A Few Days in Undulus / Spain By Mufti Taqi Usmani Sahib سحر میںِ ری بادموش اذانیں ہیں تی خا ہیں سجدوں کے نشاں خاک میںری پوشیدہ تیSilent Azans reverberate in your dawn breeze Hidden in your earth are the marks of prostrations 1: Detail of the script of the wall of the Mexuar Hall in Al Hamra Palace: اِ با إِ ال ا غا(Only Allah is victorious.)
This is English translation of Urdu travelogue "Undulus mein chand roz" by Mufti Taqi Usmani Sb. He describes the country which the Muslims had ruled, developed and enriched for 781 years (711-1492). The despotic Christians converted all the splendid and marvelous mosques of Spain to churches in the 15th century after usurping it from the Muslims. Even the architectural marvel of the Mosque of Cordova was defaced and a church constructed within it.
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Transcript
A Few Days in Undulus / Spain
By Mufti Taqi Usmani Sahib
پوشیدہ تیری خاک میں سجدوں کے نشاں ہیں خاموش اذانیں ہیں تیری باد سحر میں
Silent Azans reverberate in your dawn
breeze
Hidden in your earth are the marks of
prostrations
1: Detail of the script of the wall of the Mexuar Hall in Al Hamra Palace:
(.Only Allah is victorious) لا غاالبا إلا هللا
Contents A Few Days in Undulus ...................................................................................................... 3
In Laushah ..................................................................................................................... 10
At Al Hamra .................................................................................................................. 17
A Few Days in Undulus A conference was held recently at Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, organized jointly
by Islamic Fiqh Academy and Islamic Development Bank (Jeddah). The topic for
discussion was “the Shara'i Status of Contemporary Financial Transactions”. I too was
supposed to participate.
I started my journey by a PIA flight on the morning of 19 Rabi'ul Akhir 1410 AH (=18
Nov 1989). As there is no direct flight available for Rabat, I had to travel via Paris. The
plane landed at Cairo too, and finally after spending 11 hours inside plane, we landed at
Orli airport of Paris at 3 in the afternoon. After waiting for around four hours at the
airport, I got my next flight at 7:30 pm. The Air France plane took us to Rabat where we
landed at 9 pm Moroccan local time after three hours of flight.
We were provided accommodations at the same Regency Hotel in one of whose halls the
conference was to be held. I remained busy for five days in the meetings of the
conference and the sub-meetings of its Presidential Board. Though we found occasions to
go outside and visit different locations of Rabat city, the continual meetings inside and
incessant rains outside ensured that we spent most of our time inside the hotel.
Morocco is the nearest Muslim country to Spain. I had been eager to visit this part of the
earth since childhood due to the splendid 800-year1 history of Muslims there. I had
thought it would be great if I could make use of Spain’s proximity to Morocco and fulfill
my desire to visit it. However, due to the busy schedule, it was not possible to spend
much time on this. Additionally I needed a companion for this journey. Allah provided us
with the means as the conference ended two days before schedule and I could not find a
suitable flight for Karachi in these two days. On the other hand, my honorable friend
Sa'id Ahmad Sahib, not only agreed to accompany my humble self on this journey but
also took the responsibility for making all the arrangements for the journey. And he
carried them out so well that I didn’t need to do anything.
Our first plan was to go to Tanjah from Rabat by train, use a steamer to cross the
Mediterranean Sea which would have taken us from Tanjah to Al Jaziratul Khazra port.
But we had limited time and this route would have taken up an entire day, so we opted
for traveling to Maliqah coast by flight. The conference ended in the evening of 23
Rabi'ul Akhir 1410 (=22 Nov 1989) and we left for Ad Darul Baiza (Casablanca) by car
1 It is 781 years from 711 to 1492. In 711, Muslims conquered Undulus. In 1492, the last remaining Muslim
state of Granada fell to the invading Christians.
the next morning at 7. This journey takes two hours by road. On the right, the Atlantic
coast accompanies the traveler while on the left, greenery covers the earth up to the
skyline. On and off, small hamlets kept appearing. At around 9 in the morning, we
reached Muhammad V Airport of Casablanca.
At 9:30 am, the Spanish Iberian Airlines flight took off for Maliqah. After leaving
Casablanca, it took 50 minutes to cross the sea, and in no time, we could see the Spanish
coast and the buildings spread over Maliqah. It was 1:30 pm local time when the flight
landed on the sprawling Maliqah airport.
As for the detailed account of Maliqah, I will give that at the end, Allah willing. For now,
it is sufficient to know that even in the times of Muslims, it was an important port-city,
and momentous events of Undulus’ history are associated with it. When we were done
with the immigration checks and all, after stepping out of the flight, it was nearly 2:30 in
the afternoon. The journey to Garnatah from here was around 2.5 to 3 hours, so we
performed Zuhr Salah at Garnatah airport itself. This was the land whose every inch had
reverberated with the sounds of Takbir for 800 years, where perhaps no piece of land
could be found without the imprints of Muslim prostrations. But today there was no one
to tell us even the correct direction of Qiblah. We found out the Qiblah direction through
compass and in a corner of the airport, both of us performed Zuhr Salah in congregation.
In the land where every newborn child would first learn the declaration of Allah's
Oneness and Muhammad's ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص prophethood, and would first observe the performance
of Salah, today the acts of our Salah were so unfamiliar and amazing for the local
inhabitants that the passersby kept gazing and wondering at us. I had occasions to
perform Salah at numerous places – at times, even public places – in America and
Europe, yet nowhere else did I come across such an ignorance of the locals with the acts
of Salah.
Anyway, with feelings of longing and wistfulness, we completed our first Salah in the
land of Undulus. Like other western nations, here too cars are available on rent for self-
driving. We hired a Fiat car for two days. Personally I had misgivings regarding this for
the roads here were unknown to us and we didn't know the local language as well. So,
driving on our own could get us into difficulties on our way. However, my friend and
travel-companion took the challenge and undertook the responsibility of driving the car
himself. We also found a map for traveling to Garnatah here, and with the help of this
map, Sa'id Sahib started off for Garnatah.
We had to make some effort to reach the highway leading to Garnatah, but soon enough
on the city roads of Maliqah itself, road signs indicating the way to Garnatah started
appearing. These signs had been erected at short distances at the right places with such
continuality that we did not need to ask anyone afterwards. Following those signs, we
came out of the dense habitations of Maliqah to a neat and clean highway leading to
Garnatah. Gradually, the clusters of city buildings came to an end giving space to a series
of green-covered hills on both sides of the road. Up to our range of vision, enchanting
olive trees spread upon the hills and in the intervening valleys. Observation was
confirming in totality the descriptions that I had read about the natural beauty of Undulus
in books of history and literature.
This was the same land of Undulus which had played host to the 800-year-long history of
the rise and fall of Muslims and whose stories had remained the center of my interest and
the captivator of my heart since childhood. The eyes of imagination had made countless
sketches of the land. The charming valleys of my imaginary world were now before my
eyes where, it seemed, a movie of the events of the past 800 years was running. The
people who had proclaimed the hymns of Takbir in the shade of swords had been
stupefied with peacocks and tambor-strings, visual beauty and melodies, and had fallen
into a deep slumber after impressing the world with their grandeur and glory for 800
years. Consequently, none of their emblems today stood untampered.
Undulus, also known as Hispania2 and Spain, lies in the South-West of Europe. It borders
France in its North and Portugal in its West. In its South and West, flows the
Mediterranean Sea, also called the Roman Sea.
Towards the Southern coast of Undulus, the Mediterranean Sea tapers off to a narrow
water-strait through which it falls into the Atlantic Ocean. Nowadays, this strait is famous
as Strait of Jabalut Tariq or Gibraltar. On the other end of this strait, the African continent
begins whose west-most country is Morocco.
In my travelogue of Algeria, I have written about the conquests of Morocco by 'Uqbah
bin Nafi'. By the end of the first century AH, Muslims had gone conquering through the
northern strip of Africa up to the Atlantic Ocean. A special feature of the Muslim power
of the early centuries was that they were not driven by the imperialistic urge nor did they
aim at the expansion of territorial area under their control. Instead, they had risen up with
the mission of liberating Allah’s servants from the slavery of humans to the servitude of
Allah. As a result, wherever the flags of their victories were hoisted, the rule of justice,
equity, peace and amity was established. Naturally, the conquered people loved them
instead of hating them. And the masses suffering from oppression and tyranny in the
regions of land deprived of their rule would long for the Muslims to conquer their land
and establish their reign.
2 It is said that the first peoples who inhabited this region after Nuh’s علیه السالمdeluge were called
Undulush. The Arabs transformed the sh (ش) to s (س), making it Undulus. Later on, a Roman king, called
Ashban ruled this country. He also built the city of Ashbiliyah. The city of Ashbiliyah came to be known as
Ashbaniyah. Gradually, the name began to be applied for the entire country. The corrupted form of
Ashbaniyah is Hispaniyah or Spain. (Nafhut Tib by Muqri, p. 130)
In those days, a Christian king ruled Spain who is called Roderic in English books of
history and Luzariq in Arabic books. At the same time, a Berber chief Count Julian ruled
over Sabtah on the Moroccan coast. Though Julian was a Christian, Roderic had made
him his vassal making him pay regular tributes. Roderic was a tyrant. One of his
disgusting practices was that he used to keep adolescent boys and girls of his subjects
under his care under the pretext of royal education and training. He would then use them
to fulfill his lust. An adolescent daughter of Julian too remained under Roderic’s care
who later made her the instrument of his lust. The girl was able to communicate to her
father Julian about her abuse and molestation. This created an irrepressible rage of hatred
against Roderic and his state in Julian’s heart.
This was the time when Muslims under the command of Musa bin Nusair had conquered
most of North Africa. Julian headed to Musa bin Nusair with a delegation and solicited
him to attack Spain and rescue the people from Roderic’s tyranny and oppression. At this
request from Julian, Musa bin Nusair sought permission from Khalifah Walid bin 'Abdul
Malik to attack Undulus. The Khalifah gave permission emphasizing the need for
precaution. After this, Musa bin Nusair started by sending minor expeditions from Tanjah
to Undulus to gain a wise estimate of the ground situation. When these expeditions
succeeded, Musa bin Nusair sent a large army under the command of Tariq bin Ziyad to
attack Spain.
Tariq bin Ziyad’s army comprised 7000 Muslims. Four large ships were used to transport
them from Tanjah to Undulus. The ships kept transporting the soldiers for several days
till the entire army landed upon the coast of Spain which till today is well-known as
Jabalut Tariq.
According to reports, when Tariq bin Ziyad boarded the ship to Undulus, he fell asleep a
short while later. In his dream, he saw the noble Prophet and chief of both the worlds,
Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص. Tariq saw him, the rightly-guided Khalifahs and some other
companions, armed with swords and bows, walking on the sea and going towards
Undulus. When the Prophetملسو هيلع هللا ىلص passed by Tariq bin Ziyad, he urged: “Tariq! Keep
marching.” Then, Tariq saw that the Prophetملسو هيلع هللا ىلص and his holy companions overtook him
and entered Undulus before him.
On getting up, Tariq was quite delighted. He had received the tidings of victory over
Undulus. He announced this good news to his companions which raised the morale of the
Mujahids by leaps and bounds3.
3 Nafhut Tib, vol. 1 p. 239
According to legends, when the entire army had gathered on the Undulus coast, Tariq put
his ships to fire, to ensure that no path other than victory or death was left for the army.
Iqbal has put this legend to verse in these couplets of his:
سوختطارق چو بر کنارہ اندلس سفینہ گفتند کار تو بہ نگاہ خرد خطاست
When Tariq put the ships to fire on the
Undulus coast
People said, “In the eyes of intellect, you
have made a mistake.”
دوریم از سواد وطن باز چوں رسیم؟ ترک سبب زروئے شریعت کجا رواست؟
We are far away from our fatherland,
how will we be able to return?
Even the Shari'ah doesn’t allow doing
away with material means.
خندید ودست خویش بہ شمشیر برد وگفت ہر ملک ملک ماست کہ ملک خدائے ماست
He smiled, took his sword in his hand,
and said,
“Every country is our country, since
Allah’s country is our country.
Tariq had landed with his army on the coast of Jabalul Fath aka Jabalut Tariq. He was
able to conquer the coastal strip up to Al Jaziratul Khazra without any notable resistance.
But after that, Roderic sent his famous commander Theodomir with a huge army to
confront Tariq. Several battles took place between him and the Muslim army one after
the other, and in every battle he had to suffer defeat. As a result of continual losses, he
lost his courage, and wrote to his king Roderic,
“Only God knows whether the people I am fighting have come down from the heavens or
gushed up from the earth. The only way to confront them is for you to face them with an
unprecedentedly huge army.”
On getting this message from his commander-in-chief, Roderic formed a massive army of
70,000 soldiers and marched towards Tariq.
On this side, Musa bin Nusair dispatched a reinforcement of 5000 Mujahids to support
Tariq bin Ziyad. Now Tariq bin Ziyad’s army had grown to the strength of 12,000.
Julian’s army, probably, was in addition to this.
When the two armies faced each other at Lakkah Valley, Tariq delivered the historic
speech which till today has been reported by an amazingly large number of reporters.
Each and every word of the speech indicates Tariq’s courage, determination and valor.
Some of the sentences of this speech are:
“People! Where is the place for you to flee? Behind you lies the sea and in front of you
the enemy. So, by Allah, the only option left for you is to stand true to your vow with
your Lord and be steadfast. Remember, you are more helpless in this peninsula than the
orphans sitting on the dining spread of a miser. The enemy has arrived with its entire
army and store of weapons to confront you. They also have food in ample quantity. As
for you, there is no shelter except your swords. You have no provision except what you
win from your enemy. If a long time passes without you gaining a remarkable victory,
you will lose courage. Your awe that envelopes the hearts of your enemies will be
replaced by impertinence and effrontery. To avoid this gloomy end, there is only one
way. And that is to stand up to this despotic ruler with steely steadfastness, whom his
secure city has presented before you. If you prepare yourself for death, it is possible to
make use of this rare opportunity.
“Never have I frightened you with a task from which I have kept a safe distance. Nor
have I ever urged you to a mission – where the cheapest capital is human life – without
beginning it myself. Know well that if you are able to endure today’s hardship, you will
get to relish the delight and comfort for a long period.
“Allah’s help and support is with you. This deed of yours will serve as a memento to you
in this world as well as in the hereafter. Remember that I am the first one to present
myself for the mission I am urging you towards. When the two armies clash, it is my
resolve to attack the most wicked individual of the enemy community, Roderic. And
Allah willing, I will kill him by my own hands.
“March forward and attack with me. If I die after Roderick is killed, I will have relieved
you of Roderick’s responsibility. And there is no dearth of valiant and intelligent people
among you to whom you can assign your command. If I meet my Lord before reaching
Roderic, it is your duty to take my place in fulfilling this vow of mine. Continue with the
charge, all of you, together. Instead of worrying about the entire peninsula, just take up
the responsibility of doing away with this individual. That will be sufficient for you, as
the enemy will lose courage after that.4”
4 The original Arabic words are:
ألیتام، ن اأیها الناس، أین المفر؟ البحر من ورائكم، والعدو أمامكم، ولیس لكم وهللا إل الصدق والصبر، واعلموا أنكم في هذہ الجزیرة أضیع م
كم بجیشه وأسلحته، وأقواته موفورة، وأنتم ل وزر لكم إل سیوفكم، ول أقوات إل ما تستخلصونه من أیدي في مأدبة اللئام، وقد استقبلكم عدو
ا عن وعدوكم، وإن امتدت بكم األیام على افتقاركم ولم تنجزوا لكم أمرا ذهبت ریحكم، وتعوضت القلوب من رعبها منكم الجراءةا علیكم، فادفع
من أمركم بمناجزة هذا الطاغیة، فقد ألقت به إلیكم مدینته الحصینة، وإن انتهاز الفرصة فیه لممكن إن سمحتم أنفسكم خذلن هذہ العاقبة
نكم إن ا أألنفسكم بالموت، وإني لم أحذركم أمرا أنا عنه بنجوة، ول حملتكم على خطة أرخص متاع فیها النفوس إل وأنا أبدأ بنفسي، واعلمو
لیال، استمعتم باألرفه األلذ طویال، فال ترغبوا بأنفسكم عن نفسي، فما حظكم فیه بأوفى من حظي، وقد بلغكم ما أنشأت صبرتم على األشق ق
هذہ الجزیرة من الحور الحسان، من بنات الیونان، الرافالت في الدر والمرجان، والحلل المنسوجة بالعقیان، المقصورات في قصور الملوك
نتخبكم الولید بن عبد الملك أمیر المؤمنین من األبطال عربانا، ورضیكم لملوك هذہ الجزیرة صهارا وأختانا، ثقة منه ذوي التیجان، وقد ا
یكون لبارتیاحكم للطعان، واستماحكم بمجالدة األبطال والفرسان، لیكون حظه منكم ثواب هللا على إعالء كلمته، وإظهار دینه بهذہ الجزیرة، و
لكم من دونه ومن دون المؤمنین سواكم، وهللا تعالى ولي إنجادكم على ما یكون لكم ذكرا في الدارین، واعلموا أني أول مجیب مغنمها خالصة
بعدہ تإلى ما دعوتكم إلیه، وأني عند ملتقى الجمعاین حامل بنفسي على طاغیة القوم لذریق فقاتله إن شاء هللا تعالى، فاحملوا معي، فإن هلك
فیتكم أمرہ، ولم یعوزكم بطل عاقل تسندون أموركم إلیه، وإن هلكت قبل وصولي إلیه فاخلفوني في عزیمتي هذہ، احملوا بأنفسكم علیه، فقد ك
واكتفوا الهم من فتح هذہ الجزیرة بقتله، فإنهم بعدہ یخذلون.
Nafhut Tib by Muqri, vol. 1, pp. 225-226; Al Maktabatush Shamilah: 1/240-241
Tariq’s companions were already enthused with the spirit of Jihad and yearning for
martyrdom. This speech of Tariq blew a new spirit in them. They fought in the battle of
Lakkah Valley completely disregarding their own bodies and lives. The battle continued
for eight days without a break leading to large heaps of dead bodies. In the end, victory
and triumph was achieved by the Muslims. Roderic’s army fled in complete disarray.
Roderic himself died in this historic battle. Some reports say that he was killed by Tariq
bin Ziyad himself. According to others, his rider-less horse was found near the river
which suggested that he died by drowning himself in it.
This victory of the Lakkah Valley which the Muslims achieved after the grueling battle
extending over a week proved to be the preface for Muslims’ entry into Europe. This had
opened the doors of Europe for the Muslims. After this, the Muslims kept marching
ahead winning all the cities of Undulus. They also succeeded in conquering Tulaitulah
(Toledo), the then capital of Undulus. They continued their advance till they reached the
foot of Pyrenees Mountains (at the French border in the north).
After conquering Undulus, the Muslims ruled here for 800 years during which they lit
exemplary lamps of knowledge, scholarship, culture and civilization, making this region
the most developed of all countries at the time.
With the collation of these historic events arrayed in our imaginations, we continued on
our way to Garnatah. There was light cloud in the sky and the road wound itself through
small green hills. On the surface of hills and in the intervening valleys, beautiful trees of
olive were spread up to the skyline in near-perfect geometric arrangements. The eyes of
imagination could see the courageous caravans of the Mujahids of Islam ascending and
descending the terrain. This day, our car seemed to swim through the squeaky-clean road
which when obstructed by a mountain carved its way by slicing a tunnel through it. But
1300 years ago, the caravans of desert-dwellers had walked through these challenging
terrains supported only by their fortitude and conviction and had finally reached the foot
of Pyrenees mountains. Iqbal had said the following verses in the tongue of Tariq bin
Ziyad as tribute to these Allah-loving Mujahids only:
تو نے بخشا ہے ذوق خدائیجنہیں یہ غازی یہ تیرے پر اسرار بندے
These Mujahids, these mysterious servants of
yours
Whom you have bestowed with
godliness
دو نیم ان کی ٹهوکر سے صحرا ودریا سمٹ کر پہاڑ ان کی ہیبت سے رائی
Deserts and rivers get split apart into two by
their kicks
Mountains collapse into dust by
their awe.
At short distances, small hamlets and some mid-sized towns kept passing by. Their
names suggested that they were the corrupted forms of Arabic words. For example, there
was a comparatively larger town on the way, named Casabermeja. Casa is, in fact, the
altered form of the Arabic word qasr. It was clear that the city must have born the name
Qasr e Barmajah. As the entire region is mountainous, there would be at least one hill in
every village and town. At the peak of the mountain, a prominent church would be
visible, whose minaret would be similar to the minarets of Undulus mosques. As an edict
was issued a short while after Undulus’ fall to convert all the mosques in the country to
churches, in all likelihood, these churches constructed over hilltops and having minarets
of same style everywhere must have been mosques in the past, and the voice of five-times
Azan must have echoed from them. Now, the same minarets appeared to be lamenting in
their metaphorical tongues:
زمزموں سے جس کے لذت گیر اب تک گوش ہے کیا وہ تکبیر اب ہمیشہ کے لیے خاموش ہے
Have the Takbirs whose melodies are still
enchanting the ear
gone silent forever?
In Laushah As we wanted to reach Garnatah before sunset, Sa'id Sahib was driving the car at electric
pace. At the same time, I was narrating various incidents of Undulus’ history which he
was listening to with keen interest, and with feelings of longing and wistfulness. After
nearly two hours of travel, the markings of a large city started appearing. I guessed it to
be the suburbs of Garnatah. But no, we found out the city-name on a road sign after some
time: Lojah. I was struck with wonder. I presumed it to be the altered form of the famous
Undulus city of Laushah. And so it was, as we came to know later on through enquiry. It
was the same Laushah about which I had read in books countless number of times. The
renowned historian, minister and literary figure of Undulus, Lisanuddin Ibnul Khatib (d.
776AH) belonged to this city. He is the same Lisanuddin Ibnul Khatib whose book Al
Ihatah fi Akhbari Garnatah5 is considered the most authoritative history of Garnatah. To
commemorate him, Muqri compiled his famous book Nafhut Tib comprising 10 volumes
which turned out to be the best book on political, academic, literary and cultural history
of the whole of Undulus.
It was the same Laushah which had the status of the most developed and well-known city
of Garnatah in the Muslim era. Great luminaries of science and literature were born here.
In the last days, countless epics of valor and sacrifice were executed during battles with
Christians. When the Catholic king Ferdinand of Qashtalah attacked this city in 887 AH
5 Al Ihatah fi Akhbari Garnatah =Comprehensive compilation of reports of Granada
(=1482 CE), 3000 volunteers under the leadership of Shaikh 'Ali Al 'Attar formed an
Alexandrian wall of resolution and fortitude. These martyrdom-seekers forced
Ferdinand’s multitudinous army to retreat and protected the city with their blood and
sweat. Four years later, Ferdinand invaded the city once again, but this time much more
than the weapons of arrows and swords, he wielded the weapons of deceit, treachery, and
conspiracies of internal traitors. Consequently, this city was snatched away from the
Mulsims even before Garnatah, in such a tragic manner that today, it is necessary to turn
over the pages of books to recognize its name.
Garnatah lies at nearly 25 miles east of Laushah. So, after departing from Laushah, we
reached the outskirts of Garnatah city in less than half an hour. Having entered the city
we knew neither of any road, nor the address of any hotel. We parked our car at a
crossroad to enquire about the address of a hotel from a nearby shop, but we failed
because we could not speak the local language. Here, English-speakers are seen very
rarely. It’s the same throughout almost the entire Europe. Whichever country you visit
other than Britain, the locals will not only be unfamiliar with English language, but will
in fact actively dislike it. Every country speaks its own language and is proud of it. Only
in our Asian and African countries we find this slavish mindset that English language is
taken as the pinnacle of knowledge and accomplishment. People feel smug about their
capability to speak and write English to the extent that they have even deformed the fair
shape of their own languages. They have pushed their own languages to oblivion by
forcibly inserting English words without any reasonable need.
Anyhow, we could not find any English speaker at nearby shops. Sa'id Sahib had seen a
tourist center at some distance and he felt there must be someone there to understand
English. He got off the car to get the information. As the car was parked at an insecure
location, I remained seated in it. When I cast my looks around myself, I found the name
of the road where we were parked to be “Alpujarra Road”. Certainly, this was a corrupted
form of Al Fijarah which had been an old locality in Garnatah. All the current names in
Undulus starting with “Al” have Arabic origins and some reflection easily guides to their
Arabic roots.
After some time, Sa'id Sahib returned with the information. The largest hotel in Garnatah
was Hotel Luz not far away from where we were. After a little search, we could see the
hotel. There was a reasonable space for parking too in the hotel cellar. So, we parked the
car there and entered the hotel. We were to stay at the 11th floor. When we peered out of
the balcony of our hotel, we found a large section of Garnatah city before our eyes. Some
medieval-style buildings were distinguishable. Behind them, the snow-capped peaks of
Sierra Nevada presented a captivating sight. Garnatah lies at the foot of Sierra Nevada.
How many an exemplary manifestations of world revolutions these snow-capped hills
had witnessed in the valley below it! Countless cavalcades of conquerors and numerous
funeral processions of vanquished had passed by them. A fair number of civilizations
entered here playing the music of festivity, but in the end were buried in an atmosphere
heavy with mourning and lamentations. The peaks of Sierra Nevada have been
witnessing this spectacle for centuries and had they possessed some tongue, they would
have commented:
بازیچہ اطفال ہے دنیا میرے آگے ہوتا ہے شب و روز تماشا میرے آگے
The world is like a child’s toy
before me,
A cinema gets played out before me every day
and night.
Garnatah is derived from the Latin word grānātum meaning seeded and the Spanish word
granada meaning pomegranate. The city was named Garnatah on account of some
unknown association. When the Muslims conquered Undulus, there was no city by this
name initially, and the region where the present-day Garnatah is located was called Al
Birah. When the city of Garnatah was built around 4th century AH, Al Birah city was
merged into it, and the whole became famous as Garnatah. From then on, this city has
been the most exquisite and well-developed center of civilization in Undulus. Owing to
its enchanting landscape, fine climate, admirable natural and human resources, in fact in
all aspects, this city used to be considered Paradise-like. In its south-east, lay the snow-
capped peaks which are a part of Sierra Nevada mountain range. On one of its ends
passed the Shinil river, which is nowadays called GeNil river. It is the same river
describing which Lisanuddin Ibnul Khatib had said the famous literary quote:
وما لمصر تفخر بنیلها وألف منه في شنیلها
How can Egypt pride itself on its Nile When Garnatah possesses a thousand Niles?
The notable point in this couplet is that the numerical equivalent of the letter ش (sh) was
1000 according to the Maghribites. As Shinil is formed by adding the letter ش (sh) to Nil,
Lisanuddin made up the premise that Shinil excels the Nil (Nile) by a thousand times.
In addition to its mountain and river, Granada was a city of lush pastures, evergreen
meadows and lovely waterfalls. Praising it, Lisanuddin had said:
ذارہجمیل والریاض ع وجه به الریاض كأنه ف تح بلد
Orchards surround the city as if It is a charming face whose cheeks are the
gardens,
ة م غادا عصا ه م وكأنما وادی وم ن الجسور المحكمات سوار ہ6
Its river looks like the wrist of a
delicate girl
whose bangles are formed by the tenacious
bridges
The region was quite rich in natural resources too with mines of gold, silver, lead and
iron. It produced blue vitriol and silk and its forests boasted of varieties of fragrant
woods. In short, Allah had made this region affluent with all kinds of resources, and so it
continued to be the capital of Muslims for ages. When the Muslim flags got lowered in
other regions of Undulus, Muslims all over Undulus made it their last refuge. This
increased its population manifold, making it the largest and the most developed city of
Undulus. Knowledge and scholarship were so prevalent here that its universities were
renowned all over the world for their high academic standards and students from royal
families of Christian Europe considered learning here a mark of pride.
The Muslims reigned over this region for over 800 years. They lit lamps of refined
culture and noble civilization which were matchless in the then world. However, when
the abundance of resources led them to the path of luxury and opulence, and the control
of religion over them and the concern for Hereafter in their life started slackening, this
advancement of culture and civilization could not save them from falling into the abyss of
decline. This was the Garnatah where in the past the sights of non-Muslim envoys would
get dazzled. It was the same Garnatah where Abu 'Abdullah surrendered the keys of the
city to Ferdinand and Isabella to get his life pardoned7 and he considered it a great
achievement for himself. It was also the lot of Garnatah to witness the burning of
knowledge and scholarship in the form of Arabic books – the repositories of knowledge
and scholarship – for weeks at a stretch. Its mosques were transformed into churches, its
Muslims converted to Christianity by sword[1], its women robbed of their chastity and
honor, and life in this land was made so unbearable for the Muslims that after some time,
no sign of a Shahadah--proclaimer was left here. Perhaps no other place in the world
witnessed such an agonizing history of Mulsims’ rise and fall. Sa'id Sahib and I stood
watching Sierra Nevada and the sprawling city in its foothills, while the shadows of these
historical events lingered before our eyes of imagination till the sun set down.
We couldn’t have proper meal at noon, so we were feeling somewhat hungry. We
thought of going down and looking for some halal, lawful food which would also give us
an opportunity of excursion into the city. The dining hall of our hotel had not opened yet,
so we planned to find something in a nearby restaurant. We came out of the hotel and
found that we were in one of the busy, crowded and fashionable city-centers. We visited
6 Al Ihatah fi Akhbari Garnatah by Lisanuddin Ibnul Khatib (d. 776 AH): 1/25 (Al Maktabatush Shamilah) 7 On January 2, 1492 Muhammad XII of Granada (King Boabdil) surrendered the Emirate of Granada, the
city of Granada, and the Alhambra palace. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada_War)
Upon entering, the entire left hand side wall was filled with numerous church-rooms
constructed by Christians and containing myriads of outrageous idols. In the exact center
of the Masjid, a large church has be constructing desecrating the mosque and vandalizing
its beautiful architecture. Polytheistic pictures have been engraved upon the dome-shaped
roofs of the beautiful Masjid galleries. Large podiums have been constructed for church-
service. Chairs have been arranged to a great distance in front of these podiums.
The manner and style of changes made to the Masjid by Christians clearly outline the fact
that the purpose was not to fulfill any real need of the church. The only intention was to
mutilate the Islamic spirit of the Masjid. The only purpose before them was to ensure that
no portion of this magnificent Masjid escaped Christian violations. If the architectural
changes harmed the main construction, they had little concern for it. So, they have freely
violated the Masjid displaying their chauvinistic crassness and bigotry, not letting any
part of the Masjid escape defacement at their hands.
The only portion that had escaped sacrilege was the Imam’s arch and a space of two-three
rows of Salah- performers. A rope had been tied across the pillars to separate this area
from the rest. It was perhaps meant to serve as a memorial to the Masjid. There was a
thick layer of dust over this splendidly beautiful and elaborately carved arch. Its charming
visage had wilted under the tyrannies of the Christian Age. Nearby was the pulpit from
where – long, long ago – orators like Qazi Munzir ibn Sa'id’s fiery speeches used to
invigorate the atmosphere and liven up the dead hearts. This is the part of Masjid where
for sure, geniuses like 'Allamah Qurtubi, 'Allamah Ibn Rushd and Hafiz Ibn 'Abdul Barr
had performed Salahs. Despite the thousands of Christian iniquities, one cannot fail to
perceive the fragrance of the Allah-remembering, Zikr-performing voices of these holy
souls. But alas!
ر و رحما ب ب
من
رتےتس ںیہ
پ اجیت یھت ا یس وک ا ج
ن ںیم سج ےس اک
ر
و ہ دجسہ ر و ج
The pulpits and archs starve for The prostrations that used to rock the earth’s soul
It was now time for 'Asr and we had planned to perform 'Asr Salah in Masjid Qurtubah
right at the time of setting out from the hotel. We wondered who had given us this
baseless report that Masjid Qurtubah had now been opened for Salah-performers. This
report was false and even now organizing Salah was not permitted here. That one or two
tourist could come here and perform a Salah was quite beside the point. Anyway, my
friend and co-traveler Sa'id Sahib said the Azan, but there was no one to respond to the
heart-touching call of 21 ة الا لاى الصا .حيا عا
And so we two performed the 'Asr Salah standing near the arch. While prostrating over
the floor of this Masjid, it seemed as if the distance of eight centuries had shrunk all of a
sudden. We had come out of the dark tunnel of times into the open air illuminated with
beams of Tauhid22 in all directions. The air was echoing with the praise and glory of
Allah, the One, the Partnerless. The significance of 23ل ى اع بيا األ انا را became more سب حا
perceptible here. The glory of my Lord is far high above the lights and shadows of rise
and fall. He was the High and Sublime when this Masjid had become small for the
growing numbers of prostrating foreheads. And He stays the High and Supreme when no
single foot stirred towards the arch at the call of ة الا لاى الصا Whether the adherents to .حيا عا
His Tauhid be in hundreds of millions or be as few as to be counted on fingers, whether
the people with His Din rooted into their hearts be powerful enough to awe the world
with their grandeur and majesty, or they be vanquished and trounced by their own
misdeeds, nothing makes the slightest difference to His overarching glory as the One and
Only, as the Independent on Whom all others are dependent.
ها إلا هللا لا إل اہبر وہ ہک زخا ں ہی ہمغن لصف لگ و الہل اک ںیہن پ ا دنب
This melody is not fettered by the seasons
of rose and tulip
There stays no god but Allah, be it
spring or autumn.
Other than this arch there was no place in this vast Masjid sprawling in every direction
which could give peace to heart and sight. All the remaining parts of the mosque moaned
due to the wounds inflicted by the Christians, injuring our hearts and livers too. For a
while we stayed near the arch, then stared with longing, wistful eyes at the magnificent
pillars whose shadows in some distant past had been the venue for sacred assemblies of
Zikr and contemplation, which had the hosted the classes of knowledge and learning. It
used to be the place where humanity was taught civility and chivalry, where the lamps of
science and arts lighted up, where humans were honored with the crown of dignity and
piety. The pillars must be remembering those sacred assemblies. Their forlorn existence
embodies a petition to the Muslims of the world. It’s a painful cry for help which can be
witnessed here with eyes but can’t be heard.
ة 21 الا Come for Salah = حيا عالاى الصا22 Tauhid = Monotheism ل ى 23 اع بيا األ انا را Glory be to my Lord, the High = سب حا
Allah! Don’t let a future visit of ours to a Masjid
be in such helplessness! At that time there were only two Muslims in the legendarily vast Masjid: the two of us,
and both were silent. After a short while, Sa'id Sahib who had been enduring this chilling
scene for quite some time, broke the silence. “Taqi Sahib! Let’s move away from here,
fast. It feels so suffocating here.”
Obviously, this suffocation had not come from the place being cramped – which was
anything but that – or the gloom spread over there. It was a strangulation against which
neither I nor he had any power. Slowly we stepped towards the exit door on the other side
of the Masjid. As if this was not enough, another blow lay in wait to hit our hearts. Just
inside this gate, a musician had been busy for long setting up and arranging his guitar and
harmonium. The moment we passed by him, he started blaring his music. A spontaneous
prayer came to the lips: Allah! Don’t let any future visit of ours to a Masjid be in such
helplessness!
I have lost count of the historical monuments I have visited in my life. I have had the
occasion to visit numerous lesson-imparting relics, but the pining and helpless longing
that Jami' Qurtubah left in the heart and mind remains unprecedented. I now realized how
overcome with emotions Iqbal – May he receive mercy – would have been when he said
his legendary poem in and on Masjid Qurtubah.
(The Urdu poem has been taken from http://iqbalurdu.blogspot.in/2011/04/bal-e-jibril-
124-masjid-e-qurtaba.html)
The succession of day and night, is the
architect of events.
ا ب
ب شقن رگ احد پ
و ش
ۂلسلس ر و ر
The succession of day and night, is the root
of life and death.
ما بم و
ب ا لص ایحب
و ش
ۂلسلس ر و ر
The succession of day and night, is a two‐
tone silken thread,
ا ر
ب پ
و ش
گۂلسلس ر و ر
رحری د و ر پ
With which the Divine Being, prepares Its
robe of Attributes.
ن ا ےئ افصب ا ینپ ق
ا ب
سج ےس انبیت ےہ د
The succession of day and night, is the
lament of the melody of the Beginning.
ل یک اغفں
ا ر
، سا ر ب
و ش
ۂلسلس ر و ر
Through it, the Being demonstrates the ups
and downs of possibilities.
ری و مب اکانئب
، ر
ا ب
سج ےس د اھکیت ےہ د
Now it tests you, now it sets a value on me. ا ےہ ہی
ھنک
ا ےہ ہی، ھجم وک رپ
ھنک
ھجت وک رپ
The succession of day and night is the
touchstone of the universe;
ۂلسلس
ر یف اکانئبصبب
و ش
ر و ر
But what if you are found wanting, What if
I am found undeserving.
و وہ ا رگ مک ایعر ، ںیم وہں ا رگ مک ایعر
ت
Death is your ultimate destiny, Death is my
final end.
ر ا بن ےہ ریمی
، ومب
ر ا بن ےہ ریتی
ومب
What else is the reality of your days and
nights,
یک ا و ر تقیقح یہ ایک
ب و ر و ر
ریتے ش
Just a wave in the river of time, without
day, without night.
!
ےہ ہن ر ا ب
و ، سج ںیم ہن د ں امےن یک ر
ا پ ک ر
Frail and temporary, all miracles of craft, ر ا ین و افین امتم، زجعمہ اہےئ
بہ
Transient, all worldly achievements;
Temporary, all worldly accomplishments.
!
، اکر اہجں ےب ابثب
اکر اہجں ےب ابثب
Al Wadi-l Kabir and its bridge As we came out of the Masjid, we found the ground wet with drizzle from the clouds. We
moved on in the direction of the Qiblah wall of Jami' Qurtubah and a short walk later, we
found an ancient gate of the city-rampart. This was Babul Qantarah which was used to
enter the city from the south in the Muslim Age. The gate of the Muslim Age is no more.
This gate was built by a Christian architect. In front of this gate is an east-west road, upon
crossing which we found ourselves on the bank of the famous river of Qurtubah, Al
Wadi-l Kabir. Even while entering the city in the morning, we had crossed the river in
our car through a modern bridge. I had guessed that this river could be Al Wadi-l Kabir
as this is the only river whose name is found in the descriptions of Qurtubah in history
books. A look at a signboard on the river bank which read Guadalquivir confirmed that it
was nothing but a corrupted form of Al Wadi-l Kabir.
In the old days, the city of Qurtubah lay on the north bank of this river. Immediately upon
crossing the river, the city rampart started beyond which were situated royal palaces.
In the first century AH, when Tariq ibn Ziyad had finished the Battle of Lakkah Valley,
he dispatched different divisions of his army to various cities of Undulus. The
commander of the division sent to conquer Qurtubah was Khalifah Walid ibn 'Abdul
Malik’s freed slave, Mugith Rumi. Mugith approached the city from the south, and
halted at Shaqandah, a short distance before Al Wadi-l Kabir. To conquer Qurtubah, they
first needed to cross the river and then capture the robust and lofty ramparts of the city
which was not an ordinary task. But the people who had come out of their comfortable
homes to raise high Allah’s Din had Allah’s help accompanying them. Mugith’s spies
stopped a shepherd near Shaqandah and enquired him about the city. The shepherd
informed them that fearing a battle, the war commanders of Qurtubah had already fled to
Tulaitulah. Only a small army stayed behind to try protecting the city. Regarding the
rampart of Qurtubah, the shepherd informed that it was quite strong and impenetrable,
however there was a hole at one place which the Muslim army could benefit from.
When Mugith decided to march towards Qurtubah at night, another Divine assistance
came in the form of heavy rain which muffled the sounds of the marching horses’ hoofs.
Consequently, the Muslim army was able to cross the bridge over Al Wadi-l Kabir
without meeting any resistance. Due to the rain and cold, the guards of the rampart had
also left their positions and taken shelter inside their adjoining posts leaving the rampart
unguarded.
The hole in the rampart reported by the shepherd was really present but it was so high
that reaching it still remained a formidable task. Then a valiant Mujahid succeeded in
reaching the high hole by first climbing an adjoining fig tree. Mugith unravelled his
turban and threw one of its ends towards him, who caught hold of it and it became a
ladder for the Muslims. One after the other, several Mujahids reached the hole and
together they jumped inside. They overpowered the nearby guards and opened the city-
gate. In this way, the city fell to the Muslims without any significant resistance.24
We stood before the very bank of Al Wadi-l Kabir where this revolutionary battle had
taken place 13 centuries ago. Upon crossing the road and reaching the river-bank, we also
saw an ancient and derelict bridge extending towards the south.
Today, it looks like an ordinary bridge crumbling due to old age. But long ago, it was
considered the most magnificent bridge in the world. As there was no other bridge
comparable to it in robustness, ruggedness and expanse, it was considered a wonder of
the world at the time. Before the blessed advent of the Muslims, there was a small and
weak bridge here. When Hazrat 'Umar ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz took up the responsibility of the
Khilafah, he felt the needs of Qurtubah city, sitting at a distance of thousands of miles in
Dimashq. He ordered the governor of Undulus, Samh ibn Malik Khaulani to construct a
grand bridge over Al Wadi-l Kabir. Under the supervision of expert architect, 'Abdur
Rahman ibn 'Ubaidullah Al Gafiqi, the construction of this splendid bridge completed in
101 AH. It was 800 cubit long and over 40 yard wide at a height of 60 cubits above the
river surface. Eighteen beautiful water-gates had been constructed under it and over it
there were 19 turrets. As there was no bridge like unto it in the entire world, therefore a
historian comments:
25إن قنطرة قرطبة إحدى أعاجیب الدنیا.
The Qurtubah bridge is one of the wonders of the world.
The bridge has been extended and repaired frequently but for most of it, it remains the
bridge constructed by the Muslims. The revolutions of days and continuous neglect have
disfigured it and it now looks as if nobody has paid any attention towards its dilapidated
state for long years. However, its robust bases still narrate the story of its glorious youth.
Standing over the bridge, we could see the river flowing beneath on both its sides. As it
was winter, the flow was lazy and weeds growing up here and there also obstructed the
stream. On the banks of the rivers we could also see some remains of ancient buildings.
We learnt that they were windmills constructed by Muslims, and which was a
specialization of Undulus Muslims.
Walking on the bridge, when we reached its south end, we found a gate of another old
fort. It was a very old fort constructed in the Roman period and was called Calagurris. In
the Muslim Age, it attained fame as Qalbarah, and now its name is Calahorra. Only a
24 Nafhut Tib by Muqri 1/245 25 Nafhut Tib 1/26
small part of the fort remains now where a government office is running. Road expansion
has devoured its major portion.
In Madinatuz Zahra Standing on the Al Wadi-l Kabir Bridge, we gestured a taxi to stop and got into it. We
asked the driver to drive to Madinatuz Zahra. Initially, the driver could not understand us.
In response to our brief English sentences, he would start a lecture in Spanish which
would fly above our heads. Then, I took out a tour booklet for Qurtubah which had a
picture of Madinatuz Zahra. When I showed him the picture, he understood at once. He
then went on a long rant describing and extolling the place in Spanish interspersed with a
few English words. He seemed convinced that we were understanding each word of his.
Perhaps, some of our English sentences uttered in response to him broke his happy
confidence in us. He then thought it best to remain quiet.
Madinatuz Zahra is nearly 8 miles away from Qurtubah. Out car kept moving through
various roads and localities of Qurtubah, which is now a modern city constructed anew
after demolishing the ancient buildings. As a result, there is not much heritage left from
the Muslim Age except Jami' Qurtubah and some buildings close to it. However, many
roads and localities still have names that upon a closer scrutiny reveal their 'Arabic roots.
A short while later, we had come out of Qurtubah city.
We were now passing through a valley where lush pastures adjoined the road on both
sides. We saw a signboard saying Madinatuz Zahra and pointing towards right. Our car
turned right and an ancient-style wall on our left now kept our company as the car ran on
the new road. This was the boundary-wall of Madinatuz Zahra. After about a kilometer,
the valley ended and the road turned left rising towards a green mountain. In almost the
middle of the mountain, the taxi-driver stopped the car and informed us that this was the
way to enter Madinatuz Zahra. Getting down the taxi, we found a mountain east of the
road, and on the west there was a green valley spread to a great distance wherein we
could glimpse the ruins of Madinatuz Zahra.
Madinatuz Zahra was a satellite town constructed to provide accommodations for the
Khalifahs of Qurtubah and his dependents. Khalifah 'Abdur Rahman An Nasir had started
its construction in 325 AH26. The reason given for this is that a female slave of Khalifah
'Abdur Rahman An Nasir died leaving behind huge amount of inheritance. The Khalifah
issued the edict that the inheritance money be used to secure the release of Mulsim
prisoners in the custody of Christians. It was learnt upon investigation that there were
only a few Muslim prisoners held by the Christians and even after securing their release,
the major option of the inheritance remained. On this occasion, the Khalifah’s queen
26 325 AH = 937 CE
Zahra expressed her wish that an exquisite township be constructed in her name. To
accomplish the queen’s wish, Khalifah Nasir started the construction of Madinatuz Zahra.
Most of the parts of Madinatuz Zahra had been completed in 25 years during the reign of
Khalifah Nasir himself. However several of its buildings were constructed later in the
days of Khalifah Al Hakam II. At that time, the town was nearly 2700 yard long from
east to west, and 1700 yard wide from north to south.
Madinatuz Zahra included royal palaces, courts, assembly houses, Jami' Masjid, and
residential houses for members of the royal family. It was considered the most beautiful
town in the world in those days.
Perhaps the mountain on which stood was the very Jabal-ul 'Arus regarding which I had
read an interesting story in history-books. When the construction of Madinatuz Zahra
finished, and Queen Zahra visited it for inspection along with Khalifah Nasir, she was all
praise for the architecture. But a dark, ugly mountain by its side caught her attention and
she remarked to the Khalifah: “Shall this pretty, charming bondmaid remain in the laps of
this Negro?”
Khalifah Nasir then got the ungainly trees uprooted from the mountain and planted
gardens of fruit trees on the mountain from place to place. The mountain had now
become pretty like a bride giving it the name of Jabal-ul 'Arus.
In its charm and splendor, majesty and magnificence, awe and glory, Madinatuz Zahra
was one of its kind in the entire world. Delegations from large countries of Asia and
Europe would sometimes come to Undulus just to visit it. One of the halls in the palace
was known as Khalifah Palace whose ceilings and walls were made of gold and
transparent marble. In the center of the ceiling, hung the exceptionally exquisite jewelry
gifted to Khalifah Nasir by Constantinople’s king, Leo. At the heart of the hall, there was
a beautiful tank filled with mercury. There were eight-arched doors on every side of the
hall. The arches were supported by pillars made of multi-colored stones and crystals. The
gates were made of ebony and ivory adorned by artwork in gold and gilded with gems.
When sunlight entered the hall, ceiling and wall would shine brilliantly dazzling the
observers’ eyes. When Khalifah Nasir would be in the hall and he wished to cast awe
upon the attendees, he would gesture one of his servants to shake the shiny mercury in
the tank. As the mercury shook, the sunlight would flash in the entire hall like lightning.
It would appear as if the entire hall was rotating. Some foreign envoys ignorant of the
secret would start trembling with awe and fear.27
27 Nafhut Tib 2/65-68
Only Allah knows how many such wonders Madinatuz Zahra comprised. It even had
artificial rivers and gardens constructed like natural habitats for different wild animals
where they could live like in their natural habitats. The culture of game reserves so
common in our times has its origin in Madinatuz Zahra.
Apparently, the age in which Madinatuz Zahra had been constructed was the age of
ascent of Muslims and major powers of the world were supposedly struck with fear and
awe at the sight of this earthly Paradise. But if we take a realistic look, we will have to
admit that the decline of Muslims started in Undulus started with the construction of
these very lavish palaces which gradually deprived the Muslims of their austerity,
tenacity and stoic life.
At a time when this grand royal palace was being constructed, how did the clerics with
heart and mind perform their duty of calling the Khalifah’s attention to this aspect? We
find several amazing incidents of this nature in history books. In those days, the
sermonizer and Imam of Royal Masjid was Qazi Munzir ibn Sa'id whose eloquent and
moving sermons were considered an extraordinary treasure of 'Arabic literature in
Undulus. When Khalifah Nasir would come to perform Salah behind him, he would
passionately criticize single-minded quest for worldly gains and the extravagant
expenditure being taken in the path of luxury and opulence.
Once Khalifah Nasir was sitting in the above-mentioned royal hall whose ceilings and
walls had been constructed of gold and marble. Once he said to his courtiers, “Is there
any king however great in this world who has such an outstanding accomplishment to his
credit in the entire history of architecture? Is there any building even remotely
comparable to what I have achieved in this building?”
Kings’ courts have always been populated with sycophant courtiers. They confirmed the
Khalifah’s opinion with enthusiastic zeal and began complimenting him with inordinate
praises. Just then, Qazi Munzir ibn Sa'id too entered the court. In front of him too, the
Khalifah expressed pride over his accomplishment of constructing this golden building
with golden ceilings.
In response, Qazi Munzir said, “Commander of Believers, Allah has bestowed you
immensely with His grace and generosity. I never guessed that despite this you would
forget that grace and generosity from Allah and express pride over something which
Allah has deemed suitable for Kafirs.”
“How do you say that?” enquired Khalifah Nasir.
Qazi Munzir replied by reciting the following Quranic verse:
عال ناا احداة لاجا ة وا لا أان یاكونا النااس أما لاو رونا وا ها ا یاظ لای ها عاارجا عا ما ة وا ن لبیوتهم سقفا من فضا ما ح فر بالرا ن یاك ( ٣٣) لما
سر ابا وا لبیوتهم أاب وا ا یاتاكئونا وا لای ها ة عن (٣٣)را عا خرا ال یااة الدن یاا وا تااع ال حا ا ما إن كل ذالكا لاما رفا وا زخ بكا لل متاقینا وا (٣٣) دا را
(٣٣-٣٣)الزخرف:
Were it not that all people would become of a single creed (i.e. disbelief), We would have
made, for those who disbelieve in Allah the Most Gracious, the roofs of their houses of
silver, as also the stairs, on which they would climb, the doors of their homes, and the
coaches on which they would recline, and (would have made some of these things) of
gold-ornaments. All this is nothing but an enjoyment of the worldly life. And the
Hereafter, with your Lord, is (destined) for the God-fearing. (Zukhruf: 33-35)
On hearing these verses, Khalifah Nasir was so overwhelmed that he lowered his head.
Qazi Munzir continued the thread of his speech full of eloquent counsels. Tears started
flowing out of the king’s eyes. He later on ordered the gold and silver removed from the
ceiling of the hall.
It was again Qazi Munzir ibn Sa'id who said these verses regarding Madinatuz Zahra and
also recited them before the Khalifah:
ل ها قایا باني الزهراء! مستغر أوقاته فیها، أما تام
هلل! ما أحسناها رونقا لو لم تكن زهرتها تذبل
O founder of Zahra! Having devoted all your time to it, don’t you ever ponder?
By Allah! Its splendor would be amazing, but only if its flower didn’t wilt!
It seems that Qazi Munzir could see the end of this lavish palace with his eyes! This
grand and magnificent town which had needed 40 years could show its charm for merely
35 years. Civil war broke out in the country in 398 AH28 in which Madinatuz Zahra
suffered such a devastation that all its splendor and magnificence fell to the ground in a
moment. When a minister of Undulus, Abul Hazm passed by it in 435 AH, he observed
that the Madinatuz Zahra which once had the honor of being the residence of kings and
princes was now a habitat for wild animals and birds. At this admonitory sight, he had
We stood in the center of Jabal-ul 'Arus hill. Before us was an office of the Archaeology
department, and behind it we could see the ruins of Madinatuz Zahra on the slope of the
hills to a long distance. Till 1910 CE, there was no trace left of Madinatuz Zahra. Then
the Archaeologists found some ruins here at the foot of the hill which led to further
excavations. And thus the remains of this once-magnificent town were discovered. The
excavation work has continued since 1910 without break and in this 80-year period,
major parts of the town have been discovered. In different parts of the remains, we kept
observing the samples of admonition and pining, which had degraded to an extent that it
was now difficult to find out what they had been constructed for. Through all these
excavations, only one court of the royal palace, Majlisul Munis, has been discovered in
something of its original state. The Spanish government has started repairing the court to
bring to its original state. The splintered stones of the arches, ceilings and floors of the
court had been found scattered haphazardly around here. They have been collected and
they are being combined together with much intricacy and pain and being fit in their
proper places. Consequently, the hall of Majlisul Munis can now be observed in almost
its original condition.
Outside the hall there is a verandah. Standing here, we could see ancient ruins spread to a
long distance and behind them there were pastures up to the horizons. Looking at the
natural beauty, the climate and environment, one can’t help marveling at the exceptional
flair of the people who had selected this site. A quote by an Undulusi litterateur in praise
of Undulus came to mind here. The ruler of the time had ordered his banishment from the
city. The litterateur wrote an eloquent letter to the ruler which made the ruler annul his
order. He had started the letter with these words:
قی ل ناة الدن یاا: أفق صا هيا جا ن دلسا وا ، كای فا أفاارق األ یدي طاائر م ،یاا سا تادافق، وا اء م ما اء ساائح، وا هاوا داباج، وا بسااط م نم تا وا ... را
My Lord! How do I leave Undulus when it is the paradise of this world with its beaming
These words mapped a hundred per cent to the scene before our eyes here.
The excavation of Madinatuz Zahra continues to this day with due expertise and
diligence, but even the portion of the city already unearthed is quite vast, and requires a
long time to explore. For a while, we walked through this lesson-imparting place, but as
the time for Magrib Salah was at hand, we soon started back towards our hotel.
After the 'Isha Salah and dinner at night, we came out of the hotel for a walk. The
weather was pleasantly cool making this stroll amidst the broad roads and elegant
buildings of Qurtubah really worth-remembering. Like Garnatah no remains of the old
days are visible in its central region. It appears that the entire city has been rebuilt under a
plan and hence all the features of modern European cities are available here.
It was the intervening night between Saturday and Sunday, and perhaps there was some
festival too in the city. From the hustle and bustle on the city roads it seemed like all the
residents of Qurtubah had come out on roads. A thought struck me that many of them
must be of 'Arab descent with Muslim ancestors. After the Chriastian subjugation, the
unprecedented scale on which the Muslims were terrorized and forced to convert into
Christianity meant that thousands of Muslims had completed dissolved into the Christian
population. This historical fact means that there has to be a vast number of citizens of
Islamic descent in modern Undulus. Though no Islamic feature is now left in their
manners and profiles, yet some behaviors and qualities of theirs seem to be a memento to
the old golden days. Though centuries of passed since the fall of Muslim rule and though
and though revolutions of history have transformed their very world, yet these few
mannerisms persist as a fickle memento to their old days.
First, the facial features and build of Undulus inhabitants are somewhat different from
those of the people of other European regions. The wheatish tint in their white
complexion along with sharp features of the face serve as reminder of their 'Arabic
origin. And in contrast to other European regions, there is more cordiality, humility and
liveliness here. The zeal and enthusiasm they show when meeting one another is quite
like the 'Arabs’. In fact, the first word that comes out of their tongues when meeting is
“Ola” which probably is the corruption of the 'Arabic greeting Ahla29.
Likewise, the 'Arabic style of hugging and kissing each other continues to this days
among the people of Undulus. The custom of washing hands before and after meals
continues too which I haven’t seen in any other part of Europe. That’s why the dining
areas of large hotels usually have arrangement for hand-wash. Apparently, this too is a
misty souvenir of the Islamic age which had in some long past blessed the region with its
bounties!
'Arabic language too has significant influence on the Spanish language. Many of its
words have 'Arabic roots which have been Spanised after some minor alterations. For
example, bridge is called Al Qantarah in 'Arabic, the Undulus people call it Alcantara.
29 Ahla = أهال = welcome
The 'Arabs call sugar As Sukkar and in Spanish, it is called Azucar. The 'Arabic Aruzz
meaning rice has become Arroz in Spanish, and Al Qaryah (village) Alquria. The leader
is still called Al Caide after 'Arabic Al Qaid, and the trustworthy Al Amin after its 'Arabic
counterpart.30 In brief, the influence of 'Arabic language on Spanish stands out
prominently even now. As a general rule, every Spanish words starting with Al surely has
'Arabic root.
In Maliqah The next morning was cloudy and it was drizzling lightly. Our ticket was booked on the 2
pm airplane to Paris of that very day. This meant we had to reach the airport by at most 1
pm, and Maliqah was nearly 200 km from here. Due to the light rain, there was also a
possibility of our journey taking longer. So, we left for Maliqah soon after breakfast. As
it was Sunday, people were mostly enjoying the holiday in their homes and the road was
free of traffic congestion. When we left Qurtubah, the rain stopped and our car went
swimming on the shining, neat highway. Many small hamlets and towns passed by us,
but because of the holiday all looked forlorn.
Nearly 20-25 miles before Maliqah, a strikingly beautiful mountain series started. It was
the renowned mountain range Al Bashsharat31 (Alpujarras) of Undulus which continues
up to Al Maryah alongside the Mediterranean coast in south Garnatah. It once used to be
considered the most beautiful region of Undulus. This is the very region where Abu
'Abdullah had stayed for some time after being deprived of his Garnatah throne. When he
was exiled from there too, the Muslims of this region started a guerrilla war against the
Christians which continued for a fairly long time. Till the 9th century AH32, the Muslims
continued their valiant struggle against the Christian oppressors.
30 Al Qantarah = القنطرة = bridge; As Sukkar = السكر = sugar; Aruzz = األرز = rice; Al Qaryah = القریة =
village; Al Qaid = القائد = leader; Al Amin = األمین = trustworthy 31 Alpujarra (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpujarras): The Alpujarra is a natural and historical region in
Andalucia, Spain, between the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean. It extends over two provinces,
Granada and Almería; it is sometimes referred to in the plural as "Las Alpujarras".
The Catholic "Reconquista" of Spain progressed to the extent that by 1462 only the "Kingdom of Granada"
- including the Alpujarra - was left in Moorish hands; and in 1492 the city of Granada fell to the "Catholic
Monarchs". Their attempts to force Christianity on the Moslem inhabitants led to successive revolts, in
particular that which began in 1568. It was a fierce struggle, in which the Spaniards had to deploy large
forces against this rural population, there was much cruelty on both sides; it ended with the death of the last
Moorish leader in March 1571.
The Catholic Monarchs ordered the expulsion of Moors from the territory of Granada, who were taken in
forced marches to other parts of Spain. Only a few, considered to have genuinely converted to Christianity,
were allowed to remain, in principle to instruct new settlers in local farming practices. 32 1490s (899 AH = 1494 CE)
The region is so rich in natural beauty that after driving up a high mountain we could not
hold ourselves back from stopping. We stopped the car, came out and spent some time
enjoying the stunning scenery presented by the lush valley spread before us.
We entered Maliqah city at around 11 am. Maliqah is a well-known ancient city of
Undulus whose history goes even beyond Hazrat 'Isa’s م لای ه الساالا ,days. In the Muslim age عا
it was the capital city of a full-fledged state, and today too it is the capital of Malaga
state. During the Muslim age too, it was an important port-city and economic center of
Undulus. Out of its agricultural produces, fig and grape stood out throughout Undulus.
The craft of making golden earthen-wares was considered the most prominent industry of
Maliqah, and it retains its pre-eminence all over the country to this day. The Muslim rule
continued for nearly 800 years in this city which produced several great scholars who are
famous with the appendage of Maliqi to their names.
When the major cities and provinces of Undulus fell prey to Christian domination and
only Garnatah remained free under the Muslims, even then Maliqah continued to be
under the Muslim rule. In the last days, Sultan Abul Hasan sat on the throne of Garnatah
and reducing his kingdom, he gave away Maliqah’s rule to his brother Az Zagal. Maliqah
was now an autonomous state. The two brothers Abul Hasan and Az Zagal, then started
Jihad to put a brake to the aggressive Christian ambitions. They achieved several
successes against the Christians which raised the morale of the Muslims. It appeared that
a movement would start all over Undulus to liberate it from the Christian yoke. But just
then, employing palatial conspiracies, Abul Hasan’s son, Abu 'Abdullah rebelled against
his father. The Christian agent Abu 'Abdullah forced his valorous father to leave the
throne and Abu 'Abdullah thus became the ruler of Garnatah. Abul Hasan fled Garnatah
to his brother Az Zagal. But the incident had served its purpose. The bond of mutual
cooperation that had existed between Garnatah and Maliqah was snapped. This mutual
animosity did what the Christian masters of Abu 'Abdullah had hoped for. The Christians
were now stronger and more potent having regained lots of their lost ground.
The brothers Abul Hasan and Az Zagal still continued their Jihad against the Christians in
the period of 888-891 AH. In 891 AH, however, both the brothers attained martyrdom
fighting the Christians. After their martyrdom, the Muslim force was like a lifeless body.
The Christian rulers of Qashtalah, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella soon captured
Maliqah. After the fall of Maliqah, the Christian agent Abu 'Abdullah’s reign over
Garnatah too could not last more than seven years. In 898 AH, the traitor Abu 'Abdullah
surrendered Garnatah to Ferdinand and Isabella.
In the Muslim age though Maliqah was an important city, it was not as large as the likes
of Garnatah and Qurtubah. But today, the balance has reversed. In area, population and
urban facilities, the Maliqah of today is much larger than Qurtubah and Garnatah. Owing
to the sea-port and international airport, it is now more important than present-day
Qurtubah and Garnatah. The sea-coast of Maliqah too is considered quite charming. Even
the climate here is not as cold as other regions of Europe. All of this has made this city
into a major center of tourism.
Even diligent search does not show up any remains of the Muslim age in the Maliqah of
today. It is said that a market from the Muslim days still exists in Maliqah which is now
used as vegetable market. The Jami' Masjid of Maliqah which the Christians after their
capture of the city had converted into church is now an important ancient building of the
city. Then there still exists a fortress from the Muslim age at some distance from the city
on the northern coast. It is called Hisn Jabal Fa'rah33. But to visit them, we needed plenty
of time and a guide too none of which were available to us. So, we could see neither.
Antaqirah In the short time available to us before our check-in at airport, we had a general look at
the city’s landscape. Making use of the city map, we also selected a beach to visit. It lay
at a few miles distance west of the airport. It was labelled as Antequera in the map,
actually the corrupted form of Antaqirah, an ancient city of Maliqah province located
north of the sea at some height. It is said that some of the remains of the city-wall from
the Muslim age still exist.
On a nearby hill, a magnificent fortress built in the Muslim age also exists. To the east of
the city, there is a hillock where a cellar lies at 65 feet above the ground level. It is
considered to be an underground graveyard of pre-historic times. There is a marble
building on one of the mountains adjoining the city. Among the people of this city, a poet
Abu Bakr Yahya ibn Muhammad Ansari Hakin Antaqiri attained fame and renown. The
city of Antaqirah remained under the Muslim rule till 813 AH34. Later, when the
Christians established their rule over it, the Muslims of the city were forced to flee to
Garnatah. That’s why a neighbourhood near the Al Hamra Fort continues to be called
Antaqirah after them.35
However, today Antaqirah is a tourist city replete with skyscrapers and rented flats.
People stay here for weeks to relish the sea-beach. As it was winter, there was not much
crowd currently, but we heard that in summer, the region gets crowded with tourists.
We parked our car for a while on the coastal road of Antaqirah, Marine Drive. Eerie
silence ruled over the entire beach. Before us, the waves of the Mediterranean Sea were
33 Source: Al Athar-ul Undulusiyah Al Baqiyah by Muhammad 'Abdullah Ghannan, published at Cairo in
1381 AH, p. 228 34 813 AH = 1410 CE 35 Source: Undulus ka Tarikhi Jugrafiyah (Historical Geography of Undulus) by Muhammad 'Inayatullah,
published at Hyderabad Deccan, p. 126
rolling. Tearing apart the chest of this sea, the Muslims had in some long gone days
arrived at the Undulus coast. This very sea had been the silent spectator of the valiant
Muslim onslaught of the legendary Mujahids whom Iqbal had described as:
ی اگہ اھت نج ےک ونیفسں اک یھبک
رحصا ونیشنں اک یھبک رحب پ ا ر
اھت اہیں اگنہہم ا ں
There used to be an uproar from these
desert-dwellers here,
The dwellers whose port was playing
with the sea-waves,
زلےل نج ےس اشنہشوہں ےک د ر پ ا ر و ں ںیم ں ےک ا ایشےن نج یک ولتا ر و ں ںیم ےھتويلجب
ر
ےھت
Their swords comprised the nests of
lightning,
They caused quakes in the courts of
emperors.
And then, this is the same sea that witnessed 800 years later the ravaged and devastated
sons of these valorous Mujahids boarding the ships to Marakish, when anyone who
managed to flee here with his family was considered fortunate and looked upon with
envious eyes. Again this is the sea which saw the ships of the renowned mariner of
Islamic history, Khairuddin Barbarusa saving the Undulus Muhajirs (refugees) from the
assaults of the Christians and ferrying them to the safety of Marakish and Al Jazair. And
today this is the very sea at whose coasts are established the Allah-forgetting lairs of
tourism and debauchery.
ا بای نا النااس ایاام ندااولها تل كا األ (٠٣١. )آل عمران: وا
These are the days of ups and downs which We rotate among the people. (Quran 3:140)
Overcome with the images of the past and present of Undulus, my friend and co-traveller
Sa'id Sahib on one occasion called out on the spur of the moment, “Will Muslims ever
again be able to illuminate this region with the light of Faith!?”
“At present if the Muslims are able to retain their currently-held lands and ensure that the
history of Undulus is not repeated there, even that would be great!” I replied.
The causes of the Muslims’ rise in Undulus were obvious and so were the causes of their
downfall:
س و ر پ ا ب ا رخ
ریشمش و انسں ا و ل ، طا و
At first the sword and spear; the zither’s and the lute’s soft sighs at last
Now, the choice is left to us!
Glossary English Arabic Anglicized
'Abdur Rahman Ad
Dakhil
Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya ibn عبد الرحمان الداخل
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn
Marwan (731–788)
Abnae Jabalut Tariq آبنائے جبل الطارق Strait of Gibraltar