Determination creates men who, in turn, create miracles. Among these men is the Falcon of Quraysh, who was fleeing from the Abbasids and witnessed the murder of his brother. Instead of surrendering, the Falcon of Quraysh fled to Andalusia, where he established a state that lasted about 800 years.
The following lines tell the story of this man and the tale of one of the most beautiful poems ever written about love. In 132 AH, the Abbasids succeeded in overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate and pursued the Umayyad princes everywhere. Abd Al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya was a young man in his twenties. He fled from Syria with his brother Yahya and some of his followers. The Abbasid cavalry pursued them until they reached the Euphrates River.
On the riverbank, the Abbasid soldiers stood guard, while the fugitives swam in the middle of the river. The soldiers granted them safe passage and promised not to kill them if they returned voluntarily. However, Abd Al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya sensed the deception and continued swimming, while his brother returned to them, reassured. As soon as he reached the shore, he was captured and killed before his brother’s eyes. Thus began the great escape of Abd Al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya. He moved among the tribes, fleeing from place to place, until he reached North Africa in disguise. He remained in this situation for some time until a man named Badr, a freed slave of the Prophet (PBUH), reached him.
During this time, Badr heard people expressing their hatred for the Abbasids, so he secretly gathered supporters for Abd Al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya. At that time, Andalusia was engulfed in power struggles, while the people desired the return of the Umayyads to rule. Therefore, Badr began rallying people to his emir, who took refuge in Andalusia. As his supporters grew in number, he began to build a large army, but he lacked the funds to cover the expenses of the army. Despite this, he tried to defeat his rivals and entered Cordoba, achieving his first victory in 138 AH (757/758 CE). He succeeded in re-establishing an Umayyad state in Andalusia. Abbasid Caliph Abu Ja’far Al-Mansur said this about him, “This is the Falcon of Quraysh. The man they pursued to kill escaped alone and established a state in Andalusia.” The Falcon of Quraish founded a state that lasted for almost 800 years.
The Most Fascinating Love Letter in History
In 1776, American Ambassador to Paris Benjamin Franklin met the widow of renowned philosopher Helvétius. He fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage, but she refused out of loyalty to her husband’s memory. This shocked Franklin, so he wrote her a letter that historians unanimously consider the most fascinating and creative love letter in the history of love.
He said to her: My dearest lady... Your confession to me of your intention to remain a lonely widow until you have dealt your husband a severe blow was too much for me to bear, leaving me stunned and distraught. I drifted from bitter sorrow to crippling despair, unable to sleep. I took a strong sleeping pill and collapsed onto my bed to escape the bitter truth. In my dream, I saw myself as if I had passed on to the other world, and I wandered about in confusion and longing, like someone searching for a lost loved one.
Suddenly, I saw a beautiful angel approaching me, asking where I was going. I told him I wanted to go to the Philosophers’ Corner. He said, “There, at the edge of the garden, live two philosophers -- Socrates and Helvétius.” The kind angel then led me to the dwelling of your husband, Helvétius, who greeted me warmly and began asking me about war, religion and freedom. I answered him, eager for him to stop so I could ask him the question I had come to ask. Finally, I asked him, “You have asked me with great interest about everyone, but you have not asked me about your wife.” He sighed and said, “You are bringing back memories of the past, memories one must forget here to live happily.
“Circumstances here forced me to forget them and marry a beautiful woman who strives to make me happy.” “And I was moved, my lady, by your devotion to him,” I said, and I told him, “Your wife on Earth is more faithful than you, for she does not wish to be touched by any man after you. I love her and asked for her hand in marriage, but she refused out of loyalty to your memory.” Here I saw Mr. Helvétius smile with pity, saying, “I pity you and her.”
The door opened, and his wife entered the other world. How astonished I was to find that it was my departed wife! I rubbed my eyes, disbelieving myself, and then asked, “Didn’t you swear to be mine alone?” She replied coldly, “I was a good wife to you for 29 years in this world, but here we are in another. I met a man to whom Heaven bound my destiny.” Truly, I was stunned by her cold reply, and I lunged to strike her, but then I awoke from my dream. But... I can still take my revenge on her while I am awake and you can take your revenge on your husband, too. Come, my dear, let us take our revenge on both of them.
