Each day and night of Ramadan carries significant events that have altered the course of the nation and even the entire world, especially when Muslims understood the objectives of the religion, particularly the obligation of fasting, which the Lord of the Worlds mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah( You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of Allah.˺) They achieved piety when they established fasting, just as they established prayer and the word of monotheism. They traversed the east and west of the earth as conquerors, proclaiming the oneness of God and glorifying Him, in order to create the greatest civilization known to humanity throughout time. So, here are the most significant events of the second of Ramadan.

1. The construction of the city of Kairouan.

The planning of the city of Kairouan⁽¹⁾ in Ifriqiya began as a base for the jihad and conquests to the Maghreb on the second of Ramadan in the year 50 AH/670 CE, initiated by the conqueror Uqba ibn Nafi⁽²⁾. His goal for this construction was to provide a place for the Muslims to settle; he feared that if the Muslims returned from the people of Ifriqiya, they might revert to their old religion. Kairouan is considered one of the oldest and most significant Islamic cities, playing two important roles simultaneously: jihad and الدعوة (da'wah, or invitation to Islam). While the armies would set out from it for conquests and expansions, the scholars would emerge from it to spread throughout the lands, teaching Arabic and disseminating Islam. Kairouan remained the first capital of Islam in Ifriqiya and Al-Andalus for about four centuries, serving as a military center for the Islamic armies and a primary hub for the promotion of the Arabic language.

The origin of the word "Kairouan" comes from the Persian term "Kairavan," meaning camp or the place where weapons are stored. Kairouan was also one of the most important scientific centers in the Maghreb, where universities known as "Dar al-Hikmah" (Houses of Wisdom) were established, attracting scholars, jurists, and preachers from the East. Among its most important mosques is the Great Mosque of Kairouan, founded by Uqba ibn Nafi and later rebuilt by Yazid ibn Hatim. Notable figures from Kairouan include Imam Sahnun, Ibn Ruchiq al-Qairawani, Ibn Sharaf, Asad ibn al-Furat, and Ibn al-Jazzar.

2. The Islamic conquest of Algeria:

The Islamic conquest of Algeria was led by Hassan ibn al-Nu'man during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik. The caliph appointed Hassan ibn al-Nu'man at the head of an army consisting of 40,000 fighters, who destroyed Carthage and entered Algeria through Tébessa and the Aurès Mountains. However, his exhausted army was defeated by the Berber queen "Kahina." Believing that the Muslims were seeking loot and wealth, she ordered the burning of forests and the destruction of resources that might encourage them to return to the region. This action produced discontent among the Berber population, who opposed her, allied with her enemies, and called for the return of Hassan ibn al-Nu'man. In the year 81 AH, ibn al-Nu'man made another attempt after being supported by the caliph Khalid ibn Yazid, and he headed towards the Aurès Mountains, where a decisive battle took place between the two sides in 82 AH, resulting in the defeat and killing of the Kahina in 701 AD. After that, 12,000 of the Kahina's soldiers joined ibn al-Nu'man's army after converting to Islam. ibn al-Nu'man was the one who transformed the countries of the Maghreb into unified Islamic lands under the authority of the Islamic caliphate, successfully defeating the Romans and calming the Berber tribes, persuading them to embrace Islam.

3. Battle of Martyrs:

It was a battle that took place on the second of Ramadan 114 AH / October 29, 732 AD, in a location between the French cities of Poitiers and Tours. It was fought between Muslim forces under the banner of the Umayyad Caliphate, led by the governor of Andalusia, Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi, on one side, and the Frankish and Burgundian forces led by Charles Martel on the other. The battle ended in a victory for the Franks and the withdrawal of the Muslim army after the death of their leader, Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi. Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi assumed control of Andalusia during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and spent nearly two years preparing for the invasion of France, declaring jihad in the Islamic lands, until delegations came to him from everywhere to support him. Approximately one hundred and seventy thousand fighters gathered around him in the city of Pamplona in northern Andalusia, and then the campaign set out, crossing the Pyrenees Mountains in northern Spain, charging forth like a torrent, capturing city after city. He then moved east to capture the city of "Aural," located on the Rhône River, and conquered it after a tremendous battle in which many casualties fell on both sides. He then headed west to "Aquitaine" and took it, advancing until he conquered "Sands," making half of southern France under Muslim control. He reached the town of "Poitiers," which was only seventy kilometers away from Paris. At that point, all of Europe trembled at the fall of southern France into the hands of Muslims, prompting the ruler of "Aquitaine" to seek help from Charles Martel, the ruler of the Merovingian state. The last one answered the call despite the disputes between them, and the Christian forces united, feeling the danger that threatened them. The two armies met near the city of "Poitiers" in southern France, about twenty kilometers away, in an area known as Al-Balat, which in the language of Al-Andalus means the palace or fortress surrounded by gardens. This battle was named "The Battle of Al-Balat Al-Shuhada" due to the large number of Muslims who were martyred in it. The fighting continued for nine days without either side gaining an advantage over the other. On the tenth day, the Muslims took advantage of the fatigue and exhaustion that had afflicted the Frankish army, launching an attack that allowed them to open a gap in the ranks of the army. The signs of victory appeared, had it not been for a party of them attacking the spoils of war that the Muslims were carrying with them at the rear of the army, which distracted some in their attempt to recover them, causing disruption and confusion within the ranks of the army. While Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi was trying to restore order to the army, he was struck by an arrow and fell martyr from his horse. The Muslims then waited until nightfall, using the opportunity of darkness to withdraw.

4. Battle of Marj al-Saffar (Shaqhab):

This battle took place in the plain of Shaqhab, south of Damascus, led by Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawan, against the Mongols of Persia, led by Qatlugh Shah Noyan (Kutlushah). The Muslims organized their army on Saturday, the 2nd of Ramadan in the year 702 AH / April 27, 1303, AD, in the best possible formation in the plain of Shaqhab, which overlooks the mountain of Ghabaghb. The Sultan was at the center along with the Caliph Al-Mustakfi Billah, judges, and princes. Before the battle began, necessary precautions were taken; the Sultan, accompanied by the Caliph and reciters, passed through the ranks of his army with the aim of encouraging them to fight and instilling a spirit of enthusiasm in them. They were reciting verses from the Holy Quran that urge jihad and martyrdom, and the Caliph exclaimed, "Defend your religion and your honor." Loads were placed behind the ranks, and the boys were ordered to kill anyone who attempted to flee from the battle.

5. The fall of the Umayyad and the rise of the Abbasid:

On this day in the month of Ramadan in the year 132 AH, Abdullah Abu Abbas took control of Damascus after a strenuous effort that lasted several years, following the departure of the last Umayyad caliphs from it. Thus, the Umayyad state, which lasted for about 90 years, fell, and the Abbasid state was established. The Abbasid dynasty is considered the second Arab dynasty after the Umayyads that ruled the Islamic world.

6. The Birth of ibn Khaldun:

Ibn Khaldun was born on the 2nd of Ramadan in the year 732 AH, corresponding to May 27, 1332, AD. He was the founder of sociology and a renowned Arab historian and philosopher, Abdul Rahman Ibn Khaldun, in Tunisia during the Hafsid dynasty. He grew up in a family distinguished by knowledge and literature; he memorized the Holy Quran in his childhood, and his father was his first teacher.

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• Kairouan is a Tunisian city located about 160 kilometers from the capital, Tunis. It is the city founded by Uqba ibn Nafi, may Allah be pleased with him, and it was a center for launching Islamic conquest campaigns in the Maghreb, Africa, and Spain. It is home to the Great Mosque of Kairouan, which was established by the Islamic leader Uqba ibn Nafi, may Allah be pleased with him.
• Uqbah bin Nafi al-Qurashi: the Fihri, the commander, the deputy of Ifriqiya for Muawiya and Yazid. He was the one who founded Kairouan and settled people there. He was known for his bravery, firmness, and piety. He did not have a proper companionship, but he witnessed the conquest of Egypt and established himself there. Muawiya equipped him with ten thousand men, and he opened Ifriqiya and founded Kairouan. The area was a thicket that could not be crossed by beasts and snakes, so he called upon God, and nothing remained there, and they fled, even the wild animals carried their young. He was martyred in the year 66 AH. May God have mercy on him. See his biography in Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir (6/2901) and Asad al-Ghabah (4/59).

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