Why Must Our Nation Uncover Al-Andalus' Hidden History?

Our nation has the right to read its history to reclaim its memory and build its future through knowledge. Western colonialism prevented the Islamic nation from knowing many truths that could enhance its awareness, and among the most important of these truths is what happened in Al-Andalus.

I call for the preparation of a new generation of historians who seek the truths hidden by colonialism, who strive to present their independent perspectives on events, and who seek interpretations of them. The battle over history is tied to the liberation of individuals, nations, minds, and hearts. Independence must be based on an awareness of the nation's struggle to preserve its identity and its civilizational role.

In 1992, I was teaching a course on the origin and development of mass media at the Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University. Although my specialization was in the history of journalism, I was committed to teaching from the textbook authored by my professor, Khalil Sabat. During one of the lectures, I found that the professor had inserted a phrase that I saw as unjustified within the context of the course. It stated that the mother of Abu Abdullah Muhammad XII, known as Boabdil  or el chico⁽¹⁾ —the last king of Granada—said to him as she saw him weeping while leaving the capital of his kingdom: "Weep like a woman for a kingdom you did not defend like a man!

I passed the phrase and did not say it in the lecture, but when I returned home, I cried with pain and anguish and regret, and I asked myself a question: Did Muslims abandon Granada, did they not defend it and leave it to the Crusaders without resistance?! Did they not defend Andalusia like men?! Who conveyed that saying?! And why?! My mind, which has learned to critique and research, could not accept that, and I decided to search for the truth. How could the great civilization that Muslims built in Andalusia fall without them defending it like men?!

Crime against humanity

Here are some truths that I discovered after a long struggle and arduous research, which I am striving to transform into narratives, to write them with the heart of a writer. I believe that literature is the most capable of depicting the tragedies of history and tales of heroism, and that it can contribute to restoring awareness, memory, and dreams to the nation.

One of the most important facts is that the conflict between the Islamic nation and the Crusaders is open, ongoing, and evolving, taking on different forms, with both sides achieving victories and facing defeats. Military defeats can only produce their impact when they transform into psychological defeats. Therefore, the West has worked to turn the Muslims' tangible military defeat against its armies into a psychological defeat that breaks hearts and causes minds to cease searching for the reasons for revival and ascent. The West used propaganda to promote a narrative that condemns Muslims and exonerates the Crusaders, placing the blame on Muslims for being weak and unable to defend their civilization and religion, while concealing the truths that contradict the validity of that narrative.

Al-Andalus... and the state of defeat.

I have worked throughout my life to confront cultural invasion and to free the nation from psychological defeat. I believe that history contributes to building a comprehensive strategy to face psychological defeat, as it shows that the nation can rise and provide surprises that those who focus on interpreting reality cannot conceive; similar to what happened when Saladin triumphed over the Crusaders, and as the nation was able to prevail over the Mongols.

But why Al-Andalus? The fall of Al-Andalus was a bitter and harsh defeat for the Islamic nation, one that the West exploited to inflict a psychological blow on the ummah. This led some writers and historians to focus on the moment of collapse and downfall, placing the blame on the Muslims and claiming they did not defend it like men. This created a state of psychological defeat, which many sincere individuals suffered from, causing them to avoid confronting the truth, seeking the causes, and raising awareness within the nation.

Because Al-Andalus represented a model of the Islamic nation's civilizational progress, showcasing their creative abilities in all scientific and literary fields, its fall constituted a psychological and civilizational shock. This helps explain many subsequent events, the most significant of which was Ferdinand and Isabella's decision to burn all Muslim books. The fires raged for three days and nights in the libraries of Al-Andalus, resulting in the destruction of millions of books. This act represents a crime against civilization, humanity, thought, science, literature, history, knowledge, and education.

However, some of the Crusader intellectuals managed to conceal certain books in the field of applied physical sciences, which contained explanations of the experimental method, and they were able to transfer them to some European countries. These books formed the foundation of the industrial revolution, which was one of the main reasons for Europe's advancement and the modern colonial wave in which Western countries dominated most Muslim lands and subjugated the peoples.

This industrial revolution could have been established by Muslims in Andalusia, as they laid its scientific foundations and developed its methodology. However, tyranny was one of the main factors that distracted Muslims with their immediate disputes from envisioning the future, and it led some of their kings to ally with the Crusaders.

From the lessons of bitter defeat.

At a time when all of Europe was gathering its strength and uniting its armies under Isabella's leadership, Muslim kings were directing their armies to fight against each other, with some allying with the Crusaders. The entire nation let down the Muslims in Al-Andalus. Nevertheless, the Muslims achieved great victories and bravely defended the cities of Al-Andalus. However, some believed that retreating from certain cities to fortify themselves in others could stop the Crusaders' advance. This marked the beginning of the defeat that started to creep into hearts, fueled by the European propaganda that had evolved during the Crusades.

The souls of the Crusaders were filled with a desire for revenge for their defeats against the Muslims in Palestine, and the great victory achieved by Saladin. They took advantage of the moment of weakness among the Muslims in Andalusia due to oppression; they directed all their armies with the aim of seizing Andalusia and destroying the civilization that Muslims take pride in. This represents a psychological defeat for the Muslims that is more severe and harsher than a military defeat.

Read also: Seeking help from enemies... The merciless lessons of history.

Why should the story of Boabdil be studied?

To understand the cause of the defeat, we must study the story of Boabdil with awareness, so that we realize that tyranny cannot achieve victory, no matter how powerful it is. His rise to power marked the beginning of the downfall. The conflict had intensified within the ruling Nasrid family, as his father, Abu al-Hasan, had treated the people of Granada with extreme cruelty and imposed harsh taxes, which led to a deterioration in the situation. This pushed some of the tribes of Granada to ally with Boabdil and declare him king instead of his father in 1482. However, other tribes supported Abu al-Hasan against his son, leading to a struggle for the throne between Boabdil, his father, and his uncle, Al-Zaghall. This conflict tore the state apart and weakened its resistance to the Crusader attacks.

After Boabdil secured his rule, he tried to portray himself as a strong young king. He launched a campaign against the Crusaders, which ended in his defeat in the Battle of Los Colorados in 1483, where he was captured. He remained in captivity for several years, after which he struck a deal with Isabella to become the ruler of Granada under their authority. He then returned to fight his uncle, Al-Zaghall, with the support of the Crusaders.

After Boabdil secured his rule, he tried to portray himself as a strong young king. He launched a campaign against the Crusaders, which ended in his defeat in the Battle of Los Colorados in 1483, where he was captured. He remained in captivity for several years, after which he struck a deal with Isabella to become the ruler of Granada under their authority. He then returned to fight his uncle, Al-Zaghall, with the support of the Crusaders.

After the Crusaders realized the weakness of the Muslim forces as a result of this struggle, they began to impose a siege on Granada that lasted for 9 months during which supplies ran out, and people suffered from hunger and disease. Abdullah the Little was secretly negotiating with the Crusaders to surrender and hand over the city.

They are breaking the agreements

Boabdil's position was weak in defending the city, which raises doubts about his character and his relationship with the Crusaders. Nevertheless, he signed a treaty with them in January 1492, which involved surrendering the city of Granada to Isabella in exchange for guaranteeing the safety of its inhabitants, protecting their lives and property, allowing Muslims to maintain their religion and rituals, and not forcing them to convert to Christianity. The treaty also ensured that Muslims could keep their properties, especially the mosques, and that those who wished to leave could do so, taking their wealth with them.

Under the terms of this agreement, Boabdil opened the gates of the city, and Isabella entered the Alhambra Palace, marking the end of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus.

But did the Crusaders abide by the treaty? And what did they do in Granada after seizing it? We will continue the story in the next episode.

Read also: Basharat Revolution & Muslim Sacrifices in Andalusia

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1.     Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII : The Spaniards called him el Chico (meaning "the Little") and Boabdil (a Hispanicized form of "Abu Abdullah"), while the people of Granada referred to him as Al-Zughabi—meaning "the unfortunate" or "the wretched one. was the 22nd and last Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada in Iberia.

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