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I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. (Revelation 6:1-2) |
White: The prescribed colour of the two sheets that every man must wear when he goes on Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) observing a state of purity (ihram). Every Muslim who can must do Hajj at least once (this is one of the five pillars of Islam).
Colour: White
Its rider held a bow: This rider is an archer; Ishmael too was an archer (Genesis 21:20). Prophet Mohammed called his followers the offspring of Ishmael,
Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa: The Prophet passed by some persons of the tribe of Aslam practicing archery. Allah's Apostle said, "O offspring of Ishmael! Practice archery because your father was a great archer. I am with (on the side of) the son of so-and-so." Hearing that, one of the two teams stopped shooting arrows. Allah's Apostle asked them, "Why are you not shooting?" They replied, "O Allah's Apostle! How shall we shoot when you are on the opposite team?" He said, "Shoot, for I am with you all."(Sahih Bukhari 4.592)
According to the Koran Abraham and Ishmael built the first House of prayer in Mecca (Koran 2:127-129) on the spot where the Kaaba stands today. Ishmael is accorded the same rank as Jesus, Moses and all the other prophets (Koran 2:136).
And he was given a crown: He was not born with a crown but eventually received one. In fact Mohammed worked as a porter for some time in Mecca (Koran 73:7, 93:6-8, 94:1-6; cf. Sahih Bukhari 2.497). In AD 630 he entered Mecca peaceably at the head of the Muslim army and became the new ruler of the city.
And he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest: Mohammed was inspired supernaturally to wage unrelenting Jihad or holy war,
Fight against those who (1) do not believe in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid what has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger and (4) those who do not acknowledge the true religion among the people of the Scriptures until they pay Jiziah [a tax levied from Jews and Christians who are under the protection of a Muslim government] with willing submission and feel subdued.(Koran 9:29)
Narrated Aisha: When the Prophet returned from the Confrontation of the Trench and laid down his arms and took a bath, Gabriel came and said, "You have laid down your arms? By Allah, we angels have not laid them down yet. So set out for them." The Prophet said, "Where to?" Gabriel said, "This way," pointing towards Banu Quraiza [a Jewish tribe of Medina]. So the Prophet went out towards them.
(Sahih Bukhari 5.443)
He led nineteen military expeditions (Sahih Bukhari 5.285).
Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men who dislike to be left behind and for whom I do not have means of conveyance, I would not stay away (from any Holy Battle). I would love to be martyred in Allah's Cause and come to life and then get martyred and then come to life and then get martyred and then get resurrected and then get martyred."(Sahih Bukhari 9.332)
His successor Abu Bakr (632-634) sent expeditions against all the apostate tribes of the Arabian Peninsula including the territories of Yemen, Bahrain, Oman and Mara. Next he sent Khalid Al-Walid the "Sword of Islam" and his army against the Persian (Sassanid) Empire. The Muslims were victorious in every engagement: Chains, Madhar, Walaja, Ulais, Al-Hira, Al-Anbar, Ain Al-Tamr, Dumat Al-Jandal, Firad (where the Byzantines first joined the Persians to oppose the invaders) and Yarmuk.
Abu Bakr's successor Umar the "Commander of the Faithful" (634-644) sent Muslim armies to conquer Byzantine Syria. They succeeded after the battles of Al-Yarmuk, Damascus, Pella (northwestern Jordan) Beirut, Tiberias, Homs and Antioch. The city of Jerusalem fell in 637. Next Byzantine Egypt was conquered. The Muslim armies were also sent against the Persians and after an initial failure in the Battle of the Bridge they conquered Al-Madain the capital city of the Sassanid Empire in the definitive Battle of Al-Qadissiya (year 635).
Umar's successor Uthman (644-656) put down a rebellion in Azerbaijan and conquered Byzantine Armenia (both in the year 647) most of North Africa (year 648 onward) and Cyprus (year 649). The Muslims and the Byzantines clashed repeatedly during his caliphate. The most notable action was the marine battle of Dhat-As-Sawari (year 652) when a Muslim fleet defending the port city of Alexandria repulsed a Byzantine armada of 500 vessels. "The two armies did not clash until the ships came close to one another, men fought fiercely and a huge number was killed on both sides."
Note: The first horse is white. White also is the horse ridden by the one called Faithful and True, the Word of God, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19). This coincidence may imply that Islam will outlive communism and capitalism. Prophet Mohammed anticipated that a portion of the Muslim world would continue fighting for Islam until the Day of Resurrection,
Jabir bin Abdullah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: "A section of my people will not cease fighting for the Truth and will prevail till the Day of Resurrection." He said that Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their (Muslims') commander would invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: "No, some amongst you are commanders over some (amongst you). This is the honour from Allah for this Ummah [community of believers]."(Sahih Muslim 1.293)