واقعة طريف وتمحيص المسلمين
واقعة طريف وتمحيص المسلمين
30 October 1340 CE · 9 Rabi' I 741 AH
Sultan Abu al-Hasan crossed in late 740 and encamped before Tarifa; Yusuf I of Granada joined him with the Andalus army, they ringed the town and set engines — but the Taghiya's second fleet sealed the Strait, starved the camp, and he mustered the Christian nations with Afonso of Portugal at his side; a hidden force he slipped into Tarifa by night burst on the Muslim rear as battle joined, their lines dissolved, the royal women were taken — Aisha the sultan's cousin and Fatima among them — and the Christian king's power over the Andalus frontier was sealed 1.
At a glance
- Era
- The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
- Region
- al-Andalus & Europe · Maghreb
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
The battle of Tarifa, which Ibn Khaldun calls "the battle of Tarifa and the testing of the Muslims". In it the sultan of the Maghrib, Abu al-Hasan al-Marini, and the sultan of al-Andalus, Abu al-Hajjaj Yusuf, met the army of the king of Castile, Alfonso XI, and it ended in the defeat of the Muslims. 2
Before the battle
Abu al-Hasan crossed with his fleet at the end of 740 AH and camped at the square of Tarifa. Abu al-Hajjaj came to him with the army of al-Andalus, and they surrounded the town and set up the siege engines. 2
The Christian side sent out a fleet that blocked the strait and cut off the supplies to the camp, so the Muslims' stay lengthened and their provisions ran out. The lord of Lisbon of Portugal joined the king of Castile. 2
The battle
Ibn Khaldun relates that an ambush force entered Tarifa by night. When the fighting broke out the next day, it appeared on the backs of the Muslims, their line was broken, and they retreated. Women who defended themselves were killed, and the Christians reached the concubines of the sultan. 2
Ibn Khaldun describes the defeat as a "testing" of the Muslims, and mentions that the king of Castile grew strong by it over the frontiers of al-Andalus. 2
The Gregorian date is derived from the Hijri year.
Connections
- Had participant
- Alfonso XI of Castile· أبو الحسن المريني سلطان المغرب· Sultan Yusuf I Abu al-Hajjaj al-Nasri
- Occurred at
- طريفة
People and things also explored
واقعة الزقاق البحرية وملك أسطول المسلمين· سقوط الجزيرة الخضراء وكسرة الأسطول· The Kairouan disaster· Abu al-Hasan al-Marini's entry into Ifriqiya· أبو الحسن علي سلطان غرناطة· Abu Inan Faris al-Marini· Sultan Muhammad V al-Nasri· Emirate of Granada
Sources
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun, p. 1965-1966
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun, p.1965-1966
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “واقعة طريف وتمحيص المسلمين”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/battle-of-tarifa-741/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.