Strong Fan of Al-Andalus

by Ammaar ibn Walid
The Star Trail Lines Writer

The 7th of November 2009, Saturday
The 19th of Dhulqo'dah 1430

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful...

(Originally written on "Jaacto Times" on the 7th of August 2009.)

This might not be the only post of mine in this journal of mine about Al-Andalus. There is a lot of history about Al-Andalus, and I know of different pieces of the puzzle of the history of Al-Andalus, as I don't know everything about it.

Since I don't know everything about it, I don't have all the pieces of the puzzle. It was through a clip that I came to understand something that was wrongfully spreading the internet. It was spreading amongst Muslims to be more precise.

I had, one way or another, received messages through groups I'm in about not using the words such as "mosque", and use the original, which is "masjid". Some brethren were amazing in responding to such posts.

It is said not to use the word "mosque" because it is similar to "mosquito". Only Allah knows, but I think I understand the source of the whole "mosquito"/"mosque" issue, and it probably could be traced back to Andalusia.

Andalusia is the southern province of Spain, which was the last part of Al-Andalus that Muslims were kicked out of brutally through the Spanish inquisition. Al-Andalus wasn't always only Andalusia. Al-Andalus covered most of the Iberian Peninsula.

Anyhow, back to the "mosquito"/"mosque" issue. There is a famous landmark built by the Muslims in Cordoba during Al-Andalus era. The landmark is a large mosque, and in the 500s a Cathedral was built in the middle of it.

It's known in Spain as the Cathedral, where as locally it was known as the Mosquito. Linking mosquito and mosque together, and that's where the misunderstanding about mosquito and masjid comes from most likely.

I've indirectly learned of this through a clip about Al-Andalus history on YouTube.

That's in my opinion only though. Al-Andalus has numerous names, including Land of the Vandals; Islamic Spain, and Moor Spain. I prefer the title of Al-Andalus. Led first by Tarek ibn Ziyad, who was the first Muslim leader to open the Iberian Peninsula, and then followed later by Musa ibn Nusair.

The opening was from the land which is currently known as Morocco. A worthy note of attention is that there was some territory in Morocco that the Muslims couldn't get to, and that was Ceuta, or known as Sapta (سبتة) in Arabic.

With help from the Christian leader of that place, the Muslim army, led by Tarek ibn Ziyad, was able to open the Iberian Peninsula. That was the first opening the Muslims had in Europe.

The second came centuries later through the Ottoman Khilafa, and the opening of the Balkans. That's a whole other issue together. Al-Andalus wasn't always in unity during its era of existence. The unity came at different separate times.

One of those that united Al-Andalus was a survivor of the Umayyad Khilafa, who fled to Al-Andalus. He was Abdurahman. It was through him that the Umayyad family continued, even though the Khilafa under its rule was destroyed.

It was destroyed by the Abbasids, who became the new Khilafa for the Islamic Nation. I know of certain famous Muslims that came from Al-Andalus, or somehow were relevant to that Islamic land. I know of Ibn Sina. There is also Yusuf ibn Tashfeen.

Others include Abdurahman Al-Ghafiqi, who was a military commander, who died in the battle of بلاط الشهداء. After he was martyred, the Muslims were divided and without one strong commander, and so they lost in Poitiers in 732.

An interesting thought is that even with all the divisions amongst the Muslims, being fans of Al-Andalus could be a key to help unite the Islamic Umma. There are Sufi fans of Al-Andalus and Salafi fans of Al-Andalus.

Some day I would like to go visit southern Spain, or Andalusia. I would love to see what the Muslims during Al-Andalus period made and constructed with my own eyes. Al-Andalus isn't commonly known as "Al-Andalus".

Even if the Muslims get back Al-Andalus somehow in the future, I don't think it could ever be like the Al-Andalus of the past.