Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
The Guardian of Al-Andalus (Spain): Sultan Yusuf ibn Tashfin [MABH] (Part 20)
Loyalty Until the Last Breath
Along with this noble gift, Yusuf ibn Tashfin sent a letter in which he humbly and respectfully requested Abu Bakr ibn Umar to accept it. He swore that nothing remained in his treasury, as he had dedicated it all to him.
Abu Bakr ibn Umar graciously accepted the gift and said, “All of this is goodness and generosity from Yusuf.” He then distributed it among his companions and set out toward the southern desert to continue his great mission there—waging jihad against the polytheists living along the southern borders, where the tribes of the Mulaththamun resided.
It was during one of these campaigns that a poisoned arrow struck Abu Bakr, leading to his martyrdom—may Allah have mercy on him. This incident occurred in the year 480 AH.
An Everlasting Legacy for Future Generations
After that, the banner of leadership was passed on to the Commander of the Faithful, Yusuf ibn Tashfin, who followed in the footsteps of his predecessor without the slightest deviation in direction or purpose. He strengthened the foundations of the state, safeguarded its borders, upheld religion, and supported the Sunnah.
Conclusion of This Discussion
The Almoravid movement is one of the shining examples in the history of intellectual, social, and political transformation in the Islamic world. It emerged in the fifth century AH from the Maghreb desert, not only redrawing the map of the Muslim world, but also breathing new life into religious consciousness and nation-building. This movement did not begin with the clamor of swords and military conquests; rather, it began with preaching, education, asceticism, and reform—at a time when the region was on the verge of complete religious collapse, plagued by heresies, superstitions, ignorance, and oppression, all of which threatened the spiritual and social life of the people.
In the heart of this crisis-ridden environment, the appearance of Abdullah ibn Yasin—a devout scholar, moral guide, and proud mujahid—was like a new prophetic awakening for the region. With deep understanding of the social, cultural, and religious conditions of the Berber society, especially among the Sanhaja tribes, he strove for the fundamental reform of the people. His call was not mere verbal preaching but was grounded in discipline, personal asceticism, religious sincerity, and readiness for sacrifice. Through his knowledge and piety, and with the support of virtuous men such as Yahya ibn Ibrahim, he laid the initial foundation of a religious-social movement that later came to be known as the Almoravid movement.
One of the greatest challenges facing this movement was the existence of the Barghawata sect—a group that had ruled a vast portion of the Maghreb coast for nearly two centuries and established an independent government based on heretical and fabricated beliefs. This sect, with its invented religion and counterfeit Quran, denial of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) prophethood, and insults to the Shari’ah, had become a serious threat to the Islamic identity of the region. Confronting such a sect required deep insight, strong leadership, and a willingness for great sacrifices. Abdullah ibn Yasin, relying on strong faith and the public support cultivated through his education, entered the battlefield against this deviant sect.
The battle between the Almoravids and the Barghawata was a confrontation between ignorance and enlightenment, falsehood and truth, deviation and Shari’ah. It was not merely a test of military strength, but rather a demonstration of the power of faith and religious insight against ideological corruption. In this struggle, Abdullah ibn Yasin (may Allah have mercy on him) appeared not only as a commander but as a living example of a scholarly, practicing warrior—a man who stepped from the solitude of scholarship and asceticism into the open battlefield, sacrificing his life in the path of Allah and in defense of the truth.
His martyrdom in the year 451 AH during one of these confrontations marked a peak in the history of this movement. Though his martyrdom left a significant vacuum in the religious and spiritual leadership of the Almoravids, it also left a profound psychological and spiritual impact on his followers. Through his martyrdom, he left a lasting message—that if the Islamic call is to take root, it must be nourished with the blood of martyrs; and if it is to become a civilization, it must be built on truthfulness, sincerity, and sacrifice.
After his martyrdom, the Almoravids continued his path—first under Abu Bakr ibn Umar, who adhered to Abdullah ibn Yasin’s principles and manners, and then under Yusuf ibn Tashfin, who followed the same path. They transformed the movement from a desert uprising into a powerful Islamic state in the Maghreb and Al-Andalus. This state was not based solely on military might, but on religious values, justice, asceticism, jihad, and social responsibility. The same spirit found in Abdullah ibn Yasin was reflected in the leadership of Yusuf ibn Tashfin. Thus, the Almoravid movement was able, within a century, to revive religion, save Islamic territories from collapse, and present a model of Islamic and Sunni governance.
The martyrdom of Abdullah ibn Yasin can be seen as the intersection of three key dimensions in Islamic nation-building: knowledge, preaching, and jihad. Through educating a new generation of scholarly warriors, he revived governments whose foundations were not sown by weapons but by spiritual cultivation. The lesson this movement teaches us is that societal reform requires insight, patience, unity, and readiness to bear the cost—and ultimately, victory belongs to those who couple faith with sacrifice.
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