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Battle of Buzakha - First Victory Against the False Prophethood

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The Battle of Buzakha was the first major battle during the Ridda Wars. It was fought between the forces of the Rashidun Caliphate, headed by Khalid ibn al Walid, and followers of the false prophet Tulayha. The self-proclaimed prophet received support from his tribe, Banu Asad, and other rebel tribes. The battle ended with a convincing victory for Muslims and laid the foundation for successful anti-rebel invasions by the Caliphate. Background Most Arabian tribes rebelled against the Caliphate after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Few tribes refused to pay obligatory zakat, while others followed self-proclaimed prophets. Tulayha was one of these false prophets whose claim was well-received by his tribe, Banu Asad. In the initial stages of the rebellion, tribes of Banu Ghatafan, Hawazin, and Tayy surrounded the capital city, Madinah, from two sides (east and northeast) to launch an attack. They were aided by Tulayha. But their initiative failed thanks to surprise attacks by A...
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Reasons Behind the Failure of Operation Barbarossa

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At the beginning of 1941, Nazi Germany had almost achieved its ambitions of World War 2 regarding Western Europe. All the nations (except Britain) were either under its control or chose to remain neutral. At that time, Hitler decided to conquer the Soviet Union to punish Russians for adopting communism. Operation Barbarossa Significance Hitler initially had a pact with the USSR at the start of World War 2 to avoid war on two fronts. However, there wasn’t any requirement to continue this pact due to favorable conditions for Germans on the battlefield. Therefore, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 to annex the entire area of Eastern Europe. Hitler planned to annihilate the Slavs and inhabit their areas with Germans after occupation. He received assistance from his allies in this campaign, including Romania, Italy, Hungary, Finland, and others. The initial phase of the operation proceeded according to plan. After inflicting heavy losses on the enemy, the Germans ca...
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Battle of Ajnadayn - The First Major Muslim-Byzantine Battle

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Battle of Ajnadayn was the first major pitched battle between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire. Khalid bin Walid was leading the Muslim army while the commander of the Christian force was Theodore, brother of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. The battle was fought in July/August 634 in modern-day Palestine/Israel and ended with a decisive victory for Muslims. It allowed them to capture the Byzantine province of Palestine and the southern part of Syria. Background The first engagement between Muslims and the Byzantine Empire occurred in the Battle of Mut’ah during Muhammad’s (PBUH) lifetime. Strong support from the Byzantine Empire to its Arab allies in this battle forced Khalid bin Walid to take a tactical retreat. The first successful campaign against the Byzantine Empire was led by Osama bin Zayed during the era of Caliph Abu Bakr. Later, Abu Bakr sent various small contingents of Muslims under different commanders to several parts of Byzantine Syria. The aim was ...
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Ridda Wars - The First Challenge to the Caliphate

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Ridda Wars were the series of campaigns launched by the  Rashidun Caliph Abu Bakr (R.A) soon after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 632 AD. These wars were fought against false prophets and other apostates who refused to pay Zakat or reject the authority of the Caliphate. The Ridda Wars re-established the rule of the Caliphate over the entire Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, they proved to be a prelude for later conquests of Persia, the Byzantine Levant (Bilad al-Sham), and Egypt. Causes of Ridda Wars Tribal Society Most of the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula gradually recognized the authority of Muhammad (PBUH) and accepted Islam after the Muslim conquest of Makkah. But soon after the death of the Prophet (PBUH), several of these tribes rejected the centralized government. They referred to their agreement with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a tribal agreement between two tribal chiefs and deemed it null and void after his death. The Emergence of False Prophets The suc...
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Battle of Hunain - The First Battle After the Conquest of Makkah

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  The Battle of Hunayn (known as Ghazwa Hunayn in Arabic) was fought in 8 AH (630 AD), soon after the conquest of Makkah. Despite initial losses and panic, the battle ended with a decisive victory for Muslims. The battle was significant because it was one of the last battles commanded by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The battle is also mentioned by its name in the Holy Quran. Background Muslims conquered Makkah in 630 after remaining in Madinah for 8 years. This resulted in the end of hostilities between Muslims and all the clans of the Quraysh tribe, most of whom had now embraced Islam. This alarmed other tribes in Arabia, who considered the unity of Quraysh under the leadership of Muhammad (PBUH) against their interests. The tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif were already antagonists to Quraysh. They were located in Taif and nearby areas, just a few kilometers away from Makkah. Hawazin and their allied tribes planned to invade Makkah even before the arrival of Muslims from Madinah....
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Battle of Ain Jalut - The First Decisive Defeat to Mongols

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The Battle of Ain Jalut (also spelled as Ayn Jalut) was a decisive battle between Muslim Mamluks and Mongols. It is regarded as the battle that initiated the decline of the Mongol Empire. The Battle of Ain Jalut was fought in 1260 at Nazareth (now in Israel). Background Genghis Khan united various tribes of Mongols at the beginning of the 13 th Century. The unity and discipline converted these barbaric tribes into one of the world’s most formidable forces. They spread to all sides of Mongolia by crushing opponents and mercilessly killing civilians. Along with Russians, Chinese, and Europeans, Muslims also suffered badly at the hands of Mongols. In 1258, Mongols captured and destroyed Baghdad, which effectively ended the Abbasid Caliphate. Later in 1259, they took over Damascus and Aleppo from Ayyubids. Now, Mongols were in pursuit of the Holy Land. Crusades were also underway at that time. The invaders also had a few Christian realms (Armenians and Georgians) alongside Ayyubid t...
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Brusilov Offensive - The Largest Russian Strike during WW1

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The Brusilov Offensive was a major Russian offensive against the Central powers in today’s Ukraine. It is named after Russian general Aleksey Brusilov who was the mastermind behind this successful attack. This offensive relieved the besieged French forces on the Western Front. It is known as the largest Russian operation during WW1 and one of the most lethal offensives in world history. Background In February 1916, Germany besieged the French city of Verdun. It was a difficult time for France and the country requested its allies, Russia and Britain, to open new fronts to disengage Germany from Verdun. Russia initially responded with an offensive at Lake Narocz that failed miserably. After this failed offensive, Russians planned another operation from the north. During preparations for this offensive, General Aleksey Brusilov (commander of the Russian Southwestern Army) presented his plan to invade Austria-Hungary from the southwest, which would assist the main operation from th...
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