What is the ottomans’s sole concern?
Our ancestors, the Seljuks and Ottomans did indeed live and sustain Islam in the lands they conquered.
This was their purpose from the very start.
In fact;
Orhan Gazi left the following will to his son Murad:
“It is not enough for the Ottomans to rule across two continents.
For spreading the word of Allah is a purpose that is far bigger than what two continents can hold! (And you will, therefore, carry Islam to the rest of the world!)”
Sultan Murad thereupon crossed into Europe and reached as far as Kosovo.
Why did Murad Khan leave the peace and comfort of Bursa and go through all the trouble of marching to Kosovo? To which purpose did he sacrifice himself?
Of course, to become a guiding light and lead others to the truth.
Contrary to the claims of the ignorant, they did not spread Islam with their swords. They put their hearts on the line, and in doing so, conquered the hearts of many others.
In fact;
When Murad Khan conquered Kosovo and Sultan Mehmed II took Bosnia, they settled in those regions the pristine people of Anatolia, who practiced Islam. Eventually, the fortunate Albanians, Bosnians, Macedonians and other Balkans nations embraced Islam, purely through admiring the beautiful face of Islam as displayed by these exemplary Muslims.
The Ottomans swung their sword only to put an end to tyranny and reinstate justice. In doing so, they went through so much trouble.
For instance;
Until establishing sovereignty in Albania, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror exerted so much personal effort that he virtually left no stone unturned.
The incident below reveals precisely why he took such great pains:
Mehmed the Conqueror had embarked upon a military campaign on the Pontus Empire of Trabzon. He was passing through a wooded and mountainous terrain to reach the city from the back. At times, the woodcutters were clearing his path. As he tried to make it across a narrow pass, however, his horse slipped; and while trying to catch on to a rock, his hands were left bloodied. Sara Hatun, the mother of Uzun Hasan, was there; and thinking that this was a perfect opportunity to speak up, said:
“Son! You are a grand khan just like your father! Is it proper of you to endure so much hardship for a small fort like Trabzon?”
Uzun Hasan had just established a kinship with the Pontus Empire of Trabzon through marriage and had sent her mother to plead Sultan Mehmed to turn back from the campaign.
With hands all bruised, Mehmed straightened himself up and said:
“My old mother! Do not ever think that we are going through all this trouble for a small strip of land. Know that our entire purpose is to serve Allah’s religion and guide people to the truth. It is so that our faces do not become darkened tomorrow when we reach divine presence. Would we deserve the right to be called gazi if we were to prefer the comforts of our flesh, when we have been given so much opportunity to convey and glorify Islam? Would we have any face to appear in the presence of the Lord if we do not take Islam to disbelievers and prevent their transgressions?”
The effort the Ottomans exerted in the way of establishing justice was equally acknowledged by non-Muslims.
Due to their justice and compassion, the Ottomans became a state even non-Muslims preferred.
Europeans fleeing the terrible injustices of the inquisition sought refuge in Ottoman lands.
This was because the Ottomans regarded oppressed non-Muslims as wadiatullah, the trusts of Allah’s (JJ) on the state.
A famous saying in Poland in fact goes:
“Poland shall be reborn when the Turk waters his horse in Vistula River.”
Martin Luther founded the Protestant sect by rebelling against a Christianity that had gone off the rails with its fallacies and tyrannies. He similarly said:
“Oh Lord! Place us under the rule of the grand Turk as soon as possible, so that we benefit from your divine justice through them.”
Source: BEING A GUIDING LIGHT, Osman Nuri Topbas, Erkam Publications
