Mujaz an al-Futuhat al-Islamiyya
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- Dar Al-Nashr Lil-Jami'at
Mujaz an al-Futuhat al-Islamiyya (A Summary of the Islamic Conquests) is a historical study written by the modern Egyptian scholar Taha Abd al-Maqsud Abd al-Hamid Abu Ubayya, examining the major military expansions and strategic campaigns of early Islamic history, with a primary focus on the Umayyad period.
Purpose and Approach
Abu Ubayya opens the work by outlining the religious and strategic foundations of early Islamic warfare, stating that jihad was fundamentally aimed at defending Muslim lands and removing oppressive obstacles that hindered the peaceful propagation of Islam, rather than coercing individuals into conversion, citing the Quranic principle: لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ("There is no compulsion in religion").
The author explains that internal discord during the late reign of Uthman ibn Affan and the caliphate of Ali ibn Abi Talib (35–40 AH / 656–661 CE) temporarily halted Islamic expansion. The conquests resumed systematically following the political consolidation under Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan in the "Year of Community" (41 AH / 661 CE), initiating an era of multi-front military activity.
The author adopts a concise expository method, deliberately avoiding excessive narrative minutiae in favor of clarifying overall strategic directions, correlating external campaigns with political shifts at the center of the caliphate, and incorporating explanatory geographical maps.
Structure and Theaters of Conquest
The book categorizes the major campaigns into three primary theaters of war:
The Eastern Front
Covering territories east of Iraq, this front is divided into two main axes:
- Transoxiana (Ma Wara al-Nahr): The lands between the Oxus (Jayhun / Amu Darya) and Jaxartes (Sayhun / Syr Darya) rivers, encompassing regions such as Tokharistan, Sogdia, Khwarazm, Farghana, and al-Shash. The book chronicles early reconnaissance efforts, the disruptions during the Second Fitna (60–72 AH), and the decisive resurgence under the governor al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. It details the four distinct campaign stages led by Qutayba ibn Muslim al-Bahili between 86 and 96 AH (705–715 CE), culminating in the conquest of Bukhara, Samarkand, and advances toward Kashgar and the borders of China.
- Sindh: The southern eastern front encompassing the Indian subcontinent, highlighting the campaigns overseen by Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Thaqafi.
The Byzantine Front
Addressing the long-standing land and maritime conflicts against the Byzantine Empire along the frontiers of the Levant, Asia Minor, and the eastern Mediterranean basin. The work highlights early naval encounters under Mu'awiya and subsequent sieges directed against Constantinople.
North Africa and Western Europe
Covering the westward advance across North Africa (the Maghreb) from Egypt to the Atlantic Ocean, addressing interactions with the indigenous Berber population. It explores the continuation of these military efforts across the Strait of Gibraltar into the Iberian Peninsula (al-Andalus) and southern France under commanders such as Uqba ibn Nafi, Musa ibn Nusayr, and Tariq ibn Ziyad.
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