Ramadhan is a blessed month of the Islamic calendar. It is the month in which the verses of the Quran were revealed. This month’s reward is multiplied many times, the month of expiration for sins, and a night is better than thousands of months. This month is a month of fasting and reciting the Holy Quran. Most of the earliest victories and conquests that changed the history of Muslims also happened during this month.
The exciting thing about Ramdan is that most of the battles led during this month brought victory over the whims of the mind and soul and against the enemy. However, it is pretty disappointing that the Muslims of our era spend this auspicious month in laziness and indolence. They spend days sitting idle while they devote their nights to eating, drinking and nonsense activities.
For this purpose, I want to mention some events of victorious Islamic history that took place in the month of Ramadan.
☞ Battle of Badr (2AH/624AD)
Among the critical battles, the Battle of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramadhan after two years of migration of Muhammad PBUH to Medina, i.e. 13 March 624AD. The number of Muslims in this battle was only 313 against one thousand soldiers.
☞ Conquest of Mecca (8AH/629AD)
It took place on 20 Ramadhan 8AH/ 11 December 629AD. This conquest was held with no war.
☞ Expedition of Tabuk (9AH/630AD)
Prophet Muhammad PBUH went out for an expedition against Rome, the most powerful government of the world at that time, in Rajab 9AH/October 630, and it extended to Ramadhan.
☞ Battle of Buwaib (13AH/634AD)
It was fought between Musannah bin Haris by Caliph Umar and Mihran bin Badhan by the side of the Sassanid Empire on 12 Ramadhan 13AH/9 November AD.
☞ Treaty of Baqt (31AH/651AD)
It was held between the Kingdom of Makuria and Islamic State under Caliph Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him.
☞ Conquest of Hispania (92AH/711AD)
It was a military campaign that began in 92AH/711AD against the Visigothic Kingdom of Spain in the Iberian Peninsula.
Tariq bin Ziyad, the commander of the military campaign, crossed the mountain with his soldiers while entering Spain on Rajab 92AH; the mountain is known as Gibraltar. Roderick’s and Tariq’s armies met on 28 Ramadhan 92AH/17 July 711AD at Laka Valley. Muslims defeated Roderick’s army. This conquest marked the beginning of Umayyad Caliphate rule into Europe, which spanned nearly 800 years.
☞ War of Amorium (223AH/838AD)
Mutasimbillah prepared an army against the Byzantine in response to the cry of a Muslim woman. He stormed his camp, besieging Amorium on 5 Ramadhan 223AH/ 1 August 838AD.
☞ Battle of Hattin (583AH/1187AD)
Salahuddin Ayyubi defeated the Crusaders on 26 Ramadhan and liberated Jerusalem after it had been under their control for 90 years.
☞ Battle of Mansurah (647AH/1250AD)
It was fought against Louis IX of France.
☞ Battle of Ain Jalut (658AH/1260AD)
It was fought on 25 Ramadhan 658AH/ 3 September 1260 AD against Mongolians (Tatars) who killed Muslims and destroyed their homes along the road from Mongolia to Palestine.
These were a momentary glance over Muslims’ victories achieved in the state of fasting. Muslims not only conquered these battles but many more wars in the month of Ramadan. This kind of historical facts tell us that there is no difference between fasting and struggling, the difficulty of fasting does not make a person weak, but it energises him with the power to conquer in the battleground of evils in daily life just as a person control his desire to eat and to drink during fasting. In Ramadan, the first battle is fought between a person and himself. If he is defeated, he will not achieve victory over others. If he overcomes himself, his victory over others will be more effortless, at that time, he gets a determination without limits, a will that breaks all barriers, strength to achieve the impossible, a courage to dispel all obsessions, a boldness that challenges all obstacles and ambition to reap victory.
The month of Ramadan is a month of fighting against desires and overcoming them because fasting means not only refraining from eating and drinking; instead, it means that all physical faculties should refrain from disobeying Allah.
Our brothers and sisters are becoming upset after seeing the opposite direction against Islam all over the world. They should strive to overcome it this Ramadhan by presenting true Islam likewise our forefathers did in the wars of falsehood, and they succeeded in them.
This brief conversation brings us a clear and unambiguous message that the month of Ramadan is an opportunity to fulfil genuine hopes and accomplish deeds, and it is not for rest, laziness and lethargy. We can take advantage of this opportunity to achieve our goals by worshipping more than usual.
