Thread by @Zaib017

In 1063 AD (454 AH), Muḥammad ibn Dāwūd who later came to be known as Alp Arslan which is Honorific in Turkish meaning ‘Heroic Lion’ or ‘Courageous Lion’ in English, became the Sultan of The Seljuk Empire.

[THREAD]

Sultan Alp Arslan regarded the Fatimid Shi'a Kingdom of Egypt as his main enemy. He did not prioritize as much to engage the neighbouring Byzantines in unnecessary hostilities, as in 1069 AD (462 AH), he had entered into a treaty with them to prevent such tensions.

In 1071 CE (436AH), Sultan Alp Arslan made his way to Edessa in Syria where it was reported to him that although the Khutbah there went out in the name of the Caliph, they continued to pronounce the adhan of the Fatimid and as such, Sultan Alp Arslan marched towards them.

The leader there, Mahmud ibn Salih sought Sultan Alp Arslan’s forgiveness with his mother in attendance. Sultan Alp Arslan received them both with kindness, gave robes of honour to Mahmud and restored him to his town.

In the meantime, Romanus needed a decisive victory not only to protect Armenia but also his throne and, in the summer of 1071 CE, Romanus decided to gamble everything on a massive eastern campaign that would draw the Seljuks into a engagement with Byzantine.

In February 1071 CE, Romanus sent an embassy to Alp Arslan to renew the treaty of 1069 CE. Romanus’ envoys reached the Sultan outside Edessa, which he was besieging at the time. Keen to secure his northern flank against Byzantine attack, so that he could focus on Aleppo ........

.... The Sultan agreed and immediately afterwards led his army south to attack Aleppo in Fatimid Syria.
Aleppo was subdued and the khutbahs in the name of the Caliph and Sultan Alp Arslan were introduced.

It has been recorded that the commoners in the city took away the rugs in the Mosque saying,
“These are Ali ibn Abi Tālib’s rugs, let Abū Bakr bring rugs for his followers to pray on.”

The offer to renew the peace treaty by Romanus, was a key element of Romanus’ plan to distract the Sultan long enough to allow Romanus to lead an army into Armenia and recover the lost fortresses before the Seljuks had time to respond, was deceitful but the use of deceit .....

.... in warfare was a skill the Byzantines prized very highly.
Byzantine tactical manuals regularly recommended using ploys, deceit and negotiation and to either avoid battle or gain advantage.

Romanus marched with 200,000 men, Greeks, Franks, Russians, Georgians, Armenians and many others. Many historians such as Matthew of Edessa claim the Byzantine army exceeded one million men – Gibbons claims it was the largest army ever fielded by the Roman Empire, East or West.

They came with much equipment and in great pomp and to attack the lands of Islām arriving in Malazgrid, also known as Manzikert.

News reached Sultan Alp Arslan when he was laying siege in Azerbaijan.

Knowing that he would not be able to raise his army who were far away and whilst the enemy was close, he gathered the men he had with him which numbered around 15,000 and marched on.

When they drew near the enemy, they encountered an advance guard of Byzantines of about 10,000.

After a brief engagement, the advance guard fled. When Sultan Alp Arslan drew nearer, he sent a message to Emperor Romanus for a truce but this was emphatically refused by Romanus.

Before the battle, Romanus sent an envoy to Sultan Alp Arslan as one last warning, saying:

“I have come to you with forces you cannot resist so become subservient to me willingly”.

This angered Sultan Alp Arslan and the glory of Islām filled his breast.

The Sultan responded:

“Tell your master it is not you who have brought me out but it is God, to Whom be praise, who has brought you and your troops to me to make you food for the Muslims.”

Sultan Alp Arslan was then advised by the Imām and Scholar of the army .....

.... Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Abdul Malik as follows:

“You are fighting for a religion which Allāh promised to support and to make it prevail over all others. I trust that Allāh will have put this victory down to your name. Confront them on Friday in the afternoon, at the hour ....

.... when the preachers will be in the pulpits. They will be praying for victory for the Mujahideen – and prayer is linked to a favourable response.”

Accordingly, just as the hour came on Friday 20 Dhu’l-Qa’da 463 AH, corresponding to 19 August 1071 CE, Sultan Alp Arslan led all his men in prayer following which he wept much beseeching ALLĀH ﷻ and they too wept with him.
He then addressed his men and said:

“We are with a depleted force. Either I will achieve the goal or I will go as a Martyr to Paradise. If I die, then know that my son, Malikşah is to be my heir. Whosoever wishes to depart, let him depart, for there is no Sultan to command and forbid today for .....

.... I too am a ghazi (warrior) with you.”

Encouraged by the fact that no one departed, he picked up his sword and mace and tied the tail of his horse. He put on a white coloured clothing, anointed his body and said:

“If I am killed, then this is my winding sheet.”

He then moved closer to the enemy and then dismounted his horse, rubbed his face in the dust of the plains of battle and wept and prayed to ALLĀH ﷻ for a considerable amount of time for he understood .....

.... The words of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ who was reported to have said:

“Two du’ās are never rejected, or rarely rejected: the Du’a during the Azan, and the Du’a during the calamity when two Armies attack each other.”

The Byzantines set up like the number five on a dice with Romanus in the Centre whilst the army of Islām set up in a crescent formation hiding their small number. Voices reciting the Qur‘ān from the Sultan’s troops, and the ringing of bells from the Byzantines, filled the air.

Sultan Alp Arslan then mounted his horse and charged towards the enemy lines with cries of “ALLĀHU AKBAR” in unison with his army such that the mountains trembled. The charge was so ferocious that .....

the dust which emerged from beneath provided them with much cover as they smashed into the centre of the Byzantine army. Allāh’s help descended and many of the enemy’s army were sent to their hereafter.

The others fled in retreat, with the soldiers of the Sultan reciting the following verse:

“How often a small group overcame a mighty host by the Leave of ALLĀH ﷻ?”

But it was to get better. The Muslims had managed to capture the Emperor of the Byzantines, Romanus himself.

When Romanus was taken to Sultan Alp Arslan, the Sultan beat him three times with his whip and asked:

“What would you do if I was brought before you as a prisoner?”

Romanus replied:

“Perhaps I’d kill you, or exhibit you in the streets of Constantinople.”

Upon this, Sultan Alp Arslan said:

“My punishment is far heavier. I forgive you, and set you free.”

The Sultan negotiated a peace with Romanus before permitting him to depart.

This saw the transfer of Antioch, Edessa, Hierapolis, and Manzikert to the Muslims.

Along with it, the initial payment of 1.5 million gold pieces and 360,000 gold pieces annually as ransom for Romanus.
Romanus remained captive with Sultan Alp Arslan for approximately a week during which time he treated him with great kindness and generosity.

He escorted him a long distance back to Constantinople, sent a number of his men with him for safe passage with a banner above his head bearing the words:

”لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله“

On his return, he found that he had been dethroned, was blinded and sent into exile.

Just after a few months after the momentous battle, the Sultan set out for Mawarannahr (Transoxiana) and subdued its tyrant ruler, Yusuf al-Khwarezmi.

Yusuf was being tied up and during that he insulted the Sultan. Upon this, Sultan Alp Arslan asked for him to be released.

The Sultan took aim at him with his trusted bow except, for the very first time (as his Appointed Time by the Decree of ALLĀH ﷻ had arrived), he missed his target and Yusuf, who had two knives hidden in his garment, stabbed the Sultan before he himself was killed.

The wounds which he received, eventually led to his death.
And with that, Came The End Of One Of The Most Courageous Sons Of Islām, Sultan Muḥammad Alp Arslan ibn Dāwūd.

May ALLĀH ﷻ Make his grave spacious and May ALLĀH ﷻ shower His mercy upon him.

Regarding the Crusaders,
This battle was so devastating, that it set in motion a number of events. One of these was that, within a decade, Pope Urban made a call to unite Western and Eastern Christendom to avenge consequences of Defeat at Manzikert in what was The First Crusade.

Another event that set in motion was that The Conquest opened the Anatolia region to Muslims which marked the beginning of the end of the Byzantine Empire’s tenure as a Dominant World Power. And not only that but also sparked the Birth and Rise of A Most Powerful Muslim Presence.

A World Dominant Presence that would last until its dissolution almost nine hundred years later, The Ottoman Empire.
And thus, The Victory Given to Sultan Alp Arslan by ALLĀH ﷻ at the Battle of Manzikert is one of the most defining victories in not only Muslim but world History.