Empire Déjà vu

Check the satellite view of world history and you see the same amazing pattern. A time-lapse photograph of the world, extending the period of written history, would show the deja vu element.

As the recent events in the world are played out, this coming together is predictable. But that is another subject and blog. The one I want to write on here, is the repetitive history of the empire.

Generally speaking, there have been nine dominant empires in history. From the Egyptians (5000 years ago) to the USA in the present. Definition of dominant is ‘the most powerful in the world, controlling significant tracts of land and instilling their culture’.

It always follows the same routine path.

A) commencement from nowhere; no hopers; nothing to signify future success (non-entities who struggle to survive).

B) they get a foothold and some form of unity - this builds an essential confidence.

C) opposition phase - existence is threatened. There is always a physical threat, but also can be extended to economic and unity threats.

D) having survived, their is a predictable chronological sequence.

• the belief phase (a big high)
• a grand vision is now part of the future
• feeling of mission and element of fervour
• physical strength and belief of invincibility
• conquest and expansion
• economic bigness
• scientific development and innovation
• arts, culture and intellectual content

E) Decay Phase

• belief of superiority over all others
• arrogance
• self indulgence and waste
• decay, value system declines, leading to social degradation

F) Decline Phase

• disunity of purpose and population starts infighting
• society starts disintegrating
• economic reversal leading to disasters
• currency and trade collapse

G) Destruction Phase

• a challenger appears ...simultaneous to the decline phase. Sometimes it is visible. Others come from the left field unexpectedly. Five years before Yarmuk, Rome did not suspect it will lose its grip to the Muslim Arabs. The Caliph in Baghdad never thought of the fast emerging Mongols as a danger.

• decay is complete by the time actual disintegration and destruction takes place.

This is happening right now and very visibly. Average age of empire in history 250 years. Average age of currency domination 100 years. Do the maths, it does not take much grey matter to figure out the present events.

From Enemy to Friend – Ikrimah, son of Abu Jahl

When Ikrimah looked up at the sky, as the storm raged and called on Allah the one to help, the shades fell from his eyes. Two decades of virulent opposition to the Prophet (saw) turned into belief in Allah. The flashes of Badr, his father’s body undone , the triumph at Uhad as assistant to Khalid bin Waleed, the retreat from Khandaq and his flight from Mecca all cascaded by. What a waste! So let him go back to Mecca and profess the shehadah.

This seminal event was to change history, resulting in hundreds of millions of lives being influenced in these past 1400 years.

On arriving at Mecca, Umm Hakim, his wife, took Ikrimah to the Prophet (saw). Already the Prophet (saw) feeling the momentous event, had told his companions Ikrimah approaches with belief in his heart, so do not revile his father. The meeting was close and Ikrimah asked for forgiveness and promised to devote his life to Islam.

Six years later, the Muslim armies positioned in Yarmuk valley, north of Jerusalem and east of Lake Tiberius, were barely clinging on with their finger nails across a broad front of 7 miles. The Romans outnumbering them - some say 5 to 1- had been pushing them back for four days. Favourable ground and higher numbers had taken toll.

Vahan had decided that today was the day to break the enemy lines and encircle the Arab armies. Heraclius orders were clear, destroy these Arabs and drive them into the desert, so that they never return. A march further south into the Arabian heartland was also conceivable.  Having done a feint on the Arab right, he had forced Khalid bin Waleed to send the reserves into action.  Then, putting together all his strength Vahan focused on the Arab left centre, attacking Yazid’s (not the same one!) divisions. The Muslims outnumbered and without reserves, were spread thin. During this attack, Abu Sufyan and some 100 others lost an eye under a barrage of arrows- also known as Day of the Lost Eyes. Under pressure, the Muslim left centre was in wholesale retreat, the Arab lines were about to break.

Left facing the approaching Roman cavalry was the sole regiment (400 strong) of Ikrimah, son of Abu Jahl - great enemy of the Prophet (saw).

The situation is clear. If Ikrimah's men break, the battle is lost and the future is bleak. If they hold, there is hope yet. Not since Badr, has Islam faced such a cataclysmic moment. Ikrimah decides to use the Arab tradition and take baith from all 400. Today, no one will retreat, rather they shall die. The Roman ranks crash against the Arab 400. As the day drags, Vahan intent on victory throws lines after lines on the enemy, only for them to stand firm. Losses are heavy, but the Arab lines hold and as the night falls, a perplexed Vahan withdraws. Lying somewhere in the middle of the carnage is the broken body of Ikrimah, his triumph complete and his debt to the Prophet paid in full. His regiment have achieved shehadat and also forced the Romans to withdraw. Not only the Roman strength has been used up, but the enemy is exhausted and demoralised, they have let victory escape out of their hands.

The rest of story is recorded as a gory day, when the Roman armies in retreat are boxed in and slaughtered and are never able to recover. Khalid bin Waleed’s resounding victory leaves the road open west and north. One of the greatest victories of Islam leads to massive conquests over the next century. Not till Tours – just 18 miles from present day Paris- and some 96 years later were the Muslim armies to be stopped.

Khalid’s maneuverings at Yarmuk are taught even today in various military academies. But in those few hours, Ikrimah and his companions made that success possible, where otherwise defeat stared in the face. Yarmuk changed history and while today European historians using their own logic (rather than facts) try and review numbers, even they agree to the significance of the event.

Above all stands the phenomena of belief, where one man went from being the most persistent enemy to being the saviour of Islam. May Allah accept the sacrifice of Ikrimah and his companions.