For eight centuries, the conquest of Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey, was a dream for the Muslim commanders. Ever since the era of the revered companion, Mu`aawiyah Ibn Abu Sufyaan (R.A), there had been many attempts to conquer it, but none had succeeded.
Every Muslim commander wanted to be the conqueror praised in the narration in which the Prophet (SAW) said: "You will conquer Constantinople. Its commander is the best and its army (that will conquer it) is the best."
Who was then the person about whom the Prophet (SAW) gave glad tidings? It was Muhammad Al-Fateh son of the Ottoman Sultan Murad II.
Muhammad Al-Fateh was born on 27th Rajab, 835 A.H., 30th March, 1432 CE. He was brought up under the supervision of his father, Sultan Murad II, the seventh Ottoman Sultan. His father prepared and trained him to shoulder the responsibilities of the position of a Sultan. Muhammad Al-Fateh memorized all the Quran, learnt the Prophetic narrations, Islamic jurisprudence, mathematics, astronomy and the skills required for war.
Shaykh Aaq Shamsuddin, one of the scholars who supervised the upbringing and education of Muhammad Al-Fateh, managed to inculcate in his heart the spirit of Jihad and the desire to be a person with high ambition.
The Shaykh also told Muhammad Al-Fateh that he may be the one referred to in the Prophetic narration mentioned above. All this shaped the character of Muhammad Al-Fateh. He was devoted to Jihad, highly ambitious, widely cultured, and had deep knowledge of the skills of war and combat
After the death of his father, Sultan Murad II on 5th Muharram, 852 A.H., 7th February, 1451 C.E., Muhammad Al-Fateh took over and became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The first step in achieving his dream was to take control of the Strait of Bosporus so that he could prevent any support or supplies that might come to Constantinople from Europe. So he built a huge castle on the European seashore of the Strait of Bosporus. Along with top senior officials, he personally participated in building the castle. It took three months to build this castle that came to be known as the Roman Castle. On the other bank of the Strait of Bosporus, there was the Castle of Anatolia. It then became impossible for any ship to cross unless it obtained permission from the Ottoman forces.
After completing his preparations, Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh marched to Constantinople with an army of two hundred and sixty-five thousand fighters. This army had infantry forces as well as horsemen. Huge cannons supported this army. The army besieged Constantinople and the Ottoman cannons started to fire their missiles at the fortified walls of the city day and night. From time to time, the Sultan surprised the enemy with a new war plan until the city defenders lost control and their forces gave up.
At dawn of Tuesday, 20th Jumaadaa Al-Awwal, 827 A.H., 29th May, 1453 C.E., the Ottoman forces managed to penetrate the walls and drive away the defenders who fled. The people of Constantinople were taken by surprise when they saw the Ottoman flags waving on their walls and the soldiers flooding into the city.
After the Ottoman forces conquered the city, Sultan Muhammad arrived on his horse in a great procession that included his ministers and army commanders. Ever since that time, the Sultan was known as Muhammad Al-Fateh (the Conqueror). The soldiers were shouting:
Mash-Allah! Mash-Allah! Long live our Sultan! Long live our Sultan!
When the Sultan arrived, he dismounted from his horse and prayed two Rak`ahs thanking Allah Who had blessed him with this conquest. Then the Sultan addressed the people of the city who were still bowing and prostrating in tears:
Stand up! I am Sultan Muhammad and I would like to tell you, your brothers, and all the people present that your lives and freedoms are protected.
The Sultan ordered that the church be turned into a mosque and for the first time, the call for prayer was heard from this place. Until now, this mosque is still known as the Mosque of Hagia Sophia. He also decided to take Constantinople as a capital of his country. It was called Islambul, meaning the House of Islam. Later on the word was viciously twisted to become Istanbul.
The Sultan was very tolerant and merciful with the people of the city, and acted according to the teachings of Islam. He commanded his soldiers to treat their prisoners of war in a good manner. The Sultan himself paid the ransoms for a large number of prisoners of war from his own money. He also allowed those who left the city when it was under siege to return home.
Through high ambition, determination, and the effort to achieve his goals, he managed to materialize his dream, make his hope an existing reality which made him one of the great Muslim heroes and conquerors.
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