom. To save them from slavery, al-Adel, Saladin's brother, Geukburi, Saladin's brother-in law and Saladin himself, instead paid their ransom out of their own pockets.
This act was done in spite of the fact that some rich Christians such as the Patriarch, Heraclius and Madame la Patriarchesse of Jerusalem had so much wealth that they had currency by the load. When Saladin was advised to confiscate the Patriarch and the la Patriarchesse's wealth to use it as ransom for the poor Christians, he refused to go back on his word and turned his advisors' request down. He allowed the wealthy Christians to depart with all their wealth intact.
Saladin was only faithfully responding to God's call that said:
{Fulfill the covenant of God when you have entered into it, and break not your oaths after you have confirmed them; indeed you have made God your surety; for God knows all that you do.} (An-Nahl 16:91)
c- Beyond Justice
During the forty days respite that was given to the Westerners to leave Jerusalem, several Christian women approached Saladin stating that their guardians (husbands, fathers or sons) had been missing. They explained to Saladin that they had no one to look after them, nor did they have any shelter. The tenderhearted Saladin broke into tears upon hearing their case. He ordered his soldiers to find their missing guardians, and that for those of them whose guardian was determined dead, they should be given a liberal compensation.
Could this act of Saladin not be seen as a chivalric romance at heart? Indeed, this act is only one of the many divine traits of Islam. Having a Muslim paying a ransom to a family of a soldier killed fighting other Muslims is certainly an act above justice and a gracious act at heart.
d- "Victory Is Changing the Hearts of Your Opponents by Gentleness and Kindness."- Saladin
In September 1192, during the siege of Acre, King Richard the Lion heart gained a lasting respect for Saladin. When Richard fell sick, Saladin sent him his own physician to treat him. Along with this health care, he frequently sent him ice to cool down his fever and plum fruits that were necessary for his recovery. In this noble act, Saladin was precisely submitting to the call of the Quran that said:
{It may be that God will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom you hold as enemies. For God has power (over all things); and God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} (Al-Mumtahanah 60: 7)
e- A Pure Chivalric Romance
During an offense made by King Richard against a Muslim squadron under Saladin's son al Zaher, King Richard's horse was killed and the King of England was down on the ground. Observing this scene, Saladin sent him two remounts so that he would not be at a disadvantage.
f- Recovery of a Snatched Child
During the siege of Acre, a Christian woman came to Saladin's camp weeping and wailing insisting that her child was snatched away by his soldiers. He was moved to tears by the pitiful condition of the woman and he himself returned the child to his mother and had them mount on the back of a mare to be returned safely to their camp.
g- Romance in the Freedom of Religion
Saladin was so touched by his answer and condition that he provided a horse for him and ordered that he be escorted to Jerusalem to fulfill his worship dream
Through an interpreter, Saladin used to communicate with virtually all the prisoners of war. During the siege of Acre several soldiers were captured. Among them was an old man who was so old that he was toothless and could hardly walk. Saladin questioned him as to why he was he there. The old man said that he had no thought but to make a pilgrimage to the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. Saladin was so touched by his answer and condition that he provided a horse for him and ordered that he be escorted to Jerusalem to fulfill his worship dream. Can this act be seen anything less than romance in the freedom of belief?
Historically and philosophically no one can question Islam's tolerance of other faiths and ethnicities. It was these and other charming Islamic values and practices that made Christians in the East eagerly identify with Muslims over the barbarism of the Crusades. Many of the Christian churches in the upper Euphrates (Armenian Catholics) wrote letters in cheer to Saladin for the death of Fredrick Barbarossa, king of Germany and the breakup of his 200,000 Crusade army. King Barbarossa was planning to attack Syria from the north and defend the Franks. He died in the Balkans while crossing a river; his army broke up and never made it to Syria. The Byzantine Emperor, Isaac Angelus also tried to stop the German Crusade from entering his territory, but was not able to.
Conclusion
Saladin was an honorable leader. His character and charitable deeds demonstrated to the Crusaders that they had been misinformed, and that Muslims were no "infidels". On the contrary, the Crusaders discovered that Muslims possessed virtues that they consider Christian values. Saladan's chivalric and high standards were the "soul" of the plays and romances created by Sir Walter Scott that eventually moved into the young adult books and journals throughout Europe and the West.
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