Sequel: Ummatul Iman: The Greater Trials ›
Status: ongoing
Ummatul Iman: Nation of Faith
Chapter 4: Planning In The Peninsula
23 Jumada Al-Akhira 1663
"Zubayr ibn Abdul-Hakim, sir," a timid man by the name of Zayd ibn Abdullah spoke. "I'm sorry to disturb you but one of the soldiers has spotted a source of water; we request you permission to fill our canteens,"
"Zayd," came a deep voice from the shadows. "How many times must I tell you, you can still call me Zubayr?"
"I'm sorry Zubayr sir- er, Zubayr."
"No need to apologize. As for the water, have Abu-Yusuf take a small troop to further investigate the water source first, we are near enemy territory; we don't want to risk falling into a trap. It may very well be secretly but heavily guarded, or poisoned at the least. If he gives you the okay, then bring as much water back as you can for the others, and be safe."
"Of course sir, thank you."
Zubayr looked up from the Qur'an he had previously been engaged in as Zayd opened the pale flap of the tent. 'He truly is a respectful and dedicated subordinate,' Zubayr thought to himself. 'It's a shame that he's so overly formal though; I'm sure he could go far if he would just put that aside sometime and let his mind open up. I guess it's no surprise he turned out this way, he's been like this since were kids and my father was training us. I guess now he considers himself honoring the past by serving under me like this...What am I doing, I don't have time for this, I have to move on to more important things.' Zubayr turned his attention to a map of a desert somewhere in the lands that had once been known as Yemen.
Candlelight illuminated a small nation that was enlarged in the center, and showed a series of red pins that denoted Kwaadi invasion forces. Zubayr figured that the troops of Yahya ibn Yunus would take the blunt of their attack. 'They are strong and so long as they remain upon the right path, Allah will aid them,' he thought t himself. 'Allah is Just, and with His Help, we can protect our people.'
"Ok so when the troops under Abdul-Latif arrive, they will take over protection of the southern front, as we move east to the mountains to reinforce Abdur-Rashid's troops," Zubayr said as he moved about pieces on the map going over the strategy mentally.
"With all due respect Zubayr sir," spoke a man who had been waiting to discuss the strategy. "If we move all of our troops to the mountains, far from this water source, we are walking to our doom. We are leaving the water source for the enemy and our backs open for assault. Perhaps you might consider taking half of the army up to the mountains for support and leaving the other half to watch their back and guard the water source."
"Hm, you are wise Abdul-Majid. If we occupy the nearest water source, we control the area. Then we can have an established camp and have our resources unlimited, whereas any enemy troops will need to return to their homes to restock. Even if we are unable to defeat them, we can at least outlast them and fend them off. Then, Abdul-Latif and his troops can helps us to go on the pursuit and wipe them out when they scatter, rushing to their homes."
"Allahu-Akbar! Allahu-Akbar!" The muezzin* began calling the athan outside the tent.
"So it is decided then," Zubayr concluded. "We will divide the troops and I will lead half of them to reinforce Abdur-Rashid. Meanwhile, I will leave Zayd here to command the rest of our army in case of an attack. Come now brother; let us get ready for Fajr."
Zubayr stood and lead Abdul-Majid out of the tent and into the moonlight where the soldiers had begun to assemble outside their tents. The winds blew mildly and the sands shifted, some dunes growing and some shrinking. The distant mountain cliffs stood against the sky, blocking the heavier winds from the camp. As his eyes adjusted to the light of the moon, Zubayr began to notice the other tents like his. They blended in, likely from endless batter from sand and dirt by torrential winds. Some were frayed and many were patched, as were some of the soldiers that were gathered outside them.
After making wudhu and praying their *sunnas, the army gathered to pray Fajr Salat together. The prayer seemed almost endless as Zubayr recited Surah *At-Tauba. The warm rays of the sun rising began to penetrate the darkness of the night. In the 2nd *rakat, Zubayr heard the galloping of a fine Arabian horse with a messenger on its back. The messenger tied his horse and joined the prayer.
After the prayer's conclusion, Zubayr ordered his troops to sit out and await further instructions. Meanwhile he returned to his tent and waited for the messenger to finish praying.
The man finished his prayers in a hurry and invited himself into Zubayr's tent. "Dawud Abdus-Sam'ee, at your service, sir" said the thin, lanky messenger with curtness.
"Who has sent you?" questioned Zubayr.
The messenger stepped forward and handed Zubayr a scroll he was carrying. "The commander of the Muslim forces in the western battle-front, Hussein Ibn Tahir. I was ordered to ride east and warn each commander that the Ikeqi and the Kwaadi have made a truce and are uniting to fight the Muslims in the west."
"What?! Curse those treacherous Ikeqi; they had made a truce with us!"
"A travelling merchant reported that the Ikeqi launched an attack on multiple villages in the unclaimed desert lands. One of the villages sent a small army to confront them, and successfully dealt them a heavy loss. New reports indicate that they are now receiving men and weaponry from Kwade and are devising a new strategy to gain superiority in the land. It is assumed that they intend to wipe out the Muslims from the continent. We do not currently know whether they will return to the place of their defeat first or head northwest to attack the larger Muslim population there."
"Ya Allah! With an increased amount of enemies, we are ill prepared to fight. I will need to send support to the desert tribes as back up in case they do head there first. Those in the northwest will have to rely on support from their island brothers further north."
"Worry not commander, 1,700 warriors from Amman have been recruited and are en route to defend our brothers there. They will, InShaAllah, be safe and well equipped to deal with the traitors. Now sir, I must depart to warn the other commanders."
"Of course you must depart. But first, where are you going to next?"
"I am to go to the mountains where Commander Abdul-Rashid is stationed."
"Good, good. I want you to deliver a message for me. Tell him I am sending reinforcements and they shall arrive InShaAllah by high-noon."
"Certainly sir. I will take my leave now, Salam and may Allah be with you." With that being said, the mysterious messenger left the tent. Zubayr heard the thumping of the horse carrying the messenger off through the sand.
"Abdul-Majid," Zubayr called from out of his tent. "Gather the troops once more and ready them for battle; I need to examine them in order to select who from amongst them shall accompany me to assist Abdul-Rashid."
Zubayr then turned his attention back to his Quran on a small shelf. He picked it up and read verse 153 of the 2nd chapter, "O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient." (Quran 2:153). He stood and closed the book, reflecting on the verse in his head. He then sat the Quran down and began to dress himself in his battle armor. He then tied a black turban over his helmet and put *kohl on his eyes. He went over the verse in his head once more and then took a deep breath.
He stepped outside his tent to the assembled army. He looked on at them as the sun was shining down upon their heads. There they stood, wearing tattered clothing, dented armor, and carrying their standard curved blades. A few of the soldiers wore nothing but plain clothes and turbans, some unarmed, some holding only small knives. They all stood as a unit, with strength and determination evident in their eyes. From the young to the old, strong to the weak, all were equally willing to lay their lives on the line for justice and for righteousness.
"Men, Soldiers, Brothers," Zubayr addressed them in a sincere voice. "Today we ride out on a great path, one that will InShaAllah lead us to Jannah. Allah has promised victory to the Believers, and we pray and strive to be amongst them. SubhanAllah, Allah has so much Mercy, He has guaranteed the Believers victory no matter what. If we die, then InShaAllah we will enter Jannah. And if we triumph over the enemy forces, then it will be that Allah has brought about Justice and Freedom through us. We fight to defend not just ourselves, but all those who wish only to worship Allah in peace, Blessed be His Name! May Allah grant us the strength to remain steadfast in these decisive times. War is upon us; it is time to fulfill our duty, time to give our all for Islam, and remain unwavering in the face of our enemies. My dear respected brothers in Islam, with Allah's Help, WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!"
"Allahu Akbar!" Resounding cheers came from the excited crowd. "Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!"
_______________________________
GLOSSARY/TRANSLATIONS:
Muezzin: One who makes the call to prayer
Sunnas: In this context, it refers to an additional set of prayers before or after an obligatory prayer.
Surah At-Tauba: The 9th chapter of the Quran
Rakat: Segment of the prayer
Kohl: an ancient eye cosmetic with various uses such as protection against eye ailments, protection against the harsh rays of the sun, or simply as decoration.
"Zubayr ibn Abdul-Hakim, sir," a timid man by the name of Zayd ibn Abdullah spoke. "I'm sorry to disturb you but one of the soldiers has spotted a source of water; we request you permission to fill our canteens,"
"Zayd," came a deep voice from the shadows. "How many times must I tell you, you can still call me Zubayr?"
"I'm sorry Zubayr sir- er, Zubayr."
"No need to apologize. As for the water, have Abu-Yusuf take a small troop to further investigate the water source first, we are near enemy territory; we don't want to risk falling into a trap. It may very well be secretly but heavily guarded, or poisoned at the least. If he gives you the okay, then bring as much water back as you can for the others, and be safe."
"Of course sir, thank you."
Zubayr looked up from the Qur'an he had previously been engaged in as Zayd opened the pale flap of the tent. 'He truly is a respectful and dedicated subordinate,' Zubayr thought to himself. 'It's a shame that he's so overly formal though; I'm sure he could go far if he would just put that aside sometime and let his mind open up. I guess it's no surprise he turned out this way, he's been like this since were kids and my father was training us. I guess now he considers himself honoring the past by serving under me like this...What am I doing, I don't have time for this, I have to move on to more important things.' Zubayr turned his attention to a map of a desert somewhere in the lands that had once been known as Yemen.
Candlelight illuminated a small nation that was enlarged in the center, and showed a series of red pins that denoted Kwaadi invasion forces. Zubayr figured that the troops of Yahya ibn Yunus would take the blunt of their attack. 'They are strong and so long as they remain upon the right path, Allah will aid them,' he thought t himself. 'Allah is Just, and with His Help, we can protect our people.'
"Ok so when the troops under Abdul-Latif arrive, they will take over protection of the southern front, as we move east to the mountains to reinforce Abdur-Rashid's troops," Zubayr said as he moved about pieces on the map going over the strategy mentally.
"With all due respect Zubayr sir," spoke a man who had been waiting to discuss the strategy. "If we move all of our troops to the mountains, far from this water source, we are walking to our doom. We are leaving the water source for the enemy and our backs open for assault. Perhaps you might consider taking half of the army up to the mountains for support and leaving the other half to watch their back and guard the water source."
"Hm, you are wise Abdul-Majid. If we occupy the nearest water source, we control the area. Then we can have an established camp and have our resources unlimited, whereas any enemy troops will need to return to their homes to restock. Even if we are unable to defeat them, we can at least outlast them and fend them off. Then, Abdul-Latif and his troops can helps us to go on the pursuit and wipe them out when they scatter, rushing to their homes."
"Allahu-Akbar! Allahu-Akbar!" The muezzin* began calling the athan outside the tent.
"So it is decided then," Zubayr concluded. "We will divide the troops and I will lead half of them to reinforce Abdur-Rashid. Meanwhile, I will leave Zayd here to command the rest of our army in case of an attack. Come now brother; let us get ready for Fajr."
Zubayr stood and lead Abdul-Majid out of the tent and into the moonlight where the soldiers had begun to assemble outside their tents. The winds blew mildly and the sands shifted, some dunes growing and some shrinking. The distant mountain cliffs stood against the sky, blocking the heavier winds from the camp. As his eyes adjusted to the light of the moon, Zubayr began to notice the other tents like his. They blended in, likely from endless batter from sand and dirt by torrential winds. Some were frayed and many were patched, as were some of the soldiers that were gathered outside them.
After making wudhu and praying their *sunnas, the army gathered to pray Fajr Salat together. The prayer seemed almost endless as Zubayr recited Surah *At-Tauba. The warm rays of the sun rising began to penetrate the darkness of the night. In the 2nd *rakat, Zubayr heard the galloping of a fine Arabian horse with a messenger on its back. The messenger tied his horse and joined the prayer.
After the prayer's conclusion, Zubayr ordered his troops to sit out and await further instructions. Meanwhile he returned to his tent and waited for the messenger to finish praying.
The man finished his prayers in a hurry and invited himself into Zubayr's tent. "Dawud Abdus-Sam'ee, at your service, sir" said the thin, lanky messenger with curtness.
"Who has sent you?" questioned Zubayr.
The messenger stepped forward and handed Zubayr a scroll he was carrying. "The commander of the Muslim forces in the western battle-front, Hussein Ibn Tahir. I was ordered to ride east and warn each commander that the Ikeqi and the Kwaadi have made a truce and are uniting to fight the Muslims in the west."
"What?! Curse those treacherous Ikeqi; they had made a truce with us!"
"A travelling merchant reported that the Ikeqi launched an attack on multiple villages in the unclaimed desert lands. One of the villages sent a small army to confront them, and successfully dealt them a heavy loss. New reports indicate that they are now receiving men and weaponry from Kwade and are devising a new strategy to gain superiority in the land. It is assumed that they intend to wipe out the Muslims from the continent. We do not currently know whether they will return to the place of their defeat first or head northwest to attack the larger Muslim population there."
"Ya Allah! With an increased amount of enemies, we are ill prepared to fight. I will need to send support to the desert tribes as back up in case they do head there first. Those in the northwest will have to rely on support from their island brothers further north."
"Worry not commander, 1,700 warriors from Amman have been recruited and are en route to defend our brothers there. They will, InShaAllah, be safe and well equipped to deal with the traitors. Now sir, I must depart to warn the other commanders."
"Of course you must depart. But first, where are you going to next?"
"I am to go to the mountains where Commander Abdul-Rashid is stationed."
"Good, good. I want you to deliver a message for me. Tell him I am sending reinforcements and they shall arrive InShaAllah by high-noon."
"Certainly sir. I will take my leave now, Salam and may Allah be with you." With that being said, the mysterious messenger left the tent. Zubayr heard the thumping of the horse carrying the messenger off through the sand.
"Abdul-Majid," Zubayr called from out of his tent. "Gather the troops once more and ready them for battle; I need to examine them in order to select who from amongst them shall accompany me to assist Abdul-Rashid."
Zubayr then turned his attention back to his Quran on a small shelf. He picked it up and read verse 153 of the 2nd chapter, "O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient." (Quran 2:153). He stood and closed the book, reflecting on the verse in his head. He then sat the Quran down and began to dress himself in his battle armor. He then tied a black turban over his helmet and put *kohl on his eyes. He went over the verse in his head once more and then took a deep breath.
He stepped outside his tent to the assembled army. He looked on at them as the sun was shining down upon their heads. There they stood, wearing tattered clothing, dented armor, and carrying their standard curved blades. A few of the soldiers wore nothing but plain clothes and turbans, some unarmed, some holding only small knives. They all stood as a unit, with strength and determination evident in their eyes. From the young to the old, strong to the weak, all were equally willing to lay their lives on the line for justice and for righteousness.
"Men, Soldiers, Brothers," Zubayr addressed them in a sincere voice. "Today we ride out on a great path, one that will InShaAllah lead us to Jannah. Allah has promised victory to the Believers, and we pray and strive to be amongst them. SubhanAllah, Allah has so much Mercy, He has guaranteed the Believers victory no matter what. If we die, then InShaAllah we will enter Jannah. And if we triumph over the enemy forces, then it will be that Allah has brought about Justice and Freedom through us. We fight to defend not just ourselves, but all those who wish only to worship Allah in peace, Blessed be His Name! May Allah grant us the strength to remain steadfast in these decisive times. War is upon us; it is time to fulfill our duty, time to give our all for Islam, and remain unwavering in the face of our enemies. My dear respected brothers in Islam, with Allah's Help, WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!"
"Allahu Akbar!" Resounding cheers came from the excited crowd. "Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!"
_______________________________
GLOSSARY/TRANSLATIONS:
Muezzin: One who makes the call to prayer
Sunnas: In this context, it refers to an additional set of prayers before or after an obligatory prayer.
Surah At-Tauba: The 9th chapter of the Quran
Rakat: Segment of the prayer
Kohl: an ancient eye cosmetic with various uses such as protection against eye ailments, protection against the harsh rays of the sun, or simply as decoration.