The Battle of Tal Harem
On the 21st of Ramadan 559 AH, corresponding to August 12, 1164 CE, Islamic armies led by King "Nur al-Din Mahmoud Zengi" engaged in battle with Crusader forces commanded by six kings and princes, including the extremist Crusader Prince "Raymond III," Duke of Tripoli, and "Bohémond III," Prince of Antioch, as well as "Thorold II," Prince of Armenia, along with senior leaders, monks, and priests.
At the beginning of the battle, the Franks attacked the right flank of the Islamic army, causing it to retreat as if defeated. This was actually the Muslims' plan: to lure the Frankish knights into pursuing the retreating flank, cutting off their connection to the infantry of their forces. This way, the Muslims could manage to eliminate the infantry, and when the Franks returned, they would find no infantry to protect their backs.
With this strategy, the Muslims surrounded them from all sides, inflicting a severe defeat on them and substantial losses estimated at ten thousand dead and the same number of captives. Among the captives was Prince "Raymond" along with many leading figures such as "Reynald de Châtillon" and "de Courtenay." As a result, Nur al-Din seized the fortress of Harem, and later the city of Banyas, causing the Crusaders to suffer a significant defeat.
Death of Sheikh Ibrahim Izzat (On the 21st of Ramadan 1403 AH- June 2, 1983 CE)
On the 21st of Ramadan 1403 AH, the renowned preacher Sheikh Ibrahim Izzat passed away. He was one of the most prominent preachers who emerged in Egypt during the last quarter of the twentieth century.
Sheikh Izzat played a major role in the Islamic call during the 1970s and 1980s and had a significant impact on the awareness of several Islamic movements that he joined. He became famous for his influential sermons, which benefited thousands of Muslims.
Death of the Founder of the Ottoman State (21st of Ramadan in 726 AH, corresponding to 1326 CE)
On this day, the 21st of Ramadan in 726 AH, corresponding to 1326 CE, Sultan Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman state, passed away. He was succeeded by his son Orhan on the throne of the Ottoman sultanate.
Sultan Osman ibn Ertuğrul ibn Suleiman Shah was born in the year 656 AH, corresponding to 1258 CE. He is the founder of the Ottoman state and its first sultan and a leader of the Turks from the Seljuks. That year also marked the fall of Baghdad into the hands of the Tartars, and it seems that God Almighty had destined for him to be born on the same day that the last of the Abbasid caliphs was killed, so that he could revive the caliphate, young and vibrant, after it had grown old and weakened. He was born in the town of "Sogut," the same year that the Mongols, led by Hulagu, invaded Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid caliphate. These events were monumental, and the calamities were severe.
Ibn Kathir states: "They attacked the city and killed all they could reach of men, women, children, elders, and youth. Many people took refuge in wells and unclean places, hiding there for days without showing themselves, and none survived except for the dhimmis among the Jews and Christians and those who sought refuge with them."
The calamity was immense, and the incident was grave. The nation weakened and deteriorated due to its sins and transgressions, leading to the Mongols being unleashed upon it, who violated honor, shed blood, killed souls, looted wealth, and destroyed homes. In that difficult period and the pervasive weakness of the nation, Osman, the founder of the Ottoman state, was born.
He passed away, may God have mercy on him, after a life full of conquests and jihad, having spent between 26 and 27 years in sovereignty. He left a commendable legacy for any ruler aspiring to combine worldly benefits with the rewards of the Hereafter. He exemplified justice to such an extent that it was said that his father Ertuğrul entrusted him with the position of judiciary in the city of "Karacahisar" after it was taken from the Byzantines in the year 684 AH / 1285 CE. In this position, he adjudicated a case between two men, one a Turkish Muslim and the other a Byzantine Christian, ruling in favor of the Byzantine against the Turk.
The Byzantine was astonished and asked him: "How can you rule in my favor when I follow a different religion than yours?" عثمان replied: "Rather, how could I not rule in your favor? The God we worship tells us: “Indeed, Allah commands you to return trusts to their rightful owners; and when you judge between people, judge with fairness. What a noble commandment from Allah to you! Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing” [Surah An-Nisa, Verse 58]. The Byzantine was moved by this stance and declared his Islam.
