They were first, foremost and always Muslims. They fought the unbelieving and conquered hostile land, always in the name of Allah. They called themselves the "Protectors of Islam" as they built an empire that bridged three continents and solidified Islam as the predominant religion of the Middle East. They were the Ottomans, rulers of a vast empire whose existence changed the course of world history.
Equipped with endurance, self-discipline and foresight, the Ottomans combined a combative spirit, equestrian skill and fondness for mobility born of a nomadic past. They were quintessential warriors for a region destined to shape world politics, world views and world religions. Unlike almost every other nomadic people, the Ottomans rose to the challenges presented by sedentary Muslim culture and were able to transform their military conquests into political order.
Utilizing the strengths of Islamic culture and adapting them to settled civilization, the Ottomans provided a bridge from the old Muslim world into an era built around the concepts of Islamic statecraft.
As the final and longest reigning of four Middle Eastern empires, the Ottomans followed the Arabs, Romans and Persians. The revived and rejuvenated the Islamic religion in Asia and spread the word of Allah into Central and Eastern Europe, constructing a religious bridge between two continents.
A study of the Ottoman (properly named, Uthman) Empire provides an intriguing and enlightening example of how a people respond to religious imperatives.
In attempting to understand the Ottomans, one has to first understand the concept ofJihad. According to A.Yusuf Ali in his commentary to theGlorious Qur'an, "It may require fighting in God's cause, as a form of self-sacrifice. But its essence consists of (1) a true and sincere faith, which so fixes its gaze on God that all selfish or worldly motives seem paltry and fade away, and (2) an earnest and ceaseless activity, involving the sacrifice (if need be) of life, person, or property, in the service of God. Mere brutal fighting is opposed to the whole spirit of Jihad, while the sincere scholar's pen or preacher's voice or wealthy man's contributions may be the most valuable forms of Jihad."
Secondly, one has to consider the crusades of the Christian church – a series of military campaigns against the Muslims, who in fact controlled an area considered by the church to be "Holy Lands." These courageous military excursions, which began in 1090 with an attack against the Byzantine Empire, provide the framework for any view of world history from the 11th to the 14th centuries.
The saga is without question, one of the most inspiring stories in the history of the world. It is indeed, the story of a people who personified the idea of "striving in the name of Allah."
