Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar Language: English | Format: PDF | Pages: 396 | Size: 3 MB
This book is about the lives of those
noble Companions and Commanders who led the Islamic forces in the
violent and strife-torn arenas of conflict against the Kuffar
(disbelievers). They struck terror in the hearts of the enemy and the
strong forts and palaces of Caesar and Chosroes trembled before their
might. However in this compilation, there are not only the stories of
the battlefields but also the stories of bravery and courage, valor and
piety, austerity and simplicity. These stones describe the true
circumstances that led the Muslims to fight snore powerful enemies than
they were at that time.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
“Muhammad
(S) is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are severe
against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing
and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allah and
(His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their
faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers). This
is their description in the Taurat (Torah). But their description in the
Injeel (Gospel) is like a (sown) seed which sends forth its shoot, then
makes it strong, and becomes thick and it stands straight on its stem,
delighting the cowers, that He may enrage the disbelievers with them.
Allah has promised those among them who believe (i.e. all those who
follow Islamic Monotheism, the religion of Prophet Muhammad till the Day
of Resurrection) and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty
reward (i.e. Paradise).”(The Noble Qur’an 48:29)
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Publisher’s Note:
All Praises are due to Allah the
Almighty, the Lord of all that exists. May Allah’s peace and blessing be
upon His final Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad, his family and his
Companions.
Darussalam is pleased to present this
valuable book, ‘Commanders of the Muslim Army (Among the Companions of
the Prophet (S))’ compiled in the Urdu language, by a great scholar and a
compiler of Islamic books, Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar and translated by
our Islamic sister Jamila Muhammad Qawi.
This book is about the life stories of
the Prophet’s Companions who led the Muslim army that was trained by the
Messenger of Allah (S)”. Once during the training when the Prophet
asked about the strategy to adopt in the battle, one of his Companion,
‘Asim bin Thabit (R) had stood up with his bow in his hand and replied:
“When the enemy is a hundred yards away, we will use our bows and
arrows; when the enemy comes closer, we will fight with our spears; when
the spears break, we will have a hand to hand combat with our swords.”
When the Prophet (S) heard this, he said:
“Doubtless this was the way to fight a battle. Whoever wishes to take
part in a battle should adopt the strategy of ‘Asim bin Thabat.”
These great martial Commanders improved
upon and developed the strategies and principles first enunciated by the
Prophet (S). They loved death more than life in their pursuit of the
righteous and true religion, therefore sometimes the opposing forces
were ten times larger than the Muslim army and with superior arms, yet
most often it were the forces of Islam which were victorious. Therefore
the Prophet (S) gave some of them the title of Saifullah (Sword of
Allah) and the title of Lion of Allah.
After the death of the Prophet (S), the
empire of Islam spread over an area of ten hundred thousand square
miles. We should have to study inevitably the lives of these remarkable
military leaders if we are deeply interested in learning about the
Islamic history.
Pray to Allah the Almighty that He grants
them all – the writer, translator and editor and everyone else who
participated by any means – the best reward in this world and in the
Hereafter, for having supported in the completion of such a valuable
book. Ameen.
Abdul Malik Mujahid
General Manager Darussalam
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Table of Contents:
Publishers Note
Preface
The Qualities of a Muslim Commanders
True, constant and firm Faith
Dignified personality
Valorous and courageous
Steadfast and resolute of purpose
Strength of will and ability to execute
Charismatic and magnetic personality
Eloquent
Excellent arms
Generosity and liberality
A sense of justice and fair play
Khalid bin Waleed (R)
Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah (R)
Sa’d bin Abi Waqas (R)
‘Abdur-Rahman bin’Auf (R)
‘Amr bin Al-Aas (R)
Usamah bin Zaid (R)
‘Ikrimah bin Abi Hishdm (R)
Mathna bin Harithah Sheebani (R)
Nu’man bin Maqran (R)
Qa’qa’ bin’Amr Al-Tameemi (R)
Sharjeel bin Hasanah (R)
Salamah bin Qais (R)
‘Utbah bin Ghazwan (R)
‘Asim bin Thabit (R)
Zaid bin Harithah (R)
Jareer bin’Abdullah bin Jabir (R)
Ja’far bin Abi Talib (R)
Huthaifah bin Yaman (R)
Dharar bin Azwar Asadi (R)
Sa’eed bin Al-Aas (R)
‘Ukashah bin Mohsin (R)
‘Abdullah bin Jahash (R)
‘Abdullah bin Hathafah (R)
‘Abdullah bin Rawahah (R)
‘Ubadah bin Samit (R)
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Preface:
All Praise is for Allah Almighty and may Allah Bless the Prophet, his family and his Companions.
This book is about the lives of those
pre-eminent and noble Companions of the Prophet who led the forces of
Islam in the violent and strife-torn arenas of conflict against the
Kuffar or disbelievers. These were the warriors who after a vigorous
training had turned to pure gold after being trained by the supreme
Commander, the mercy to mankind, and the embodiment of goodness, the
king of Al Madinah, Muhammad (S). Experts in the art of war were amazed
and overwhelmed when they studied their exploits of bravery and valor.
They struck terror in the hearts of the enemy and the stronghold sand
palaces of Qaesar and Kisra trembled before their might.
They lived in austerity and simplicity,
yet their style was regal. They were not cowed down by the enemy, they
did not tremble before him in terror, neither could they be deterred
from the pursuit of their objective. They loved death more than life in
their pursuit of the righteous and true. Their gaze was modest, their
hearts burned with passionate love of Allah Almighty, their arms were
powerful and their feet stood surprisingly firm and steady as they
fought for what their conscience told them was moral and virtuous. In
whichever direction they turned, they conquered region after region.
Under the leadership of the Prophet (S) they performed stunning deeds of
valor and daring in the battlefields. In no time at all the stories of
their great and noble exploits became the assurances of their bravery
and the tales of their heroism were guarantees of their fervor and
ardor. These epic stories spread in all directions. The battles fought
during the Prophet’s time were the most excellent and exemplary in all
respects. Many time the forces of Islam faced armies which were much
larger. Sometimes the opposing forces were ten times larger than the
Prophet’s army, and also had a larger number of superior arms and
equipment, yet most often it was the forces of Islam which were
victorious. Sociologists are amazed by the fact that the Islamic state
started off as a small city state and, expanded at an average rate of
two hundred square miles per day. Ten years later at the death of the
Prophet (S) the empire of Islam was spread over an area of ten hundred
thousand square miles.
When one studies the Islamic era spanning
the lifetime of the Prophet (S) from the point of view of conquest and
occupation of lands, their organization, management and administration,
this amazement subsides. Every stage and step seems to have been
patterned according to a well-defined, comprehensive and well thought
out plan.
Stability of the conquered lands.
Education, moral and religious training of the conquered peoples.
The education and training of the managers and administrators in morals, intellect and skills.
An attempt to extend the limits of the Islamic Empire, by training
military experts. This training was moral and intellectual. Technical
know – how was not neglected either. Under their leadership the Islamic
army forged their way into new territories in all directions; these were
basic, innovative and revolutionary steps that resulted in astounding
exploits. As a result within the short span of fifteen years after the
passing away of the Prophet (S) most of the areas of the two major
continents of Asia and Africa, were under the control of the Muslims.
When a student of Islamic history
observes these facts, he is inevitably and deeply interested to learn
about the lives of these remarkable military leaders. He would like to
study their characters, their code of life and the strategies they
employed. He would like to gain enlightenment from these beacons of the
past in order to illuminate such light as make the world of Islam shine
in the present, and also to blaze a trail for future generations.
Human nature and the basic strategies of
war normally do not change; it is for this reason that invaluable
lessons can be gained even from the battles fought far back in ancient
recorded history. With this purpose in mind biographical sketches of
these great generals of the early years of Islam are being presented;
their incredible and extraordinary military achievements have added many
a glorious and golden chapter to the history of mankind.
Doubtless those great personalities who
were trained by the greatest Commander of Arab and Ajam, the Sultan of
Al-Madinah, the Prophet (S) himself, had been transformed by personal
contact with his radiant personality. Their eyes witnessed his
greatness, which had become the axis of their hearts souls and very
existence. The only meaning and purpose of their lives was to achieve
martyrdom in the cause of Islam. A study of the enviable lives and
characters of these great generals will inspire modern day Mujdhideen,1 soldiers and military leaders with the spirit of sacrifice and Jihad.2
The battles fought during the life of the Prophet (S) introduced and
made crystal-clear such principles of military strategy as had never
been used in human history. The brilliance of the strategies the Prophet
(S) used as the Commander-in-Chief in the battle of Badr cannot be or
ignored even in the context of modern day warfare. The very first
martial tactics employed by the small Islamic State in its infancy were
remarkably well organized and disciplined, for the example:
Before leaving for the battlefield a Deputy was appointed in Al-Madinah.
The Muslim army was divided into different groups or divisions and a commander was appointed for each of these divisions.
Qais Al Mazni Ansari was appointed to watch over the rear section of the army.
The Muslim army reached the battlefield of Badr first and took
control of the stream there, so that the enemy could not face the Muslim
army for long without water.
Even before the battle started, it was realized that the group
formation of the Muslim army should be given a great deal of attention.
This was because the opposing army outnumbered them three to one.
After the formation the Prophet (S) ordered that no Mujahid should take any step on his own, and must wait for orders from him.
He ordered that the Mujahideen should shoot their arrows
only when the enemy came within range; if he was beyond their range they
should not shoot. This was to avoid wastage of arms and equipment. If
the enemy was very close then they should fight with their spears; if
they were even closer then they should use their swords to defend
themselves.
On one occasion he pointed out to his army that they should be aware
that the most effective strength and strategy lay in the practice of Rummi.
This meant to practice the art of throwing. This covers all kinds of
weapons of war, which are either thrown or shot. Missiles, bombs or
cannons from which shots are fired – all belong to this category of
weapons. Even in the changed war scenario of today, the principle of Rummi
is of prime importance; as this is where the real strength of an army
lies. This principle and its significant contribution to the victory and
might of a military force was first enunciated by the Prophet (S). The
degree of superiority and dominance of one country over another is in
direct proportion to its strength and power.
In the battle of Badr a special covered platform was erected for the
Prophet , at the rear of the place where the army was deployed. The
rules and principles of warfare were promulgated and declared. Women,
children, people not taking part in active warfare and all senior
citizens were not to be killed or harmed in any way.
In the battle of Uhud, the Prophet (S), inspected the battlefield and
sensing the various possibilities of danger, posted a squad of fifty
archers on a mountain. They were ordered to stick to their positions
under all circumstances. The vital importance of this positioning was
realized when the enemy, finding this strategic position unoccupied
unexpectedly attacked the Muslim army and caused significant damage.
In the battle of Ahzab, the digging of the trenches gave total
protection from the enemy to Islam’s first capital, Al-Madinah. This
innovative and unusual move of digging trenches around a city for the
purpose of protecting it astonished Abu Sufyan, the Commander of the
enemy forces. Trenches are today an integral and important part of
defensive fortification strategy.
All these steps enumerated above were
basically innovative military strategies, which were probably introduced
for the first time in human history. This book recounts the amazing
exploits of the great heroes who led the first Islamic forces in battle,
and had been trained by the Prophet (S). An experienced enemy and
leader like Wrath Abu Sufyan had been nonplused by these innovative
measures. These great martial heroes of Islam improved upon and
developed the strategies and principles first enunciated by the Prophet.
Even in a state of war they did not lose sight of the great moral and
ethical values taught them by the Prophet (S).
Pray to Allah Almighty that He grant abundant Divine Guidance to the military experts, generals, the young soldiers and Mujahideen to follow in the footsteps of these great Companions and generals and bring back the past glories of Islam.
May Allah Almighty Shower His Blessings on the Prophet (S) and his Companions!
Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar
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1 Mujdhideen – Those who fight in a war for Islam. (plural) 2 Jihad – a holy war for Allah Almighty and the defense of Islam and Muslims.
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