For indivduals with the same or similar name, see Abd-ar-Rahman A number of people are known as Abd-ar-Rahman: Abdul_Rahman_Al_Ghafiqi (? – 732) - Muslim military leader who fought at the Battle of Tours. ...

Abu Said Abdul Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Bishr ibn Al Sarem Al 'Aki Al Ghafiqi (? – 732), variously known as Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Abd er Rahman, Abdderrahman, Abderame, and Abd el-Rahman, led the Andalusian Muslims into battle against the forces of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours. His unexpected death was probably the main reason for the defeat of the Muslim army. Events October 10 - Battle of Tours: Near Poitiers, France, leader of the Franks Charles Martel and his men, defeat a large army of Moors, stopping the Muslims from spreading into Western Europe. ... Motto: Dominator Hercules Fundator Andalucía por sí, para España y la humanidad (Andalusia for herself, for Spain, and for humanity) Capital Seville Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 2nd  87 268 km²  17,2% Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 1st  7 478 432  17,9%  85,70... Islam   listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer, German: Karl Martell) (August 23, 686 – October 22, 741) was born in Herstal, in what is now Wallonia, Belgium, the illegitimate son of Pepin II (635 or 640 - December 16, 714) and his concubine Alpaida or Chalpaida. ... The Battle of Tours (often called the Battle of Poitiers, but not to be confused with the Battle of Poitiers, 1356) was fought on October 25, 732 between forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel and an Islamic army led by Emir Abd er Rahman. ...

From the Yemeni tribe of Ghafiq, he relocated to Ifriqiya (now Tunisia), then to the Maghrib (now Morocco), where he became acquainted with Musa Ibn Nusair and his son Abdul Aziz, the governors of Al-Andalus. Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah (Arabic إفريقية) refers in medieval history to an area consisting of most of modern Tunisia and eastern Algeria, roughly equivalent to the Roman province of Africa. ... Maghrib is an Arabic term for of the setting sun; from the root ghuroob (to set; to be hidden). It is also used in a manner similar to the metaphorical use of to be eclipsed, which is used in the English language. ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ...

After Al Samh ibn Malik was killed at the Battle of Toulouse in 721 (102 A.H.) by the forces of Duke Odo of Aquitaine, Abdul Rahman took over the command of Eastern Andalus. He was briefly relieved of his command, when 'Anbasa ibn Suhaim Al Kalbi was appointed in 721 (103 A.H.). After 'Anbasa was killed in battle in 726 (107 A.H.) in Gaul, several successive commanders were put in place, none of whom lasted very long. Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani the governer (or wali) of Muslim Spain (or al-Andalus) built up a strong army from modern day Yemen, and Syria to conquer Aquitaine, a province (yet at the time of the battle it was a duchy) of France in the southwestern corner of... Events Former Byzantine emperor Anastasius II leads a revolt against emperor Leo III Theuderic IV succeeds Chilperic II Battle of Covadonga is won by Pelayo, thus preventing the takeover of his Christian Kingdom of Asturias by the Islamic Moors. ... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (also called Hijri calendar) is the calendar used to date events in predominately Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Muslim holy days. ... Odo of Aquitaine (a. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (from Latin Gallia, c. ...

In 730 (112 A.H.) the Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik appointed Abdul Rahman as governor/commander of Al Andalus. He prepared to invade Gaul, and called for recruits from Yemen and the Levant. Many arrived, and he crossed the Pyrenees range, with an army of 80,000 composed of Arabs and Berbers. He made his way through Gascony and Aquitaine, and captured the city of Bordeaux, defeating the army of Duke Odo of Aquitaine. Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (691–743) was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 723 until his death in 743. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (from Latin Gallia, c. ... The Levant or Sham (Arabic root word related to the term Semite) is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... Central Pyrenees The Pyrenees (French: Pyrénées; Spanish: Pirineos; Occitan: Pirenèus or Pirenèas; Catalan Pirineus; Aragonese: Perinés; Basque: Pirinioak) are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are an originally Arabian ethnicity widespread in the Middle East and North Africa. ... The Berbers (also called Imazighen, free men, singular Amazigh) are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family. ... Gascony (French: Gascogne, pronounced  ; Gascon: Gasconha, pronounced ) is an area in southwest France, and an old province of France. ... Capital Bordeaux Area 41,309 km² Regional President Alain Rousset ( PS) (since 1998) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 6th) 3,049,000 2,908,359 74/km² (2004) Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Départements Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Aquitaine... For the wine, see Bordeaux Wine City motto: Lilia sola regunt lunam undas castra leonem. ...

However, the Frankish Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Charles Martel, managed to form an army of Gauls and Germans, and defeated Abdul Rahman in 732 (114 A.H.) near Poitiers, south of the Loire River. Abdul Rahman was killed in this battle. One of the reasons for the defeat of the Muslim army was their preoccupation with war booty; another was squabbles between various ethnic and tribal factions. The Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Germanic tribes who entered the late Roman Empire from Frisia as foederati and established a lasting realm (sometimes referred to as Francia) in an area that covers most of modern-day France and the region of Franconia in Germany... Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also known by the Latin name, maior domus or majordomo, used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries. ... Austrasia & Neustria Austrasia was the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of what are now eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. ... Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer, German: Karl Martell) (August 23, 686 РOctober 22, 741) was born in Herstal, in what is now Wallonia, Belgium, the illegitimate son of Pepin II (635 or 640 - December 16, 714) and his concubine Alpaida or Chalpaida. ... Events October 10 - Battle of Tours: Near Poitiers, France, leader of the Franks Charles Martel and his men, defeat a large army of Moors, stopping the Muslims from spreading into Western Europe. ... Location within France Poitiers (population 85,000) is a small city located in west central France. ... The Loire is wide; here in Orl̩ans, half of it is shown, up to a dividing half-flooded island. ... The Battle of Tours (often called the Battle of Poitiers, but not to be confused with the Battle of Poitiers, 1356) was fought on October 25, 732 between forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel and an Islamic army led by Emir Abd er Rahman. ...

All Arab historians praise Abdul Rahman as a just and able administrator and commander, and bestow on him the honor of being the best governor of Andalus. Also, he did not take sides in the ethnic and tribal divisions that plagued Andalus under other rulers.

References

• History of Abdul Salam Al Termanini (in Arabic)
• The New Century Book of Facts, King-Richardson Company, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1911
• A list of historical rulers in what is now Spain (in Spanish)
• "Early Andalusian Politics", by Richard Greydanus