The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain

Friday Circle November 2013

Spain’s Claim to Fame

Spain is 2/3 of Muslim history – 805 years of teaching the world

Muslims entered Spain 92 AH Europe = Dark Ages Islam = Enlightened Ages

Al Andalus

Death of The Prophet was 10 AH = 632 CE Conquest of Spain was 92 AH = 712 CE

From the desert of Arabia to Europe in 80 years!

How?

Milestones

Surah Baqarah verse 256 “There shall be no compulsion in the religion”

Was Islam Spread by the Sword?

Musa Ibn Nusayr – Governor Of Ifriqiya (Tunisia) – consolidated North Africa under Islam then commanded his army to attack spain. His most famous commander? Tariq ibn Ziyad

Tariq Ibn Ziyad – Attacked Spain in 711 CE. Joined by Musa the following year. All of spain conquered in 2 years

Abdur Rahman I – 756 CE – 788 CE – first caliph of Spain

The Main Players

Religious Freedom – thousands entered Islam Building and architecture Water supply to each home Silk, cotton, steel, ceramics, leather Street Lamps Libraries and enyclopedias – khalifa had 400,000

books Education, law, medicine Students from France, England flocked to Spain and

Baghdad

The Beauty of Al Andalus

Ibn al Banna (Astronomy, algebra, fractions) Abul Qasim Zahrawi (Surgeon) Ibn Juljus (Medicine) Ziryab (perfume, food and 3 course meal) Ibn Rushd (Aristotle and Plato) Al Khwarizmi – Algebra and Algorithms

Great Personalities of Andalus

From this great peak in Islamic History – how did the Muslims fall?

What led to their defeat? And what lessons can we learn from their

demise?

To be continued…

The Fall

The Fall of Al Andalus

712 CE – 1492 CE

The Rulers of Andalus

Abdur Rahman III 912 – 929 CE

Al Hakam then Al Hisham 938 CE

Al Mansoor Ibn Amir 938 – 1002 CE

1002 CE – Battle for Power and civil war

Andalus Year 1000, reign of Al Mansur

Andalus 1031

The wolf and the 4 cows

Ibn Abd Al Barr’s letter: “Being frightened we are addressing you, seeking refuge we are writing to you: our eyelids are ulcerated, our hearts are wounded, and our souls are in flames. It is happened because our enemy has surrounded us like the encirclement of necklaces with the nape; they fought till they won. O Muslims, alas! You saw the lamentable conditions of your brothers, they were defeated on their wealth and families, swords pierced their bodies deeply, death captured them, injections of javelins mocked them, clamor and howling increased. Bloods were flowing on their feet, floods of rain were in all ways, and their heads were flying in front of them. Now there is no rescuer and protector, and ears become deaf by the clamor of children and the weeping of women…

Bobastra - 1064 CE

O Muslim Ummah! Do you have any idea about the indescribable adversity of your brothers? Women and Children-compelled to be undressed- are driven to the places of slaughter, sometimes on their backs, other times on bellies, tied by ropes, bounded in chains and fetters. They are seeking help, but there are none to help them, they are shouting for food, but no food is supplied to them, they are crying for water, but is not given to drink, their dreams went stray and their delusive imaginations were wept out. O Prophet Muhammad! O Holy Quran! ”

Alfonso VI takes Toledo Formerly the capital of Christian Spain Hugely symbolic achievement Repercussions are devastating for both

Muslims, but also for the Christians. Now the Muslim rulers asked for help – and

help arrived…

1085CE – Toledo falls

Founded by Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Yaseen in 1048 CE

Great leader = Yusuf Ibn Tashfeen Intervened in 1085 after Toledo taken Battle of Zallaqa 1086 – 20,000 vs 60,000 1090 – Spain united under Yusuf ibn Tashfeen He dies 1106 The Murabitoon are defeated by the Al

Muwahhidun by 1170

Al Murabitoon

Yusuf I – 2nd Al Muwahhid caliph – invaded Iberia 1170. Died 1184 – his son - Yaqub ibn Mansur al Marini takes over

1194 Alfonso VIII attacks Seville 1195 CE Battle of Alarcos – Yaqub Al Marini re-

conquers Seville. 1199 CE– Yaqub ibn Mansur al Marini passed away 1212 CE- Battle of Las Navas De Tolosa, 100,000

muslim losses – Al Muwahhidun defeated. And after this all the lands fell one by one

1170 CE

1237 CE – Cordoba taken, then Seville (Treaty between Ibn Ahmar and Fernando III)

1260 CE - Only Granada remains under Muslim rule

1237 CE

1469 - Queen Isabella of Castilla and King Ferdinand of Aragon married, thus uniting the Christians.

1482 – Muhammad XII comes to power - Ferdinand and Isabella attack

1491 – last battle against crusaders. Great mujahid Musa ibn Ghassan

King Ferdinand then offered secret treaty to Muhammad XII– he accepted

So ended the last piece of Andalus – handed to the Christians by the Muslim leader himself

Granada 1492 – End of Andalus

Other world events – Crusades, Mongols Disunity Love of this world and its luxuries Putting trust in other than Allah Trusting the enemies of Islam Examples of this today Know – Allah will only change us when we

change ourselves

Factors leading to defeat