| Uqba ibn Nafi | |
|---|---|
| 622–683 | |
| Place of birth | Unknown |
| Place of death | Sidi Uqba, Algeria |
| Allegiance | Umayyad |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | 670-683 |
| Rank | General |
Uqba ibn Nafi (Arabic: عقبة بن نافع transliteration: ‘Uqbah ibn Nāfi‘) (also referred to as Uqba bin Nafe, Uqba Ibn al Nafia, or Akbah) (622–683) was an Arab general under the Umayyad dynasty, who began the Islamic conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day western Algeria and Morocco in North Africa. Events Religion July 16 — Year one of the Islamic calendar begins during which the Hijra occurs — Prophet Muhammad 683 is a prime number Events By Place Americas The reign of Pacal the Great, ruler of Maya state of Palenque Sidi Okba (also Sidi Uqba - سيدي عقبة is a locality in the Biskra Province, Algeria. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces Events By Place Europe On the death of his brother Clotaire Childeric II becomes king of all of the Frankish kingdoms ( Austrasia 683 is a prime number Events By Place Americas The reign of Pacal the Great, ruler of Maya state of Palenque The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing several languages of Asia and Africa such as Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. Different approaches and methods for the Romanization of Arabic exist Events Religion July 16 — Year one of the Islamic calendar begins during which the Hijra occurs — Prophet Muhammad 683 is a prime number Events By Place Americas The reign of Pacal the Great, ruler of Maya state of Palenque The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Maghreb (المغرب العربي al-Maġrib al-ʿArabī) also rendered Maghrib (or rarely Moghreb) meaning "place of Sunset Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan He was also the nephew of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As. ˤAmr ibn al-ˤĀs (عمرو بن العاص (born c583 - d January 6, 664 CE was an Arab Military commander who is most noted for leading He died in 683. 683 is a prime number Events By Place Americas The reign of Pacal the Great, ruler of Maya state of Palenque
Uqba accompanied Al-‘As in his initial raids and capture of cities in North Africa starting with Barca, then proceeding to Tripolitania in 644 AD. This article is about a city or area in eastern present-day Libya during its Greek and Roman antiquities Tripolitaniajpg|thumb|250px|Tripolitania]] Tripolitania or Tripolitana ( Arabic: طرابلس, Transliterated: Tarābulus) is a historic In 670 now the emir or commander, Uqba led an Arab army to North Africa, crossing the Egyptian deserts, and setting up military posts at regular intervals along his route. Events By Place Europe On the death of his brother Clotaire Childeric II becomes king of all of the Frankish kingdoms ( Austrasia This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. In a region of what is now Tunisia, he established the town now called Kairouan (Kairwan or al Qayrawan, meaning "camp" or "caravanserai" in Arabic) about 160 kilometres south of present-day Tunis, which he used as a base for further operations. Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. Kairouan ( Arabic القيروان (also known as Kirwan, Al Qayrawan) is a Muslim holy city which ranks after Mecca, Medina A caravanserai ( kārvānsarā, Turkish kervansaray) was a roadside Inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Tunis ( Arabic: تونس Tūnis) is the Capital of the Tunisian Republic and also the Tunis
According to one legend, one of Uqba's soldiers stumbled across a golden goblet buried in the sands. It was recognized as one that had disappeared from Mecca some years before, and when it was dug out of the sand a spring appeared, with waters said to come from the same source as those of the sacred Zamzam Well in Mecca. Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam; Arabic: زمزم) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram in [1] This story led to Kairouan becoming a place of pilgrimage, and then a holy city (the Mecca of the Maghreb) and the most important city in North Africa. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance
Uqba aside from cunning and brave, was also a fierce and sometimes brutal emir towards the enemies of Islam and carried out war and collected the poll tax against them. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. He was rumored to cut off body parts and taken people as slaves in his operations "in order to show them a lesson". He was thoroughly convinced of Arab superiority, demonstrated by the favor Allah had shown his kinsmen in their conquests. Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' He was replaced in chains by Abu al-Muhajir Dinar who would become Uqba's successor. Abu al-Muhajir Dinar (d 683 Amir of Ifriqiya under the Umayyads His biography is complicated by the existence of two versions of the history of the This ignited a fire in him to be returned to his post, which sometime later was granted to him by the Caliph. The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah
In 683 Uqba was ambushed and killed near Biskra by Kusaila. 683 is a prime number Events By Place Americas The reign of Pacal the Great, ruler of Maya state of Palenque Biskra ( Arabic: بسكرة; Berber: Tibeskert) is the capital city of Biskra province, Algeria. Kusaila (? - 690 (also spelled Kusayla, Kosaila, Koceila in French spelling or Kasila (the preferred pronunciation by modern researchers Ironically he died beside his hated rival Abu al-Muhajir Dinar, during the battle with Kusaila's troops. His armies evacuated Kairouan and withdrew to Barqa (though Kairouan was soon recaptured). This article is about a city or area in eastern present-day Libya during its Greek and Roman antiquities His descendants can be found in the area stretching from the Lake Chad region to Mauritania's coast. Lake Chad (in French Lac Tchad) is a historically large shallow lake in Africa, whose size has varied greatly over the centuries The trans-sahel Arab tribe of "Kounta" traces its origins to Uqba, in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya some of his descendants are known as Ouled Sidi Ukba.
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Historical accounts
Most of the accounts which describe Arab conquests of North Africa in general and Uqba's conquests in particular date back to at least two centuries after the conquests have happened. The Mosque of Uqba (Arabic جامع عقبة (also known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Arabic جامع القيروان الأكبر is one of the most important mosques Kairouan ( Arabic القيروان (also known as Kirwan, Al Qayrawan) is a Muslim holy city which ranks after Mecca, Medina [2]
One of the earliest reports come from the Andalucian chronicler Ibn Idhari Al-Marrakushi in his Al-Bayan al-Mughrib fi akhbar al-Andalus. Al-Andalus (الأندلس was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims or Abū al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Idhāri al-Marrākushi ( who lived in the late 13th and the early 14th century was the author of an important medieval text ( Al-Bayan al-Mughrib ' Kitāb al-bayān al-mughrib fī ākhbār mulūk al-andalus wa'l-maghrib' ( Book of the Amazing Story of the History of the Kings of Spain and Morocco) is an important medieval In it, Ibn Idhari describes the moment when Uqba reached the Atlantic coast saying "Oh God, if the sea had not prevented me, I would have galloped on for ever like Alexander the Great, upholding your faith and fighting the unbelievebers!. "[3]
Edward Gibbon, referring to Uqba ibn Nafi as Akbah, gives him the title "conqueror of Africa," beginning his story when he "marched from Damascus at the head of ten thousand of the bravest Arabs; and the genuine force of the Moslems [sic] was enlarged by the doubtful aid and conversion of many thousand Barbarians. Edward Gibbon ( April 27, 1737 January 16, 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. " He then marched into North Africa. Gibbon continues: "It would be difficult, nor is it necessary, to trace the accurate line of the progress of Akbah. " On the North African coast, "the well-known titles of Bugia, and Tangier define the more certain limits of the Saracen victories. Tangier or Tangiers ]] ( Tanja طنجة in Berber and Arabic, Tánger in Spanish Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. " Gibbon then tells the story of Akbah's conquest of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana. In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa Mauretania Tingitana was a Roman province located in northwestern Africa coinciding roughly with the northern part of modern Morocco and spanish cities of Ceuta
- "The fearless Akbah plunged into the heart of the country, traversed the wilderness in which his successors erected the splendid capitals of Fez and Morocco, and at length penetrated to the verge of the Atlantic and the great desert. Fes or Fez ( Arabic: فاس, French Fès is the fourth largest City in Morocco, after Casablanca, Rabat The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest . . . The career, though not the zeal, of Akbah was checked by the prospect of a boundless ocean. He spurred his horse into the waves, and raising his eyes to heaven, exclaimed: Great God! if my course were not stopped by this sea, I would still go on, to the unknown kingdoms of the West, preaching the unity of thy holy name, and putting to the sword the rebellious nations who worship another gods than thee. "
Yet this Islamic Alexander, who sighed for new worlds, was unable to preserve his recent conquests. By the universal defection of the Greeks and Africans he was recalled from the shores of the Atlantic, and the surrounding multitudes left him only the resource of an honourable death. The last scene was dignified by an example of national virtue. An ambitious chief, who had disputed the command and failed in the attempt, was led about as a prisoner in the camp of the Arabian general. The insurgents had trusted to his discontent and revenge; he disdained their offers and revealed their designs. In the hour of danger, the grateful Akbah unlocked his fetters, and advised him to retire; he chose to die under the banner of his rival. Embracing as friends and martyrs, they unsheathed their scimeters, broke their scabbards, and maintained an obstinate combat, till they fell by each other’s side on the last of their slaughtered countrymen. "
It should be pointed out that although much scholarship on the life and conquests of ibn Nafi are available, most have not been translated from their original Arabic into English or French.
See also
References and notes
- ^ Places of peace and power - Kairouan, Tunisia - Sacredsites. The Umayyad conquest of North Africa continued the century of rapid Arab Muslim expansion following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE Medieval Muslim Algeria spans from the 600s to the 1600s Unlike the invasions of previous religions and cultures the coming of Islam, which was spread by Arabs The Berbers (Imazighen are an ethnic group that had until recently few links to the Arabs They have existed in ancient Mauretania, Numidia, Kusaila (? - 690 (also spelled Kusayla, Kosaila, Koceila in French spelling or Kasila (the preferred pronunciation by modern researchers The initial Arab Muslim conquests (632–732 (فتح Fatah, literally opening, also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab com
- ^ Corradini, Richard; Helmut Reimitz, Marx Diesenberger (2003). The Construction of Communities in the Early Middle Ages: Texts, Resources and Artefacts. Brill Academic Publishers, pp. Founded in 1683 in Leiden, The Netherlands, Brill (known as E 303. ISBN 9-0041-0845-9.
- ^ Ibn Idhari, Al-Bayan al-Mughrib fi akhbar al-Andalus, 1 ed. Abū al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Idhāri al-Marrākushi ( who lived in the late 13th and the early 14th century was the author of an important medieval text ( Al-Bayan al-Mughrib ' Kitāb al-bayān al-mughrib fī ākhbār mulūk al-andalus wa'l-maghrib' ( Book of the Amazing Story of the History of the Kings of Spain and Morocco) is an important medieval G. S. Colin and E. Lévi-Provençal, 2 vols. (Leiden 1949) p. 27
External links
- Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 51
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