بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الرَّحْمَـٰنِ
الرَّحِيمِ
الْمَلِكِ
الْقُدُّوسِ
السَّلَامِ
1446 - شَوَّال الْمُكَرَّم
الْمُؤْمِنِ
الْمُهَيْمِنِ
الْعَزِيزِ
الْجَبَّارُ
الْمُتَكَبِّرُ
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Fajr
05:45 AM
✓
Asr
06:15 PM
Maghrib
07:46 PM
Isha
09:45 PM
Jumu'ah
02:00 PM
The Almoravid Dynasty
المرابطون
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The Almoravid Dynasty (al-Murabitun, 1040-1147 CE) was a powerful Berber Muslim empire that arose in the Sahara and ruled vast territories in North Africa and Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain). Founded by 'Abdullah ibn Yasin, the movement began as a religious reform initiative among the Sanhaja Berber tribes, emphasizing strict adherence to Maliki jurisprudence and purifying Islamic practice. Under military leader Abu Bakr ibn 'Umar and his cousin Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the Almoravids built a formidable empire, conquering Morocco, western Algeria, and establishing their capital at Marrakech in 1062 CE. Responding to calls from Muslim rulers in Spain threatened by Christian advances, Ibn Tashfin crossed into Iberia and decisively defeated Alfonso VI at the Battle of Zallaqa (1086), temporarily halting the Reconquista. The Almoravids subsequently absorbed Al-Andalus into their empire, ruling from 1090-1147. They patronized Maliki scholarship, built numerous mosques, and developed trans-Saharan gold trade routes, enriching their empire. However, they faced opposition from both Christian kingdoms and the emerging Almohad movement, which denounced them for religious laxity. The Almoravids declined due to internal weaknesses, Almohad attacks, and economic pressures, with Marrakech falling to the Almohads in 1147. Their legacy includes architectural contributions (the Great Mosque of Tlemcen), propagation of Maliki Islam across West Africa, and the integration of Al-Andalus into North African politics.
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