Putting Steel in Your Veins: 7 Military Lessons from General Tarik ibn Ziyad
Author: Guru Henry Alvarado (Pencak Silat Sharaf, Kalaripayyatu Abyahasi)
“The slave who became immortal at the end of the world.”
Although the origins of Tariq Ibn Ziyad are not one hundred percent clear, most historians prefer to give him a Berber origin. Even his nationality is of relevance for our article since although the term “Berber” is commonly identified as coming from the different ethnic groups of North Africa, it has a more complex and profound meaning: Berber also comes from the Arabic adaptation ("barbr") of the Greek term βάρβαρος (barbarians), although the self-designation used by many Berbers is "imazighen" (singular "Amazigh") and related terms, meaning "free men". But even though in essence a Berber could be said to mean a free man, Tariq Ibn Ziyad was a slave. Nor is there unanimity among historians to point out why Tariq suffered such a condition; some point out that he was the son of a slave, and others that, due to the defeat of the Berbers of the Maghreb (North Africa) before the Muslim forces in 703, Tariq entered the Umayyad army as a conscript as part of the conditions agreed in the truce between both. Historians say that Tariq Ibn Ziyad, from an early age, had shown a fondness for the arts of war and that as a teenager he made himself available to the commander of the Berber army to face the invading Muslim forces. However, no heroic action on Tariq's part could have influenced the outcome of the conflict against a larger, more sophisticated, and better-trained Muslim army. What was of benefit to Tariq was that, given the bravery shown on the battlefield, he was summoned to the presence of the victorious general, Musa bin Nusayr, the Emir of North Africa, who had been impressed by what his soldiers had told him about the young man’s skill and courage.
It is assumed that the dialogue developed as follows:
“Tariq ibn Ziyad”, Musa said, calling him by name, “I have heard of your achievements in battle. You are rumored to be a great Berber warrior, even at your young age.” Tariq’s guards had shoved him to his knees in the presence of the Emir and told him to keep his eyes on the floor and not to speak unless addressed. At the Emir’s comments, Tariq dared to raise his eyes to the powerful ruler. “I am as you say, sir,” Tariq replied. He looked into Musa’s eyes with confidence.
“Indeed,” Musa replied, the corner of his mouth momentarily turning upward. “That we shall see. You will serve me as the great warrior you are renowned to be. We will conquer new lands and spread the word of Islam, and If you serve me well, you will be rewarded.”
“And if I serve you well, you will set me free,” Tariq replied. “I am no one’s slave.”
“Prove to me that you are worthy, and I will consider it,” the Emir countered. “That I will do,” Tariq replied, “but for one thing.” “Explain yourself,” Musa demanded, raising an eyebrow at the exception. “I cannot spread the word of Islam.” “Because . . .” “Because I do not know it. It is not my belief.” “Then you shall be taught, and you shall learn!” The Emir bellowed. “Take this man away,” he said to the guards, “but treat him as a warrior, although a slave he still is.”
Fast forward a few years and in 710 AD, Tariq ibn Ziyad, under the emir’s command, led a predominantly Berber army across North Africa to the sea towards modern-day Spain. They boarded vessels that carried them across the water to the Iberian Peninsula with orders to conquer the Visigoths of Spain. When Tariq's army landed near the site of modern Gibraltar, considered at that time to be the end of the world, also called “Mons Calpe” at the time, although it would be renamed Mount Tariq in his honor, or, in Arabic, Jebel Tariq, which the centuries would change into Gibraltar. He saw that he was vastly outnumbered by the enemy and without the necessary time to call for reinforcements, he ordered his men to burn all the ships, and it was here that the young, charismatic general gave one of the most famous military speeches in history: The Khutbah (sermon) of Tariq.
“Oh my warriors, where will you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy. By Allah! There is no salvation for you but in your courage and perseverance. Consider your situation; here you are on this island like so many orphans cast upon the world. You will soon be met by a powerful enemy, surrounding you like the infuriated billows of a violent sea, and sending against you countless warriors, drowned in steel, and provided with every store and description of arms. What can you oppose them with? You have no other weapons than your swords, no provisions but those that you may snatch from the hands of your enemies…
Banish all fear from your hearts; trust that victory shall be ours and that the barbarian king will not be able to withstand the shock of our arms. Do not think I impose upon you a task from which I shrink myself, or that I try to conceal from you the dangers awaiting you in this expedition…And do not imagine that while I speak to you, I mean not to act as I speak, for as my interest in this is greater, nor will my behavior on this occasion surpass yours… for it is my intention, on the meeting of the two hosts, to attack the Christian tyrant Roderic and kill him with my hand, Insha’Allah (if God wills). When you see me bearing against him, charge along with me; if I kill him, the victory is ours; if I am killed before I reach him, do not trouble yourselves about me, but fight as if I were still alive and among you, and follow up my purpose…If, however, I should be killed, after inflicting death upon their king, appoint a man from among you who unites both courage and experience, and may command you in this emergency, and follow up the success. If you follow my instructions, we are sure of victory.”
Tariq and his forces crushed the Visigoths in battle and the Emir rewarded Tariq by appointing him governor of Tangiers (modern day northern Morocco). Tariq formed several alliances with local rulers and continued to invade the Visigoth settlements until he became defacto governor of Andalus (Andalucía) in modern-day Spain. In 714 AD, Tariq retired to Damascus, where he lived the remainder of his life, well known as a conquering hero and military strategist, as well as a scholar. Tariq’s prowess as a soldier and scholar has long since been forgotten by most, as time often allows. However, his name and his campaigns are discussed still with each reference made to the mount named in his honor, Jabal Tariq – the great Rock of Gibraltar, and in military academies all over the world.
Now let’s focus on the 7 key lessons we can learn from General Tariq Bin Ziyad in his campaign
You Must Always Mentally Control the Situation, Even When You’re Out of Control - "I am no one's slave." — Despite having lost his freedom, Tariq never accepted himself as a slave, physically or mentally, and even in a situation like the one he faced before the Emir, where he was required to wage war on his behalf, Tariq empowered himself by publicly deciding whether to accept or not, and he told the Emir so by indicating that he was not a slave to anyone. While on the contrary many of us are born free, but as the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle pointed out, we are incapable of making decisive decisions about the orientation of our lives, and it is a problem that lies in something internal to our personality and that makes us “slaves by nature”. Consequently, if we are incapable of making decisive decisions regarding our lives, we will be influenced by external factors, or worse, someone else will make the decisions for us. Someone who will never be a slave by nature is someone who belongs to himself, which is equivalent to supreme self-control, mentally and physically.
Have Clear Targets and Single Task Like a Beast —There is always the temptation to do several things at the same time because you have infinite curiosity. Although it is a quality, it’s also a double-edged sword that dilutes your effort towards multiple goals until you become an expert of everything and a master of nothing. In this respect, you have to be honest with yourself and define what you really want to achieve: Do you want prestige? Do you want money? Do you want both? Do you want to win the UFC heavyweight title? Only you know what you want, but managing a few things to perfection will always outperform managing many things satisfactorily.
Figure Out Your Strong Points and Weak Points Before Your Enemies Do — Endless testing has been very helpful in my case since I discovered skills that I never thought I had. For example, can I write articles? Yeah! Am I the best at it? No! Can I improve? Hell Yeah! In my case, I know what I'm good at, what I may have a chance to develop at, and what I'm not good at. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself. Obviously one must have confidence, but if you are honest with yourself and identify your strong and weak points quickly, you’ll achieve your goals faster. The important thing is to keep growing in what you are good at, and it never hurts to explore the rest. Lying to yourself is the fastest way to defeat on the battlefield and in life.
Be Mentally and Physically Tough: Train Pencak Silat — Tariq Ibn Ziyad practiced the warrior arts of his people from an early age and, efficient or not, it served him to survive the defeat of his tribe before an overwhelming adversary. That is to say, he had never won a war and only did so sometime after serving Emir Musa. But he was naturally a warrior and a fighter, and one of the most valuable attributes of a fighter is mental and physical toughness. I have found, in my life, that to do this is by training Pencak Silat, specifically Pencak Silat Sharaf. Pencak Silat training is closely related to the personal nature of a fighter who must have toughness in life. A fighter who does not have a strong character in himself will easily fall when he is exposed to something that threatens his soul and body, while people who have a strong character and physical toughness, will always be able to face the trials of life. As The Bambino of The Bronx said: “You just can't beat up a person who never gives up”. It's that simple.
Practice Flexibility and Be Practical — Tariq could have chosen to die rather than serve a foreign, invading sovereign. But he decided that in the conditions he faced, there could be a chance to regain his freedom if he did a good job for his captor. So he didn’t stick to his position and instead looked for a way to regain his freedom by making a deal. The Emir Musa was also flexible in his position, since, if he wanted, Tarik could have been forced to fight on pain of death. But he knew how to negotiate in a way that Tarik would understand and eventually accept so both men could get what they ultimately wanted. Musa, by being flexible, not only gained a great warrior but also a faithful believer of Islam who would serve him for years. Consequently, you have to be flexible and willing to negotiate to win what you want, even from an adversary. Hard, static positions, only take you one way in and one way out, and they usually leave you vulnerable.
Put Passion Into Everything You Do, Even If It’s a Small Thing — Once I was chatting with Pendekar Hussein about my personal life situation, and I told him that at the moment I had a shitty job, but Pendekar immediately pointed out that, “shitty jobs didn't exist”. In Pencak Silat Sharaf you’re taught to constantly create value not only for you but for your family and community. Also, create value for your company, because even if you hate your job, valuable people are never discarded anywhere. Passion is not just the love for something or the intensity with which we live that love. Passion is the effort and interest with which we face the life we have made for ourselves. Because in the end, we’re are all self-made, but only the most successful amongst us are ready to admit it.
Burn Your Boats: Leave No Option For yourself Except Winning — The moment Tariq Ibn Ziyad, as leader of that contingent of soldiers, decided to burn the boats and prevent any retreat to the sea, not only did he reduce the survival options of his men to almost nothing, he reincarnated Sun Tzu on the battlefield. Sun Tzu said that one of the worst things you could do in the art of war was to corner your enemy without giving them options for exit. Tarik applied this principle against his own people to arouse in them what Sun Tzu advised to avoid: an indomitable bravery and ruthless survival instinct. In addition, this strategy also prevented the Visigoths from using the ships and provisions contained in them in case of the defeat of Tariq’s forces. Many times, exemplary strategic actions are an inspiration for the many and a lesson for the few. But now more than ever, you need to attempt to fathom the strength of will needed to pull off something like this. As martial artists, we know and hear of this type of attitude from the warriors of olden times, but we rarely assimilate the teachings and apply them to our lives. But to ensure freedom, honor, and morality, we need to truly take in the lessons from Tariq Ibn Ziyad.