❖ Historical Background ❖
The famous incident of Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād burning his ships is widely quoted in Islamic history. It is commonly said that he ordered the burning of his ships upon landing in al-Andalus, to block the route of retreat for his army and to instill in them the spirit of either victory or martyrdom.
However, some researchers consider this story to be fabricated, raising questions regarding its historical authenticity.
❖ Objections and Responses ❖
Mufti Taqi Usmani’s View
In his travelogue “Andalus Mein Chand Roz”, Mufti Taqi Usmani mentioned that he found no reference to the burning of ships in early historical sources, particularly in al-Maqarrī’s "Nafḥ al-Ṭīb".
However, upon further research and after being made aware of additional historical sources, he revised his opinion.
❖ al-Maqarrī’s Account
Al-Maqarrī (d. 1041 AH), in "Nafḥ al-Ṭīb", states that Ṭāriq's army burned their ships so that no path of retreat would remain:
“Nafḥ al-Ṭīb by al-Maqarrī, vol. 1, p. 258”
❖ Objection by Wahiduddin Khan
According to Wahiduddin Khan, this incident was only reported by historians after the 6th century Hijri, and not by early scholars like Ibn Khaldūn.
❖ Historical Evidences ❖
al-Idrīsī (d. 560 AH)
Al-Idrīsī, who lived even before Ibn Khaldūn, explicitly mentioned this incident. He wrote that Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād burned his ships, leaving no option of retreat and inspiring his soldiers with a sense of resolve for victory or martyrdom.
"Nuzhat al-Mushtāq fī Ikhtirāq al-Āfāq", ʿĀlam al-Kitāb Beirut, vol. 2, p. 540
Ibn al-Kardabūs (6th Century AH)
Ibn al-Kardabūs also briefly recorded that Ṭāriq burned his ships to encourage his troops.
"al-Iktifāʾ fī Akhbār al-Khulafāʾ", Islamic University of Madinah, vol. 2, p. 1007
al-Ḥimyarī (d. 900 AH)
Al-Ḥimyarī quoted al-Idrīsī’s account verbatim, further strengthening the acceptance and transmission of this report.
"al-Rawḍ al-Miʿṭār fī Khabar al-Aqṭār", Muʾassasat Nāṣir lil-Thaqāfah, Beirut, vol. 1, p. 224
❖ Correction by Mufti Taqi Usmani
In a correction published in the monthly journal al-Balāgh, Mufti Taqi Usmani acknowledged that although the incident was initially absent from his earlier research, he later found it mentioned in Nafḥ al-Ṭīb and other sources, prompting him to revise the relevant passage in his travelogue.
❖ Conclusion ❖
Historical evidence indicates that several classical historians did indeed mention the burning of ships by Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād, even though early scholars such as Ibn Khaldūn did not include it in their works.Nevertheless, the accounts of al-Idrīsī, Ibn al-Kardabūs, and al-Ḥimyarī, all of whom are credible sources, strengthen the authenticity of this historical event and support the validity of the narrative.
