Ali and Omar were racking their brains for their upcoming exams. They flipped and skimmed through the pages of their Urdu textbook, groaning and moaning.
“Do we really have to do this poem too? Can’t we just skip it?” whined Omar. “Right! It’s too difficult and barely makes sense,” whimpered Ali.
Meanwhile, Dadi, who was sitting on the couch and knitting a pink sweater for Hannah, overheard the stressed boys. “Which poem are you both stuck on?” she inquired.
“There is a poem called ‘Tariq Ki Dua’ by Allama Iqbal and we just can’t understand it,” responded Omer helplessly.
“Hmmm. It is a bit tricky. Would you like me to help?” she offered, putting her knitting needles aside.
“Yes, please, Dadi!” whined Ali, who just wanted anyone to do his homework for him and who better than Dadi, the expert of Urdu.
“Right! Before I explain the poem, let me tell you a little bit about the person to whom the poem was dedicated,” Dadi came forward to seat herself next to the boys at the dining table.
Omar and Ali exchanged glances, not sure if this was a good idea. It sounded like harder work now: first, to listen to a story and then to finish the dreadful Urdu homework. But they chose to remain silent out of respect.
“Tariq bin Ziyad was a convert slave from Algeria (Africa),” Dadi began. “He was an Umayyad commander, who directed the Muslim conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711–718 A.D. This was done under the orders of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I. He led an army of 300 Arabs and 10,000 Berbers, with whom he crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from the North African coast. Next, Tariq fought against a cruel King called Roderick, who battled with an army of 100,000. The name ‘Gibraltar’ is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal-e-Tariq (Mountain of Tariq), which was named after him as Tariq’s battleships docked there.”
“This man has a mountain named after him!” exclaimed Omar.
“Dadi, who won the battle?” questioned Ali.
“The two armies met at the battlefield of Guadalete, where King Roderick was defeated and killed on Ramadan 28th, 92 AH,” continued Dadi.
“Wow! How could the Muslim army of just 10,300 defeat an army comprising 100,000 soldiers? That’s a miracle!” Ali was amazed.
Both boys carefully listened to the interesting story, as the clock ticked away.
Dadi then added: “After that, King Roderick’s rule came to an end. Spain remained under Muslim rule for more than 750 years, from 711 till 1492. The Muslims ruled in a very just way and introduced a lot of new things there, too.”
“What new stuff did they bring into the Iberian Peninsula?” inquired Omar.
“The Christians had their own judges to settle their disputes. All communities had equal opportunities for entry into the public services. As result of Muslim rule, Spain became a beacon of art, science and culture for Europe. Mosques, palaces, gardens, hospitals and libraries were built. Canals were repaired and new ones were dug. New crops were introduced from other parts of the Muslim empire, and agricultural production increased. Manufacturing was encouraged, and the silk and brocade work of the peninsula became well known in the trading centres of the world. The cities increased in size and prospered,” said Dadi, beaming with pride, as she created multiple loops of yarn.
“Oh, so Allama Iqbal, the poet of the East, honoured Tariq bin Ziyad’s service to Muslims. Tariq must have had a long life to accomplish so much,” said Ali.
“No! As compared to others, he did not. He was 49 years old when he passed away in Damascus. Even today Spain has many things built by the earlier Muslims under Christian rule,” stated Dadi. “I think you both should get to work now,” she added.
“Jazak Allah Khair, Dadi! Your explanation helped a lot, but maybe we can take a break now, please, and you can explain the poem later?” asked Ali.
“Ok, but please make sure that your break does not take forever. Remember – if you want to become like Tariq bin Ziyad, you need to work hard and on time!” Dadi smiled.
The boys rushed to the kitchen for a quick snack and returned on time as promised.
About author
