This was the end of the man who built modern Iraq !

10/06/2026

Ahmed Al Jarallah

10/06/2026

Ahmed Al Jarallah

In the following lines are stories of construction and strength, as well as of crowds who follow every slogan without understanding its meaning. The first story is the story of building modern Iraq, and how that story ended with some young officers led by Abdul Karim Qasim. The second story shows how courage triumphs over strength. The third story illustrates how shrewdness and experience can defeat large armies.

The following lines contain lessons for whoever seeks to build. The man who ruled Iraq 14 times was killed by his own people, whom he had educated. He formed his first Cabinet in 1930. It was the first time in Iraq that a military officer had headed the government. He formed and led the government 14 times. He skillfully maintained a balance between tribal leaders, intellectuals, the British, and oil interests. He built the first universities and hospitals, and transformed Baghdad into a regional cultural center. He used vast oil revenues to make Iraq one of the most stable and prosperous Arab countries. He survived several coup attempts with British protection. He remained untouchable for a long time, but his pro-Western policies made him an icon of foreign domination in the eyes of Iraqi nationalists.

On July 14, 1958, young officers led by Abdul Karim Qasim overthrew the monarchy. The man who built modern Iraq was captured while trying to escape disguised as a woman. Angry mobs beat him to death and dragged his body through the streets of Baghdad. This man was Nuri al- Said.

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The Battle of Yarmouk demonstrated the strength and courage of Muslims.
In 15 AH (635 CE), the Byzantine armies gathered in the Yarmouk Valley in a major attempt to halt the Muslim advance in the Levant. The Muslim army was estimated at 30,000 to 40,000 fighters, while the Byzantine army ranged from 80,000 to 120,000. The battleground was a wide valley surrounded by rocky cliffs, making the fighting perilous. The clashes lasted for several days, with both sides exchanging arrows and engaging in sword and spear combat. Dust rose from the battlefield as the fighting intensified. The Byzantines deployed their armored cavalry to break the Muslim ranks, but the Muslim lines remained steadfast and organized under the command of Khalid ibn al-Walid.

As the fighting continued, fatigue began to show among the Roman soldiers, and their ranks gradually began to crumble. At that moment, Khalid ibn al-Walid gathered his cavalry and ordered a powerful, organized, and decisive attack on the enemy positions. The horses charged swiftly, and the Roman ranks broke apart. Their forces then began to retreat towards the slopes of the valley. The Battle of Yarmouk ended in a great victory for the Muslims. This victory was one of the most important events that paved the way for the conquest of the cities of the Levant and the consolidation of the Muslim presence there.

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Ibn Tashfi n solidified the Arab presence in Andalusia.
An octogenarian man crushed the strongest armies of Europe.
In 1085 CE, Andalusia was crumbling. The Taifa kings were mired in their own conflicts and disputes. Alfonso VI, King of Castile, seized the opportunity and captured Toledo, one of the oldest Muslim capitals, on May 25 of that year. King Alfonso planned to conquer all of Andalusia. It was then that Al-Mu’tamid ibn Abbad, the ruler of Seville, made the most difficult decision of his life when he sent for the aid of Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the founder of the Almoravid dynasty, a vast empire that stretched from the jungles of Senegal in the south to the ports of Tangier. Ibn Tashfin united warring tribes, creating the greatest military power in the Islamic West. Yusuf ibn Tashfin was the first ruler in Islamic history to hold the title of Commander of the Faithful.

In October 1086, he led the Battle of Zallaqa near Badajoz. It was named so because it means in Arabic “slips,” as the ground reportedly became slippery due to the vast amount of blood shed. It was said that even the horses slipped in the chaos of the battle. Alfonso arrived with tens of thousands of heavily armed European knights. Ibn Tashfin stood firm like a mountain, even though he was over eighty years old. At first, Alfonso charged fiercely at the armies of the Taifa kings, nearly crushing them.
At the crucial moment, Ibn Tashfin unleashed his army, which he had kept concealed throughout the battle. He outflanked Alfonso and set fire to his camp. Alfonso found himself trapped, and his army reduced to rubble. He fled with a deep wound in his thigh, leaving only five hundred knights with him. This battle was not merely a fleeting victory; it was a lifeline for Andalusia. It halted the advance of the Crusaders that threatened to wipe out the Muslim presence from the Iberian Peninsula. The battle granted Muslims centuries of continued presence and civilization there. Yusuf ibn Tashfin lived for a full hundred years and built an empire from nothing. I wonder how this great empire collapsed after his departure.