The conquers’ reward

In the previous four articles, I tried to engage the honorable reader on a trip to the cities of Andalusia, which I spent with my grandchildren. A short and crowded journey with places and historical narration. We all hear about Andalusia stories, narrations, heroisms, and heartbreak for what was lost to us as if it were our own, from the softness of our nails. The first was the result of the conspiracy of the ruler of Ceuta, Julian, against King Ladhrik, who raped his daughter, who was living in his court. He decided to take revenge on the king by helping the Muslims to invade Iberia and their exodus, as well as a result of fighting and conspiracy with the western Christian kings, as we talked about in our previous articles. In this article, I will talk about the last stop of my trip in the land of Andalusia, which is the city of Toledo, or Toledo. Such a stop requires a stop in Madrid, which means football. My grandchildren and I support Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid's tenacious rival. We had a visit to the beautiful Wanda Stadium, which opens on specific days for tours inside its sections. It is the official stadium of the Spanish club Atlético de Madrid, and it was built almost five years ago. I will not talk about its beauty, but I will talk about its cleanliness. All the seats are leather, not plastic. You can’t find any cuts or scratches in them; the paths shine where there is no residue. I am sorry for our stadiums and our fans. They are the majority of people who travel and study abroad, but unfortunately, some of them gain nothing of good ethics, which boils down to two factors: the culture and prestige of the law, both of which have been lost in this country. Back to Toledo, the capital of the Umayyad conquerors, which fell to Tariq ibn Ziyad, and as a result, a dispute arose between him and Musa ibn Nusayr. Most of what is known about that city is the religious coexistence between the three religions for several centuries, and that ended after the fall of Granada and the decision of the King of Castile to monotheism of religion, but rather of sect. There was no place for non-Catholics, and they took Christianization. After that, their monks saw that it was impossible to convert Muslims, so killing and displacement became the norm. As for the conquerors, Tariq bin Ziyad, Musa bin Nusayr and the Umayyad Khalifah, it is said that what Tariq looted from the treasures of the churches of Toledo was a table of gold and precious stones that was punished for decorating and adding to it by many Gothic kings. Because of its beauty and rarity, as is narrated, some Muslims thought that it was from the time of the Prophet Soliman. That table and the treasures of those churches, other than the maidservants and slaves, were led to the Khalifah al-Ma’mun with Tariq ibn Ziyad and his companion Musa ibn Nusayr at the request of the Khalifah. The reward for the conquerors was the assassination of his son, Abdulaziz bin Musa bin Nusair, one of the leaders of the conquerors of Andalusia. Then his head was carried to Khalifah Suleiman bin Abdul Malik, who presented it to his father, saying, "Do you know him?" As the narrations came, even if they differed, Musa said, "Yes, I know him as a good Muslim who always fasts and prays at night, so may God’s curse be upon him if the one who killed him was better than him." After that, both conquerors were overthrown, and some indicate that Tariq bin Ziyad lived in poverty, and it was said that he was seen in his last days begging in front of the mosque. The Khalifah was threatening both of them with retribution because they refused to comply with his order and wait in Palestine until the death of the Khalifah, who was dying. The narrations indicate that Soliman wanted to attribute the conquest and the spoils to himself, and the question that arises here is: what is the reason for the spread of Islam in the countries of Egypt, Africa, Persia, India, and Indonesia, and its survival in the face of its spread in Andalusia and its end? A second question: when did Khalifah Omar Ibn Al-Khattab enter Jerusalem and give safety to the Christians, their churches, their crosses, and their treasures, so, is what the conquerors did after the Rashidun Caliphate in line with the instructions and spirit of Islam? I will leave the answer to you.

The best thing to conclude this series with is what he wrote from the elegy of the Andalusian poet Ibn Khafajah:

Alas my home, enemies took you over

your beauty was erased by wear and tear

If any observer hesitated in your sides,

He shall take a leaf and learns

A land that has been torn apart

Yielded fates destroyed it

Destroyed by its young men

Neither you nor home is home.

Stay Safe.