Muhammad Al Fatih (1431 – 1481 AD), the son of Sultan Murad II, sultan who ruled the Ottoman

Empire since the

year 1451 AD. As a child, Muhammad Al Fatih was spoiled and lazy learning. But Muhammad Al Fatih began seriously
studied after his father brought some teachers such as Shaykh Ahmad ibn Ismail al-Kurani, Sheikh Aag Syamsudin,
and others. From them, Muhammad Al Fatih studied religion, language, skills, physical geography, astronomy, and
history. Muhammad Al Fatih grew into someone who was an expert at war and smart riding, an expert in the field of
science and mathematics, and master 6 languages since the age of 21. Muhammad Al-Fatih was intelligent young
man who had the willpower to reach his goal, especially for conquering Constantinople as the words of the Prophet
Muhammad since he was 12 years old.

The success of Muhammad Al Fatih conquered Constantinople was not coincidence. Muhammad Al Fatih was
strengthening Ottoman military power by choosing and selecting troops ever since they were little. A special team
was ordered to spread throughout Turkey and the surrounding area to search for the children of the most intelligent,
the most diligent of worship, and the most powerful physique. Then the parents are given the offer that their
children can be guided in the early age. Once agreed, the chosen children were given coaching of religion, science,
and military, as their daily needs borne by the state. So, it made sense why no single soldier had ever left prayers
since baligh, even half of them had never left the tahajud prayer since baligh.

Muhammad Al Fatih himself was mentioned never leaving tahajud and rawatib prayers since baligh until his death.
Narrated in the first prayer that will be held after the conquest, Muhammad Al Fatih said: “Those who feel never
masbuq in prayer please be our prayer leader.” Long awaited, there was no one going forward. Then steadily
Muhammad Al Fatih owned the former priest in the church in Constantinople.

Maybe that’s the secret of success of Muhammad Al Fatih in realizing its goals and ideals of Islam, not physical
strength, but the closeness to Allah SWT. The secret that he distributed to troops by keeping the obligatory prayers,
tahajud prayers and rawatib prayers. In the age of 22, Muhammad Al Fatih conquered the city which the Prophet
promised eight centuries earlier. Once captured, the city of Constantinople was replaced with the name Islambul (city
of Islam), and now called Istanbul (replaced by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk).

Many comrades even opponents admired the leadership of Muhammad Al Fatih and strategies wars that preceded
that era. He played a major role in the expansion of Islamic territory, setting the lands, making improvements in the
economic, educational, and very concerned about the welfare of its people. In his leadership, the center of
government Islambul was being very beautiful, advanced, and economically successful. Muhammad Al Fatih, the
person who had tremendous energy and became a noble. So what about us? What achievements that we are already
obtained in our growing age?

ilal was born of an African slave-girl who belonged to the tribe of Ban! Jumah. He was known for his
hard work and loyalty to his master, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, a leader of his tribe. Bilal’s presence in
the household of Umayyah gave him the opportunity to hear the comments made by the leaders of
Quraish about Prophet Muhammad [saw] comments that were a mixture of envy
and hatred as well as a confession of Muhammad’s integrity and honesty.
He was finally convinced of what he had heard of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, and he
declared his joining of the faith of Islam, to be the first slave convert in Islamic history. This step
itself was not an easy one, especially if we realize that even honourable members of
the Makkan community were subjected to ridicule and harassment as soon as their conversion to
Islam was known to their compatriots. As for slaves in that pre-lslamic society of racial segregation
only Allah knows how much they had to bear, since they were treated no better than any piece of
property with which the owner had the right to do whatever he liked. This was the lot of Bilal who,
unfortunately, was
owned by one of the major antagonists of Islam and its Prophet Muhammad [saw].
Umayyah ibn Khalaf used all sorts of torture on Bilal to make him change his mind. He ordered his
men to take Bilal naked and throw him on the hellish sands of the desert at the hottest times of the
summer day. To make sure of the effect of that searing sand, they further put a heavy rock on Bilal’s
chest, trying all the time to make him revert to polytheism. Our great hero’s response was a very
simple – but an effective one, “Ahad. Ahad (He is One, He is One)” which means, ‘Allah is One.’
He said nothing else, but to him this was sufficient to give him all the spiritual support needed to
bear the effects of the torture he was exposed to.
Umayyah and his men got tired of torturing Bilal. Many asked him just to say something nice in
favour of their idols to let him go. But to Bilal. torture in its worst form was better than even those
few appeasing words.
When Umayyah despaired of Bilal’s reversion to disbelief, he accepted Abu Bakr’s offer and sold him
to Abo Bakr [ranhu].
Saying that he was ready to sell him for even an ounce of gold, to which Abo Bakr’s answer was: “I
would have paid even one hundred ounces for him.” Naturally, with that deal Bilal was free. For it
was the habit of Abu Bakr AI-Siddeeq [ranhu] to buy Muslim slaves to set them free.
After the migration of the Prophet [saw] to Madinah, and when the institution of Adhan (call to
prayer) was founded, it was Bilal who was the first to be asked by the Prophet to recite it. Later,
upon the victorious entry of the Prophet Muhammad [saw] to Makkah, and after the destruction of
the idols in and around the Ka’bah. it was Bilal again who was asked to make the call to prayer. No
wonder then that this ex-slave Bilal has become one of the best-known heroes of Islamic history.