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THE COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES FROM ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE BASED ON THE

MUSLIMS BATTLES AND EMPIRES

Working Paper · December 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.13304.65284

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 WORKING PAPER NO. 5

THE COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES FROM ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

BASED ON THE MUSLIMS BATTLES AND EMPIRES

Suhaimi Mhd Sarif, Nur Lina Mohd Hadzran, Razanah Syairah Asmantor, Farhanah Mohamed
Amurdeen, Ainaa Sharmeen Ismail Zaki, Mardhiah Mohd Idris, Nur Azmina binti Azmi
International Islamic University Malaysia
Corresponding email: razanahsyairah@yahoo.com

Executive Summary:
This paper investigates the formation of competitive strategies based on key battles and
campaigns participated by Muslim army.

1. INTRODUCTION

The main purpose of this study is to explore and investigate the strategies that were used in
wars and struggles gone through by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) during pre-Islamic and by
Muslims during post-Islamic era and how can we apply and practice in contemporary era with all
the challenges. The strategies Prophet Muhammad (SAW) made during wars and immigration,
their execution and consequences and how modern business adopt these strategies to improve the
organizational (Gholam Reza & Naser & Ayesha, 2015, pg 84). Quran and Sunnah are the best
resources to find lessons that are applicable to the world of strategy. Islam is a complete way of
life and the guidance in the Quran transcends time and speaks to us of everything in our lives.
Firstly, strategy is its action plan for outperforming its competitors and achieving superior victory.
From Islamic perspective, there is a lot to be learnt from the strategies used by the Prophet SAW
to establish Islam in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Prophet (SAW) stressed the value of planning throughout many of his event of life. He
recognizes the value of vision and mission that is to spread Islam to all over the world
(Mubarakpuri, 2009). Vision from Islamic perspective should encourage Muslim to work hard at
achieving in both worldly and afterlife aspect for the purpose of obtaining rewards and pleasure
from Allah. Quranic verse :

“And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups, till, when
they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their arrival for their reception) and its keepers
will say: Salamun 'Alaikum (peace be upon you)! You have done well, so enter here to abide
therein." And they will say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah(SWT) Who has fulfilled His
Promise to us and has made us inherit (this) land. We can dwell in Paradise where we will; how
excellent a reward for the (pious good) workers!" (Quran 39: 73-74)

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 It is proven that vision is very important to achieve success in this world and hereafter.
The Prophet's vision for Muslims is to seek the pleasure of Allah which is the ultimate goal of
Muslim. One who receives Allah's (SWT) pleasure will be rewarded with Jannah. Paradise is
explicitly painted in the Quran as a place of abundance in the Hereafter where there are trees with
streams underneath. On the other hand one who transgressed will refer in Hellfire.

The Quranic verses, Allah (SWT) said:

“Fighting is made obligatory for you (to fight against aggression) even though you dislike it. But
you may hate a thing which is good for you, and love a thing which is bad for you. And (remember)
that Allah(SWT) alone knows (all these things) but you do not know.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 216).

It was narrated from Ibn Kathir,

In this Quranic verse, Allah (SWT) made it obligatory for the Muslims to fight in Jihad against the
evil of the enemy who transgress against Islam. “Az-Zuhri said, "Jihad is required from every
person, whether he actually joins the fighting or remains behind. Whoever remains behind is
required to give support, if support is warranted; to provide aid, if aid is needed; and to march
forth, if he is commanded to do so. If he is not needed, then he remains behind.''” (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir, 2000, pg 596).
It is reported in the Sahih (Muslim 3 : 1517)
Whoever dies but neither fought (i.e., in Allah's cause), nor sincerely considered fighting, will die
a death of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era of ignorance)

On the day of Al-Fath when he conquered Makkah), the Prophet (SAW) said:
There is no Hijrah migration from Makkah to Al-Madinah after the victory, but only Jihad and
good intention. If you were required to march forth, then march forth.

Allah's statement:
“Though you dislike it” (2:216) means, `Fighting is difficult and heavy on your hearts.' Indeed,
fighting is as the Quranic verse describes it, as it includes being killed, wounded, striving against
the enemies and enduring the hardship of travel. Allah (SWT) then said: “and it may be that you
dislike a thing which is good for you” (2:216) meaning, fighting is followed by victory, dominance
over the enemy, taking over their lands, money and offspring. Allah continues: “and that you like
a thing which is bad for you”(2:216) (Tafsir Ibn Kathir,2000, pg 597).

Then, Allah(SWT) said:

“ Allah(SWT) knows, but you do not know” (2 :216)

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 The Quranic verse means that “He has better knowledge than you of how things will turn out to
be in the end, and of what benefits you in this earthly life and the Hereafter. Hence, obey Him and
adhere to His commands, so that you may acquire the true guidance (Tafsir Ibn Kathir,2000, pg
597).

However, Prophet's (SAW) missions are "to call upon human being the religion: Islam
(peace and security), to raise the religion of Allah (SWT) and eliminate all forms of polytheism,
to maintain the peacefulness in the country and on earth and lastly to do preparation to intimidate
the challenge of Allah and their alliances"( GholamReza & Naser & Ayesha, 2015, pg 94-95). The
ultimate task of Prophet is to do da'wah and spread Islam to all over the globe. To achieve the
mission, this strategy was employed in order to expand the boundary of dakwah area and Islamic
influence.

In this project, we will try to find out what kind of strategy that Prophet used during his
life and most implemented in wars and battles for victory. In addition to it, we will try to discover
the types of strategies used in different battles. The purpose of this project is to have a better clear
on strategies used during Pre-Islamic era and how can we use these strategies to adopt the new
challenge in modern era and learn from the lessons in order to have a general idea in implementing
strategies in all organizations to gain and strengthen competitive advantages. The information used
in this analysis mainly from Tafsir Quran, academic journals and textbook.The discussions are
organized according to the occurrence date of the battles, during the time Prophet’s (SAW), then
Tabuk battle, next Persian battle followed by the latest war which is Uthmaniyah battle. The works
are distributed equally and fairly among us and we diligently help our group members to finish up
this project.

2.1 PROPHET’S BATTLES AND STRATEGIES

“During the time of the Prophet (SAW), he had fought several battles with rivals and opponents,
who he unexpectedly won thereby gaining stature as well as ground and before long his
missionaries began to fan out across the Arab world (Bobrick, 2006)”. One of the tactics during
the battles during the time of the prophet is the power or opportunity to act or take charge before
others do. In other words, by “taking initiative is first such tactic which helps in winning a war
with comparatively low cost because striking first generally means catching the enemy
unprepared”(The Battles during the Madani Period of the Prophetic Mission,2016).

“He also very successfully employed the elements of surprise, speed and mobility in his
campaigns. His enemy was often taken by surprise when they suddenly (SAW) his forces at their
gates. In order to keep his movements secret from his enemy, he followed complicated and
sometimes even opposing routes to confuse them about his intentions. In six of his major
campaigns, his enemy was completely surprised to see his forces. Farmers of Khaibar who were
coming out of their gates to look at their fields were taken aback to see him and ran into their
castles, shouting, “Muhammad is come.” And in nine of his minor expeditions he took the enemy
by surprise while they were quite unprepared for fighting. His success in catching the enemy

3
unprepared was so amazing that he had light fighting in only four of the 17 minor expeditions and
real battle in only six of the major campaigns.” (Chaudhry, 2003)
There were many other tactics used in battles fought by Prophet (SAW). Few battle during
the Madani Period of the Prophetic Mission that will be discussed are the battle of Badr, battle of
Uhud, battle of Hunain and battle of Khandaq.

1. Battle of Badr
The battle of Badr is the first battle between the Muslims and the unbelievers of Makkah
that took place at Badr (a valley between Makkah and Madinah) during the second year of the
Hijrah. In this battle, the number of fully equipped unbelievers was more than the Muslims. The
Muslims who lacked with all the necessary equipment were about one third of the one thousand
fully equipped unbelievers. However, this did not despair their hope. “Their divine dispensation
afforded the Muslims a bright victory and defeated the unbelievers in the worst possible way” Nabi
Muhammad (SAW) : Motives of the Wars,2016). The battle of Badr was remarkable in so many
ways. It demonstrated the great devotion of the disciples to the cause their complete faith in the
Prophet and his mission. This is one of the important strategies used internally. Moreover, the
battle also proved that mere numerical superiority and matching bravery are of no help if the cause
is not righteous. As we know, Allah SWT helps those who make sacrifices in His cause.

Ibn Hanbal relates in his authenticated and well-known book, Musnad, that at the battle of
Badr, when the fully-armored army was positioned before the eyes of the Muslims, it was Prophet
(SAW) alone who was a source of strength to them all. They all came to the prophet to seek mental
refuge, and it was the Prophet alone who remained steadfast.

There are few strategies that can be learnt from this battle that, being in a leader, we must
trust our subordinates. However, in order to lead our subordinates, we must be firm in our decision
and most of all to be strong when competing with our rivals or enemies. What prophet did in this
battle was remarkable. The victory from this battle gave them confidence in their physical power
which they now could meet force with force against the enemies. Soon later, they were recognized
of their power and smaller tribes were cautioned to join forces against them.

Lesson learnt in battle of Badr

Few lessons that can be learnt from the battle of Badr is the manners of the Prophet (SAW).
Prophet (SAW) reflects a very important characteristic of a Muslim, i.e. discussing and seeking
advice from the sahabah after receiving revelation from Allah SWT.

Moreover, Prophet (SAW) showed a good example of loyalty and courage. When the Prophet
(SAW) consulted the companions, the Muhajiroun assured him of their support. However, he
consulted the Sahaba three times to ask them for their opinion.

Also, it showed a good unity of the Muslims in present and future. One of the key lessons that
can be learnt from the Ansar is the display of solidarity and true brotherhood (ukhuwa). The Ansar
and the Muhajiroun worked brilliantly together to help bring about victory at Badr. (Ramadhan in
History: The Battle of Badr, Lessons for Today, 2013)

4
2. Battle of Uhud
The next battle took place was in the third year of Hijrah which was the battle of Uhud. In
this battle, at first, the enemy suffered defeat. However, it all changed when this group of “Muslim
archers made the mistake of vacating their position against the strict command of the Prophet not
to leave on any account” (Khan, 1998). The test for a successful general is how he behaves in
adverse and difficult situation. The Prophet never lost his nerve and he never panicked or showed
any signs of helplessness even under the extreme pressure of war. “In the battle of Uhud, when the
archers left their positions against his specific orders and the enemy attacked from all sides, his
army began retreating in confusion and disorder”(Reasons for the battle of Uhud, 2016). But he
remained as cool and confident as ever, called his men and gave new spirit into them, and they
rallied around him and fought courageously until the enemies withdraw.

“He was able to employ fully and most successfully all the elements of war strategy against
his enemy and rarely gave them the opportunity to take any counter-action against him. He always
took the offensive in great secrecy and never let his enemy know his intentions until he was
actually on the battlefield. He went on 11 major and 17 minor expeditions and in eight of the major
and all of the minor expeditions he took the offensive and the initiative was always on his side,
except at Ta’if, where the nature of the enemy position made it rather difficult. Even at Badr, Uhud
and Ahzab, though the enemy had marched towards the Muslims, the main initiative was still on
the side of Muhammad, whose better and superior tactical moves often baffled and confused his
enemies” (Chaudhry, 2003).

Moreover, in this battle, the Islamic defense consisted of these three important elements
which played their roles at the battle of Uhud that can be seen as a good tactic used. Firstly is the
ideal leadership of the Messenger and his firmness. Second, the members of the house of Prophet
(SAW) and their heroism. And third, an Islamic army consisting of seven hundred companions
whom their hearts were filled with faith and readiness for sacrifice.

Lesson learnt in battle of Uhud

Some lessons that can be learnt from the battle of Uhud is that if Allah (SWT) had always
given the Muslims victory in every circumstance they would have become oppressive and
arrogant. His servants are only kept righteous and balanced through good times and bad, hardship
and ease. Also, when Allah (SWT) afflicts the Muslims with setbacks, loss and defeat, they
become humble and submissive, making them deserving of His might and victory.

3. Battle of Khandaq
Battle of Khandaq was the third battle declared by the Arab unbelievers against the Prophet
(SAW). It was a very severe battle in which the unbelievers had fully equipped themselves with
their forces and powers. In this battle, Prophet (SAW) came to know the intention of the enemy
beforehand so he had consulted his disciples over the matter. After a long discussion, they finally
come up with a solution to dug a trench all around the city of Madinah according to the proposal
of Salman al-Farisi who was an intimate Companion of the Holy Prophet (SA). In this battle, the
Muslims tactically overcame their opponents while suffering very few casualties. The efforts of
the unbeliever to defeat the Muslims failed, and Islam became influential in the region.

5
Lesson learnt from battle of Khandaq
From the battle of Khandaq there are few lessons that can be learnt such as the leadership
example that was given by Prophet (SAW). Whilst the Sahabah were digging the trench,
Rasulullah SAW was digging the trench with them. He wasn’t doing this, to publicise the event
and make a big show out of it. Rasulullah SAW was doing it sincerely, and to give us an example
of how a leader should act.What we can derived from this event is that a leader in any event, should
not be above and beyond the rules, s/he must practice whatever it is that they preach.
Another lesson is that, the raising spirits of Prophet (SAW) and the Muslims. He SAW was
raising their spirits throughout the battle. The Sahabah were chanting words of poetry to raise up
the spirits and morale. So the leader should have the highest spirit amongst the group. This is
important as being in a group in any event, supports are much needed in times where hope are
almost fading away.

4. Battle of Hunayn
The battle of Hunayn was one of the most important battles of the Prophet (SAW). During
the battle, Prophet (SAW) ordered the believers to fight in sincerity. As it can be seen from the
following tafseer:
“If the camel of one of them did not obey him (as the people were rushing to the other
direction in flight) he would wear his shield and descend from his camel and rush to the side of
the Messenger of Allah on foot. When a large crowd gathered around the Messenger of Allah , he
commanded them to fight in sincerity and took a handful of sand and threw it in the faces of the
disbelievers, after supplicating to Allah,” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir,2009, pg 79).

Lesson learnt from battle of Hunayn

From the battle of Hunayn, lesson that can be learnt is that no matter how big is the number
of men in the army of Muslims, victory always comes from Allah (SWT). “The power of Prophet
Muhammad’s (SAW) army had overwhelmed the leaders of the Hawazin and Thaqif tribe and the
battle ended with victory for the Muslims”(Reema, 2010).
Even in the battle of Hunayn, the Prophet’s (SAW) confidence and steadfastness that re-
organised the retreating army and launched a counter-attack against the enemy which won the day.
Table 1 summarises key battles and the essence of the strategies employed.

Table 1: key battles and the essence of the strategies employed

No. Battle Year Strategies

6
 1 Badr 2 AH · Divine dispensation

2 Uhud 3 AH · Prophet (SAW) never lost his nerve and he never panicked or
showed any signs of helplessness even under the extreme pressure
of war
· Fought courageously until the enemies withdraw
· Took the offensive in great secrecy and never let the enemies
know their intentions

3 Khandaq 5 AH · Know the intention of the enemy beforehand

· Consulted disciples over the matter

4 Hunayn 8 AH · Counter-attack against the enemy

· Confidence and steadfastness that re-organised the retreating
army

2.2 BATTLE OF TABUK - Final battle of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

Previously we have discussed the strategies that were used by Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
from Badr until Hunayn battle that had happened from 2 A.H until 8 A.H. In the 9.A.H, there was
another important battle by Rasulullah (SAW) which is Tabuk Battle. This battle is unique and
most important it was the last battle of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that we need to learn from.

Battle of Tabuk happened in the 9 A.H in the month of Sha’aban, or October 630M. Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) and his forces left Madinah to Tabuk (Gulzar,1986,p.220). It took place in
Tabuk, which is near the Byzantine or Roman territory. The battle is named based on its location.
Tabuk is located about 350 miles northwest of Madinah and 150 miles south of Ma’an and it was
a strong fort on the road leading to Damascus from Hijr. The expanding empire of Islam across
the Arabia made the non-Muslims rulers to be worried. One of them in Caesar of Rome, the King
of Byzantine. The ruler to be most worried as a result of the activities in Madinah would be the
Emperor of Eastern Roman Empire, as the Arab Empire in making was adjacent to the territories
that recent conquered (Gulzar,1986,p.214).

The Underlying Reason of Tabuk Battle

The Byzantine power, which was considered the greatest military force on earth at that
time, shown an unjustifiable opposition towards Muslims. The reason of this battle was because
their opposition started at killing the ambassador of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), Al-Harith bin
‘Umair Al-Azdi .The ambassador was then carrying a message from the Prophet (SAW) to the
ruler of Busra (Mubarakpuri, 2002). Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was informed by the merchant
who returned to Arabia from Syria about the Roman soldiers at the border of Syria. Holy Prophet
(SAW) realized that it was the threat from Romans and he started to send messages to Makkah and

7
around Madinah. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) managed to gather 30000 Muslims to take part in
the Battle of Tabuk. The force also was armed and equipped (Gulzar,1986,p.218).

Obstacles during the Tabuk Expedition

The expedition of Tabuk was also unique because the distance was so great, and it was
summer time with heat scorching, crops not yet harvested and they need people to harvest
(Bashier,2001,p.257). Besides that, there were people in Madinah that still lack of sense of
belonging to the society who created traits. One of them was the hypocrite leader, Abdullah bin
Ubayy, the well-known hypocrite leader who was camping separately and trying his best to create
a rift among the believers (Gulzar,1986,p.219). Allah Almighty said in Surah At-Tawbah about
the hypocrisy and also about the reward to those Muslims who fought for Islam.

Allah has mentioned in the Surah Tawbah about the hypocrites during the Battle of Tabuk :

81. Those who stayed away (from Tabuk expedition) rejoiced in their staying behind the
Messenger of Allah; they hated to strive and fight with their properties and their lives in the cause
of Allah, and they said: "March not forth in the heat. '' Say: "The fire of Hell is more intense in
heat; '' if only they could understand!) (82. So let them laugh a little and (they will) cry much as a
recompense of what they used to earn (by committing sins) – Surah Tawbah (Verses 81-82)

Based on the two verses of Surah At-Tawbah, Tafseer ibn Khathir provided that:
Allah admonishes the hypocrites who lagged behind from the battle of Tabuk with the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah, rejoicing that they remained behind after the Messenger
departed for the battle, (they hated to strive and fight), along with the Messenger, (with their
properties and their lives in the cause of Allah, and they said), to each other, ("March not forth in
the heat.'') Tabuk occurred at a time when the heat was intense and the fruits and shades became
delightful. This is why they said, ("March not forth in the heat '') Allah said to His Messenger,
(Say) to them, ("The fire of Hell.), which will be your destination because of your disobedience,
("is more intense in heat ;''), than the heat that you sought to avoid; it is even more intense than
fire. - (Tafseer Ibn Khathir)
During this time Prophet Muhammad (SAW) needed to overcome two threats in one battle.
We can see that the obstacles or competition not just from the external but internal as well. Best
strategies must be used in order to overcome both issues. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has
chosen his loyal companion to take care of the hypocrites while he was away and kept his position
as the leader and led the battlefield, gather the highest number of armies in Muslims war history
and faced the enemy of Islam since that was more risky.

Muslim Armies Caused the Roman to Retreat

The army that numbered 30 000 fighters was a great one, when compared with the previous
armies of Islam. Muslims had never marched with such a great number before. Arriving at Tabuk
and camping there, the Muslim army was ready to face the enemy. There, the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) delivered an eloquent speech that included the most inclusive words. In that
speech he urged the Muslims to seek the welfare of this world and the world to come. He warned
and cherished them and gave them good tidings. By doing that he cherished those who were broken

8
in spirits, and blocked up the gap of shortage and mess they were suffering from due to lack of
supplies, food and other substances (Mubarakpuri,2002,p.218)

However, the enemies had already retreated when they heard about the army of the
Muslims. The Muslim army along with the Holy Prophet (SAW) stayed at the place of Tabuk for
about 20 days but the enemy did not come back. But the journey was not wasted as while coming
back the Prophet (SAW) managed to convert a large number of surroundings to Muslims and
moved them to Islam. And those who did not accept Islam agreed to pay the tax or jizyah to the
Muslims and in turn the Muslims will provide protection (Naveed, 2012).

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) Returned to Madinah

On the way back, the Holy Prophet (SAW) passed the valley of Uqba through a narrow
hilly road with steep slopes on either side. Huzayfa bin Yamani and Ammar Yasir were with the
Holy Prophet (SAW) to ensure his safety, when suddenly the hypocrites seized that opportunity to
seek the Prophet’s life. As the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and his two companions were moving
along, they heard thrusts of people coming towards him from behind with their faces veiled.
Huzayfa, who was sent by the Prophet to see what was going on, saw them and stroke their mounts’
faces with a crook in his hand and Allah cast fear into their hearts. They fled away and overtook
their people. However, Huzayfa named them to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and informed him
of their intentions. So that was why Huzayfa was called the “confidant” of the Messenger of Allâh
(SAW) (Mubarakpuri,2002,p.219).

The effect of this invasion is great as regards extending and confirming the Muslims’
influence and domination on the Arabian. Great number of delegations who came successively to
meet the Messenger of Allah (SAW). Naturally, deputations used to come to meet him at the end
of an invasion particularly after Makkah Conquest but they were not as many as these nor were
they as frequent as they were then in the wake of Tabuk event. It was certainly the greatest
(Mubarakpuri,2002,p.221). Since this was the last battle of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), it was
declared as the one of the most important battle of Muslim

Summary of the Tabuk Battle

9
 Once Prophet (SAW)
reached there, the
Caesar of Rome, the Roman had retreated
King of Byzantine after they heard about
worried of expanding the Muslim army
Empire of Islam
As result, the war
elevate the political
relations with Empire
of Islam

Ambassador of the
Messenger of Allah
(SAW), Al-Harith bin
‘Umair Al-Azdi was
killed.
Diffiiculties :
- it was summer, scorching heat
- harvest time, need people to
harvest the crops
- Betrayal of hypocrites

In the month of Shaaban,

Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) knew that was a
threat. He gathered
Muslims army for the
battle.
9 A.H, the force of 30000
armies left Madinah to
Tabuk.
- the number was biggest
in history of Muslim
battles

Figure 1: Illustration on the Battle of Tabuk

Lesson learnt from Tabuk Battle

Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) teachings consist of every aspect in our lives. Faith and
worship are the first two constitution of Prophet’s teaching, then comes the third which is moral
conducts. Moral conducts relates to those mutual rights and obligations that fall upon human
beings, the observance that not only proper but also essential (Nadwi, 1999,p.21).

Based on the battle of Tabuk, we have learnt that the Prophet’s (SAW) companions and
followers were very obedient and unite till he managed to gather 30 000 armies that had very
strong faith and chose to jihad in the path of Allah (SWT) because they were very obedience to
Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The moral factors of obedience and unity is very important that we
should have as the servants of Allah (SWT).

Ibn Umar reported that Messenger of Allah (SWT) saying:

“Hearing and obeying are the duty of a Muslim, both regarding what he likes and what he
dislikes, as long as he not ordered to commit a misdeed. If he is ordered to commit a misdeed, then
he is not to hear and not to obey”. – Sahih Bukhari and Muslim

Based on the narration, we are obliged to obey the command of Allah (SWT) and Prophet’s
teaching. Therefore, it has been emphasized that obedience to Messenger of Allah (SWT) is

10
necessity in every matter. As Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah (SWT),
obedience to him is considered as obedience to Allah SWT, and disobedience to him also become
disobedience to Allah SWT (Rahman,1980,p.76). We believe that such moral obligations will
enable us to take down our competitors which same as in the Battle of Tabuk where the enemy
had retreated after they knew about the number of Muslims armies outnumbered them because of
their obedience to Prophet’s (SAW) command and stood in unity to defeat the enemies.

2.3 THE PERSIAN EMPIRE - During the reign of Umar ibn al Khattab

After the Prophet SAW deaths, the caliphs continued to spread Islam all across the land.
During the reign of Umar ibn al Khattab, one of the most significant conquest in Islamic history is
of the Battle of Qadasia in the year 637. The Battle of Qadaisa was one of the turning points in
world history as it represents the end of the Persian Empire and the beginning of the Islamic
Empire. Figure 2 depicts the conquers.

Figure 2 Illustrates the Arab Muslim Caliphate Conquers

The Persian Empire or the Sasanian Empire was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire,
established in 224 CE by Ardeshir I, descendant of Sasan. This empire is considered by the Iranians
to be the highlight of their civilization. During the years 629 to 630, the Muslims successfully
conquered Yemen, Oman and Bahrain, which were under the Sasanian Empire. The Persians were
disconcerted by those losses so they reorganized and appointed the famous Khorasani General
Rustam to defend their remaining borders. Two officers named Narsi and Jaban were also put in
service as reinforcements of General Rustam. At that time, the Muslims defenses had weakened
as Khalid al Walid was on duty in Syria. With that, Caliph Umar permitted Al Muthanah to raise

11
a new army led by Abu Obaid Safaqi. His army met the Persian officer Jaban at the Battle of
Namaraq and defeated him. That was followed up by a victory against the officer Narsi at the
Battle of Maqatia. Undauntingly, the Persian commander Rustam sent a new army led by Mardan
Shah with reinforcements by hundreds of war elephants. Because the Muslim army had no
experience with elephant-mounted troops, they retreated back to Euphrates when Abu Obaid was
trampled under one of the elephants.

Umar then called a meeting with all the Arab nobles for consultation. He offered to lead a
campaign to Persia but Ali ibn Abu Talib was against it. So, the Caliph sent Sa’ad ibn Waqqas to
lead an army of 20,000 on a peace mission to Rustam, who then brought them to Emperor
Yazdgard. The Persian Emperor bribed them with wealth that they could bring back to their
homeland. Instead, Muthannah ibn Harith offered the Emperor three choices. The first, is to accept
submission to One God, become a Muslim and a brother to faith. Second, to accept the protection
of the Muslim state and pay jizya. Three, if the first two was unacceptable, face war. The Emperor
was outraged at the choices and sent them back.

In the Battle of Qadasia, Rustam made a tactical error by having the Persian soldiers in
their heavy armor, unsuitable for warfare in the desert. The Arabs had the upper hand by wearing
no armor as they were used to desert warfare. The desert heat exhausted the Persian soldiers’
strength. In the battle before the peace mission, the elephants in the Persian army caused much
difficulty for the Muslim army. However, after two days of battle, they managed to neutralize the
elephants by shooting sharp arrows at their eyes. This caused injury to the elephants so they turned
around and scattered, stomping on the Persian troops. Rustam was slain in this battle. The Muslims
had won the Battle of Qadasia, which caused Persia to become a part of the Islamic world. From
that point, Sa’ad ibn Waqqas progressed to Babylon, Kosi and Babrasheer. Emperor Yazdgard
tried to slow down the Muslim army by destroying the bridge that linked the western shores of the
Tigris River to Madayen, the capital of the Persian Empire. Nevertheless, those tactics were in
vain, as they brought their horses into the river and waded across to Madayen.

Admitting to defeat at that time, Yazdgard fled from Madayen to Merv in northeastern
Persia. After realizing the Muslims are on a full-scale invasion, he rallied all Persians and their
allies that amounted to a huge army of 150,000. Upon hearing of this, the government of Kufa,
Ammar ibn Yassir, passed on the information to the Caliph and requested for more troops. Umar
sent a corps of 30,000 under the command of Numan ibn Muquran. The two armies met at the
Battle of Nahawand after any talk of peace were to no avail. When Numan ibn Muquran was badly
injured, the Muslim commanders kept this fact secret from both armies. By then end of the first
day, the Muslims came out victorious. However, Numan did not survive his wound and died that
evening.

The Persian resistance fled to its eastern provinces while Yazdgard set himself up in Merv.
Before any counterattacks could be taken, Caliph Umar delegated his army to put an end to all
Persian resistance; Persepolis by Abi al Aas, Sistan by Aasim ibn Amr, Makran and Baluchistan
by Hakam ibn Umair, Azerbaijan by Othba ibn Farqad, Armenia by Buqair ibn Abdulla and
Khorasan by Ahnaf ibn Qais. By the year 650, the Persian Empire was completely under the control
of the Arab armies. Yazdgard feld Persia and eventually died in exile. The map of West Asia and

12
North Africa had changed within just a decade after the election of Umar ibn al Khattab as the
Caliph. By this time, Madina became the capital of the largest empire in the world.
History bends to the will of man when it is exercised with faith and steadfastness. Umar
was described as that as he bent history to his will, leaving a legacy that successor generations
have looked upon as a model. (Nazeer Ahmed, 2000, pg 34) He has also been narrated by Aslam:
Ibn Umar asked me about some matters concerning Umar. He said, “Since Allah’s Apostle died, I
have never seen anybody more serious, hardworking and generous than Umar bin Al-Khattab (till
the end of his life).” (Sahih Al-Bukhari Book 57 Hadith 36). From the success of conquering
Persia, we could see that Umar was a strong, powerful leader and was highly respected by Arabs
and non-Arabs. Even with the victory of conquering many other lands, he rejected none of their
ideals, instead he was open minded enough to accept and adopt whatever that is good in other
civilizations. Figure 3 depicts the Arab Muslim Conquests (636-656)

13
14
Lessons learnt from Persian battle
There are many lessons that can be derived from the war with the Persians. A lesson we
can learn from Umar ibn al Khattab is that good leadership skills is very important in any aspects
of life. We can apply his characteristics to management of a company where a leader can have a
big impact on his or her employees and of course the company as a whole. A leader should be a
good listener so that he or she can help employees with any problems that may occur and be
articulate enough in giving advice to them. A leader must never be arrogant and egoistic as he or
she should also listen to the advice of others. A leader should also learn to motivate his or her
employees in always doing their best in their job as working in this worldly life is an ibadah and
shall be rewarded in the hereafter if done with good intentions.
We can also learn a lot of lessons in the battles itself. In the Battle of Qadasia, we can see
that Commander Rustam made a tactical error by having his soldiers wear heavy armor that were
not suitable in the desert. This had compromised their strength in the battle. They probably could
have won since they had more manpower compared to the Muslim army. Rustam or his advisors
should have done their research on the the condition of the battle so that he can prepare his soldiers
accordingly. In business, planning is a type of strategy of a company, which is usually done by the
department of research and development and maybe with a collaboration of other departments as
well. When a company is in the planning process to create a new product, they have to consider
many things, such as the market segment, the demand of the product, whether or not the product
will be useful to consumers, and many more. Planning and research is very important to a company
as it will determine its position in the industry.
After the Battle of Maqatia, the Muslims were ambushed when Commander Rustam sent
an army of war elephants, which they have never faced before. This resulted in the Muslim’s
defeat. The Persians were clever enough to have introduced the war elephants as it was basically
a secret weapon of theirs so the Muslims were caught by surprise. In battle, we must be prepared
with anything that can possibly be thrown at us. It is the same as in the business world when the
economy may suddenly drop. Firms should be ready for external factors such as the economy and
have backup plans to support itself in times of crisis. By the end of the Battle of Qadasia however,
the Muslims were already prepared with their own tactics with the war elephants. They learned
from their mistake and eventually won the war.

2.4 THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

The Ottoman Empire was reunited by Mehmed I, expanded victoriously under Mehmed's
successors Murad II and Mehmed II. The Ottomans was an imperial power that existed from 1299
to 1923 (634 years) and it was one of the largest empires to rule the borders of the Mediterranean
Sea. At the peak of its power, it included Anatolia, the Middle East, part of North Africa, and
south-eastern. Within a century the Ottomans had changed from a nomadic pack to the successors
of the most ancient surviving empire of Europe. Their success was due partly because of the
weakness and disagreement of their rivals, partly for the reason of their excellent and far superior
military organization. The Ottoman Empire or known as The Turkish Empire, reached the peak of
its expansion during the 16th century, under Suleiman the Magnificent (reigned 1520-66), when it
expanded to cover the Balkans and Hungary, and reached the gates of Vienna. Suleiman
reorganized the Turkish judicial system, and his period of influence saw the flowering of Turkish
literature, art, and architecture.

15
 There are a handful of logical reasons for the success of The Ottoman Empire. The Turkish
Empire is well known for its highly centralised ruling system. The authority power was always
transferred to a single person, and not split between rival princes. Hence, the empire was
successfully ruled by a single family for 7 centuries. Moreover, the education and judicial system
is run by the state and religion was incorporated in the state structure, and the Sultan was regarded
as "the protector of Islam". The Sultan of the Turkish Empire deals with local leaders ruthlessly
and the promotion to authorize positions of power is largely depended on merit. Furthermore, the
Sultan practices creating alliances across political and racial groups. The Ottoman Empire are
united by Islamic ideology, Islamic warrior code with ideal of increasing Muslim territory through
Jihad. Also, the empire is united by Islamic organisational and administrative structures.
The empire is highly pragmatic due to taking the best ideas from other cultures and making
them their own and in addition, the Sultan encouraged loyalty from other faith groups. The Turks
private power and wealth were controlled and they have a very strong military and slave-based
army. They are well expert in developing gunpowder as a military tool and military ethos pervaded
whole administration. (Sansal B, 2016). At first the rulings of the Ottoman Sultans were insecure.
Thus, to unite their Empire the Ottoman Sultans formed groups of dedicated fighters (Janissaries)
who were infantry group of slaves and Christian converts to Islam.
Constantinople or now known as Istanbul, the ‘city of Islam’ is the capital of The Ottoman
Empire. It was conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. Mehmed slaughtered many
of the population and forced the rest into exile and later repopulating the city by importing people
from elsewhere in Ottoman territory. Mehmed is set about rebuilding it, both physically and
politically, as his capital. Istanbul became not only a political and military capital. Due to its
strategic position at the junction of Europe, Africa, and Asia; Istanbul has become one of the
greatest trade centres of the world. The important city, Bursa was a centre of the silk trade. Other
than that, the goods traded include silk, musk, rhubarb, porcelain from China, spices and dyestuffs.
Moreover, the economic strength of the Empire also owed much to Mehmed's policy of increasing
the number of traders and artisans in the Empire. Firstly, his strategy was to encouraged merchants
to move to Istanbul, and later effectively moved merchants from captured territories such as Caffa.
In addition, he also encouraged Jewish traders from Europe to migrate to Istanbul and set up in
business there. Eventually the later rulers sustained these policies by Mehmed. (Campaigns and
The Army, 2002). Table 2 summarises the conquests’ story.

The Conquest Preparations 1453 The Conquest After The Conquest

Sultan Mehmed II strategically built a Under the command Rebuilding in Istanbul

second Ottoman fortress, called Rumeli Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed by rearranging the city
Hisari on the Bosphorus in 1452. II, Constantinople or without damaging the
Constantinople had been attacked in the known as Istanbul was fabric of Istanbul with
past many times, but its great walls always conquered on 29th May his unique knowledge
prevailed. Sultan Mehmed, II planned and 1453. The 21 years old upon western culture.
drew troops for the city walls and Ottoman Sultan II.
commanded preparation of them to the Mehmed also took the
talented Mr. Hungarian Orban and he title “The Conqueror”
created like a supergun for Ottomans. added to his name.

16
 During the rulings of Mehmed, churches were converted into mosques and mosques into
churches according to who was the winner after battles between Muslims and Christians. Although
Mehmed converted many churches into mosques, he however did not suppress the Christian faith
itself. There were practical reasons for this action. One of the reasons is because Christians were
the largest group of the population and was likely to be more efficient than conflict. The institutions
of the church provided a machine for implementing Mehmed's rule. Henceforth, Mehmed was also
influenced by the Islamic rule that Muslims should show respect to all religions. Mehmed not only
tolerated the Christians, he made special efforts to attract Jews to Istanbul. This was attractive to
the Jews, who had previously been persecuted by the Orthodox Christian Church. The non-Muslim
communities (millets) were controlled by the Sultan acting through their religious leaders. These
communities were given their own parts of towns in which to live and worship. They were given
a great deal of freedom to lead their lives according to their particular faiths, and so were largely
supportive of their Muslim overlords.

The Golden Age of Suleiman could still be remembered until today. Suleiman the
Magnificent (ruled 1520 - 1566) and his grandson Selim II (1566 - 1574). Suleiman came to the
throne as one of the wealthiest rulers in the world. His strength was due greatly to the work of his
father, Selim. He stabilised the government by removing opposition and frightening the Safavid
Empire of Iran into adopting a non-aggression policy, and conquering the Mamluk Empire of
Egypt and Syria.

These conquests have united the lands of Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean
under a single ruler, brought a time of peace and stability, under which the Empire flourished.
Suleiman had no internal rivals for power. His father achieved that by executing his own brothers
and their sons, and including all four of Suleiman's brothers. The Ottoman Empire now included
so much of the territory where Islam was practiced and Suleiman was widely regarded as the
religious leader of Islam, as well as the earthly ruler of most Muslims. The wealth and stability of
the Empire at this time attracted the top Muslim brains of the period, and craftsmen, artists,
intellectuals and writers were eager to move to Istanbul. Hence, Suleiman was named 'The
Magnificent' by the Europeans, but his own people called him 'The Lawgiver'.

17
 The

expansion map of Suleiman’s rulings

Unfortunately, The Ottoman Empire rulers had a very short-term policy. They rejected the
idea of developing territory and investing in it for gain at some time in the future. Their land and
The Turks were exploited to the point of exhaustion and then more or less abandoned in favour of
new ground. This policy meant that the Ottoman Empire relied on continuous expansion for
stability. If it did not grow, it was likely to collapse.

Other than that, there are several more reasonable factors contributed to the Empire’s
downfall. Mostly it is because of the European powers wanted to expand and economic problems
starts getting out of control. Moreover, The Americans give a great competition in their trading
business and also the competition from cheap products from India and the Far East are evolving.
Other trade routes are developing and the unemployment rate within the Empire is rising. The
Ottoman Empire became less centralised and the central control is weakened. The Sultans
practices less severe in maintaining firm standards of integrity in the administration of the Empire
and they are becoming less sensitive to public opinion. Approaching the 17th and 18th centuries,
low quality Sultans were elected. The practise of execution of Sultan's sons and brothers was put
to an end and instead they were imprisoned. This apparently humane process led to men becoming
Sultan after spending years in prison which clearly not the best training for absolute power. (Hira,
2011)

18
 The
decline
map of the
Ottoman
Empire

Lesson learnt from Ottoman battle

Throughout the history of the great Ottoman Empire, there are several lessons that can be
learnt and used as means to set up a strategic move in today’s events. One of the lessons is The
Ottoman did an incredible work by being able to hold on to power once they’d successfully
conquest it. The Ottomans were able to command loyalty and unity across vast distances. This was
done through allowing conquered region to continue practicing their native religion. Even though
at times when war has ended and churches was turned into mosques, however the people were not
forced to convert to Islam but rather they have to accept the governorship ruled by the Muslim
caliphates. As a matter of fact, when Spain expelled 150000 Jews in 1492, the Ottoman Empire
invited the refugees in. (Doyle J, 2013)

3. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the concept of making strategies cames from Him, which now world widely
followed by everyone even by Muslims or not Muslims. The success of Muslim army highlights
the leadership of Prophet (SAW) in planning and designing the tactics and it was followed by the
caliphs who continued to spread Islam after the death of Prophet (SAW). The strategies of warfare
were not only used in military but also applied in organizations and companies in this era to
compete with their rivals. The selection of a strategy is particularly crucial in the battle that
involves a large-scale battle. Wrong tactics and strategy in a battle or fight will cause them losing
easily to their enemies. Thus, effective strategies help make sure the battle is planned smoothly.

19
 This study recognizes that the surprise strategy became one of the important strategies in
Prophet (SAW) military campaigns. The Prophet (SAW) recurrently take advantage of this
strategy to make his competitor fright, shock and ill-equipped. The power or opportunity to act or
take charge before others do and work with speed and surprise are implemented in all organizations
to gain competitive advantage over rivals. The Prophet (SAW) also encouraged and welcomed the
innovation in maintaining the organizational competitiveness as well as he was cautious in
choosing the alliances. This can be seen in every battle that Prophet (SAW) involved. There are
many innovations in strategies and well equipped armaments added values from time to time in
order to compete with opponents. This is the key point that has been used in managing a business
where successful innovation and technological advancement are important in today’s world to
compete with rivals. In short, the findings of this study indicate all the strategies which are now
run-through all organizations are basically learned from the idea of Prophet (SAW).

There are several lessons that can be learnt and used as means to set up a strategic move in
today’s events. One of the lessons is to appreciate loyalty and unity across huge distances. The
strategy practices good moral value which is respecting the peoples’ beliefs by allowing them to
continue practicing their native religion. Even though at times when war has ended and churches
was turned into mosques, however the people were not forced to convert to Islam but rather they
have to accept the governorship ruled by the Muslim caliphates. Other moral factor that can be
inspired by all the battles is obedience of the followers of Prophet’s Muhammad (SAW) that led
to the victory of the Muslims. As Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah (SWT),
obedience to him is considered as obedience to Allah SWT, and disobedience to him also become
disobedience to Allah SWT (Rahman,1980,p.76).

As a Muslim, everyone should keep in mind that Allah SWT created man for certain reason
which is to strive to reach certain objectives not only individually but also as an organization. All
the actions have to be consistent with the general mission. Once an organization decided to
persuade a certain plan or strategies and implementing it, they have to show enough patience,
committed, confident in achieving their strategic goals. After the company has implemented every
strategy in order to overcome their rivals, they have to put trust on Allah SWT who is the only One
who will deliver the outcomes. Putting a trust in Allah is a sign of belief in Allah SWT.

20
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