From my book Unforgettable Days

Battle of Wadi Lakka and the conquest of Andalusia

The Battle of Wadi Lakka, also known as the Battle of Wadi Barbat, or the Battle of Sidhuna, was a battle fought between Muslims led by Tariq ibn Ziyad and the army of the Visigothic king Rodrigo, known in Islamic history as Roderic. The Muslims won a crushing victory, leading to the fall of the Visigothic state and, consequently, the fall of most of the Iberian Peninsula to the rule of the Umayyad Caliphs.
Before the battle
In Sha’ban 92 AH, the Muslim army, consisting of only seven thousand Mujahideen, headed by the commander Tariq ibn Ziyad, moved and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, which was not called by this name (the Strait of Gibraltar) because Tariq ibn Ziyad dismounted at this mountain when he crossed the strait. It has remained until now, even in the Spanish language, called Gibraltar and the Strait of Gibraltar. From Gibraltar, Tariq ibn Ziyad moved to a wide area called Algeciras, and there he encountered the southern army of Andalusia, which was the garrison of the Christian army in this area. It was not a large force, and as was the custom of the Muslim conquerors, Tariq ibn Ziyad offered them: “Convert to Islam and you will have what we have and you will be subject to what we are subject to, and we will leave you and your property, or pay the jizya and we will also leave you what is in your hands, or fight, and we will not delay you for more than three days.” But that garrison was seized by pride and refused to do anything but fight, so the war was a stalemate between the two sides until Tariq ibn Ziyad defeated them. The leader of that garrison sent an urgent message to Roderic, who was in Toledo, the capital of Andalusia, saying to him: “We have caught up, O To Rodriq; for a people have descended upon us, and we do not know whether they are more important than the people of the earth or the people of heaven?!
Truly, they were strange people, for it was known to them that the mission of the conqueror or occupier of another country was limited to plunder and looting of the country's resources, and slaughter and killing in many cases. As for finding people who would offer them conversion to their religion and leave them everything, or pay them the jizya and also leave them everything, this was something they had never known before in their history and in their lives. In addition to this, they were skilled and competent in their fighting, and at night they were praying monks. So the commander of the garrison did not know in his letter to Roderic whether they were from the people of the earth or from the heavens?! He was telling the truth, although he was a liar; they were from the soldiers of Allah and His party {Those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, it is the party of Allah that will be successful.} [Al-Mujadila: 22]
Move to battle
When the message of the garrison commander reached Roderic, he went mad. In arrogance and haughtiness, he gathered an army of 100,000 cavalry and came with them from the north to the south, intending to attack the Muslim army. Tariq ibn Ziyad had only 7,000 Muslims, most of them infantry, and a very limited number of horses. When he saw Roderic’s situation, he found it very difficult to measure 7,000 against 100,000. He sent to Musa ibn Nusayr asking for reinforcements, so he sent Tarif ibn Malik to him at the head of 5,000 more infantry. Tarif ibn Malik reached Tariq ibn Ziyad, and the Muslim army had become 12,000 fighters. Tariq ibn Ziyad began to prepare for the battle. The first thing he did was search for land suitable for fighting, until the search led him to an area called in history Wadi al-Barbat, and in some sources it is called Wadi Luqah or Luqah with a kasra, and some sources also call it Wadi Lukka.
: The choice of Tariq ibn Ziyad for this place had great strategic and military dimensions. Behind and to his right was a towering mountain, which protected his back and right flank, so no one could bypass him. On his left flank was also a great lake, so it was a completely safe area. Then he placed a strong division led by Tarif ibn Malik at the southern entrance to this valley (i.e., in his back) so that no one could surprise the Muslims’ backs. Then he could lure the Christian forces from the front to this area, and no one could bypass him. From afar, Roderic came in his finest adornment, wearing a golden crown and gold-embroidered clothes. He sat on a bed decorated with gold, pulled by two mules. He was unable to abandon his worldly life, even in moments of war and fighting. He came at the head of a hundred thousand horsemen, and brought with him ropes loaded onto mules to tie the Muslims with and take them as slaves after the battle ended. Thus, with arrogance and conceit, he thought that he had decided the battle in his favor. According to his logic and reasoning, twelve thousand people need pity and mercy, while they are faced with one hundred thousand people from the land who are the source of supply.
The Battle
On the 28th of Ramadan 92 AH / July 18, 711 AD, the meeting took place in Wadi Barbat, and a battle took place that was one of the fiercest battles in the history of Muslims. The average observer of the two sides of the battle would truly feel pity for the Muslims, whose number did not exceed twelve thousand, while they faced a full hundred thousand. How could they, in logic, fight, let alone be defeated?!
Despite the very clear paradox between the two groups, the analytical observer will see that all the compassion is for the army of one hundred thousand, as the two parties {are two adversaries who have disputed about their Lord} [Al-Hajj: 19]. There is a great difference between the two adversaries, a great difference between a group that went out willingly and by choice, desiring jihad, and a group that went out under duress, compelled and forced to fight. A great difference between a group that went out prepared for martyrdom, considering life cheap for its faith, rising above all earthly ties and worldly benefits, its highest wish being death in the way of God, and a group that knows nothing of these meanings, its highest wish being to return to family, wealth and children. A great difference between a group in which everyone stands in one row like the rows of prayer, the rich next to the poor, the great next to the small, the ruler next to the ruled, and a group in which people own and enslave each other. This is a group led by a divine man, Tariq ibn Ziyad, who combines piety and wisdom, mercy and strength. And between pride and humility, there is a group led by an arrogant tyrant, living in luxury and comfort while his people live in misery and hardship, and he has whipped his back with whips. There is an army to which four-fifths of the spoils of war are distributed after victory, and there is an army that gets nothing, but it all goes to the arrogant tyrant, as if it fought alone. This group is aided by God and supported by its Lord, the Creator of the universe and Owner of the kingdom, glory be to Him, the Most High. And there is a group that fights God, its Lord, and transgresses His law and His legislation, glory be to Him. In short, this is the group of the Hereafter and that is the group of this world. So, for whom should there be pity then?! For whom should there be pity, when God Almighty said: {Allah has decreed, "I will surely prevail, I and My messengers." Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.} [Al-Mujadila: 21] Who should have mercy when God Almighty says: {And never will God grant the disbelievers a way over the believers} [An-Nisa’: 141]. So the battle has become as if it was already decided.
Wadi Lakka and the month of Ramadan
Thus, in the month of Ramadan, the seemingly unequal battle of Wadi Lakka began, decided by divine logic. It began in the month of fasting and the Qur’an, the month whose name is associated with battles, conquests and victories. Unfortunately, this month has now turned into an appointment with time to produce the latest series, films and other things. It has turned into sleeping during the day and staying up at night, not for the Qur’an or for praying, but to follow or pursue new shows on satellite and non-satellite channels. It has turned into a month of dodging work, while Muslims were waiting for it to do the most difficult and stressful work. It has turned into a month of distress and creating harassment, and it is a month of patience, jihad and self-discipline. In this holy month, a day or two before the Eid, and this is how the Muslims’ Eids were, and over the course of eight consecutive days, the millstones of war turned, and the fierce, fierce fighting began between Muslims and Christians. Waves of Christians poured down on Muslims, and Muslims were patient and steadfast. {Men true to what they pledged to Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow, and among them is he who awaits, and they have not changed at all. [Al-Ahzab: 23]
This situation remained like this for eight consecutive days, ending with a resounding victory for the Muslims after God knew their patience and the sincerity of their faith. Roderic was killed, and according to one account he fled to the north, but his name was forgotten forever.
Victory results
This battle resulted in several outcomes, the most important of which were:
1- Andalusia turned a page of injustice, ignorance and tyranny, and began a new page of progress and civilization in the history of the Islamic conquest.
2- The Muslims captured great spoils, the most important of which were horses, so they became cavalry after having been foot soldiers.
3- The Muslims started the battle with a number of twelve thousand, and the battle ended with a number of nine thousand. The result was three thousand martyrs who watered the land of Andalusia with their precious blood, thus conveying this religion to the people. May God reward them well for Islam.


Major Tamer Badr