Entries in this chronological list ofMuslim military leaders are accompanied by dates of birth and death, branch of Islam, country of birth, field of study, campaigns fought and a short biographical description. The list includes notable conquerors,generals andadmirals from earlyIslamic history to the 21st century.
Muhammad (Arabic: مُحَمَّد, pronounced [muˈħammad];c. 570 CE – 8 June 632 CE) was the Islamic prophet and a political leader. He led themuslims against the tribes of Arabia. Most of Arabia was annexed in his lifetime in a series of coordinated campaigns. The most notable battles wereBattle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,Battle of the trench, andConquest of Mecca.
Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Arabic: عَلِيّ ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib; 13 September 601 – 29 January 661), was nicknamedHaidar ('fierce lion') andAsadullah.[1] He was a cousin and son-in-law ofMuhammad. Ali was a successor of Muhammed (FourthRashidun caliph[2]). He is traditionally considered to be one of the greatest and one of the most valiant Muslim warriors. He took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. His contributions in theBattle of Khyber and theBattle of Badr are very well known.
Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (568-625) was a foster brother,companion and paternal uncle of Muhammad. He was killed in the Battle of Uhud on 22 March 625 (3 Shawwal 3 hijri). Hiskunyas were "Abū ʿUmārah"[3]: 2 (أَبُو عُمَارَةَ) and "Abū Yaʿlā"[3]: 3 (أَبُو يَعْلَىٰ). He had the by-namesAsad Allāh[3]: 2 (أَسَد ٱللَّٰه, "Lion ofGod") andAsad al-Jannah (أَسَد ٱلْجَنَّة, "Lion ofHeaven"), andMuhammad gave him the posthumous titleSayyid ash-Shuhadāʾ (Arabic:سَيِّد ٱلشُّهَدَاء,lit.'Chief of the Martyrs').
Zayd ibn Harithah (581-629 CE). He is the only companion whose name is mentioned in the holy Qur'an (33:37). He was appointed as a military commander seven times by the prophet Muhammad. Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never dispatched Zayd ibn Harithah with an army but he appointed him commander over them. If he had lived after the Prophet, he would have appointed him as the Caliph.[4] He was killed in thebattle of Mu'tah as the first commander.
Hussain ibn Ali (Arabic: حُسین ابن علی ), was the son ofAli and grandson ofMuhammad. His courage on the day ofAshura against an army of 40 thousand where he stood alone proves his bravery and courage. He killed a total of 4,000 people in his attacks in theBattle of Karbala.
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (Arabic: عمر بن خطاب, romanized: ʿUmar bin Khaṭṭāb, also spelled Omar, c. 582/583 – 644) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate on 23 August 634. Umar was a senior companion and father-in-law of Muhammad. He was also an expert Muslim jurist known for his pious and just nature, which earned him the epithet Al-Fārūq ("the one who distinguishes (between right and wrong)").
Usama bin zayd (615 – 680 CE) he also received thequalities of leadership like his fatherZayd ibn Harithah. He was only eighteen when he was appointed as a commander of a huge army. He is the first youngest commander in Islamic history. Usama bin Zayd relates: That Muhammad used to take him (ie Usama) and Al-Hassan (in his lap) and say: "O Allah! Love them, as I love them"[1].
Abdallah ibn Sa'd, during his time as governor of Egypt (646 CE to 656 CE), Abdallah ibn Sa'd built a strong Arab navy. Under his leadership the Muslim navy won a number of victories including its first major naval battle against the Byzantine emperorConstans II at theBattle of the Masts in 654 CE.
Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik was an Umayyad prince and one of the most prominent Arab generals of the early decades of the 8th century, leading several campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and the Khazar Khaganate. He achieved great fame especially for leading the second Arab siege of the Byzantine capital Constantinople.
Sa'id ibn Abd al-Malik, also known as Sa'id al-Khayr (Sa'id the Good), was an Umayyad prince, governor and military leader
Tariq ibn-Ziyad (670–720), a Berber general, he was a governor in Tangier (city in Morocco). He was later ordered by Musa ibn Nusayr to lead the Muslim army to conquerHispania.
Maslama ibn Hisham, also known as Abu Shakir, was an Umayyad prince and military commander
Sulayman ibn Hisham was an Arab general, the son of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (r. 723–743). He is known for his participation in the expeditions against the Byzantines.
Salih ibn Ali, Abbasid General and Provincial Governor
Abu Muslim, the Abbasid general, Governor of Khorasan under As-Saffah
As-Saffah, Abbasid Caliph, founder of the Abbasid dynasty and a military leader
Al-Mansur, Abbasid Caliph and a powerful military leader
Al-Mahdi, Abbasid Caliph and a powerful military leader
Abd al-Malik ibn Salih (died 812) was a member of the Cadet branch of theAbbasid dynasty who served as general and governor in Syria and Egypt. He distinguished himself in several raids against the Byzantine Empire.
Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hashimi, known as Burayh was an Abbasid Military leader in 9th century involved in the defense of Basra during the Zanj rebellīon war, and later served as a governor of Mecca.
Alp Arslan Muhammad Ālp Ārslan ibn Dawūd Persian: ضياء الدنيا و الدين عضد الدولة ابو شجاع محمد آلپ ارسلان ابن داود; 20 January 1029 – 15 December 1072, real name Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri, was the second Sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty. He greatly expanded the Seljuk territory and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to south and northwest and his victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, in 1071, ushered in the Turkoman settlement of Anatolia.[2] For his military prowess and fighting skills he obtained the name Alp Arslan, which means "Heroic Lion" in Turkish.
Malik-Shah I: Sultan ofSeljuk Empire, son of the great SultanAlp Arslan, who took his empire to a greatest extent. Malik-Shah, along with the vizierNizam al-Mulk, tried to unite Muslims of the world and fought many wars against anti Islamic fitna movement calledBatiniyya, he also built many madrasahs. He is considered one of the greatest Muslim leaders of all time.
Tughril Beg: founder of theSeljuq Dynasty. He united many Turkmen warriors of the Central Asian steppes into a confederacy of tribes, who traced their ancestry to a single ancestor named Seljuk, and led them in conquest of eastern Iran. He would later establish the Seljuk Sultanate after conquering Iran and retaking the Abbasid capital of Baghdad from the Buyids in 1055. Tughril relegated the Abbasid Caliphs to state figureheads and took command of the caliphate's armies in military offensives against the Byzantine Empire and the Fatimids in an effort to expand his empire's borders and unite the Islamic world.
Yusuf ibn Tashfin: founder of theAlmoravid Dynasty in the Islamic West, he secured several decisive military victories against the Christians inAl-Andalus and was able to reunify it under his rule after a period of internal fragmentation known as Muluk Al-Tawaif.
Nur ad-Din Zangi 1118–1174: A Syrian ruler and military leader who fought in the Crusades.
Ṣalaḥ ad-Dīn Yusuf bin Ayyub 1137-1193: He unified Egypt, Syria, and Palestine under his rule, led the Muslims to victory at theBattle of Hattin and was able to reclaim several cities from the Crusaders, especially Jerusalem.
Al-Adil I: He commanded the Muslims during a number of Crusades in the middle east. He wasSaladin's brother.
Abd Al-Mu'min The first caliph of Almohad Caliphate, who defeated the Almoravids and also brought the Maghreb and Al Andalus under one creed and government
Yaghmurasen Ibn Zyan Founder of theZayyanid dynasty Yaghmurasan ben Ziyan ben Thabet ben Mohamed ben Zegraz ben Tiddugues ben Taaullah ben Ali ben Abd al-Qasem ben Abd al-Wad) was the founder of the Zayyanid dynasty. Under his reign the Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen extended over present-day north-western Algeria.
Osman Ghazi I: The Son ofErtuğrul Gazi, The founder and the first sultan of theOttoman Empire. who defeatedByzantine Empire andMongols he conquered a significant portion of the Byzantine Empire; and laid siege to important cities such as Nicaea (Iznik), Prusa (Bursa) - which were conquered soon after his death.
Orhan Ghazi I: Son ofOsman I, he continued conquering the western areas of Anatolia which were controlled by theByzantine Empire, such asNicomedia andEdirne. Orhan's reign saw Ottoman territory nearly doubled.
Shams ud-Din Iltutmish: He conquered Multan and Bengal from contesting rulers, and Ranthambhore and Siwalik from their rulers.
Razia Sultana: Daughter of Iltutmish; ruled Delhi Sultanate, known as first female Muslim ruler in India.
Shah Jalal: Known to have propagated Islam into north-eastern Bengal after a long history of travel between the Middle East, Persia, Central Asia and South Asia.
Baibars: Fourth Sultan of Egypt (Bahri dynasty); defeated Crusaders and Mongols; known for consolidation of Mamluk power.
Saif ad-Din Qutuz: The first Mamluk Sultan to rule Egypt and Syria. He became the Mamluk Sultan in 1259 and defeated the Mongols at TheBattle of Ain Jalut, bringing an end to the myth of Mongol Invincibility.
Murad I (Ottoman Turkish: مراد اول; Turkish: I. Murad, Murad-ı Hüdavendigâr (nicknamed Hüdavendigâr, from Persian: خداوندگار, romanized: Khodāvandgār, lit. 'the devotee of God' – meaning "sovereign" in this context); 29 June 1326 – 15 June 1389) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1362 to 1389. He was a son of Orhan Gazi and Nilüfer Hatun. Murad I came into the throne after his elder brother Süleyman Pasha's death.
Timur: Sunni MuslimTurco-Mongol conqueror who hailed from the Chagatai Khanate, went on to be an undefeated military commander, including a crushing defeat he inflicted on Bayezid I at theBattle of Ankara.
Hayreddin Barbarossa (Arabic: خير الدين بربروس, romanized: Khayr al-Din Barbarus, original name Khiḍr; Turkish: Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa), also known as Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1478 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy.[1] Barbarossa's naval victories secured Ottoman dominance over the Mediterranean during the mid 16th century.
ShahIsmail I of Persia: the founder of theSafavid dynasty of Iran, ruling from 1501 to 23 May 1524 as shah (king).
Selim I: Also known as "Yavuz Sultan Selim Khan", he was the sultan of theOttoman Empire andOttoman Caliph.On the eve of his death in 1520, the Ottoman Empire spanned about 3,400,000 km2 (1,300,000 sq mi), having grown by seventy percent during Selim's reign.
Mehmed II: Also known as "Mehmed the Conqueror", he captured the Byzantine stronghold of Constantinople.
Suleiman the Magnificent: Suleiman I (Ottoman Turkish: سليمان اول, romanized: Süleyman-ı Evvel; Turkish: I. Süleyman; 6 November 1494 – 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver (Ottoman Turkish: قانونى سلطان سليمان, romanized: Ḳānūnī Sulṭān Süleymān) in his realm, was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 until his death in 1566
Daud Khan Panni: He was a Mughal commander, Nawab of the Carnatic and later Viceroy of Deccan. The EmperorAurangzeb appointed him as a leading commander of theMughal Army in 1701, whileZulfikhar Ali Khan was the Nawab.
Imam Shamil 1797–1871: An Avar (from modern-day Dagestan) who is considered both a political and religious leader for Chechens, Dagestanis, and Caucasians.
Tipu Sultan 1750–1799): Better known as the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu was the ruler of theKingdom of Mysore. He directed Mysorean military operations against rival Indian powers and theEast India Company during the second half of the 18th century.
Lalla Fatma N'Soumer An important figure in North African history who fought against the French.
Syed Ahmad Barelvi or Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed 1786–1831: was an Indian Sunni Muslim revivalist from Rae Bareli, a part of the historical United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. The epithet Barelvi is derived from Rae Bareli, his place of origin.
Abdul Hamid II 1842-1918: (Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II was the sultan of theOttoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to exert Effective control over the fracturing state. The time period which he reigned in the Ottoman Empire is known as theHamidian Era. Time changed and finally on August 31, 1876, Prince Abdulhamid ascended the Ottoman throne with the title SultanAbdul Hamid II. The cash he had earned from trade when he was a prince and the experiences he had gained, were significant. He was a smart, wise sultan withpolitical genius).
Panglima Bandahala son of Sattiya Munuh son of Sayyid Qasim,trusted adviser and close relative of the SultanJamalul Kiram II, he held significant positions such as Municipal President and peace emissary
Abdulaziz al-Saud, also known as Ibn Saud was the founder ofSaudi Arabia, the third Saudi Empire. He was King of Saudi Arabia from 23 September 1932 to his death. He had ruled parts of the kingdom as early as 1902, having previously been Emir, Sultan, and King of Nejd and King of Hejaz. He was an Arab Military leader who followedWahhabism He ConqueredKingdom of Hejaz in 1925.
Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1905–1975): he was a Saudi Arabian statesman and diplomat who was King of Saudi Arabia from 2 November 1964 until his assassination in 1975.
Alija Izetbegovic: (1925-2003) was a Bosnian politician;lawyer and Islamic philosopher.who became the 1st president of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.he was a member of tripartiate presidency of Bosnia until his death.he bravely defended the Bosnian nation and Bosnian Muslims from Serb aggression during the civil war in Bosnia and brought peace and stability to Bosnia.
Hadji Kamlon, Tausug freedom fighter, Sunni Muslim, Ash'ari in Aqeeda, Shafi'i in Madh'hab
Mat Salleh (Datu Muhammad Salleh), Sabah warrior fromInanam who led theMat Salleh Rebellion until his death. He was a relative of Sattiya Munuh son of Sayyid Qasim, grandfather of Panglima Bandahala who was the right hand of SultanJamalul Kiram II.
Tun Datu Mustapha (Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun), shared a common lineage with Sayyid Capt. Kalingalan "Apuh Inggal" Caluang, both tracing their ancestry back to the Sultans of Sulu. FirstYang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah and thirdChief Minister ofSabah.
Daud Beureueh, Acehnese Indonesian who served as the military governor of Aceh (1947-1950) and leader ofDarul Islam rebellion in Aceh.
Syam'un, Indonesian Islamic Scholar and Regent of Serang.
Sayyid Captain Kalingalan "Apuh Inggal" Caluang, son of Caluang son of Panglima Bandahala son of Sattiya Munuh son of Sayyid Qasim, one of the Fighting 21 of Sulu.[5] he was one of the founders of Ansar El Islam (Helpers of Islam) along with Domocao Alonto,Rashid Lucman, Salipada Pendatun, Hamid Kamlian, Udtog Matalam, and Atty. Macapantun Abbas Jr. Accordingly, "it is a mass movement for the preservation and development of Islam in the Philippines".[6]
Panglima Bandahala son of Sattiya Munuh, trusted adviser and close relative of the Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, he held significant positions such as Municipal President, peace emissary and was also entrusted with overseeing the Giba ceremony for the enthronement of a Sultan.
Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysian 10th Prime Minister. Proposed a petition to expelled Israel from the UN.
^Espaldon, E. M. (1997). With the Bravest: The Untold Story of the Sulu Freedom Fighters of World War II. Pilipinas: Espaldon-Virata Foundation.
^Alonto, Rowena (2009). 13 Stories of Islamic Leadership vol 1 (PDF). Asian Institute of Management – Team Energy Center for Bridging Societal Divides. p. 26.
