Entries in this chronological list of Muslim military leaders are accompanied by dates of birth and death, branch of Islam, country of birth, field of study, campaigns fought and a short biographical description. The list includes notable conquerors, generals and admirals from early Islamic history to the 21st century.
Muslim military leaders
Muhammad (Arabic: مُحَمَّد, pronounced [muˈħammad];c. 570 CE – 8 June 632 CE) was the Islamic prophet and a political leader. He led the muslims against the tribes of Arabia. Most of Arabia was annexed in his lifetime in a series of coordinated campaigns. The most notable battles were Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud, Battle of the trench, and Conquest of Mecca.
Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Arabic: عَلِيّ ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib; 13 September 601 – 29 January 661), was nicknamed Haidar ('fierce lion') and Asadullah.[1] He was a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. Ali was a successor of Muhammed (Fourth Rashidun caliph[2]). He is traditionally considered to be one of the greatest and one of the most valiant Muslim warriors. He took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. His contributions in the Battle of Khyber and the Battle of Badr are very well known.
Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (568-625) was a foster brother, companion and paternal uncle of Muhammad. He was killed in the Battle of Uhud on 22 March 625 (3 Shawwal 3 hijri). His kunyas were "Abū ʿUmārah"[3]: 2 (أَبُو عُمَارَةَ) and "Abū Yaʿlā"[3]: 3 (أَبُو يَعْلَىٰ). He had the by-names Asad Allāh[3]: 2 (أَسَد ٱللَّٰه, "Lion of God") and Asad al-Jannah (أَسَد ٱلْجَنَّة, "Lion of Heaven"), and Muhammad gave him the posthumous title Sayyid ash-Shuhadāʾ (سَيِّد ٱلشُّهَدَاء).
Zayd ibn Harithah. 581-629 CE. He was the adopted son of Muhammad and was known as The most beloved of the prophet. And he is the only companion whose name is mentioned in the holy Qur’an (33:37). He was appointed as a military commander seven times by the prophet Muhammad. Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never dispatched Zayd ibn Harithah with an army but he appointed him commander over them. If he had lived after the Prophet, he would have appointed him as the Caliph.[1] He was killed in the battle of Mu’tah as the first commander.
Hussain ibn Ali (Arabic: حُسین ابن علی ), was the son of Ali and grandson of Muhammad. His courage on the day of Ashura against an army of 40 thousand where he stood alone proves his bravery and courage. He killed a total of 4,000 people in his attacks in the Battle of Karbala.
Omar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (Arabic: عمر بن خطاب, romanized: ʿUmar bin Khaṭṭāb, also spelled Omar, c. 582/583 – 644) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate on 23 August 634. Umar was a senior companion and father-in-law of Muhammad. He was also an expert Muslim jurist known for his pious and just nature, which earned him the epithet Al-Fārūq ("the one who distinguishes (between right and wrong)").
Usama bin zayd (615 – 680 CE) he also received the qualities of leadership like his father Zayd ibn Harithah. He was only eighteen when he was appointed as a commander of a huge army. He is the first youngest commander in Islamic history. Usama bin Zayd relates: That the Prophet ﷺ used to take him (ie Usama) and Al-Hassan (in his lap) and say: "O Allah! Love them, as I love them"[2].
Khalid ibn al-Walid: 592-642 (Arabic: خالد بن الوليد), also known as "The Sword of Allah" (a title bestowed upon him by Muhammad), was an Arab Muslim commander who was in the service of Muhammad and the caliphsAbu Bakr (r. 632–634) and Umar (r. 634–644). He played a leading role in the Ridda wars against rebel tribes in Arabia in 632–633 and the early Muslim conquests of Sasanian Iraq in 633–634 and Byzantine Syria in 634–638. Khalid ibn al-Walid was one of the few undefeated generals in history.
Abdallah ibn Sa'd, during his time as governor of Egypt (646 CE to 656 CE), Abdallah ibn Sa'd built a strong Arab navy. Under his leadership the Muslim navy won a number of victories including its first major naval battle against the Byzantine emperor Constans II at the Battle of the Masts in 654 CE.
8th century
Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, was an Umayyad prince and one of the most prominent Arab generals of the early decades of the 8th century, leading several campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and the Khazar Khaganate. He achieved great fame especially for leading the second Arab siege of the Byzantine capital Constantinople.
Sa'id ibn Abd al-Malik, also known as Sa'id al-Khayr (Sa'id the Good) was an Umayyad Prince, Governor and Military leader.
Tariq ibn-Ziyad (670-720) An Berber general, he was a governor in tangier (city in Morocco), he later ordered by Musa ibn Nusayr to led the Muslim army to conquer Hispania.
Maslama ibn Hisham, also known as Abu Shakir, was an Umayyad prince and Military commander.
Sulayman ibn Hisham, was an Arab general, the son of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (r. 723–743). He is known for his participation in the expeditions against the Byzantines.
Zaid ibn Ali: An Arab who fought the Banu Umayyad.
Salih ibn Ali, Abbasid General and Provincial Governor.
Abu Muslim, the Abbasid general, Governor of Khorasan under As-Saffah.
As-Saffah Abbasid Caliph, founder of Abbasid Dynasty and a military leader.
Al-Mansur Abbasid Caliph and a powerful military leader.
Al-Mahdi Abbasid Caliph and a powerful military leader.
Abd al-Malik ibn Salih, (died 812) was a member of the Cadet branch of Abbasid dynasty who served as general and governor in Syria and Egypt. He distinguished himself in several raids against the Byzantine Empire.
Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Hashimi, known as Burayh was an Abbasid Military leader in 9th century involved in the defense of Basra during the Zanj rebellīon war, and later served as a governor of Mecca.
Alp Arslan Muhammad Ālp Ārslan ibn Dawūd Persian: ضياء الدنيا و الدين عضد الدولة ابو شجاع محمد آلپ ارسلان ابن داود; 20 January 1029 – 15 December 1072, real name Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri, was the second Sultan of the Seljuk Empire and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty. He greatly expanded the Seljuk territory and consolidated his power, defeating rivals to south and northwest and his victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, in 1071, ushered in the Turkoman settlement of Anatolia.[2] For his military prowess and fighting skills he obtained the name Alp Arslan, which means "Heroic Lion" in Turkish.
Malik-Shah I: Sultan of Seljuk Empire, son of the great Sultan Alp Arslan, who took his empire to a greatest extent. Malik-Shah, along with the vizier Nizam al-Mulk, tried to unite Muslims of the world and fought many wars against anti Islamic fitna movement called Batiniyya, he also built many madrasahs. He is considered one of the greatest Muslim leaders of all time.
Tughril Beg: founder of the Seljuq Dynasty. He united many Turkmen warriors of the Central Asian steppes into a confederacy of tribes, who traced their ancestry to a single ancestor named Seljuk, and led them in conquest of eastern Iran. He would later establish the Seljuk Sultanate after conquering Iran and retaking the Abbasid capital of Baghdad from the Buyids in 1055. Tughril relegated the Abbasid Caliphs to state figureheads and took command of the caliphate's armies in military offensives against the Byzantine Empire and the Fatimids in an effort to expand his empire's borders and unite the Islamic world.
Yusuf ibn Tashfin: founder of the Almoravid Dynasty in the Islamic West, he secured several decisive military victories against the Christians in Al-Andalus and was able to reunify it under his rule after a period of internal fragmentation known as Muluk Al-Tawaif.
Nur ad-Din Zangi 1118–1174: A Syrian ruler and military leader who fought in the Crusades.
Ṣalaḥ ad-Dīn Yusuf bin Ayyub 1137-1193: He unified Egypt, Syria, and Palestine under his rule, led the Muslims to victory at the Battle of Hattin and was able to reclaim several cities from the Crusaders, especially Jerusalem.
Al-Adil I: He commanded the Muslims during a number of Crusades in the middle east. He was Saladin's brother.
Abd Al-Mu'min The first caliph of Almohad Caliphate, who defeated the Almoravids and also brought the Maghreb and Al Andalus under one creed and government
Yaghmurasen Ibn Zyan Founder of the Zayyanid dynasty Yaghmurasan ben Ziyan ben Thabet ben Mohamed ben Zegraz ben Tiddugues ben Taaullah ben Ali ben Abd al-Qasem ben Abd al-Wad) was the founder of the Zayyanid dynasty. Under his reign the Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen extended over present-day north-western Algeria.
Osman Ghazi I: The Son of Ertuğrul Gazi, The founder and the first sultan of the Ottoman Empire. who defeated Byzantine Empire and Mongols he conquered a significant portion of the Byzantine Empire; and laid siege to important cities such as Nicaea (Iznik), Prusa (Bursa) - which were conquered soon after his death.
. Orhan Gazi Son of Osman Ghazi I who consumed his energies in conquering the western areas of Anatolia which are controlled by Bzantine empire such as Nicomedia and Edrine and much more he doubles the area of the land which was left by his Father Osman Ghazi I.
Shams ud-Din Iltutmish: He conquered Multan and Bengal from contesting rulers, and Ranthambhore and Siwalik from their rulers.
Shah Jalal: Known to have propagated Islam into north-eastern Bengal after a long history of travel between the Middle East, Persia, Central Asia and South Asia.
Razia Sultana: Turkish princess who ruled the Delhi Sultanate in modern-day India.
Berke Khan: A ruler of the Golden Horde. he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and a Mongolian military commander and ruler of the Golden Horde (division of the Mongol Empire)[1] who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue Horde and White Horde[2] from 1257 to 1266. He was responsible for the first official establishment of Islam in a khanate of the Mongol Empire.
Murad I (Ottoman Turkish: مراد اول; Turkish: I. Murad, Murad-ı Hüdavendigâr (nicknamed Hüdavendigâr, from Persian: خداوندگار, romanized: Khodāvandgār, lit. 'the devotee of God' – meaning "sovereign" in this context); 29 June 1326 – 15 June 1389) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1362 to 1389. He was a son of Orhan Gazi and Nilüfer Hatun. Murad I came into the throne after his elder brother Süleyman Pasha's death.
Timur: Sunni Muslim Turco-Mongol conqueror who hailed from the Chagatai Khanate, went on to be an undefeated military commander, including a crushing defeat he inflicted on Bayezid I at the Battle of Ankara.
Hayreddin Barbarossa (Arabic: خير الدين بربروس, romanized: Khayr al-Din Barbarus, original name Khiḍr; Turkish: Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa), also known as Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1478 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy.[1] Barbarossa's naval victories secured Ottoman dominance over the Mediterranean during the mid 16th century.
Shah Ismail I of Persia: the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Iran, ruling from 1501 to 23 May 1524 as shah (king).
Selim I: Also known as "Yavuz Sultan Selim Khan", he was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Ottoman Caliph.On the eve of his death in 1520, the Ottoman Empire spanned about 3,400,000 km2 (1,300,000 sq mi), having grown by seventy percent during Selim's reign.
Mehmed II: Also known as "Mehmed the Conqueror", he captured the Byzantine stronghold of Constantinople.
Suleiman the Magnificent: Suleiman I (Ottoman Turkish: سليمان اول, romanized: Süleyman-ı Evvel; Turkish: I. Süleyman; 6 November 1494 – 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver (Ottoman Turkish: قانونى سلطان سليمان, romanized: Ḳānūnī Sulṭān Süleymān) in his realm, was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 until his death in 1566
Daud Khan Panni: He was a Mughal commander, Nawab of the Carnatic and later Viceroy of Deccan. The Emperor Aurangzeb appointed him as a leading commander of the Mughal Army in 1701, while Zulfikhar Ali Khan was the Nawab.
18th century
Nadir Shah 1688–1747: Also known as Nadir Qoli Beg and Tahmasp-Qoli Khan, he was Shah of Iran and a military leader.
Imam Shamil 1797–1871: An Avar (from modern-day Dagestan) who is considered both a political and religious leader for Chechens, Dagestanis, and Caucasians.
Tipu Sultan 1750–1799): Better known as the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He directed Mysorean military operations against rival Indian powers and the East India Company during the second half of the 18th century.
Lalla Fatma N'Soumer An important figure in North African history who fought against the French.
Syed Ahmad Barelvi or Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed 1786–1831: was an Indian Sunni Muslim revivalist from Rae Bareli, a part of the historical United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. The epithet Barelvi is derived from Rae Bareli, his place of origin.
Abdul Hamid II 1842-1918: (Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to exert Effective control over the fracturing state. The time period which he reigned in the Ottoman Empire is known as the Hamidian Era. Time changed and finally on August 31, 1876, Prince Abdulhamid ascended the Ottoman throne with the title Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The cash he had earned from trade when he was a prince and the experiences he had gained, were significant. He was a smart, wise sultan with political genius).
Panglima Bandahala, the leader of the army of the Sultan of Sulu, served as a municipal President and peace emissary.
20th century
Abdulaziz al-Saud, also known as Ibn Saud was the founder of Saudi Arabia, the third Saudi Empire. He was King of Saudi Arabia from 23 September 1932 to his death. He had ruled parts of the kingdom as early as 1902, having previously been Emir, Sultan, and King of Nejd and King of Hejaz. He was an Arab Military leader who followed Wahhabism He Conquered Kingdom of Hejaz in 1925.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948): served as the leader of the Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, and then as the Dominion of Pakistan's first Governor-General until his death. He is revered in Pakistan as the Quaid-i-Azam "Great Leader"
Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1905–1975): he was a Saudi Arabian statesman and diplomat who was King of Saudi Arabia from 2 November 1964 until his assassination in 1975.
Alija Izetbegovic: (1925-2003) was a Bosnian politician;lawyer and Islamic philosopher.who became the 1st president of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.he was a member of tripartiate presidency of Bosnia until his death.he bravely defended the Bosnian nation and Bosnian Muslims from Serb aggression during the civil war in Bosnia and brought peace and stability to Bosnia.
Saddam Hussein (1939–2006): he was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. He also served as prime minister of Iraq from 1979 to 1991 and later from 1994 to 2003 Until his execution on December 30, 2006. Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging.