List of Muslim military leaders explained
Entries in this chronological list of Muslim military leaders are accompanied by dates of birth and death, branch of Islam, country of birth, field of study, campaigns fought and a short biographical description. The list includes notable conquerors, generals and admirals from early Islamic history to the 21st century.
Muslim military leaders
- Muhammad (Arabic: مُحَمَّد, pronounced [muˈħammad];c. 570 CE – 8 June 632 CE) was the Islamic prophet and a political leader. He led the muslims against the tribes of Arabia. Most of Arabia was annexed in his lifetime in a series of coordinated campaigns. The most notable battles were Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud, Battle of the trench, and Conquest of Mecca.
- Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Arabic: عَلِيّ ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib; 13 September 601 – 29 January 661), was nicknamed Haidar ('fierce lion') and Asadullah.[1] He was a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. Ali was a successor of Muhammed (Fourth Rashidun caliph[2]). He is traditionally considered to be one of the greatest and one of the most valiant Muslim warriors. He took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. His contributions in the Battle of Khyber and the Battle of Badr are very well known.
- Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (568-625) was a foster brother, companion and paternal uncle of Muhammad. He was killed in the Battle of Uhud on 22 March 625 (3 Shawwal 3 hijri). His kunyas were "Abū ʿUmārah"[3] (Arabic: أَبُو عُمَارَةَ) and "Abū Yaʿlā" (Arabic: أَبُو يَعْلَىٰ). He had the by-names Asad Allāh (Arabic: أَسَد ٱللَّٰه, "Lion of God") and Asad al-Jannah (Arabic: أَسَد ٱلْجَنَّة, "Lion of Heaven"), and Muhammad gave him the posthumous title Sayyid ash-Shuhadāʾ (Arabic: سَيِّد ٱلشُّهَدَاء|Chief of the Martyrs).
- Zayd ibn Harithah. 581-629 CE. He was the adopted son of Muhammad and was known as The most beloved of the prophet. And he is the only companion whose name is mentioned in the holy Qur’an (33:37). He was appointed as a military commander seven times by the prophet Muhammad. Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never dispatched Zayd ibn Harithah with an army but he appointed him commander over them. If he had lived after the Prophet, he would have appointed him as the Caliph.https://www.abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2023/02/16/zayd-ibn-harithah/ He was killed in the battle of Mu’tah as the first commander.
- Hassan ibn Ali (Arabic:حسن ابن علی), also known as 'Sebt e rasool' (grandson of Muhammadؐ). Hassan resembled Muhammad by his beauty and Ali in his bravery. Historical accounts prove his bravery in Battle of Siffin, Battle of the Camel and Battle of Nahrawan where he fought along with his father Ali and brothers Hussain and Abbas.
- Hussain ibn Ali (Arabic: حُسین ابن علی), was the son of Ali and grandson of Muhammad. His courage on the day of Ashura against an army of 40 thousand where he stood alone proves his bravery and courage. He killed a total of 4,000 people in his attacks in the Battle of Karbala.
- Omar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (Arabic: عمر بن خطاب, romanized: ʿUmar bin Khaṭṭāb, also spelled Omar, c. 582/583 – 644) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate on 23 August 634. Umar was a senior companion and father-in-law of Muhammad. He was also an expert Muslim jurist known for his pious and just nature, which earned him the epithet Al-Fārūq ("the one who distinguishes (between right and wrong)").
- Usama bin zayd (615 – 680 CE) he also received the qualities of leadership like his father Zayd ibn Harithah. He was only eighteen when he was appointed as a commander of a huge army. He is the first youngest commander in Islamic history. Usama bin Zayd relates: That the Prophet ﷺ used to take him (ie Usama) and Al-Hassan (in his lap) and say: "O Allah! Love them, as I love them"https://www.islamicity.org/hadith/search/?q=3565&sss=1.
- Khalid ibn al-Walid
592-642 (Arabic: خالد بن الوليد), also known as "The Sword of Allah" (a title bestowed upon him by Muhammad), was an Arab Muslim commander who was in the service of Muhammad and the caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar . He played a leading role in the Ridda wars against rebel tribes in Arabia in 632–633 and the early Muslim conquests of Sasanian Iraq in 633–634 and Byzantine Syria in 634–638. Khalid ibn al-Walid was one of the few undefeated generals in history.
- Abdallah ibn Sa'd, during his time as governor of Egypt (646 CE to 656 CE), Abdallah ibn Sa'd built a strong Arab navy. Under his leadership the Muslim navy won a number of victories including its first major naval battle against the Byzantine emperor Constans II at the Battle of the Masts in 654 CE.
8th century
- Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, was an Umayyad prince and one of the most prominent Arab generals of the early decades of the 8th century, leading several campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and the Khazar Khaganate. He achieved great fame especially for leading the second Arab siege of the Byzantine capital Constantinople.
- Sa'id ibn Abd al-Malik, also known as Sa'id al-Khayr (Sa'id the Good) was an Umayyad Prince, Governor and Military leader.
- Tariq ibn-Ziyad (670-720) An Berber general, he was a governor in tangier (city in Morocco), he later ordered by Musa ibn Nusayr to led the Muslim army to conquer Hispania.
- Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
A Spanish Umayyad general born in Yemen who fought Charles Martel twice in France in the battles of Tours and Narbonne, and was defeated in both engagements.
- Maslama ibn Hisham, also known as Abu Shakir, was an Umayyad prince and Military commander.
- Sulayman ibn Hisham, was an Arab general, the son of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (r. 723–743). He is known for his participation in the expeditions against the Byzantines.
- Zaid ibn Ali
An Arab who fought the Banu Umayyad.
695 - 715: An early Arab General who captured Sindh and Multan and parts of Punjab in Pakistan.
An Arab who fought the Banu Umayyad.
An Arab Muslim general who captured Transoxiana.
9th century
10th century
A commander of Fatimid forces, he founded Cairo and built Al-Azhar Mosque.
11th century
- Alp Arslan Muhammad Ālp Ārslan ibn Dawūd Persian: ضياء الدنيا و الدين عضد الدولة ابو شجاع محمد آلپ ارسلان ابن داود; 20 January 1029 – 15 December 1072, real name Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri, was the second Sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty. He greatly expanded the Seljuk territory and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to south and northwest and his victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, in 1071, ushered in the Turkoman settlement of Anatolia.[2] For his military prowess and fighting skills he obtained the name Alp Arslan, which means "Heroic Lion" in Turkish.
- Malik-Shah I
Sultan of Seljuk Empire, son of the great Sultan Alp Arslan, who took his empire to a greatest extent. Malik-Shah, along with the vizier Nizam al-Mulk, tried to unite Muslims of the world and fought many wars against anti Islamic fitna movement called Batiniyya, he also built many madrasahs. He is considered one of the greatest Muslim leaders of all time.
founder of the Seljuq Dynasty. He united many Turkmen warriors of the Central Asian steppes into a confederacy of tribes, who traced their ancestry to a single ancestor named Seljuk, and led them in conquest of eastern Iran. He would later establish the Seljuk Sultanate after conquering Iran and retaking the Abbasid capital of Baghdad from the Buyids in 1055. Tughril relegated the Abbasid Caliphs to state figureheads and took command of the caliphate's armies in military offensives against the Byzantine Empire and the Fatimids in an effort to expand his empire's borders and unite the Islamic world.
founder of the Almoravid Dynasty in the Islamic West, he secured several decisive military victories against the Christians in Al-Andalus and was able to reunify it under his rule after a period of internal fragmentation known as Muluk Al-Tawaif.
Founder of the Almohad dynasty.
Sultan of Seljuk Empire, son of Malik-Shah I.
12th century
He commanded the Muslims during a number of Crusades in the middle east. He was Saladin's brother.
A leader during the crusades.
13th century
Father of Osman I, leader of the Kayi tribe and the Margrave or uch bey in the service of Sultanate of Rum. He made the town of Söğüt, which he captured, his capital. He reportedly also conquered Karacahisar Castle.
The Son of Ertuğrul Gazi, The founder and the first sultan of the Ottoman Empire. who defeated Byzantine Empire and Mongols he conquered a significant portion of the Byzantine Empire; and laid siege to important cities such as Nicaea (Iznik), Prusa (Bursa) - which were conquered soon after his death.
- . Orhan Gazi Son of Osman Ghazi I who consumed his energies in conquering the western areas of Anatolia which are controlled by Bzantine empire such as Nicomedia and Edrine and much more he doubles the area of the land which was left by his Father Osman Ghazi I.
- Qutb-ud-din Aybak
He built the Qutub Minar.
The last Khwarzmian, He Defeated the Mongols in the Battle of Parwan and was the father of Qutuz.
He conquered Multan and Bengal from contesting rulers, and Ranthambhore and Siwalik from their rulers.
Known to have propagated Islam into north-eastern Bengal after a long history of travel between the Middle East, Persia, Central Asia and South Asia.
Turkish princess who ruled the Delhi Sultanate in modern-day India.
A Sunni Kurd leader.
He defeated the Crusaders in the Battle of La Forbie, liberating Jerusalem.
The fourth Sultan of Egypt in the Mamluk Bahri dynasty, he fought Crusaders and Mongols.
The first Mamluk Sultan to rule Egypt and Syria. He also fought Crusaders and Mongols.
fought Crusaders.
A Turko-Afghan king who fought the Mongols.
The conqueror and founder of the great Timurid dynasty
A ruler of the Golden Horde. he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and a Mongolian military commander and ruler of the Golden Horde (division of the Mongol Empire)[1] who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Horde[2] from 1257 to 1266. He was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the Mongol Empire.
The founder of the Mamluk Dynasty.
The 11th ruler of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum who fought the Byzantines and Mongols.
Son of Osman I and the second bey of the Ottoman Empire, He extended the Ottoman territory to Europe.
14th century
- Murad I (Ottoman Turkish: مراد اول; Turkish: I. Murad, Murad-ı Hüdavendigâr (nicknamed Hüdavendigâr, from Persian: خداوندگار, romanized: Khodāvandgār, lit. 'the devotee of God' – meaning "sovereign" in this context); 29 June 1326 – 15 June 1389) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1362 to 1389. He was a son of Orhan Gazi and Nilüfer Hatun. Murad I came into the throne after his elder brother Süleyman Pasha's death.
- Bayezid I
The Fourth Sultan of Ottoman empire and The victor at the Battle of Nicopolis
- Zheng He 1371 - 1433: A Chinese mariner, explorer and admiral who was born into a Muslim family but embraced a broader ranging religious faith later.
Sunni Muslim Turco-Mongol conqueror who hailed from the Chagatai Khanate, went on to be an undefeated military commander, including a crushing defeat he inflicted on Bayezid I at the Battle of Ankara.
15th century
- Oruç Reis (Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928);: عروج ريس; Spanish; Castilian: Aruj; 1474 - 1518) was an Ottoman seaman, who became bey (governor) of Algiers, beylerbey (chief governor) of the West Mediterranean, and admiral of the Ottoman Empire. The elder brother of the famous Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa, he was born on the Ottoman island of Midilli (Lesbos in present-day Greece) and died in battle against the Spanish at Tlemcen in the Ottoman Eyalet of Algeria.
- Hayreddin Barbarossa (Arabic: خير الدين بربروس, romanized: Khayr al-Din Barbarus, original name Khiḍr; Turkish: Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa), also known as Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1478 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy.[1] Barbarossa's naval victories secured Ottoman dominance over the Mediterranean during the mid 16th century.
- Zahiruddin Babur
Conqueror of India and founder of the powerful Mughal Empire.
Ruler of Kashmir,belonging to Shah Mir Dynasty,ruling from 1420-1470.He is also known as Bud shah.
Also known as "Yavuz Sultan Selim Khan", he was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Ottoman Caliph.On the eve of his death in 1520, the Ottoman Empire spanned about 3,400,000 km2 (1,300,000 sq mi), having grown by seventy percent during Selim's reign.
Also known as "Mehmed the Conqueror", he captured the Byzantine stronghold of Constantinople.
A female Zaidi chieftain of Yemen, she conquered Sa'dah.
was Sultan of the Saadi dynasty of Morocco that defeated the Songhai Empire.
was Sultan of the Saadi dynasty of Morocco that defeated the Portuguese army at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir.
16th century
The Regent and military leader of the Mughal Empire
also known as "The Drawn Sword of Islam", Ottoman Naval Commander, Beylerbey, and famed Corsair
Second Mughal emperor.
Commander of Sher Shah Suri.
An Ethiopian slave who became a general and challenged the might of the Mughal army.
A Commander - in - Chief of the Mughal Empire.
Founder the short-lived Sur Dynasty.
Suleiman I (Ottoman Turkish: سليمان اول, romanized: Süleyman-ı Evvel; Turkish: I. Süleyman; 6 November 1494 – 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver (Ottoman Turkish: قانونى سلطان سليمان, romanized: Ḳānūnī Sulṭān Süleymān) in his realm, was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 until his death in 1566
He ensured the survival of the Saffavids of Persia.
was the 5th Safavid Shah (king) of Iran and is generally considered the strongest ruler of the Safavid dynasty.
17th century
- Murad IV: Rejuvenated the Ottoman Empire with reforms and reconquered the city of Yerevan and Baghdad.
- Aurangzeb: Also known as Aurangzeb Alamgir, he was the 6th Mughal Emperor who expanded the Mughal Empire to its largest extent.
- Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung
Son of a renowned nobleman of Emperor Aurangzeb. He held several appointments under Emperor Aurangzeb in the Mughal Empire.
Sultan of Morocco took part during Siege of Melilla (1774).
He was a Mughal commander, Nawab of the Carnatic and later Viceroy of Deccan. The Emperor Aurangzeb appointed him as a leading commander of the Mughal Army in 1701, while Zulfikhar Ali Khan was the Nawab.
18th century
Sultan of Morocco who took part in the 19th-century Hispano-Moroccan War.
- Hyder Ali 1722 - 1782
- Imam Shamil 1797 - 1871: An Avar (from modern-day Dagestan) who is considered both a political and religious leader for Chechens, Dagestanis, and Caucasians.
- Tipu Sultan 1750 - 1799): Better known as the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He directed Mysorean military operations against rival Indian powers and the East India Company during the second half of the 18th century.
- Lalla Fatma N'Soumer An important figure in North African history who fought against the French.
19th century
- Ahmadullah Shah 1787 - 1858: Led Indian rebel warriors in the Siege and Capture of Lucknow.
- Syed Ahmad Barelvi or Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed 1786 - 1831: was an Indian Sunni Muslim revivalist from Rae Bareli, a part of the historical United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. The epithet Barelvi is derived from Rae Bareli, his place of origin.
- Barkat Ahmad
Leading figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Commander in chief of Battle of Chinhat where he led 6,000 rebels and attacked the British residency in Lucknow.
Indian Muslim commander during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Leader of the Great Bosnian uprising.
An Indian Queen who played a major role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
A general of the Qing dynasty.
20th century
- Abdulaziz al-Saud, also known as Ibn Saud was the founder of Saudi Arabia, the third Saudi Empire. He was King of Saudi Arabia from 23 September 1932 to his death. He had ruled parts of the kingdom as early as 1902, having previously been Emir, Sultan, and King of Nejd and King of Hejaz. He was an Arab Military leader who followed Wahhabism He Conquered Kingdom of Hejaz in 1925.
- Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938): He was a poet, philosopher and politician of South Asia the visionary of a separate state for the Muslims of British-ruled India. He is the national poet of Pakistan
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948): served as the leader of the Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, and then as the Dominion of Pakistan's first Governor-General until his death. He is revered in Pakistan as the Quaid-i-Azam "Great Leader"
- Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1905–1975): he was a Saudi Arabian statesman and diplomat who was King of Saudi Arabia from 2 November 1964 until his assassination in 1975.
- Ahmad Shah Massoud (1953–2001): also known as the National Hero of Afghanistan He was the conqueror of cold war in Afghanistan, guerrilla commander during the resistance against the Soviet occupation between 1979 and 1989).
- Alija Izetbegovic
(1925-2003) was a Bosnian politician;lawyer and Islamic philosopher.who became the 1st president of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.he was a member of tripartiate presidency of Bosnia until his death.he bravely defended the Bosnian nation and Bosnian Muslims from Serb aggression during the civil war in Bosnia and brought peace and stability to Bosnia.
- Saddam Hussein (1939–2006): he was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. He also served as prime minister of Iraq from 1979 to 1991 and later from 1994 to 2003 Until his execution on December 30, 2006. Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging.
- Mullah Mohammad Omar (1960–2013): Founder of Taliban and First Emir (Supreme Leader) of Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan
- Hadji Kamlon, Tausug freedom fighter, Sunni Muslim, Ash'ari in Aqeeda, Shafi'i in Madh'hab
- Mat Salleh (Datu Muhammad Salleh), Sabah warrior from Inanam who led the Mat Salleh Rebellion until his death.
- Sayyid Capt. Kalingalan Caluang, contemporary of Hadji Kamlon. One of the founding members of Ansarul Islam and BMLO that eventually led to MNLF.
- Tun Datu Mustapha (Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun), first Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah and third Chief Minister of Sabah.
- Daud Beureueh, Acehnese Indonesian who served as the military governor of Aceh (1947-1950) and leader of Darul Islam rebellion in Aceh.
- Zainal Mustafa, Indonesian Islamic Scholar and National Hero of Indonesia from Tasikmalaya who resisted Japanese occupation.
- Syam'un, Indonesian Islamic Scholar and Regent of Serang.
See also
References
- Book: Shahin . Badr . Al-Abbas . 2015 . CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform . 978-1-5193-0811-5 . CA.
- Book: Triana, María . Managing Diversity in Organizations: A Global Perspective . 2017 . Taylor & Francis . 9781317423683 . 159 . en.
- Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir vol. 3. Translated by Bewley, A. (2013). The Companions of Badr. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.
