SULTANUL QULUB MUHAMMAD AL FATEH (Conqueror of the Constantinople)

Muhammad al-Fatih is one of the most famous of the Sultan or sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He was the seventh sultan in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Al-Fatih is the title that is always attached to his name because he is the one who ended or conquered the Eastern Roman Empire that had reigned for 11 centuries.

Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih ruled for 30 years. In addition to conquering Binzantium, he also succeeded in conquering the territories of Asia, uniting the kingdoms of Anatolia and the European territories, and his most important services were successfully adapting to the management of the Byzantine Government that had matured into the Ottoman Empire.

Muhammad al-Fatih was born on 27 Rajab 835 H / 30 March 1432 AD in the city of Erdine, the capital of the Ottoman state at that time. He is the son of Sultan Murad II who is the sixth king of Ottoman Empire.

Sultan Murad II has great attention to his son's education. He forged his heart to become a good and tough leader. The attention was seen from the little Muhammad who had completed the Quran recitation of 30 juz, studying the hadiths, understanding the science of fikih, learning mathematics, astronomy, and war strategy. In addition, Muhammad also studied various languages, such as: Arabic, Persian, Latin, and Greek. Not surprisingly, at the age of 21 Muhammad was very fluent in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, incredible!


Although his age was just corn, his father, Sultan Murad II, observed Sultan Muhammad's leadership of an area with the guidance of scholars. It was done by the father that his son quickly realized that he had a great responsibility later in life. The guidance of the scholars is expected to be the compass that directs the mind of his child to be in line with the true understanding of Islam.

Sultan Muhammad II was appointed Ottoman Caliphate on 5 Muharram 855 H along with February 7, 1451 M. The major program that he immediately realized when serving as Caliph was to conquer Constantinople.


The first step that Sultan Muhammad did to realize his ideals was to conduct strategic military and strategic foreign policy. He updated the agreements and agreements that had been established with neighboring countries and military allies. The reorganization of the treaty was aimed at eliminating the influence of the Roman Byzantine Kingdom in Ottoman neighboring areas both politically and military.


Sultan Muhammad II also prepared more than 4 million soldiers who would besiege Constantinople from the land. At the time of besieging the Byzantine fortress, many Ottoman troops were killed by the stronghold of the fortress. The siege that lasted not less than 50 days, really tested the patience of Ottoman forces, their energy, their minds and their supplies.

The formidable defense of the Roman empire was seen from the beginning. Before the enemy reached their fortress, Byzantine had fenced their seas with a chain that stretched across the Golden Horn peninsula. It is impossible to touch the Byzantine fortress except by crossing the chain.

Finally Sultan Muhammad found the idea that he considered the only way to get through the fence. This idea is similar to what was done by the Kiev princes who attacked Byzantine in the 10th century, the Kiev princes pulled their ships out of the Bosphorus Strait, surrounded Galata, and re-launched them in the Gold Horn, but their troops were still defeated by the Byzantine Romans . Sultan Muhammad did it in a more clever way, he took 70 vessels across Galata to the estuary after healing the wooden trunks. It was done in a very short time, not until one night.

In the morning, Byzantium was shocked to be ignorant, they did not think Sultan Muhammad and his troops crossed their ships by land. 70 vessels crossed over the landline still overgrown with large trees, chopping down its trees and plowing the ships within one night is an impossibility to them, but that's what happened.



The devastating war occurred, the untouched fortress as a symbol of the Byzantine power was eventually attacked by people who were not afraid of death. Eventually the 11th-century massive kingdom fell into the hands of the Muslims. The massive wars resulted in 265,000 troops killed. On the 20th Jumadil Early 857 H along with May 29, 1453 AD, Sultan al-Ghazi Muhammad managed to enter the Constantinople City. From then on he was known by the name of Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih, conqueror of Constantinople.

When entering Constantinople, Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih came down from his horse and prostrated himself as a gesture to God. Afterwards, he headed for the Hagia Sophia Church and ordered him to replace the mosque. Constantinople became the capital city, the central government of the Ottoman Empire and the city was renamed Islambul which means the Islamic state, and finally changed to Istanbul.

In addition, the Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih also ordered to build a mosque in the tomb of the noble companion Abu Ayyub al-Anshari radhiallahu 'anhu, one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu' alaihi wa sallam who died while attacking Constantinople at the time of Caliph Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan radhiallahu 'anhu.

What is done by Sultan Muhammad, of course, is contrary to the Shari'a, as the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said,

ألا وإن من كان قبلكم كانوا يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد, ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد, إني أنهاكم عن ذلك.

"... Know that the people before you have made the graves of their Prophets as a place of worship, but do not make the graves as a place of worship, for I have forbidden you to do that." no.532)

The mistakes made by Sultan Muhammad do not necessarily make us deny his enormous services. May Allah forgive his error and his error is rahimahullah.

After that the strictly convergent strategic was done by Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih; he brought his troops into the Balkans, Greece, Romania, Albania, Asia Minor, etc. he even prepared troops and set the strategy to conquer the Roman empire in Italy, but death had prevented him from achieving that.


In addition to being renowned as a war general and successfully expanding Ottoman power beyond the other sultanates, Muhammad al-Fatih was also known as a poet. He has a diwan, a collection of poems he created himself.


Sultan Muhammad also built more than 300 mosques, 57 schools, and 59 baths in various Ottoman territories. His most famous remains are the Sultan Muhammad II Mosque and Jami 'Abu Ayyub al-Anshari
In the month of Rabiul Early in 886 AH / 1481 AD, Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih left Istanbul for jihad, while he was in unhealthy condition. In the midst of the illness he suffered more and more heavily he felt. Doctors were brought to treat him, but his doctor and medicine were no longer useful to the Sultan, he died in the middle of his army on Thursday, 4th of Rabiul Awal 886 H / 3 May 1481 M. At that time Sultan Muhammad was 52 years old and ruled for 31 year. Some say the death of Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih for being poisoned by his personal physician Ya'qub Basya, Allahu a'lam.

There is no evidence to suggest that Sultan Muhammad II would bring his troops. Some say he wants to go to Italy to conquer Rome who also goes to France or Spain.


Before the death, Muhammad al-Fatih warned his son and his successor, Sultan Bayazid II to stay close to the scholars, to do justice, not to be deceived by wealth, and to safeguard the religion for both the people, the people, and the kingdom.