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SUMAYYAH BINT KHAYAT (RA)

THE FIRST MARTYR (syaheed) of ISLAM

Sumayyah bint Khayyat (RA) had humble beginnings – she was a freed slave. However, even in her youth she was known for good qualities, namely that she was intelligent, respectable and sensible.

She married Yasir (RA) who was also to become a companion of the Prophet (PBUH). It was a happy marriage and they had 3 sons named Ammar, Abdullah and Harith. Sumayyah (RA) was a devoted mother who used all her skills to lovingly raise her sons. This was reflected in their characters  as both Ammar and Abdullah were distinguished among the youth of Quraysh (the leading tribe of Makkah) for their morals and good manners. Sadly, Harith was murdered before the advent of Islam – this was a shocking loss and tragedy for Sumayyah (RA) and her family but she was a resilient character and did not let her sadness stop her from continuing with her life and fulfilling her responsibilities in the best way she could.

Later in her life, when the Prophet (PBUH) started to call the people of Makkah to Islam, Sumayyah (RA) was one of the first 7 people to accept his invitation and formally pledge to support him in his da’wah activities. Sumayyah’s intelligence meant that she saw the truth of Islam – it was so logical to her and she acted on her beliefs and values and accepted Islam straight away. Therefore, she was notable amongst the greatest of all the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) and amongst a very special group of people – including the likes of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (RA), Abu Bakr (RA), Ali ibn Abu Talib (RA), Bilal ibn AbiRabiah (RA), Zaid ibn Harith (RA), and her own son Ammar bin Yasir (RA).

The Quraysh couldn’t directly harm the Prophet (PBUH) because of the power and position of his uncle Abu Talib, although this didn’t stop them trying to harm him and his mission in other ways. Abu Bakr (RA) was also protected by his powerful tribe and own personal influence. But the common Muslim – man or woman – was not spared any imaginable torture or torment.

The early Muslims numbered not more than thirty, but the Quraysh – who were the ruling power in Makkah felt their authority was being threatened. They inflicted on the first Muslims the most evil and horrible punishments imaginable.

Sumayyah, her husband Yasir and their son Ammar, were very often the targets for the cruelty of the Quraysh – they were viewed as easy targets because they weren’t a rich or powerful family. The Prophet (PBUH) would make du’aa for the whole family – for Allah to protect them and save them from Jahannam – he used to comfort them saying “be patient, O family of Yasir! For your final destination is Paradise”.

Once Ammar managed to escape the torture and reach the Prophet (PBUH). He asked the Prophet (PBUH) when the persecution of the innocent Muslims would end. His feelings reflected the extreme hardships the early Muslims went through in Makkah – Muslims were followed when they left their houses, kidnapped and tortured; they lived in fear for their lives. They were really tested in their faith – however their bravery in dealing with their difficulties is a huge inspiration for us. They persevered and remained patient, steadfast, firm and strong mashaAllah. They knew this life is a test, that there will be great difficulties; but they also knew this life is also short and in return for passing these tests Allah will grant an eternal hereafter in the best place – Jannah – where they would be rewarded by seeing Allah and would be united with the Prophet (PBUH) and all the other great Muslims throughout history, inshaAllah.

Abu Jahl was one of the leaders of Quraysh and main enemies of Islam. He gave Sumayyah (RA) the worst kind of punishment – he did not take into account her seniority in age – with 3 grown up sons she was not a young woman at this stage. Imagine how much suffering must she have gone through. Yet despite the mental and physical pain, and despite her age, she did not waver even for a second; she remained as steady as a rock and never went back on ‘La ilahaillAllah Muhammad ur-rasulullah’ –she was 100% loyal and committed to Allah and His Messenger (PBUH).

Abu Jahl tried different methods – to pressure, coax, bribe and threaten her, but she bluntly refused. She could have verbally agreed with Abu Jahl just to stop the torture– this is allowed in Islamic fiqh. Scholars indicate that if it’s a life and death situation you can say you don’t believe in Islam just with your tongue to save yourself whilst actually still believing in Allah in your heart. However, Sumayyah (RA) chose the harder position – the one with more rewards. Imagine if she had given in – if these early Muslims gave in what would have happened to the community? – others would give in or feel greater pressure –  her son for example! Ammar(RA) must have seen how his mother so bravely put up with all the torture and that her iman (faith) remained strong – that must have given him courage to continue. Do we encourage others to live the values of Islam? Not just by telling them about it, but by living by those values ourselves? Actions speak louder than words – if we want people around us to be a certain way, we have to act that way ourselves first.

Abu Jahl could not accept the fact that she could resist him so stubbornly and out of rage he thrust his spear into her. This proved to be a fatal blow, and sadly Sumayyah was killed. Sumayyah (RA) gave the ultimate sacrifice for Allah’s sake – her life.  And Allah honoured her sacrifice. In the moment she passed away she gained the unique position and honour of becoming the first martyr in Islamic history – the first person to become shaheed (martyr) was a woman.

Through Sumayyah’s example we are reminded that we need to go through effort and some sacrifice for Allah’s sake – the Qur’an tells us:

Do you expect to enter Paradise without being tested like those before you? They were tested with hardship and adversity, and were shaken up (Surah Al-Baqarah:214)

Sumayyah was also an example of the people Allah spoke of in this verse:

Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Who say: when afflicted with calamity: “To Allah we belong and to Him is our return.” (Surah Al-Baqara:155-156)

 Allah isn’t necessarily asking us to give up our lives like in the case of Sumayyah (RA) but there are certainly other things we can sacrifice and do without e.g. bad behaviour with our parents, swearing, making fun of others, certain TV programmes, bad company, a prohibited relationship, oversleeping (especially when making sure we wake up on time for Fajr prayer) – whatever it is we need to change and give up, we need to first identify it and make a commitment to follow through to gain Allah’s pleasure.

Sumayyah (RA) became Shaheed 7 years before the hijrah (migration to Madina). Her husband Yasir (RA) was also tortured and killed by Quraysh – he also became shaheed. After the martyrdom of both his parents Ammar took a special place in the affections of the Prophet (PBUH). Unlike the normal custom of calling the child by the father’s name, the Prophet used to address Ammar fondly as ibn Sumayyah (son of Sumayyah) – to keep alive the memory of his mother and honour her. The Prophet (PBUH) often spoke of the family of Sumayyah (RA) in the highest terms of praise.

Many years later in the battle of Siffin, Ammar (RA) was also killed whilst upholding the values of Islam and thereby gained the high status of Shaheed – like his parents before him. This family sacrificed their most precious asset, their lives, in order to protect and spread the truth; and in return they gained the reward of Allah’s pleasure and the best of the hereafter including the highest levels of Jannah. It is about people like these that Allah says:

“Verily, Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties for (the price) that theirs shall be Paradise” (Surah Tawbah:111)

MUHAMMAD AL FATIH - THE CONQUEROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE

For eight centuries, the conquest of Constantinople, now Istanbul Turkey was a dream for the Muslim commanders. Ever since the era of the revered companion, Mu`awiyah Ibn Abu Sufyaan, there had been many attempts to conquer it, but none had succeeded.

cr to : http://library.islamweb.net/emainpage/articles/136061/muhammad-al-faatih-about-whom-the-prophet-gave-glad-tidings

Every Muslim commander wanted to be the conqueror praised in the narration in which the Prophet  salallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: "You will conquer Constantinople. Its commander is the best and its army (that will conquer it) is the best."

Who was then the person about whom the Prophet  sallallahu  `alayhi  wa  salam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) gave glad tidings? It was Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him son of the Ottoman Sultan Murad II.

Muhammad Al-Faatih may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him 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.

Shaykh Aq Shamsd-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 Shaykh also told Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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 5th Muharam, 852 A.H., 7th February, 1451 A.C., Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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 may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him. 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 may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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.

At dawn of Tuesday, 20th Jumadaa Al-Awal, 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 may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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 may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him would do to them.

When the Sultan arrived, he dismounted from his horse and prayed two Rak`ahs thanking Allah 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 may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him attained this victory when he was twenty three years old. This indicated his early military genius. He also deserved the glad tidings of the Prophet  sallallahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) who foretold that a good person would conquer that city.

Later on, Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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 Otarant. Consequently he managed to capture its castle in Jumadaa Al-Awwal 885 A.H., July 1480 A.C.

Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him decided to take Otarant 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 may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him. However, he died suddenly (on  4th  Rabee' Al-Awwal, 886 A.H.,  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  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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.

All these conquests were not the only achievements of Muhammad Al-Fatih may Allah have mercy on him. Through the help of some of his loyal men, he managed to establish a constitution based on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet  sallallahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) 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 Ayyob Al-Ansaari, and SaraiTub-Qabu Palace.

Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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.

cr to : http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/research-studies/islamic-history/458129-muhammad-al-fatih-the-conqueror-of-constantinople.html

The character of Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him:

Muhammad Al-Fatih may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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 may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him 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.

THE GREAT HISTORY OF CONSTANTINOPLE

Constantinople, the Conquest of

Contributed by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, PhD

cr to : http://www.ancient.eu/Constantinople/

The Battle of Ankara (1402) decimated Ottoman power in Anatolia. Bayazid I, who might very well have been remembered in history as the Napoleon of the era, was captured by Timur and died in captivity. The eruption of Timur had taken place just as Constantinople was negotiating a surrender of the city to Bayazid. The Battle of Ankara postponed the conquest of the Byzantine capital by more than fifty years.

It is a tribute to the resilience of the Turks that the Ottomans were the only ones who survived the Timurid onslaughts and went on to regain their former possessions. Even though the Ottomans had lost their territories in Anatolia, their European holdings were intact, and they were able to move back into Anatolia once the Tatar threat receded. The strong central administration staffed by loyal slaves, set up by Bayazid, survived him. These slaves, ich oghlans in Turkish, captured as young boys in eastern Europe during the Balkan campaigns, were brought to the Ottoman courts, trained and freed, eventually rising up to occupy important administrative and military positions. The janissars, elite military corps, were similarly constituted. The ich oghlans and the janissars remained loyal to the Ottomans and provided the nucleus for reconstruction, and the Turkish spirit de corps built around loyalty to the tribe, provided the cement for a larger communal enterpriseonce the threat of Timur receded.

After the Battle of Ankara, the Ottoman territories were divided among the surviving sons of Bayazid I. Sulaiman ruled from Erdirne in Europe, Mehmet from Amasya in eastern Anatolia, and Isa from Bursa near Constantinople. Of these, Erdirne had the advantage in that it lay in Europe, in territories that had not been ravaged by the Tatars. As a result, it was favored by the Turkish Sultans and served for a time as the Ottoman capital. There was the customary contest for power, but by 1411 Mehmet had rallied most of the Ottoman chiefs around him and had consolidated his hold on the empire. His son Murad II (1421-1451) continued the process of recovery and consolidation. After a series of successful campaigns in Anatolia, he laid siege to Constantinople (1422). At this time, the Beys of Anatolia rebelled and installed Murad’s brother Mustafa as their leader. Murad lifted the siege of the capital and in a series of campaigns between 1422 and 1425 brought Izmir, Erkeshehir, Alashehir and Akshehir under his control. War broke out with Venice in 1423 over Solonica and lasted until 1440. Meanwhile, the Hungarians crossed the Danube in 1428 and invaded Serbia. The Sultan took the field and forced the Hungarian King Sigismund to retreat. In 1440 Murad made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Belgrade. Encouraged by the Ottoman retreat, the Hungarians crossed the Danube once again, occupied Sophia and advanced as far as the outskirts of Edirne. Murad met the invading armies and defeated them at the Battle of Izladi (1443). Thereafter, he signed a peace agreement with the Hungarians and the Venetians. Turning his attention to the east, he signed a similar peace agreement with the Prince of Karaman.

Having stabilized the Ottoman frontiers and concluding peace treaties with his enemies, Murad felt that his work was done. It was now time for him to retire and he stepped aside in favor of his son Mehmet II. The European powers misunderstood this as a sign of Ottoman weakness. Pope Nicholas V called for a Crusade, and a combined Hungarian-Walachian land force advanced towards Erdirne while the Venetians blockaded the sea.

At the counsel of his senior advisors, Mehmet II called on his father Murad to come back from retirement and reassume the command of the army. A reluctant Murad replied that Mehmet was now the Sultan and it was his responsibility to rule. ”If you are the Sultan”, wrote Mehmet II to his father, “it is your obligation to lead the armies. If I am the Sultan, I am ordering you to return and assume the leadership.” Murad returned, and under his command, the Turks inflicted a crushing defeat on the Latins at the Battle of Varna. This was a major milestone in history. The Battle of Varna in 1444 sealed the fate of Constantinople because all approaches to the capital were now blocked. The Hungarians again attempted to penetrate the Ottoman dominions in 1448 but that incursion was easily beaten back. Having accomplished his mission, Murad went back into retirement.

Mehmet II was a mighty conqueror in the tradition of the earliest Companions of the Prophet. While his vision embraced strategic goals, he had also an inborn instinct for tactical moves. Trained from childhood in the battlefield under his father Sultan Murad, he was also imbued with a deep spirituality under the tutelage of Shaykh Aq Shamsuddin. The great Sufi sage accompanied Mehmet II on his campaigns and provided him with the spiritual inspiration that alone enables men to perform superhuman deeds.

The Ottoman Empire went through a rapid expansion under Mehmet II. Constantinople was a constant source of irritation to the Ottomans. Although it had lost all of its territories, the city still commanded great respect as the seat of the Byzantine Empire. On occasions, the Byzantine capital had given shelter to fleeing Ottoman princes while they were embroiled in wars of succession. It was also a beacon for Crusader armies hurling themselves at the Turks. Lastly, the Ottomans were concerned that the Byzantines might surrender the city to the Latins as they had done with the city of Solonika, and that would make the task of capturing the city immensely more difficult.

The Turks were restless, impelled by the spirit of ghazza (struggle in the way of God). Nonetheless, there were differences within the Turkish camp about the advisability of attacking Constantinople. Some of the generals were concerned that an attack on the city would bring a strong reaction from the western powers. Others held that the West would never agree upon a common course of action. The Byzantine Emperor had already sent out appeals for help to Venice and to the Vatican. The Venetian navy was on the move. To the north, the Hungarians and the Wallachians were ready to join an anti-Turkish coalition. Time was of the essence.

Mehmet II made careful preparations. He ordered the construction of a strong castle overlooking the citadel of Constantinople. This imposing fort, which stands to this day, was erected in a record time of three months, and served both defensive and offensive purposes. It provided a staging area for the Turks and a platform for hurling projectiles. Mehmet enlisted the services of Byzantine craftsmen to cast brass cannon that could hurl large cannon balls across the Straits.

Mehmet II surrounded the city in the spring of 1453 and sent terms of surrender to the Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI who rejected them. The great chain that blocked the entrance to the Straits frustrated repeated Turkish attempts at a naval assault. Mehmet II ordered the Turkish galleys to be hauled by land from the southern entrance of the Straits to the northern entrance, so that the fort could be attacked from the rear. After accomplishing this monumental task in utmost secrecy, Mehmet II ordered a general assault on the city by land and by sea. The Byzantine defense was desperate just as the Turkish assault was determined and relentless. After repeated forays, Constantinople fell on the 29th of May 1453.

There was joy in the Islamic world while Europe mourned this loss. The year 1453 became a landmark in the histories of Europe and Asia alike. The Ottomans renamed the city Istanbul (Islambol), and made it the capital of their expanding empire. Mehmet’s vision was to revive the city as the seat of a successor state to the Roman Empire, and to make it the focus of a universal Islamic state. To fulfill this vision, Mehmet took several concrete steps. First, he allowed those Greeks who had not resisted the Turkish advance to return and repossess their properties. Second, to further his goal of making Istanbul a universal, cosmopolitan city, Mehmet II invited the Greek Patriarch as well as the chief Jewish rabbi to stay in the capital. Third, the administration of the state was centralized and all of the Ottoman dominions in Europe were brought under the central rule of Istanbul.

The explosive growth of the Ottomans continued in all directions. To the north, in a series of campaigns between 1454 and 1465, Mehmet beat back the Hungarians and firmly established Ottoman control over Serbia and Bosnia. Trebizond on the Black Sea was captured, and Morea followed suit. The Turkish navy crossed the Black Sea and brought southern Crimea under Ottoman rule (1475). The addition of the Crimean Tatars to the Empire brought a valuable source of men and material into the service of the Sultan.

Mehmet’s conquests brought a new call for a Crusade by Pope Nicholas V. The Hungarians, Wallachians, and the Venetians answered the call and formed an alliance with the Albanians who were then in rebellion against the Ottomans. The war began in 1463 and lasted four years. The Crusaders captured Morea, and Istanbul was threatened. Mehmet built two fortresses, facing each other, in Gallipoli to block an enemy naval advance and to prevent an attack on Istanbul from the rear. A powerful Ottoman navy was built which beat back the Venetians and recaptured Morea. On land, the Ottoman cavalry fought its way up the Adriatic coast and approached the outskirts of Venice. An alarmed Venice sued for peace, surrendered Morea to the Turks and agreed to an annual tribute of 10,000 gold coins.

The Ottoman borders to the east were far from quiet. There was friction with the Turkmen Aq Kuyunlu ruler Uzun Hassan over control of the province of Karaman. The Ottomans had annexed the province in 1468 but some of the Karaman princes had fled to Persia and had sought the protection of Uzun Hassan. The Vatican saw in this a golden opportunity to outflank the Ottomans. Ambassadors were exchanged between the Latins and Uzun Hassan and an alliance was concluded. In 1472 Uzun Hassan advanced into Anatolia at the head of over 30,000 cavalrymen. Mehmet II, recognizing the grave danger from the east, marshaled the Ottoman forces numbering over 100,000, and in a pitched battle near Bashkent (1473) trounced Uzun Hassan. Beaten in battle, Uzun Hassan concluded a treaty with Mehmet and promised not to interfere in Anatolian politics. It was also during the struggle for Karaman that the Ottomans came face to face with the powerful Mamlukes of Egypt. The border areas between Anatolia and Persia would involve, in the coming decades, a three-way struggle between the Ottomans, the Safavids and the Mamlukes.

Mehmet continued to reinforce his naval forces. In 1480, the Turks crossed the Adriatic and occupied several strong points in southern Italy including the city of Otranto (1480). The presence of the Turks so close to home struck panic in Rome and the Pope made preparations to flee to France. Mehmet’s next target was the island of Rhodes, which was controlled by the Knights of St. John. These Knights were pirates who routinely attacked Turkish ships ferrying pilgrims from Anatolia, kidnapping and robbing them. In 1480, the Turkish general Ahmed Pasha drove out the Knights of St. John from the island. When Mehmet died in 1481, he had more than recovered what was lost at the Battle of Ankara (1402). He had extended the frontiers of the Ottoman Empire beyond those achieved by his grandfather Bayazid I. He had projected Turkish power into Italy and soundly trounced the Hungarians. Most important, he had conquered Istanbul, crown jewel of the Mediterranean and capital of the Byzantine Empire.

Several reasons may be offered for the explosive growth of the Ottoman Empire. In the pre-Ottoman era, feudalism was rampant in the Balkans. There was no central authority. The peasantry suffered under local fiefdoms. Local lords and the church imposed exorbitant taxes and exacted forced labor. To the peasants, toiling under the yoke of the feudal lords, the Ottomans came as liberators.

The Ottomans instituted several reforms to change the feudal social structure that they had inherited. First, they abolished the fiefdoms and placed all rights to the land under state control. Taxation was fixed depending on the produce. Secondly, the Ottomans protected the religious rights of the conquered people. Under the milliyet system of administration, each religious group was given autonomy with respect to its personal laws. The Church was protected. Third, the conflict between the Roman and Eastern Orthodox churches worked to the advantage of the Turks. The peasants were Eastern Orthodox, whereas the lords and noblemen were Roman Catholic. The peasants were much better off under the Turks than they were under the Latin lords and often cooperated with the Muslim Turks against the Latin Christians. Many accepted Islam to escape the oppression of their former feudal masters. Fourth, the Ottoman conquests were not merely imperial expansions but a great migration of Turkish people. This migration had commenced in Central Asia in the 11th century under the Seljuks. Each Ottoman conquest was followed by a grand migration to the new territories. The ethnic and religious composition of the Balkans went through a transformation as the Turks migrated deeper into south central Europe. Each settled wave of settlers paved the way for the next one.

But the most important reason for the success of the Ottomans was the spirit of ghazza. Those who performed ghazza were known as ghazis. The ghazi vision was to establish a world order based on equity, justice, freedom of worship, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. The spirit of the ghazis permeated the Ottoman struggle since the early days of Uthmanali. It was this spirit that provided the explosive energy for the Ottomans. In its implementation, it demanded of the ghazis self-restraint, unceasing struggle, discipline, valor, sacrifice, mutual help and adherence to a strict code of honor. The ghazi was not to harm the civilian population but to protect it. The Ottomans jealously guarded this reputation as the ghazis of Islam and won the admiration of Muslims around the globe. Even Babur, the founder of the Moghul Empire in India, pays tribute to the “ghazis of Rum” in his autobiography, the Baburnameh.

The organization of the ghazis lent itself to a decentralized command structure, which allowed the Turks to take advantage of local conditions. The overall struggle was organized into marches. For instance, during the period of Bayazid I, in 1402, there were no less than four marches, each pushing the Ottoman advance in a different direction: the march of Dobruja directed at Wallachia; the march of Vidin directed at Hungary; the march of Uskup directed at Bosnia and Albania; and the march of Tirkkala directed at Morea and Greece. The Emperor considered himself to be a ghazi and was always in the front lines. Thus, the expansive spirit of a border state animated the Ottoman Empire. Once a forward area was subdued, it was populated by a fresh wave of Turks, and it, in turn, became a center for further expansion. In some ways, it resembled the expansion of American settler colonies in the American West in the 19th century. The leaders of the marches were rewarded with large estates in the conquered territories, which they governed as autonomous officials of the Ottoman state. Up until the time of Murad II, the marches were led by free-wheeling Turkish chiefs. Murad II put his trusted soldiers from the palace guards in charge of the marches and brought the marches under centralized state control. In the 16th and 17th centuries, as defensive positions in central Europe hardened, it became more and more difficult to continue the marches. After the 16th century, the role of the ghazis changed, from conquest to providing advance support for the Turkish army by conducting forays ahead of the main armed forces, harassing the enemy, cutting its supply lines and gathering intelligence.

ZamZam Water

The Hajj season has just passed and many of us got this opportunity Alhamdulilah and came back with the pious gifts of ZamZam water and Dates for our relatives. Today we are going to share with you the virtues and benefits of ZamZam water so it will make more pleasurable for you to use it and distribute it among your dear ones InshaAllah!

The water of Zamzam is water of great virtue which first sprang forth when Jibreel (peace be upon him) struck (the earth) with his wing (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 3364). Allaah provided water for Ismaa’eel (peace be upon him) and his mother with it. The heart of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was washed with Zamzam water. Many saheeh ahaadeeth have been narrated concerning its virtues, such as:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best water on the face of the earth is the water of Zamzam; it is a kind of food and a healing from sickness.” (Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3302).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3062; this is a hasan hadeeth. Scholars and righteous people have experienced this – they have drunk it with the intention of fulfilling some need such as healing from sickness or being freed from poverty and distress, and Allah fulfilled these hopes).

virtues of zamzam water

It was reported in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Abu Dharr, who had stayed near the Ka’bah and its coverings for forty days and nights with no food or drink other than (Zamzam):

“How long have you been here?” Abu Dhar said: “I have been here for thirty days and nights.” The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Who has been feeding you?” He said, “I have had nothing but Zamzam water, and I have gotten so fat that I have folds of fat on my stomach. I do not feel any of the tiredness or weakness of hunger and I have not become thin.” The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily, it is blessed, it is food that nourishes.” (Narrated by Imam Muslim, 2473).

It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) drank it, did wudoo’ with it and poured it on his head. He used to carry Zamzam water in small vessels and large containers in order to pour it on the sick and give it to them to drink. (al-Silsilat al-Sahehah, 883).

One of the Sahabah said: we used to call it al-Shabba’ah (satisfying) and it helped us to take care our families (i.e., it was filling and helped them to do without food, it was also sufficient to nourish children). (al-Silsilat al-Sahehah li’l-Albani, 2685).

The Story of Zamzam Water

HEALTH BENEFITS OF DATES

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Dates are a great source of dietary fiber. The American Cancer Society recommends that you consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber a day. Dietary fiber comes in two forms – soluble and insoluble. Each serves a valuable function. Insoluble fiber increases the rate at which food moves through the digestive system. Soluble fiber may help control diabetes by decreasing elevated blood glucose levels. Soluble fiber also had been found to help lower serum cholesterol levels, particularly undesirable low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. 

According to researchers at the University of Scranton in Scranton Pennsylvania, they have the highest concentration of polyphenols among dried fruits. The findings of this research suggest that dried fruits should be a greater part of the diet as they are dense in phenol antioxidants and nutrients, most notably fiber.

A serving of power-packed dates contains 31 grams of carbohydrates, making them a powerhouse of energy. Carbohydrates include 3 grams of dietary fiber and 29 grams of naturally occurring sugars such as fructose, glucose and sucrose to provide quick energy and are readily used by the body. Dates are a perfect energy boosting snack.

Dates are one of the best natural sources of potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral your body needs to maintain muscle contractions including the vital heart muscle. Potassium is needed to maintain a healthy nervous system and to balance the body’s metabolism as well.

Since potassium is not stored in the body, and much is lost in perspiration, it must be continually replenished. As you consume potassium you excrete sodium, helping to keep blood pressure down. As people age, their kidneys become less efficient at eliminating sodium. About a 400 mg increase in potassium intake has been associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of stroke. This roughly amounts to one additional serving daily of Dates.

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 Dates also contain a variety of B-complex vitamins – thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid. These vitamins have a variety of functions that help maintain a healthy body – to metabolize carbohydrates and maintain blood glucose levels, fatty acids for energy, and they help make hemoglobin, the red and white blood cells. Dates also contain Magnesium which is essential for healthy bone development and for energy metabolism and Iron which is essential to red blood cell production. Red blood cells carry all the nutrients to cells throughout the body. In addition, Dates are fat and cholesterol free