MUHAMMAD AL FATIH:

THE CONQUEROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE

A very thrilling story of how we try to reach the dream with sincerity that we get from an army
commander who is famous for his toughness. The commander was named Mumammad Al-Fatih, a young
man who had the power of vision in his life.

The story started from Al-Azhab war, namely the Khandaq war at the period of the Prophet.
Muslim troops totaling around 10 thousand will be attacked by a combination of the Quraysh army, Jews
and other people who number 100 thousand. The main target of this war is to save the city of Medina
from the invasion of the enemy. The friends gathered and discussed to find a strategy to win the battle. If
it was calculated by the number of troops available, it means that one Muslim soldier must face 10 enemy
soldiers. If you only used makeshift equipment, you will most likely lose. Therefore, a strategy was
developed to overcome troop deficiencies in other ways.

A friend named Salman Al-Farizi proposed a way that the attackers could not enter Medina,
namely by asking the Muslim forces to dig a trench (khandaq) as a trap that was long 8 km, wide 5 m and
3 meters deep, so that trapped enemy horses could not rise . Imagine, how hard the troops had to work
hard digging trenches on hard and rocky rock. What an extraordinary struggle.

In the process of digging trenches, suddenly there was one friend who came to the Prophet
"Rasulullah, which city will we conquer first, Constantinople or Rome? The Messenger of Allah
answered "a city led by Hericlius (Rome)". Try to imagine, when feeling extreme fatigue in the heat of a
hot desert, troops who are digging trenches are not asking "O Messenger of Allah (Rasulullah), are we
ready with the amount to fight 100 thousand enemy soldiers? What if we actually lose? And unable to
defend this city of Medina? But instead, they instead asked eagerly about which city the Muslims would
control first. A high level of trust that is difficult to match.

As a leader, the Prophet then made his long-term vision statement in a hadith, "you will surely
free Constantinople" the leader who does it is the best leader, and the troops under his command are best
troops. "

From then on, generations of companions raced to want to be called the best leaders and the best
of troops. Until the last 800 years passed, a child named Muhammad Al-Fatih was born.

His father Sultan Murad II, taught the Fatih of religion by asking Shaykh Aaq Syamsudin Al-
wali, descendant of Abu Bakr, a teacher, to teach various disciplines to Al-Fatih. Every morning, the
small Muhammad Al-Fatih was invited to see the 18 meters high fortress wall of Constantinople from a
distance. For centuries, Constantinople could never be conquered by anyone.

One day Sheikh Shamsudin said to Muhammad Al-Fatih, "O Muhammad Al-Fatih, do you know
what that is? That is the wall of Constantinople and do you know how the promise of the Prophet? His
promise was that the city of Constantinople would fall into the hands of Islam. The leader who conquers
him is the best leader and the army under his command is the best of the troops. I am sure that someday
your grandchildren will conquer Constantinople. But I am more happy if you conquer it, son.

Al-Fatih replied, "yes! I want to conquer Constantinople. And because I want to conquer it, then I
will prepare myself. "

Muhammad Al-Fatih finally established himself. What did he do? At the age of 8, he had
memorized the Koran. Try to compare it with us now, how old are we? Memorization is only the surah
Al-Ikhlas and Qulhu and other short letters. Hi hi hi.
 He knows that the best leaders are not ordinary people so he never leaves prayer. And he never
leaves tahajjud, he is also skilled in riding, and some other skills. He is also fluent in 7 languages: Arabic,
Latin, Greek, Serbian, Turkish, Persian and Hebrew.

There are 70 ships and 20 galleries (complete warships equipped with weapons) dispatched to
break into the Golden Horn Strait. But the normal method proved unable to defeat the strongest city
fortress in the world at that time. Various other methods have been tried, but have not been successful. As
a result, Muhammad Al-Fatih's forces suffered heavy losses.

This is where the genius of Muhammad Al-Fatih is proven. After various methods, he proposed to
move the ship through the Galata hills, to enter the weakest point of Constantinople, the Golden Horn
Strait. "Then, pull the ship by land, and we will climb the hill because the people of Constantinople will
not think that Muslim forces will cross the hill" exclaimed Muhammad Al-Fatih.

Some troops asked, "How can we cross the hill? The road is so hard to get through ".

Muhammad Al-Fatih replied, "Constantinople will fall into the hands of Islam, the leader who
conquers it is the best leader and the army below him is the best of the troops. Do it !!!

"But it seems impossible," said the troops.

"Do it!" Muhammad Al-Fatih answered firmly.

I t turned out that the idea sounded like a joke was well executed by all the troops. The al-fatih
ships also sailed through the hills in one night. An amazing strategy that makes the historians amazed to
this day.

And finally ... in the early hours of the morning, when the Constantinople began to stand back,
they were shocked by the thunderous sound that shed all their joints ... "laa ilaaha illallah ..." the voice
was clearly heard from the hillside. Yes, Muhammad Al-Fatih's army managed to reach the descent of the
hill towards the proud fortress of Konstatinopel.

Before attacking the enemy forces, that day the group of Muslim forces ordered by Muhammad
Al-fatih to fast, the night after they fought for them and sought Allah's help.

That's how day-by day the war goes on until the Muslims finally win and conquer Constantinople.
Before the time of ash came, al-fatih had his feet inside the fortress of Constantinople. Allahuakbar, the
vision of the Messenger of Allah has been fulfilled by the best leaders and best troops.

The troops shouted, praising and calling the name of Allah in a prayer. Rushing Al-fatih
prostrated facing the Kaaba with a handful of land while saying "I am no more noble than this land, I will
return to this land as well

Even though he succeed in leading a great victory in conquering Constantinople, Muhammad Al-
Fatih remained arrogant, for over 800 years, none succeeded, but Al-Fatih succeeded in doing it at the age
of 21 years and embodied one of the promises of the Prophet as well as realizing his vision.

After conquering Constantinople, Muhammad Al-Fatih planned to conquer Rome. Nineteen years
later, when the desire was to be realized, the rulers in Rome were already scared. And before the mission
was carried out, on the way to Rome, he died. Sad or happy? There is a combination in it, sad because of
losing one of the best leaders at a relatively young age, happy because it means that for us there is a
chance to be the best person, conquering the city that has been called since the time of the Prophet, Rome.
If we cannot, at least our grandchildren will conquer it, must not be in physical warfare.

This is a big vision of an Al-Fatih, of course we ourselves have our own vision. Then realize that
vision with the best preparation and effort. Let's deserve ourselves before gaining that vision.