Dr. Hasan A. Yahya, a writer from Palestine
Even though I do not support wars, I do admire leadership in both peace and war. Leadership in the past was the main factor in victory over enemies. Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, the creator of one of the largest empires in ancient history invading the then, Asia Minor and Persia in 334 B.C, was one, Napoleon in his Egyptian Campaign between 1798 to 1801 was one, the British Bernard Montgomery facing the German Erwin Rommel land force commanders in the desert of Libya in the Second World War was one represents a great general of the war. , Khalid bin al-Waleed in al-Yarmouk 15 هـ – 636 م)) four years after the Prophet Muhammad’s death in 632 A.D, facing the Byzantine Empire to save Syria. Tariq bin Ziyad, is also a legend in his leadership in the Muslim history. He is the leader who opens the gates of Spain for Muslim rule in 711 A.D. almost after eighty years after the Prophet Muhammad’s death. When Tariq had been informed of the approach of the land of Spain, he burn the ships for no return without victory. He rose in the midst of his companions and, after having glorified God in the highest, he spoke to his soldiers thus:
“Oh my warriors, whither would you flee? The sea is Behind you, and the enemy is before you,. (البحر من ورائكم والعدو من أمامكم ). You have left now only the hope of your courage and your constancy. Remember that in this country you are more unfortunate than the orphan seated at the table of the avaricious master. Your enemy is before you, protected by an innumerable army; he has men in abundance, but vou, as your only aid, have your own swords, and, as your only chance for life, such chance as you can snatch from the hands of your enemy. If the absolute want to which you are reduced is prolonged ever so little, if you delay to seize immediate success, your good fortune will vanish, and your enemies, whom your very presence has filled with fear, will take courage. Put far from you the disgrace from which you flee in dreams, and attack this monarch who has left his strongly fortified city to meet you. Here is a splendid opportunity to defeat him, if you will consent to expose yourselves freelv to death. Do not believe that I desire to incite you to face dangers which I shall refuse to share with you. In the attack I myself will be in the fore, where the chance of life is always least.
“Remember that if you suffer a few moments in patience, you will afterward enjoy supreme delight. Do not imagine that your fate can be separated from mine, and rest assured that if you fall, I shall perish with you, or avenge you. You have heard that in this country there are a large number of ravishingly beautiful Greek maidens, their graceful forms are draped in sumptuous gowns on which gleam pearls, coral, and purest gold, and they live in the palaces of royal kings. The Commander of True Believers, Alwalid, son of Abdalmelik, has chosen you for this attack from among all his Arab warriors; and he promises that you shall become his comrades and shall hold the rank of kings in this country. Such is his confidence in your intrepidity. The one fruit which he desires to obtain from your bravery is that the word of God shall be exalted in this country, and that the true religion shall be established here. The spoils will belong to yourselves.
“Remember that I place myself in the front of this glorious charge which I exhort you to make. At the moment when the two armies meet hand to hand, you will see me, never doubt it, seeking out this Roderick, tyrant of his people, challenging him to combat, if God is willing. If I perish after this, I will have had at least the satisfaction of delivering you, and you will easily find among you an experienced hero, to whom you can confidently give the task of directing you. But should I fall before I reach to Roderick, redouble your ardor, force yourselves to the attack and achieve the conquest of this country, in depriving him of life. With him dead, his soldiers will no longer defy you.” (792 words) www.askdryahya.com
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References
From: Charles F. Horne, ed., The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, (New York: Parke, Austin, & Lipscomb, 1917), Vol. VI: Medieval Arabia, pp. 241-242.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.
Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Professor, Dr. Hasan A. Yahya is an Arab American writer, scholar, and professor of Sociology lives in the United States of America, originally from Palestine. He graduated from Michigan State University with 2 Ph.d degrees. He published 55 books plus (40 Arabic and 15 English), and 250 plus articles on sociology, religion, psychology, politics, poetry, and short stories. Philosophically, his writings concern logic, justice and human rights worldwide. Dr. Yahya is the author of Crescentologism: The Moon Theory, and Islam Finds its Way, on Amazon. He’s an expert on Race Relations, Arab and Islamic cultures, he is also, interested in religion, world affairs and global strategic planning for justice and human rights. www.dryahyatv.com