List of Muslim military leaders

Muslim military leaders

• Muhammad 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, was nicknamed Haidar and Asadullah. He was a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. Ali was a successor of Muhammed. 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 was a foster brother, companion and paternal uncle of Muhammad. He was killed in the Battle of Uhud on 22 March 625. His kunyas were "Abū ʿUmārah" and "Abū Yaʿlā". He had the by-names Asad Allāh and Asad al-Jannah, and Muhammad gave him the posthumous title Sayyid ash-Shuhadāʾ.
• Zayd ibn Harithah. He is the only companion whose name is mentioned in the holy Qur'an. 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. He was killed in the battle of Mu'tah as the first commander.
• Hassan ibn Ali, also known as 'Sebt e rasool'. Hassan resembled Muhammad by his beauty and Ali in his bravery. Historical accounts prove his bravery in Battle of Siffin, Battle of the Camel and Battle of Nahrawan where he fought along with his father Ali and brothers Hussain and Abbas.
• Hussain ibn Ali, 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.
• ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr 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.
• Usama bin zayd he also received the 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 Muhammad used to take him and Al-Hassan and say: "O Allah! Love them, as I love them".
• Khalid ibn al-Walid: 592-642, also known as "The Sword of Allah", was an Arab Muslim commander who was in the service of Muhammad and the caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. 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, 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, was an Umayyad prince, governor and military leader
• Tariq ibn-Ziyad, a Berber general, he was a governor in Tangier. He was later ordered by Musa ibn Nusayr to lead the Muslim army to conquer Hispania.
• Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, a Spanish Umayyad general born in Yemen who fought Charles Martel twice in France in the battles of Tours and Narbonne, and was defeated in both engagements
• 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. He is known for his participation in the expeditions against the Byzantines.
• Zaid ibn Ali, an Arab who fought the Banu Umayyad
• Muhammad bin Qasim, an early Arab General who captured Sindh and Multan and parts of Punjab in Pakistan
• Isma'il ibn Jafar, an Arab who fought the Banu Umayyad
• Marwan II, the last Umayyad Caliph and a military leader
• Qutaibah bin Muslim, an Arab Muslim general who captured Transoxiana
• Abdallah ibn Ali, Abbasid General and Governor of Syria
• 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 the 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 was a member of the Cadet branch of the Abbasid dynasty who served as general and governor in Syria and Egypt. He distinguished himself in several raids against the Byzantine Empire.
• Idris I of Morocco, founder of the Idrisid dynasty

  9th century

• Al-Amin Abbasid Caliph and a military leader.
• Al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun Famous Abbasid Prince and a military leader.
• Al-Mu'tasim Abbasid Caliph and the powerful military leader.
• Al-Muwaffaq Abbasid Prince and a talented military leader, brother of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid.
• Al-Mu'tadid Abbasid Caliph and a powerful military leader.
• Tahir ibn Husayn d.822: A soldier of the Abbasid 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.

  10th century

• Mahmud of Ghazni 971-1030: Ruler of Ghazni. Conquered the temple of Somnath.
• Abd al-Rahman III 8th Umayyad Emir of Córdoba.
• Jawhar as-Siqilli: A commander of Fatimid forces, he founded Cairo and built Al-Azhar Mosque.
• Ziri ibn Manad Founder of Zirid Dynasty who played a major part in defeating the rebellion of Abu Yazid, he also killed caliph Ibn Wasul of Sijilmasa
• Abdallah Ibn Yasin, was a Moroccan theologian, founder and first leader of the Almoravid movement and dynasty.

  11th century

• 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. 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.
• Ibn Tumart: Founder of the Almohad dynasty.
• Ahmad Sanjar: Sultan of Seljuk Empire, son of Malik-Shah I.

  12th century

• Muhammad of Ghor
• 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.
• Saif ad-Din Ghazi I: A leader during the crusades.
• Al-Muqtafi Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad and a military leader.
• Al-Nasir Abbasid Caliph and a military leader.
• 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
• Mu'in ad-Din Unur
• 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.
• Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq Sultan of the Marinid dynasty of Morocco defeated the Spanish in the Battle of Écija.
• Eldiguz 1st Atabeg of Azerbaijan. Founder of the Eldiguzid dynasty
• Muhammad Jahan Pahlavan 2nd Atabeg of Azerbaijan
• Qizil Arslan 3rd Atabeg of Azerbaijan