The Guardian of Al-Andalus (Spain): Sultan Yusuf ibn Tashfin [MABH] (Part 6)
The Almoravids (al-Murabitun) The Shining Model of the Union Between Religion and Jihad
Anyone who examines the internal and external affairs of the Almoravid state (al-Murabitun) will see that the core principle of their policy was a firm commitment to jihad in the path of Allah the Exalted. They mobilized all their strength and resources for this purpose, and the conduct of their rulers fully reflected this commitment.
For example, Abdullah ibn Yasin, the founder of the Almoravids, used to fast regularly and sustained himself solely by hunting desert or sea animals. He did not compete with people for worldly gains, led them in prayer, and in the battlefield, fought in the front lines—until he was martyred in the year 451 AH.
Before him, Yahya ibn Umar, the overall commander of the Almoravid forces, spent his entire life in jihad and was martyred around 448 AH. After him, Abu Bakr ibn Umar, another Almoravid commander, was martyred in 480 AH in the lands of Sudan after conquering territories spanning 90 stages. This was the pattern set by all Almoravid commanders.
One of the most prominent leaders among them was Yusuf ibn Tashfin, a commander whose army exceeded one hundred thousand warriors. Yet he never became arrogant or self-indulgent. He did not seek pleasures, nor was he concerned with enriching those around him. He ate barley bread, wore coarse clothing, and consumed camel meat and milk. These were signs of his adherence to the spirit of Islam and his continuation of the simple and sincere lifestyle of the early Muslim leaders.
It was this complete commitment of the Almoravid rulers to Islam that brought them honor and glory and earned them a beloved place in the hearts of the people.
Through their lives filled with jihad, patience, and asceticism, the Almoravids proved that Islam has immense power to confront hardship and corruption, and that it can rescue society from crises.
They were a clear proof against those who merely claim to be Islamic but bear no resemblance to its true values in practice—those who shout slogans but make no sacrifices. True mujahidin gave their lives and wealth for Islam, while these others want everything through mere claims. The result for the Muslim Ummah has been nothing but defeat, humiliation, and backwardness.
How vast is the difference between those men who supported Islam with heart and soul, seeking only Allah’s reward, and those who merely wish to exploit Islam for their own gain.
Such people have not only caused their own decline but have also brought shame upon Islamic movements and harmed them. Intellectual delusions, regional fragmentation, and divided loyalties have destroyed them.
Allah the Exalted has said in the Qur’an: (أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تُتْرَكُوا وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَهَدُوا مِنكُمْ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَا رَسُولِهِ وَلَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلِيجَة) [Surah al-Tawbah: 16] Translation: “Do you think that you will be left alone while Allah has not yet made clear who among you has truly striven in His cause and has not taken anyone besides Allah, His Messenger, and the believers as close allies?”
And in another verse, He says: ( قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ، فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ، وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ) [Surah al-Tawbah: 24] Translation: “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your clan, the wealth you have acquired, a trade whose decline you fear, and homes you cherish are dearer to you than Allah, His Messenger, and striving in His cause—then wait until Allah brings about His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.”
Those who claim to uphold the principles of Islam—justice and equality—but whose ranks are still riddled with ethnic divisions, partisanship, and personal interests (often at the cost of truth, justice, Muslim unity, and brotherhood), are in reality pursuing their own desires, pleasures, and agendas. They are far removed from the true concept of Islamic solidarity (murābaṭah) and jihad, which the Almoravids exemplified in their lives.
The principles of Islam have never been mere theories, nor a tool for personal gain or the ambitions of any one group or class. These principles are neither distortable nor deceptive; rather, they are preserved by Allah and accessible to all—both the ignorant and the learned, the Arabs and non-Arabs alike. These principles were revealed to preserve human dignity, rights, and the essence of humanity.
Qur’anic Verse:
(وَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا) Translation: “We have certainly honored the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, provided them with good and pure sustenance, and favored them greatly above many of those We created.” [Surah al-Isrāʾ: 70]
Islam teaches its followers that they have both rights and responsibilities. No one has any inherent superiority or special entitlement. No one has the right to claim more rights than others. This is how the Rightly Guided Caliphs ruled. For example, Abu Bakr began his caliphate with these beautiful words: “I have been appointed over you, but I am not better than you. If I do well, help me; if I go wrong, correct me.” And Umar said: “Do not withhold the rights of the people, for if you do so, you will become disbelievers.” And Usman, in a letter sent to various regions, wrote: “The nation has the right and authority to enjoin good and forbid evil. Therefore, do not deprive the people of their rights. Neither I nor my governors have any special rights over the citizens.”
These values must take root in the hearts of Muslims and become a standard by which people can distinguish between those who merely claim to follow the religion and those who are truly faithful to its principles and beliefs. This is the very standard the Almoravids used to evaluate people and leadership.
