(Picture: Slavic warriors similair to those who would have fought for the Caliphates as mercenaries)

The earliest Arabic-Slavic contacts can probably be traced all the way to the 500’s, and most likely occurred on or near the territory of the East Roman (or Byzantine) Empire. The earliest Arabic sources describe the Slavs as a people with pale skin, that turns “red” while under the sun, and blond hair. The Arabs even referred to a certain kind of a white coloured bean as saqalibiya (Slavic), as we learn from the Kitab al-Filaha, a treatise on agriculture written by Ibn al-‘Avvam at the end of the 12th century; the bean’s color apparently reminded them of the color of the Slavs’ hair.The first confirmed instance of Slavs meeting the Arabs is mentioned by the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes, who wrote in the early 9th century. According to Theophanes, in 664 a group of 5,000 Slavic (Sklavinoi) mercenaries who were in the Byzantine service joined the victorious army of the Umayyad (Umayyad) Caliph Muwahiyah رضي الله عنه (reigned from 661-680), who was returning from a campaign in Asia Minor. The caliph settled these Slavs in an area near the city of Apamea in northern Syria.

The Arabic name for the Slavs, Saqaliba (or as-Saqaliba with the Arabic “the”), which later also acquired at least a few dialectical variations, is a Greco-Byzantine loanword; this word is the regular Arabic plural form of the word Saqlab, Siqlab, Saqlabi, which itself is a corruption of the word Sklav- or the Greek and Middle Latin singular form of the Sklavinoi mentioned by the Byzantines.

The first wave of Slavic settlement among the Arabs started in 664, one of the many more to come. In 692, another group of Slavic soldiers-settlers in the Byzantine service, under their Prince Nevulos, voluntarily went over to the Arabs. When the Arabs raided Asia Minor, the local Slavic soldiers-settlers whom the Byzantines intended to use against their enemies, joined the Arabs. Most of these were Macedonian Slavs, but also apparently included some Serbs, who were originally resettled in large numbers from Macedonia to Bithynia in 686 by the Byzantines, during the reign of Emperor Justinian II (reigned 685-695 and 705-711)

This second wave of Slavs also settled within the borders of the Caliphate: in northern Syria, near the cities of Antioch and Kyrrhos. Since the 8th century, new groups of Slavs have appeared on the territory of the Caliphate, settled by the last Umayyad Caliph Marvan ibn Muhammad رَحِمَهُ الله (reigned 744-750). These Slavs are also known to have been settled in northern Syria, Cilicia, Commagene, Armenia or northern Mesopotamia, and Georgia. But there were still some Slavs left on the Byzantine side of the border: Arabic writers mention a certain Hisn as-Saqaliba (Fortress of the Slavs) located on the road leading from Tarsus to the “Cilician Gates”.

(Part 1 of series about Slavic-Arab relations)

Chechen youth

Look at their faces when they call out to our Lord! Children are the purest of souls!

"The Chechen War is also of significance and interest for historians, and not just Soviet or Russian specialists, for it involved a clash, epochal in its implications, between two utterly different nations, which can be seen as representing forces which have confronted each other since the very beginnings of recorded human history. The Russians, whose national identity has long been subsumed in a series of bureaucratic states, faced the Chechens, who have barely had any state at all in their history, and whose formidable martial attributes stem not from state organisation but from specific ethnic traditions. In the streets of Grozny, the demoralised connoscript armies of Babylon, commanded not by warriors but by eunuch courtiers and corrupt officials, under the images of gods who had manifestly failed them, went down once more before the tribesmen from the hills."

Page from a notebook written by defenders of the city of Grozny, 1994/95.

“Maybe the war will end in a week or a month. Maybe in a year or maybe in five years, I don't know and that‘s scary! What will remain of us and the republic? Maybe the generation of survivors will live in peace, we really hope that this will be the case. If this notebook is saved, then let this be printed in all the newspapers. Be proud of us. Sitting here in the basement we ask you not to forget us. We were worthy citizens of the best city in the world: Grozny. We loved our city and its inhabitants, we loved all of Chechnya with its great long-suffering. We were witnesses to the destruction of the city, we saw how the troops went to death. Giants – I can’t call them otherwise. Their courage and fearlessness will become legendary.”

Naser Oric was the commander of the forces Armies of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Srebrenica during war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He most known for defending the enclave from the attacks of the disbelieving Serbian forces.

He started his military service during the times of Yugoslavia where he served as a connoscript at the rank of sergeant when he left.

He eventually joined the police after he left the Yugoslav military. He served in Kosovo and even guarded Slobodan Milošević.

When the war broke out in Yugoslavia, he led a territorial defense unit from the region of Potacari. He was eventually transfered to Srebrenica and fought of the infidels in the region. Accomplishing many ambushes and attacks against them.

He was after the war trialed for "war crimes" for having been involved in the "illegal" deaths of serb prisoners of war.

In March 2003. Naser Oric was charged on two counts:

"Reckless destruction of towns, settlements or villages" and
"Murder and Cruel Treatment"

‘Sehid Arap’ - Unknown Hero!

This is a grave of a Muslim who died in the Bosnian war.

His name, family or origin of country is not known. We only know that he came from far away to fight alongside Bosnian Muslims against oppressors.

Indeed Allah knows him!

#Bosnia

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(Picture: The Painted Mosque, Macedonia 🇲🇰)

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The most beloved of places to Allah are the mosques, and the most hated of places to Allah are the markets.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 671
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim

Shamil Basaev رَحِمَهُ الله said: "Today there is an ongoing genocide of the Chechen nation. And my Chechen nation is dearer to me then the whole world.

And I will do anything to stop this genocide! As long as it is allowed in our religion.

But do not transgress, for Allah does not like transgressors (part of verse 190 of Surah al-Baqarah)

So I try not to transgress, and I have not."

Ilahije | Bosnian Nasheed | ARBiH 505 Bužimska Brigada | Rahmetli Izet Nanić

بسم الله

‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ
We will start again with this channel. Stay tuned for further new posts!

‘Day of Mosques’ in #Bosnia

Today (7th May) marks 'Day of Mosques' in Bosnia. On this day, Bosnia tells people about hundreds of mosques, religious buildings destroyed by Serb and Croat forces between 1992 and 1995.

At least 614 mosques, 218 prayer rooms and 69 Quran schools were destroyed by Serb and Croat forces.

🇧🇦 Danas (7. maj) se u Bosni obilježava 'Dan džamija'. Na današnji dan Bosna govori o stotinama džamija, vjerskih objekata koje su srpske i hrvatske snage uništile između 1992. i 1995. godine. Srpske i hrvatske snage uništile su najmanje 614 džamija, 218 molitvenih prostorija i 69 škola Kur'ana.

🇹🇷 Bugün (7 Mayıs) Bosna'da 'Camiler Günü' olarak kutlanıyor. Bu günde Bosna, insanlara 1992 ile 1995 yılları arasında Sırp ve Hırvat güçleri tarafından yıkılan yüzlerce camiyi, dini yapıyı anlatıyor. Sırp ve Hırvat güçleri tarafından en az 614 cami, 218 mescit ve 69 Kur'an-ı Kerim okulu yıkıldı.

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𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫

‎Ibn al Qayyim [رحمه الله] said:

‎“The believer never achieves complete pleasure with sins, rather he doesn’t commit a sin except that sadness is in his heart. And when his heart is void of that sadness then mourn the death of his heart.”

‎📚 Madārij al Sālikīn (1/180)

#copied