Allah ta^ala said:
﴿تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾، [سورة القصص:83]
That means “That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [praised] outcome is for the righteous” [Suratu l-Qasas: 83].
A man came once to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "Guide me to an act equivalent to Jihad." He said: "I cannot find one," [narrated by Al-Bukhariyy]. Al-Bukhariyy also narrated that in Paradise there are one hundred levels that Allah has prepared for those who strive in the way Allah approved. The distance between each two levels is like the distance between the sky and the earth.
All this indicates the great virtue of those who strive with their own selves so that the word of Allah is supreme and the word of those who disbelieve is inferior. Glad tidings, then, to a sincere warrior whose feet become dusty in the path of Allah. Among these brave warriors is Tariq ibnu Ziyad, may Allah have mercy on him.
Who is Tariq ibnu Ziyad?
He is the devout and pious follower (tabi^iyy) Tariq ibnu Ziyad ibni ^Abdi l-Lah, the Berber, though some say he was Arab. He was born in the year 50 AH. May Allah have mercy on him, he was a military leader who led the Islamic conquest of Al-‘Andalus lands under the command of Musa ibnu Nusayr. The famous Gibraltar (Jabalu Tariq) is named after him, as it is the place his army set foot in at the beginning of the conquest of Al-Andalus. He converted to Islam at the hands of his master Musa ibnu Nusayr, the governor of ‘Ifriqiyyah, who appointed him as the governor of Tangier.
The Prophetic Glad Tidings for the Conquest of Al-‘Andalus
Ibnu l-‘Athir and others narrated that when Tariq ibnu Ziyad embarked on the sea to conquer Al-‘Andalus with seven thousand Muslims, he fell asleep and saw the Prophet ﷺ with the Muhajirun and the 'Ansar, who had girdled with their swords. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: "O Tariq, accomplish what you are destined to perform and treat the Muslims kindly and keep your covenant." Tariq then saw the Prophet ﷺ and his companions enter Al-‘Andalus ahead of him. He woke up rejoicing, gave glad tidings to his companions, and his heart was strengthened with the certainty of victory.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“إِنَّهُ لَم يَبقَ مِن مُبَشِّرَاتِ النُّبُوَّةِ إِلَّا الرُّؤيَا الصَّالِحَةُ، يَرَاهَا المُسلِمُ أَو تُرَى لَهُ “
That means: “Nothing remains of the glad tidings of Prophethood except a righteous vision that a Muslim sees or is seen about him.”.
He also said:
“مَن رَآنِي فِي المَنَامِ فَقَد رَآنِي، فَإِنَّ الشَّيطَانَ لَا يَتَخَيَّلُ بِي “
That means: “Whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me, for the devil cannot take on my appearance,” [narrated by Muslim].
Seeing the Prophet ﷺ in a dream is a true vision and a great glad tiding for the seer. This is a blessing from Allah which He bestows upon whom He wills among His servants.
When Tariq landed in Al-‘Andalus and his companions gathered at the mountain (known today as Gibraltar), he descended and entered Algeciras. There, he encountered an old woman who said to him, "I had a husband who was knowledgeable about events and he used to tell us about a leader who would enter our land and conquer it. He described him as having a large head and a mole on his left shoulder covered with hair." Tariq then uncovered his garment; indeed, the mole was as she described.
His Famous Speech
Roderick, the king of Al-'Andalus, had appointed someone named Tudmir to govern it. When Tariq descended from the mountain (known today as Gibraltar), Tudmir wrote to Roderick, informing him that a people had landed in their territory, and they did not know whether they were from the heavens or the earth. Upon hearing this, Roderick -who had been on an expedition to a distant region to wage war against some of his enemies- returned with seventy thousand horsemen. He had his supplies and goods carried on bull calves, and he sat on his palanquin between two beasts of burden, under a canopy adorned with pearls, rubies, and emeralds.
When Tariq learned of Roderick's approach, he stood among his companions, praised and glorified Allah as He deserved, then urged the Muslims to engage in jihad and encouraged them with these words: “O people, whither would you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy. By Allah, you have left now only your sincerity and your constancy. Remember that, on this island, you are more neglected than the orphans when the misers arrange a banquet. Your enemy has confronted you with his army and weapons; his provisions are abundant, and you have no refuge except your swords and no provisions except what you seize from your enemy's hands. If prolonged days of poverty weaken you, while not accomplishing anything, your prevalence will vanish, and the hearts of your enemies your very presence filled with fear, will take courage. Therefore, fend off this disgraceful outcome from you by confronting this tyrant who left his strongly fortified city to meet you. Seising this opportunity is indeed possible if you consent to embrace death”.
Tariq ibnu Ziyad after the conquest
After the great conquests achieved by Tariq, he was summoned by Al-Walid ibnu ^Abdi l-Malik to Sham. He travelled there with his master Musa ibnu Nusayr in 96 AH. The historians' accounts of his last responsibilities differ, but the most reliable one is that he was not appointed to leadership after that. May Allah have mercy on him and grant him immense reward.
Allah ta^ala knows best. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Sources:
These matters have been collected and summarised from:
- Sahihu l-Bukhariyy
- Al-Kamilu fi t-Tarikh
- Al-‘A^lam by Az-Zarkali
- Nafhu t-Tayyib min Ghusni l-‘Andalusi r-Ratib by At-Tilimsaniyy
