The Memory of Attempts to Conquer Constantinople Eliminates the Psychological Defeat
(Translated)

Surely the psychological defeat that dominated the Muslims during this period of time, their deep sense of their weakness and humiliation, and the idea of the impossibility of the return of their Khilafah (Caliphate) are nothing but as a result of the tireless work from the Kafir West in which it sought to destroy any sort of revival in them and the soul of the great Islam from their lives, so they can never stand up again where they restore their glory and honor once again, and remove thrones that govern people with fire and iron.

And we are passing through these days the anniversary of one of the most prominent and major events of history on both the global and Islamic levels, the anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, which destroyed the Byzantine Empire that was the first instigation of the Crusaders’ threat, so this event was a separation between the history of the Middle Ages and modern times, with which the fortress fell that has protected Europe for more than a thousand years, and the European wall has been shattered in the face of the advancement of Muslims and their penetration towards Europe.

The Muslims took the initiative to conquer Constantinople and sacrificed, and repeatedly they tried hard and sincerely again and again, and this was only in pursuit of achieving the glad tiding of the Messenger of Allah (saw) that he said about:

«لَتُفْتَحَنَّ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةُ فَلَنِعْمَ الْأَمِيرُ أَمِيرُهَا وَلَنِعْمَ الْجَيْشُ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ»

“Verily you shall conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful leader will its leader be, and what a wonderful army will that army be!” And in order to ensure that they are the ones who would achieve the glad tiding; these attempts that they kept failing did not discourage them from trying again and again as they were certain that the Messenger’s (saw) glad tiding would be fulfilled one day. They never neglected this matter, and their souls were not defeated. Rather, their attempts over the centuries were numerous beginning in the era of the Umayyad Khilafah (Caliphate), where the Khalifah (Caliph) Muawiyah bin  Abu Sufyan sent two huge campaigns; the first one was on the land and the second one strengthened the naval power, and the third attempt was during the time of Khalifah Suleiman bin AbdulMalik. However, it did not all yield to the conquest of this city, and several other attempts followed, including an attempt by the Khalifah Harun Al-Rashid during the Abbasid Khilafah. Then these Islamic attempts have subsided for a few centuries as a result of the division of the Abbasid state, and the calamities suffered by the Islamic East due to the Crusades and the Mongol invasion. However, it returned and flourished again with the beginning of the Ottoman era at the hands of Sultan Bayezid I, who almost succeeded in opening it had it not been for the Mongol invasion that forced him to break the siege and go to confront it. Then the attempt of the Ottoman Ameer Musa Shalabi, which ended with his arrest and killing, and as for the last attempt before it was opened by Sultan Mohammed Al-Faith (the Conqueror), it was by his father Sultan Murad II, who also strived in its siege, but he was unsuccessful to open it.

There have been many attempts that led to the recruitment of great armies that cost a large amount of money, and the loss of many good souls, that it was not destined for them to succeed in opening this fortified Byzantine stronghold, except from other side victories and conquests of cities and fortresses which shrunk the Byzantine Empire to the Constantinople city and its outskirts.

O Muslims: it is not intended to mention the attempts merely as an account of their events; rather, the intention behind this is to take lessons from these high enthusiastic personalities, who believed in their Lord, and trusted their prophet’s (saw) glad tiding, so that you work hard and purify your intention while doing so, and think well of Allah, then look forward to your prophet’s (saw) glad tiding which is the return of your Khilafah.. Allah the Exalted said:

[وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ]

“So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.” [Al-e Imran: 139]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Nour Al-Huda Mohammed

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