al-Zallaqa: Ma'raka min Ma'arik al-Islam al-Hasima fi al-Andalus
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- Islamic University of Madinah
al-Zallaqa: Ma'raka min Ma'arik al-Islam al-Hasima fi al-Andalus (Al-Zallaqa: One of Islam's Decisive Battles in al-Andalus) is a historical treatise by the contemporary scholar Dr. Jamil Abd Allah Muhammad al-Misri, an associate professor at the Islamic University of Madinah, examining the causes, conduct, and historical consequences of the Battle of al-Zallaqa (479 AH / 1086 CE) .
Scope and Conception
The work frames military encounters in Islamic history not as ends in themselves, but as instruments serving the transmission, defense, and consolidation of Islamic da'wah when peaceful avenues are blocked . The author situates al-Zallaqa within a lineage of decisive Islamic battles—alongside Badr, Khaybar, Yarmuk, and al-Qadisiyyah—and specifically parallels it with the Battle of Manzikert (463 AH / 1071 CE) in the East; while the Seljuks checked Byzantine advances in Anatolia, the Almoravid dynasty arrested the Christian advance in the Iberian Peninsula .
Historical Background
The book surveys the political conditions across North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula during the fifth century AH:
- North Africa and the Rise of the Almoravids: The fragmentation of the Maghrib following the break of al-Mu'izz ibn Badis with the Fatimids in 440 AH and the ensuing migration of Banu Hilal, alongside Norman incursions into Sicily and the North African coast . In the Sahara, Yahya ibn Ibrahim al-Gudali sought religious instruction from Abu Imran al-Fasi in Qayrawan, leading to the appointment of Abd Allah ibn Yasin, the establishment of the ribat, and the emergence of the Almoravid movement . Under Yahya ibn Umar, Abu Bakr ibn Umar, and subsequently Yusuf ibn Tashfin—who founded Marrakesh in 454 AH / 1062 CE—the Almoravids unified Morocco and eradicated unorthodox sects and unfair taxation .
- Al-Andalus under the Taifa Kings: Following the collapse of the Umayyad caliphate and the 'Amirid state, al-Andalus fractured into competing Taifa principalities (Muluk al-Tawa'if) that paid tribute to Christian rulers and enlisted Christian armies against one another . Papal backing—such as Pope Alexander II's grant of indulgences in 456 AH / 1063 CE—encouraged campaigns leading to the fall of Coimbra (456 AH / 1064 CE) and the temporary sack of Barbastro . After the death of Fernando I of Castile and Leon in 458 AH / 1065 CE and subsequent fratricidal conflicts, Alfonso VI consolidated rule over Castile, Leon, and Galicia .
- The Fall of Toledo (478 AH / 1085 CE): Alfonso VI laid siege to Toledo for seven years until it capitulated in mid-Muharram 478 AH under al-Qadir ibn Dhi al-Nun; Alfonso subsequently converted its grand mosque into a church despite initial treaty terms .
- Scholarly Mobilization: Andalusian scholars mobilized public sentiment against fragmentation and passivity; prominent figures cited include Ibn Abd al-Barr (d. 463 AH), the historian Ibn Hayyan, Abu al-Walid al-Baji (403–474 AH), and Ibn Hazm .
Course of the Campaign and the Battle
Faced with escalating demands from Alfonso VI, the Taifa rulers convened in Cordoba and sent an official delegation to Yusuf ibn Tashfin in Ceuta, led by Judge Ubayd Allah ibn Adham and the vizier Abu Bakr ibn Zaydun . Despite warnings from his son about the Almoravids, al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad of Seville insisted on seeking their aid, stating his famous maxim that pasturing camels in the desert was preferable to herding swine in Castile . Yusuf secured Algeciras as a fortified base and crossed the strait in mid-Rabi' I 479 AH (June 1086 CE) .
After mustering Andalusian contingents outside Seville, the combined forces advanced toward Badajoz, where al-Mutawakkil ibn al-Aftas hosted them . The armies met on the plain of al-Zallaqa (known in European sources as Sagrajas), roughly 12 kilometers northeast of Badajoz . Yusuf structured his army with an Almoravid vanguard of 10,000 cavalry under Dawud ibn A'isha, the Andalusian forces under al-Mu'tamid in the center, al-Mutawakkil on the right, eastern Andalusian contingents on the left, and his own main force concealed as a strategic reserve behind an elevation .
Alfonso VI gathered allied contingents from across northern Spain and western Europe . While sources estimate Muslim numbers at over twenty thousand plus volunteers, Christian figures are placed substantially higher . Yusuf dispatched a letter offering Islam, tribute, or battle . Although Alfonso proposed postponing engagement until Monday, Muslim scouts detected preparations for a surprise assault at dawn on Friday, 12 Rajab 479 AH (other reports state mid-Rajab or Ramadan) . Prior to the clash, the jurist Ahmad ibn Rumayla al-Qurtubi reported a dream of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ foretelling victory and his own martyrdom .
In the ensuing battle, the initial Christian cavalry charge pushed back Dawud ibn A'isha and pressured al-Mu'tamid's lines, but al-Mu'tamid held firm despite sustaining multiple wounds and losing three horses beneath him . Yusuf launched a flanking maneuver with his reserve, capturing and burning Alfonso's camp . The unfamiliar sounds of Almoravid war drums and the sight of supply camels threw Christian cavalry into disorder . Yusuf then committed four thousand dismounted Black guards (hasham al-Sudan) armed with Indian swords and shields of Lamt hide . Alfonso VI was wounded in the thigh and escaped under cover of darkness with approximately five hundred cavalry, eventually reaching Toledo with only about one hundred survivors . Notable Muslim casualties included Ahmad ibn Rumayla, Abu Marwan al-Masmodi (judge of Marrakesh), and Abu Rafi' al-Fadl, son of Ibn Hazm .
Aftermath and Analysis
Yusuf relinquished the spoils of war to the Andalusian rulers, who hailed him as Amir al-Muslimin (Commander of the Muslims), a title officially confirmed alongside Nasir al-Din by the Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadi . Yusuf minted new coinage carrying the title and Quranic inscriptions . The victory relieved pressure on Zaragoza, restored Muslim morale, and was celebrated widely across North Africa .
The author examines why the Almoravids did not immediately march on Toledo or advance further into northern Spain . He identifies multiple causes: the fragile, defensive mindset of the Taifa rulers; the broader European backing available to the Christian kingdoms; and Yusuf's urgent need to return to Morocco following the death of his son Abu Bakr, leaving a garrison of three thousand troops under Sir ibn Abi Bakr .
The book traces subsequent events: Alfonso rebuilt his forces and established the fortress of Aledo (Hisn Liyit) near Murcia, prompting Yusuf's second crossing in 481 AH / 1088 CE . Disillusioned by persistent Taifa rivalries and secret dealings with Alfonso, and backed by legal rulings from jurists across the Maghrib, al-Andalus, and the central Islamic lands, Yusuf initiated a third crossing in 483 AH . Sir ibn Abi Bakr systematically annexed the Taifa states by 484 AH—exiling al-Mu'tamid to Aghmat—and unified Muslim Spain under Almoravid rule, except for Zaragoza under al-Musta'in ibn Hud . The study concludes by placing these developments within the wider backdrop of the Crusades, including the fall of Valencia to El Cid (488 AH) and its Almoravid recovery (495 AH), the Crusader capture of Jerusalem (492 AH), and Yusuf ibn Tashfin's death in 500 AH at the age of around one hundred .
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