Muslim Victories in the Blessed Month of Ramadan: A Faithful Journey Through History
In moments of hardship and distress, when troubles intensify and trials become great, believers seek refuge in their Creator, beseeching Him, hoping for His victory and support. In the blessed month of Ramadan, the month of the Quran, piety, and patience, the power of Allah the Almighty was manifested in granting Muslims glorious victories in many places throughout their illustrious history. These victories stand as witnesses to the greatness of this month and its blessings, and to the truth of Allah’s promise: “If you support Allah, He will support you and make your foothold firm.” [Muhammad: 7]
In this article, we review with deep faithful insight the most prominent victories achieved by Muslims in the blessed month of Ramadan, to draw lessons and morals from them, and to feel the companionship of Allah the Almighty and His support for His believing servants.
The Battle of Badr: When Allah Granted Victory to a Small Group of Believers
At dawn on the seventeenth of Ramadan in the second year of Hijra, Muslims were preparing for an unexpected confrontation. They had set out to intercept a Quraysh trade caravan, but instead found themselves facing an army of about a thousand well-armed polytheists, while the Muslims numbered only three hundred and some ten men, with simple weapons and little equipment.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stood at that critical moment, communing with his Lord in humility and supplication, raising his hands to the sky, saying: “O Allah, fulfill what You promised me. O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, You will not be worshipped on earth.” He continued to beseech his Lord until his cloak fell from his shoulders, and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq returned it to him and said: “That is enough of beseeching your Lord, for He will fulfill His promise to you.”
This humble supplication was only an embodiment of the deep state of faith that ran through the hearts of all Muslims. They were fasting during the day, sleeping on the ground, and facing an enemy superior in numbers and equipment, yet these circumstances only increased their steadfastness and faith.
Allah answered the prayers of His Prophet and the believers, and sent down His tranquility upon them, and supported them with angels, as He said: “When you sought help from your Lord, and He answered you, ‘I will support you with a thousand angels, rank after rank.'” [Al-Anfal: 9], and He also said: “When your Lord revealed to the angels: ‘I am with you, so strengthen those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then strike above the necks, and strike their every fingertip.'” [Al-Anfal: 12]
The battlefield witnessed wonderful scenes of faith, such as the young man Umayr bin al-Humam who heard the Prophet ﷺ promising Paradise, so he threw away some dates he was eating, saying: “Wonderful, wonderful! Is there nothing between me and entering Paradise except being killed by these people?” Then he fought until he was martyred. Similarly, Awf bin al-Harith asked the Prophet ﷺ: “What makes the Lord laugh with pleasure at His servant?” He replied: “When he plunges into the enemy without armor.” So he removed his armor and fought until he was killed.
The battle ended with a great victory for the Muslims. The leaders and nobles of Quraysh were killed, and seventy of the polytheists were captured. This blessed battle – which Allah called “the Day of Distinction” – was the first real victory for Islam, and a decisive turning point in the history of the Islamic call.
The Conquest of Mecca: Victory Without Fighting and Unlimited Forgiveness
In Ramadan of the eighth year of Hijra, the conditions were ripe for the conquest of Mecca, after Quraysh had violated the treaty and supported Banu Bakr against Khuza’ah, the allies of the Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ ordered the Muslims to prepare for the journey, initially keeping the news from them, and asked Allah to block intelligence and news so that he could take Quraysh by surprise in their home.
The Prophet ﷺ set out with ten thousand fasting Muslims, relying on Allah, seeking His aid, beseeching Him to complete His favor on them by conquering Mecca without bloodshed. Among the Prophet’s supplications on his way was: “O Allah, to You is praise, You are my support and my helper. O Allah, with You I charge, with You I move about, with You I fight.”
The Muslims reached the outskirts of Mecca, and the Prophet ﷺ ordered ten thousand fires to be lit. Quraysh trembled when they saw this awe-inspiring scene. That night, Abu Sufyan went out to gather information, was captured, and brought to the Prophet ﷺ, where he embraced Islam and bore witness to the truth.
On the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, the Prophet ﷺ entered Mecca as a conqueror, lowering his head in humility to Allah, so much so that his beard almost touched the middle of his saddle, while he was reciting Surat al-Fath: “Indeed, We have given you a clear conquest.” [Al-Fath: 1] The Muslims’ motto that day was: “There is no deity but Allah alone, He fulfilled His promise, supported His servant, and defeated the confederates alone.”
There, in the Sacred Mosque, and around the Holy Kaaba, which was surrounded by three hundred and sixty idols, the Prophet ﷺ stood circumambulating the House, pointing with a stick in his hand to the idols, saying: “Truth has come and falsehood has perished. Indeed, falsehood is bound to perish.” [Al-Isra: 81], and the idols fell one after another on their faces.
Then the Prophet ﷺ gathered Quraysh, those who had harmed him and his companions, driven them from their homes, fought them and besieged them, and said to them: “O people of Quraysh, what do you think I will do with you?” They said: “Good, you are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother.” He said: “Go, for you are free.”
This noble prophetic pardon embodied the tolerant spirit of Islam, and was a practical application of the values of forgiveness and mercy it brought. In this great scene, the greatness of Islam was manifested in its highest meanings, for the power built on faith is not used for revenge and gloating, but for forgiveness and benevolence.
The Battle of Yarmouk: Fasting Muslims Facing an Empire
In the month of Ramadan in the fifteenth year of Hijra, the decisive Battle of Yarmouk took place between the Muslims and the Byzantine Romans. The Muslims, led by Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah and Khalid bin al-Walid, were facing a huge Roman army estimated at two hundred thousand fighters, while the number of Muslims did not exceed forty thousand.
Before the battle, the Muslims performed the Istikhara prayer, and began supplicating to Allah during their night prayers and their fasting, as they were fasting despite the intense heat and the horrors of battle. History books have conveyed to us wonderful scenes of faith from this battle, including that Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl called out: “Who will pledge for death?” Four hundred Muslims pledged with him, then they charged at the Romans as one man, and fought fiercely until they were heavily wounded.
Historians reported that Muslim women played a prominent role in strengthening the fighters and urging them to be patient. Umm Hakim bint al-Harith, Khawla bint al-Azwar, and other noble female companions encouraged the fighters, tended to the wounded, and recited poems of enthusiasm and faith.
In the midst of the battle, the Muslims raised their hands to the sky, praying: “O Allah, You are our Lord, and they are Your disbelieving servants. O Allah, grant us victory over them.” Among their supplications was also: “O Defeater of the confederates, defeat them and grant us victory over them.”
Allah’s help descended upon the believers, and the Romans were decisively defeated, with tens of thousands of them killed or drowned. Allah opened the entire Levant to the Muslims, and the Romans left it for good. This great battle was proof that fasting does not weaken Muslims, but rather increases their strength and steadfastness with Allah’s companionship and support.
The Conquest of Andalusia: The Mountain That Bore the Name of a Muslim Hero
As soon as the month of Ramadan began in the year 92 AH, Tariq bin Ziyad and the Muslims with him were fully prepared to cross the Strait of Gibraltar (which was later named after him) and enter the land of Andalusia. Tariq deliberately chose this blessed month, believing in its blessings and hoping for Allah’s victory in it.
The Muslims crossed the strait numbering no more than seven thousand fighters, most of them Berbers, to face the Visigothic kingdom with its army exceeding one hundred thousand. When Tariq burned the ships they had crossed in, and stood addressing the Muslims, his speech was one of the most inspiring faithful addresses in history, where he said: “O people, where is the escape? The sea is behind you, and the enemy is in front of you, and by Allah, you have nothing but truthfulness and patience… And know that you on this island are more helpless than orphans at the feast of the miserly…”
He added in his speech words overflowing with faith and confidence in Allah’s victory: “And know that if you endure the more difficult for a little while, you will enjoy the more pleasant and delightful for a long time, so do not desire yourselves over mine, for your share is only my share… You have heard what this island contains of beautiful houris… And here I am, having committed myself to fighting this tyrant myself, and this mountain, if Allah wills, is our meeting place.”
Thus, driven by strong faith and confidence in Allah’s victory, the Muslims fought the Battle of Guadalete River against the Visigothic army led by their king Roderic. The Muslims were fasting, reciting the Quran at night, and striving during the day, so Allah granted them a decisive victory, and opened Andalusia to them, which remained under Islamic rule for nearly eight centuries, and became a beacon of knowledge and civilization in the dark European continent.
The Conquest of Constantinople: Fulfillment of a Prophecy After Eight Centuries
In the month of Ramadan in the year 857 AH, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror achieved what Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had foretold eight centuries earlier, when he said: “You will certainly conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful leader will its leader be, and what a wonderful army will that army be.” The Conqueror was a man of deep faith, keen on performing prayers on time, and maintaining the fast of Ramadan even in the most difficult and severe conditions.
The siege of Constantinople lasted fifty-three days, a large part of it in the blessed month of Ramadan. On the night of the twentieth of Ramadan, after the Tarawih prayer, the Sultan rose and ordered a comprehensive attack on the city early in the morning, and ordered the army to glorify Allah, supplicate, and beseech Him throughout the night.
On the morning of Tuesday, the twentieth of Ramadan, and after the Fajr prayer, the final attack on the city walls began, and the Muslims were shouting: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,” while they were fasting, hoping for Allah’s victory. Indeed, Allah answered their prayers, they stormed the walls, opened the city, and Constantinople fell, which had remained elusive to Muslims for long centuries.
When Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror entered the city, he first went to the Hagia Sophia church, prostrated to Allah in gratitude, then ordered it to be converted into a mosque, and the muezzin called the adhan in it for the first time. Thus, the prophecy of the Prophet ﷺ was fulfilled by the hand of a believing sultan, and a fasting, striving army.
The Battle of Ain Jalut: The Tatars Receive Their First Defeat in Their Lives
In a terrifying dramatic scene, Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid caliphate, fell to the Mongols (Tatars) in 656 AH, and hundreds of thousands of Muslims, including the Abbasid Caliph Al-Musta’sim Billah, were victims of this fall. It seemed as if the Mongol tide would sweep the entire Islamic world, especially after Hulagu headed with his army towards Egypt and the Levant.
At this critical juncture, Saif al-Din Qutuz took over the rule of Egypt, and resolved to confront the Tatars at any cost. In a moving speech to the council of princes, he said: “O princes of Muslims, for a time you have been eating the money of the treasury while you are averse to fighting, and the Tatars have come and desecrated the lands and exterminated the people, and killed the caliph and destroyed the countries, and by Allah, I have nothing to give you, so either you fight with me or I will complain about you to Allah and His Messenger and take a path other than yours.”
The princes burst into tears and said: “We are at your service, and by Allah, we will never leave you.” Thus, the Muslims decided to confront, relying on Allah, seeking His aid, beseeching Him. Sultan Qutuz would frequently supplicate, saying: “O Allah, You who defeated the confederates alone, defeat them and grant us victory over them, O Allah, support Islam.”
On the twenty-fifth of Ramadan in the year 658 AH, the decisive battle took place at Ain Jalut in Palestine. Facing the terrifying Mongols who had never been defeated before, the Muslims stood steadfast, relying on Allah, fasting despite the heat and the intensity of the fighting. It is reported that Sultan Qutuz threw his helmet on the ground and shouted: “O Islam! O Islam!” Then he plunged into the heart of the battle, and the Muslims surged forward behind him.
And there was the great victory that changed the course of history, as the Mongols were defeated for the first time in their lives, their leader Kitbuqa was killed, and their remnants retreated. This battle was the one that saved what remained of the Islamic world from the Mongol invasion, and even saved Europe as well.
The Ramadan (October) War of 1973: A Victory That Restored Dignity
In Ramadan of the year 1393 AH (1973 CE), Egypt and Syria planned a surprise attack on Israel to regain the territories it had occupied in the 1967 war. The military leaders chose the blessed month of Ramadan for this operation, despite the difficulty of fighting for fasting soldiers.
It was clear that faith considerations were present in the minds of both leaders and soldiers alike. In his final speech to military leaders before the battle began, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat said: “Victory is from Allah, and Allah is with the patient.”
On the sixth of October, the tenth of Ramadan, the whistle blew, and the battle began. The motto of the Egyptian soldiers was: “Allahu Akbar,” as they crossed the Suez Canal and stormed the Bar-Lev Line, which was considered an impenetrable barrier. On the Syrian front, Syrian soldiers set out to regain the Golan Heights.
Faith scenes were strongly present in this war, as soldiers performed prayers on time, and broke their fast with dates and water, then returned to fighting. Among their mottos were: “Allahu Akbar over all who are arrogant and tyrannical” and “Victory or martyrdom.”
The Egyptians succeeded in crossing the Suez Canal and destroying the Bar-Lev Line, and the Syrians succeeded in regaining parts of the Golan, breaking the myth of the invincible Israeli army. This war was a turning point in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and eventually led to the complete recovery of Sinai, and the restoration of Arab dignity.
Faithful Lessons from Ramadan Victories
The victories of Muslims in the blessed month of Ramadan throughout history carry deep lessons that we should contemplate and absorb:
Faith is the Secret of Victory
In all the mentioned victories, deep faith in Allah the Almighty was the primary motivator for Muslims. Despite the small numbers and weak equipment in many cases, their trust in Allah and reliance on Him was their true provision. As Allah said: “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient.” [Al-Baqarah: 249]
Fasting Strengthens, Not Weakens
Although fasting represents a physical challenge, especially in battlefields, Muslims have proven throughout history that fasting increases their spiritual strength and solid will. They fight while fasting, deriving their determination from their faith in Allah, and seeking their reward from Him.
Supplication is the Believer’s Weapon
Supplication was strongly present in all Muslim victories, from the Battle of Badr where the Prophet ﷺ supplicated until his cloak fell, to the Battle of Ain Jalut where Qutuz shouted: “O Islam!” Sincere, earnest supplication is an expression of the heart’s attachment to Allah and its acknowledgment of its need for Him, and it is one of the strongest weapons of the believer, as in the hadith: “Supplication is the weapon of the believer.”
Wise Faithful Leadership
Muslim victories were characterized by the presence of wise faithful leaderships, combining piety and sincerity on one hand, and wisdom and planning on the other. From Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Badr, to Qutuz in Ain Jalut, to Mehmed the Conqueror in Constantinople. This confirms the importance of divine leadership that combines material preparation and spiritual preparation, and between taking the means and relying on Allah.
Sacrifice and Redemption
The great victories in the history of Muslims were achieved only after tremendous sacrifices, for glory is not built except on sacrifices, and victory is not achieved except by giving one’s self and precious things in the way of Allah. The companions and the mujahideen throughout history embodied this great value in its most splendid forms, as they competed for martyrdom as others compete for life.
Planning and Preparation
Although faith is the basis of victory, taking the means and good preparation and planning were strongly present in all Muslim victories. Islam is the religion of balance, commanding reliance on Allah while taking the means, as in His saying: “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy.” [Al-Anfal: 60]
Unity and Cohesion
The ranks of Muslims united in times of trials and hardships, they forgot their differences, and overcame their disputes, so they were like a solid structure supporting one another. This unity and cohesion were a decisive factor in achieving victory, and for this Allah said: “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.” [Al Imran: 103]
Ramadan’s Message to Muslims Today
Reviewing the victories of Muslims in the blessed month of Ramadan is not just a historical narrative, but an inspiration and revival of determination, and a reminder and insight into Allah’s laws in the universe and life. Hence, Ramadan sends us deep messages:
The Message of Faith and Creed
Ramadan calls us to renew faith and strengthen the connection with Allah, and rebuild the correct creed in souls. For the Muslim who possesses a firm creed and strong faith is the only one capable of facing challenges and difficulties. Victory is achieved only after correcting the creed and purifying it from impurities.
The Message of Patience and Endurance
Ramadan teaches us patience and endurance, for fasting itself is a school of patience. The nation that endures hunger and thirst is a nation capable of enduring in the face of enemies. Allah said: “O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.” [Al Imran: 200]
The Message of Giving and Sacrifice
Ramadan teaches us to give and sacrifice for the sake of Allah. The fasting person sacrifices his desires and abandons his pleasures seeking Allah’s pleasure. This sacrifice is a necessary prelude to greater sacrifices, needed by the nation for its renaissance and glory.
The Message of Unity and Solidarity
Ramadan unites Muslims on one goal, as they fast together, break their fast together, pray Tarawih together, and support and show solidarity with each other. This unity and solidarity are the basis of the nation’s strength and resilience, and a necessary condition for its victory and empowerment.
Conclusion: Tidings of Victory from Ramadan
The history of Muslims full of victories in the blessed month of Ramadan carries deep tidings and indications, and confirms that this great month is a faithful and spiritual station to renew the relationship with Allah, restore self-confidence, and envision the future with an eye of hope and optimism.
Just as Muslims throughout their history were able to achieve great victories in this blessed month, defying all circumstances and difficulties, the Islamic nation today is capable – by Allah’s permission – of regaining its glory, reclaiming its dignity, and rising from its setback, provided that it regains its faith, unites its ranks, prepares well, and takes the material and moral causes of victory.
We ask Allah the Almighty to restore to the Islamic nation its glory and dignity, to grant it victory over its enemies, to protect it from the plots of plotters and the scheming of schemers, and to decree for it victory and empowerment, for He is over all things competent.
And our final claim is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
