Mehmed the Conqueror


Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han

 

Constantinople would fall into the hands of Islam. Leaders who conquer it, is the best of leaders and the troops under his command is the best of troops

Muhammad Al-Fatih was born on 27th  Rajab. He was brought up under the supervision of his father, Sultan Murad II, the seventh Ottoman Sultan. His father prepared and trained him to shoulder the responsibilities of the position of a Sultan.

Muhammad Al-Fatih memorized all the Quran, learnt the Prophetic narrations, mathematics, astronomy and the skills required for war. He also learnt Arabic, Persian, Latin and Greek languages
He was devoted to Jihaad, highly ambitious, widely cultured, and had deep knowledge of the skills of war and combat.

After the death of his father, Sultan Murad I.Muhammad Al-Faatih, may Allah have mercy on him, took over and became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He was a strong young man, only twenty years old, very enthusiastic and ambitious. He was thinking of the conquest of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. 


From time to time, the Sultan surprised the enemy with a new war plan until the city defenders lost control and their forces gave up. The Ottoman forces managed to penetrate the walls and drive away the defenders who fled. The people of Constantinople were taken by surprise when they saw the Ottoman flags waving on their walls and the soldiers flooding into the city. 



After the Ottoman forces conquered the city, Sultan Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, arrived on his horse in a great procession that included his ministers and army commanders. Ever since that time, the Sultan was known as Muhammad Al-Faatih (the Conqueror). The soldiers were shouting:
"Mash-Allah! Mash-Allah! Long live our Sultan! Long live our Sultan!"

The Sultan's procession marched until it reached Hagia Sophia church where the people of the city had gathered. When they knew that the Sultan had arrived, they bowed and prostrated and they were all weeping and crying because they did not know their fate


Then the Sultan addressed the people of the city who were still bowing and prostrating in tears:
"Stand up! I am Sultan Muhammad and I would like to tell you, your brothers, and all the people present that your lives and freedoms are protected"
 

The Sultan ordered that the church be turned into a mosque and for the first time, the call for prayer was heard from this place. Until now, this mosque is still known as the Mosque of Hagia Sophia. He also decided to take Constantinople as a capital of his country. It was called Islambul, meaning the House of Islam. Later on the word was viciously twisted to become Istanbul.

The Sultan was very tolerant and merciful with the people of the city, and acted according to the teachings of Islam. He commanded his soldiers to treat their prisoners of war in a good manner. The Sultan himself paid the ransoms for a large number of prisoners of war from his own money. He also allowed those who left the city when it was under siege to return home.



Muhammad Al-Faatih, may Allah have mercy on him, managed to realize his dreams through hard, continuous work, and well-organized planning.Through high ambition, determination, and the effort to achieve his goals, he managed to materialize his dream, make his hope an existing reality which made him one of the great Muslim heroes and conquerors

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