Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
The Guardian of Al-Andalus (Spain), Sultan Yusuf ibn Tashfin [MABH] (Part Four)
Preface:
From the Heart of the Desert to the Horizon of Civilization
Beyond the silent dust and fierce winds of the African desert, somewhere in the Islamic West, history was taking shape. While ignorance and division, like two rusted blades, struck the body of tribal societies, and the pure Islamic faith was being forgotten amidst local customs and superstitions, a will arose that transformed history—not the will of kings or commanders, but the will of an ascetic man, a reformist scholar, and a preacher born from the core of tradition. A man who neither rode golden horses nor strolled through marble palaces, but instead, carried the staff of his mission on his shoulder, traveling from tent to tent, from one tribe to another, proclaiming the message of monotheism and moral purification. Yes, this man was ‘Abdullah ibn Yasin al-Jazuli (may Allah have mercy on him), and his awakening marked the beginning of a new chapter in history, which later emerged in the form of the Almoravid state—one of the most remarkable experiences of Islamic governance.
The Almoravid movement was, in essence, not a political revolution, but a faith-based movement that carried within its depths the spirit of reform, da’wah, and unity. At a time when Islam in the Maghreb had been reduced to an empty shell of rituals, the Almoravids sought to recreate a fresh Islamic identity by returning to the fundamentals of the religion and the Prophetic tradition. This identity was based not on ethnicity or sheer power, but on three foundational pillars: Sunni jurisprudence, Sufi asceticism, and military discipline. Such an unprecedented combination created a foundation that not only endured but expanded into the heart of Al-Andalus and reached the walls of Christian Europe.
The period examined in this study is significant because it presents a rare example of the intersection of religion, politics, and civilization in Islamic history. Unlike many other Islamic states that collapsed under the weight of power and corruption after reaching their peak, the Almoravid state was guided by principles rooted in spirituality, piety, and personal self-discipline. The pivotal role of Yusuf ibn Tashfin (may Allah have mercy on him) is particularly notable as the vital link between mission and state, between religious leadership and political authority, and between asceticism and power. Without analyzing his personality and policies, it is impossible to truly understand the Almoravid state. He was a man who wept on his prayer mat in the dark of night and charged on his warhorse in times of hardship—a religiously devoted statesman whose sword moved with the fatwa of scholars, and whose crown cast a shadow of justice and security.
The achievements of the Almoravids were not limited to territorial expansion and conquests. They also manifested in the reform of educational structures, the establishment of justice, the support of scholars, and the promotion of Islamic morals. The glorious victory at the Battle of Sagrajas (al-Zallaqah) was not merely a military triumph; it was a civilizational victory, where faith and political will stood side by side to repel the wave of Crusader aggression with the strength of Islam.
This study seeks to examine the Almoravid movement not merely as a state in Islamic political history, but as a civilizational experience—from its ideological foundation with ‘Abdullah ibn Yasin (may Allah have mercy on him), to its political and military expansion under Yusuf ibn Tashfin (may Allah have mercy on him), and finally to the concerns of power transition and decline. All of this will be incorporated into an analytical framework aiming not just to reconstruct a glorious past, but to present living models for the contemporary Muslim Ummah.
In a world where the concepts of Islamic governance, religious justice, and the relationship between knowledge and power are once again under debate, a comprehensive and precise reevaluation of the Almoravid experience can serve both as a guiding light and a cautionary tale: guiding in the sense that it shows how inner reform can lead to outer stability, and cautionary in that overreliance on personalities and institutions, if disconnected from the spirit of faith, will not endure. Therefore, this introduction is not merely a preface to a historical narrative, but an invitation to deeply reflect on the concept of movements, the nature of power, and the secret of sustainability in the making of a nation.
Findings:
This study—and future research—focuses on the great Almoravid state, from its earliest stages of emergence to the death of Amir al-Muslimin Yusuf ibn Tashfin (may Allah have mercy on him) in the year 500 AH. This state played a pivotal role in purifying the belief in monotheism, removing traces of polytheism and ignorance, and reviving true Islam in the lands of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus.
Allah the Almighty rewarded this effort, and through the hands of the Almoravids, unity was restored to the western Islamic world.
Before this, the Islamic world—particularly the Maghreb and Al-Andalus—was in a dire state. Division, weakness, civil wars, and dependency on enemies were clearly visible, as a poet described:
إِذا تفرَّقتِ الأهواءُ وانتشرتْ
رُفِعَ اللواءُ وفِي الأُمَمِ القَنا وَالقَدَرُ
Translation: “When desires scatter and division spreads,
Banners rise, and upon the nations fall spears and destruction.”
The situation in Al-Andalus was even more disastrous. Fortresses of Muslims fell one after another to the Crusaders, and the petty kings of the Taifa states were not only incapable of uniting or resisting, but they bowed to the enemies, allied with them, revealed their secrets, and even collaborated to destroy each other. [1]
These rulers had become so detached from the principles of Islam and their responsibilities that they were no longer capable of leadership or even motivated to defend their people. This reality was not hidden from the Muslims. The famous 5th-century AH poet al-Samaysari sharply criticized the Taifa kings:
نادِ الملوكَ وقلْ لهمْ
ماذا الذي أحدثتُمُ؟
أسلمتُمُ الإسلامَ في
أسرِ العِدى وقعدتُمُ!
فعصا النبيِّ شققتُمُ
لا تُنكروا شقَّ العصا
وجبَ القيامُ عليكمُ
إذ بالنَّصارى قُمتُمُ!
Translation:
Call out to the kings and ask them:
What have you done?
You handed Islam to the enemies
And sat idle!
You broke away from the Prophet’s path—
So do not deny the division!
It is obligatory to rise against you
Since you rose with the Christians! [2]
In this dark and difficult environment, the callers to jihad and reform were under pressure—until a new dawn of hope appeared in the person of Yusuf ibn Tashfin (may Allah have mercy on him). He became a refuge for scholars and the oppressed, and a symbol of Islamic unity.
A contemporary poet praised him in these words:
فإذا أرادَ اللهُ نصرَ الدّينِ
استصرخَ الناسُ ابنَ تاشفينِ
فجاءَهم كالصبحِ في إثرِ غَسَقٍ
مستدركًا لما تبقّى من رَمَقِ
Translation: When Allah wills to support His religion,
People cry out for Ibn Tashfin.
He comes to them like dawn after darkness,
Recovering what remains of the last breath of hope. [3]
Continues…
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[1]. [Al-Maqrizi, Nafh al-Tayyib, Vol. 3, p. 252, Dar Sader, 1968 AD].
[2]. [Ibn Bassam, Al-Dhakira fi Mahasin Ahl al-Jazira, Vol. 1, p. 354, edited by Ihsan Abbas, Dar Al-Thaqafa, Beirut, 1978 AD].
[3]. [Ibn Khaldun, Al-Ibar wa Diwan al-Mubtada’ wa al-Khabar, Vol. 6, p. 183, Dar Al-Fikr, 2004 AD].
