Golden Mein: Muslims in Persia [Part 10]

Initially, Shybani (RA) started the Arab-Ajam (Arabic for non Arab) interaction on his own and Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid (RA) was sent by Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr Sidiq [RA] to command and sustain the Persian campaign. Hazrat Musna (RA) had a geopolitical concept, hard to associate with the head of a Bahraini tribe, Al-Shybani, in those early years. He realized that rapid rise of Islam would entail a Persian reaction, which would be hard to counter unless the fight is taken to the Persians. The strategy virtually robbed the Persians of the room to think and plan.

Why did Osama declare war on USA - Pt 1

This is an article written in response to a Question asked by an American citizen. The Question (posted online) reads:

    I’m an American, and I really don’t believe everything my government says. I was moved by the way the media dealt with the death of Osama bin Ladin. I thought he was hated by the Muslims because of his ways; at least, that’s what the officials told us in our country. I realized after his death that he was loved by most of you! I want to know exactly what Osama meant to you as Muslims. I want to know the truth from you, and not from the media, because I simply do not trust the media. Please be straightforward and honest. I really want to know the truth.

Golden Mien: A Warrior par excellence [Part 9]

We may not be able to do justice with the Iranian campaign started by the unsung hero of Islam, Hazrat Musna ibn Haris [RA], without relating in some detail the tale and the historical trail of Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed [RA]. History is replete with great warriors from Alexandrian era down to Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. The famous battles between Alexander and Darius are woven in legend, apart from the historical recording. Hazrat Khalid (RA) was such a master strategist, a Napoleon; a Nelson would have loved to interact with. 
 
Nothing thrilled him more than to plan a battle with all its strategic implication. Whatever the opposition planned, he was always a step ahead. However, an assessment in purely military terms remained unknown until a modern day soldier of repute, of high rank provided the study material. Lt. Gen Akram of Pakistan army, who served during the era of Ayub Khan, has gone to great lengths to fill in the void. Gen Akram personally visited the various combat fields where Hazrat Khalid (RA) had fought some of the famous battles like the one at Yarmuk, sketch the war maps and match it with historical narratives and reach conclusions, which he put in book form to serve as an important source material.

5 Muslim Inventions That Changed The World

Coffee

Roasted Coffee Beans

About 1,600,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed every day around the world. Billions of people rely on it as part of their daily routines. And yet, very few people are aware of the Muslim origins of this ubiquitous drink.

According to the historical record, in the 1400s coffee became a very popular drink among Muslims in Yemen, in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Legend goes that a shepherd (some say in Yemen, some say in Ethiopia) noticed that his goats became very energetic and jumpy when they ate beans from a particular tree. He had the courage to try them himself, noticing they gave him an energy boost. Over time, the tradition of roasting the beans and immersing them in water to create a sour yet powerful drink developed, and thus, coffee was born.

Golden Mein: Hazrat Musna of the Iranian campaign [Paart 8]

Hazrat Musna [Mothana] bin Haris [Harith] Al-Shybani of Banu Bakr tribe in Basra contributed to early rise of Islam in a manner worth noting in letters of gold. But he remains an unsung hero of Islam. He is not as well known as Hazrat Saifullah Khalid (RA) Hazrat Abu Obadiah (RA) or Hazrat Saad bin Waqas (RA). Yet, based on historical evidence it could be safely stated that Hazrat Musna [RA] solely started the Iranian campaign.

The exploits of Hazrat Musna [RA] got woven into Islamic lore with a silken touch, so delicate was the art of the noble warrior in winning adherents to his cause. While as appeal to friends and supporters was a heart to heart affair, the steel in his person aimed straight at the jugular of Islam’s enemies. His effort orchestrated with other heroes making the song of Islam, a melody with a soulful rendering.
Hazrat Musna’s [RA] tribe of Banu Bakr in Bahrain bordered Iraq—a part of Iranian empire. The empire included present-day Iraq, Iran, and parts of Central Asia. Yemen across the Red Sea was its protectorate. Hazrat Musna [RA] started border skirmishes on his own without any word from Medina, the capital of the nascent Islamic republic.

Golden Mein: Surrender of Jerusalem [Part 7]

Following Yarmuk—the decisive battle on Roman front, Byzantines didn’t have the courage to engage the victorious forces in another major battle. Nearly two millennia of battle experience had come to naught in confrontation with a force with a different take of battle than was conceived by the Romans or Iranians—two super powers of 7^th century. The two Empires held that role from 500 B.C until 3^rd decade of 7^th century—more or less 1800 years. Their battle gear, the armed formations were in essence defence oriented. The offence would only be attempted, once the defence would be wearied down sufficiently. Offence had to as risk free as possible. Arabs on the contrary even is pre-Islamic times would enter a battle head on. Islam provided discipline to offensive tendencies and more important--co-ordination. These new traits acted as force multipliers. Battle formations of Islamic forces thus assumed a potency that Romans and Iranians found very hard to combat. They tended to avoid death, Islamic forces embraced it. Death and destructions thus stalked Romans and Iranians. 

How Atatürk Made Turkey Secular

The evolution of Turkey in the early 1900s is one of the most baffling cultural and social changes in Islamic history. In a few short years, the Ottoman Empire was brought down from within, stripped of its Islamic history, and devolved into a new secular nation known as Turkey. The consequences of this change are still being felt today throughout the Muslim world, and especially in a very polarized and ideologically segmented Turkey.

What caused this monumental change in Turkish government and society? At the center of it all is Mustafa Kemal, better known as Atatürk. Through his leadership in the 1920s and 1930s, modern secular Turkey was born, and Islam took a backseat in Turkish society.

The Rise of Atatürk

The decision of the Ottoman Empire to enter the First World War in 1914 turned out to be a horrible mistake. The empire was run by a dictatorship led by the “Three Pashas” who unilaterally entered the war on the German side, against the British, French, and Russians. The Ottoman Empire was invaded from the south by the British, from the East by the Russians, and by the Greeks in the West. By 1918 when the war ended, the empire was divided and occupied by the victorious allies, leaving only the central Anatolian highlands under native Turkish control.

Golden Mein: The Great battle of Yarmuk [Part 6]

Yarmuk with Qadsia constitutes what the legends are made of. Yarmuk sealed Syria and Qadsia delivered Iran. As the Byzantine Emperor—Heracles decided to put all that he could muster to retain Syria, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (RA) too held the war council. The decisions taken were to dispatch an emissary to apprise the Caliph of the developments and suggest the strategic moves for Caliphate consideration and approval. The recommendations entailed decampment at Hems and holding on to Damascus and Jordan. Decampment at Hems had a snag. ‘Jaziah’ the protection money had been collected, lacs of dirhams. Just imagine the sense of justice in early Islam, in a situation where Muslims needed men and material resources for the battle ahead, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (RA) had his treasury officer--Habib bin Maslamah pay back the last penny of it, since they could no more be provided protection. The citizens of Hems bade them a tearful adieu, exhorting them to get back. Jews especially, so fairly had they been treated by Muslims. 

Golden Mien: The battle of Damascus [Part 5]

Damascus mattered—the global financial nerve center, with its money exchange outlets and places of barter deals. International highway of bygone ages—Silk route remained linked to it. The caravans from Yemen and Hejaz would make a regular appearance to unload their merchandize. In exchange, they would load their beasts of burden with woven textiles of varied fibers including expensive silk. Spices to provide taste to their cuisine was an Indian item much relished. Here the Jew, the Christian, the Hindu, the Confucian, the Zoroastrian, the pagan Arab interacted freely.  Though Syrian church is one of the oldest of Christian orders, distinct in belief, Pauline Christianity—the order of St. Paul remained the dominant Christian narrative in Byzantine Empire. It was orthodox and intolerant; however maintaining freedom to interact in the city of Damascus was a financial compulsion for Byzantine.

Golden Mien: The Syrian Campaign [Part 4]

While as Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) initiated the restructuring of world order, the Caliphs—first Hazrat Abu Bakr Sidiq (RA) later the second—Hazrat Omar Farooq (RA) planned it deftly at the seat of Caliphate—Medina-ul-Nabi [the city of Prophet (pbuh)]. In the Syrian campaign, the initial forays of Hazrat Osama ibn Zaid [RA] were meant to forestall any offensive by Roman Empire. The forces hardly had the numerical strength of a major campaign. The forays did have a deterrent effect, as well as a surprise element for border Arab tribes living as tributaries of Roman Empire. Many of these Arabs were Christians. They had however cross border tribal links, just like Pakhtuns have on Pak-Afghan border. Tributaries of Romans no doubt, however the ethnic link was providing some food for thoughts. Arabs of Hejaz in Islamic fold were getting to be far different, in fact the opposite of what they were in pre-Islamic era. Their life seemed to be assuming a purpose hitherto unknown. This set the Arabs on Syrian side of the border thinking. And it worked in favour of Islamic campaign, though initially there were some hiccups.

   

Hazrat Osama ibn Zaid [RA]’s forays did witness some reverses, fallbacks, regroupings and in 634 A.D/13 A.H, a major change in the plan. Before the restive Byzantines had a chance to re-coup, the Caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) devised four formations, making provision for the topography and logistics? The country called Syria by the Romans is called Barr-ush-Sham by the Arabs, meaning land to the left--Sham in simple terms. The theatre of war was however was not restricted to Syria, as we know and understand the country in modern times. It included Palestine and Jordan also. 

Golden Mien: Islamic re-structuring of World Order [Part 3]

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) asked his emissaries to visit various capitals, once the Islamic republic of Medina was established inviting the reigning monarchs to the fold of Islam, in order to establish international understanding and peace. Caesar Heracles (Harkal) of the Roman Empire treated the envoy with envoy with respect while as Chosroe Parvaiz of Iran did it with contempt. He called the envoys savages of the desert, fed on camel milk and clad in rags. Heracles on the contrary wanted to understand the phenomenon that had overtaken Arabs--hitherto unknown players of international power dynamics of 7^th century. 

Heracles asked for a respected Arab leader of a caravan to be presented in the royal court. The caravans would frequent the international financial market, that was Damascus in and around 7^th century of Christian era. Incidentally Abu Sufian-nemesis of Islamic march in its earliest phases was present in Damascus. Before we dwell on what transpired between Heracles and Abu Sufian, we need to understand that Arabs of pre-Islamic era though ignorant, arrogant, and envious, were nevertheless chivalrous and to an extent truthful. Abu Sufian conceded that the Prophet Mohammad [pbuh] was truthful, never ever did he lie, however they were disinclined to accept his Prophethood. This set Heracles thinking--truthful yet unacceptable, an Arab [pbuh] of some standing claiming to be a Prophet (pbuh). However, he couldn’t reach a conclusion. 

Golden Mien: Advent of Islam…Global Scene [Part 2]

Medina—as it settled to be the capital of Islamic republic, announced the arrival of new force in global politics. In the seventh century, in fact centuries before that Iranian and Roman Empire were vying for global space. These mighty empires were the super powers of the era.    Arabia with the wilderness of its deserts, with its warring tribes, with its uncivilized ways hardly got the attention of global players. And for right reason, it did not merit attention. Apart from Arabian merchant caravans traveling to Damascus in Syria to trade goods, there was hardly an interaction. Damascus was in those times the global financial nerve center. Syrian province held the prime place in Roman Empire.  And this was the province bordering Arabia. In the border areas were Arab settlers, the most prominent tribe being Ghassanids [Ghasnai in vernacular—Arabic]. They had taken to Christianity; however they had contacts with the pagans [non-believers] of their racial stock in mainland Arabia.

Golden Mein: Dawn of Islam: The world order and the state of Arabia [Part 1]

By Dr. Javid Iqbal

At the dawn of Islam, in the 7th century, geopolitical scenario in the world shows two super powers on the horizon; the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) empire and the Iranian empire. And they were perpetually locked in a conflict with one or the other having an upper hand. We may take first the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) empire. To say Rome and prefix it with East might appear to be a misnomer, as Rome is a western phenomenon—the city as well as the state. The Roman state in west was at its pinnacle in 54 B.C, the era of Julius Caesar. Romans had overtaken Greece, the state where knowledge originated.

Eventually, this state weakened, however the Romans with Greeks established another Empire in present day Turkey. The capital of this Empire was Constantinople [present day Istanbul]. The capital across the strait of Bosporus [the waterway separating Asia and Europe] is Eurasian [partly Asian, partly European] hence the Empire established was called ‘Eastern Roman Empire’ with another attribute ‘Byzantine Empire’ [in vernacular Bazan’tiney]. In 4th century Christianity became the state religion in the reign of Constantine.  Constantinople was assigned in his name.

The Iranian Empire had the reign of Choesroes [Khusroo in vernacular] while as Byzantine Empire had Caesars [Kaiser in vernacular] ruling them. Iranian Empire was set up by Cyrus the Great [Jamsheed in vernacular] 2500 years back. In Persian lore Cyrus is taken to be the ideal ruler. Jam-e-Jam (Jamsheed’s goblet of wine) symbolizes the accumulated experience in governance in oriental poetic lore. Says Allama Iqbal in one of his Persian couplets that governance is not a purchasable commodity, in case you try to buy it, it will be like chinaware—highly fragile. Thus it has to be learned by experience. Son of Cyrus—Darius [Dara] fought Alexander [Sikander] of Macedonia. Dara-Sikander fights are legendary, lyrics have been composed of the valour seen in these battles. While as Cyrus and Darius were of Achemaid dynasty, Iran at the dawn of Islam was ruled by Sassanid [Sassani] dynasty.