I spent substantial time appreciating the beauty of the palaces. However, what fascinated me most was the endless, repeated use of the Nasirid dynasty’s motto: “Wala Ghalibu IllaAllah”—meaning “the only victor is Allah”—on virtually every palace wall. It appeared to take up every square inch of the palaces walls. One of the large paintings in Charles V palace’s Alhambra museum shows Boadbdil, the last defeated Muslim king of Granada leaving his palace, while his heartbroken mother looks on wearing a robe with the inscription “Wala Ghalibu IllaAllah,” inscribed along the hem of her dress—probably meant as satire.
on display in the construction of Alhambra’s Alcazaba fortress. But, as with northern/central Spain’s Taifa kingdoms, the disunity and infighting among the Muslims proved to be more lethal of an enemy than the advancing Christian armies. The sheer beauty of the Nasirid Palaces, was immortalized by the poet Francisco Alarcón in the following words: “Give him alms woman, as there is nothing worse than being blind in Granada.” In the courtyard of the Myrtles, the white marble floor is sloped to allow the water in the pool to reach right up to the plinths of the columns, making it appear that the entire Comares Palace and the tower is floating on water. This principle was used in the Taj Mahal, three centuries later.
Standing on Alcazaba’s Torre de la Polvora tower, staring at the huge Sierra Nevada mountain range, I tried to make sense of the present complex relationship between the Iberians and Islam. For five hundred years the people were taught the Catholic version of history – that Muslims had invaded a Christian country destroying its unity, and that these foreigners had been expelled during the reconquista. Most people are not aware of the magnitude of atrocities that Muslims in Spain had to endure. However, after General Franco’s death, Islam has found increased understanding and sympathy among native Iberians. It is now being pointed out that most of the Muslims expelled from Spain as a result of the reconquista, were actually Visigoths by
Islamic Horizons March/April 2013
race. The hitherto incorrect version of history is now reportedly being corrected in Spain’s textbooks. In 2006 Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that Spain was indebted to Islam for its great historical contributions. The beautiful Great Mosque of Granada completed in 2003 after substantial opposition, is the first mosque to be built after a 500-year hiatus. It is right next to San Nicolas viewpoint, the most scenic spot frequented by visitors for its breathtaking view of the Alhambra. The mosque provides literature about Islam, and provides printed material that correct unsubstantiated views regarding Islam, Islamic history, and Islamic terminology (example: a harem is just the interior section of a Muslim house or palace where the ladies—mothers, sisters, wives, daughters live for privacy). The taxi navigated the narrow, steep streets of Albaicin, the Moorish area, complete not only with Islamic architecture, but also dotted with Halal butcher shops, and Muslim restaurants. A 19-year-old Iberian man asked if I could teach him how to make the Wudu/ ablution. Absolutely, I said. He is studying English and Chinese to become a translator, and had become interested in Islam from his discussions with Muslim friends. After the Friday prayers, Ahmed Bermejo, the mosque director, gave the sermon in Spanish, and invited me to join the local Muslims for a delicious KhusKhus lunch. Imam Bermejo is a second-generation Iberian Muslim, born to a first-generation Iberian Muslim father, and a first-generation Muslim American mother, informed that Granada’s Muslims constitute about 8 percent of the town’s population. He realizes the tremendous responsibility and challenges that he and his fellow Spanish Muslims shoulder, to reach out to the rest of the Spanish population regarding Islam. Watching Bermejo deliver the Jumah sermon in Spanish, took me back to the Nasirid motto inscribed repeatedly on the Alhambra walls—it’s now the re-influx into Islam of beautiful Spanish people like Bermejo who are the hope to making the motto ‘Wala Ghalibu IllaAllah,’ come true.
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Misbahuddin Mirza, a professional licensed engineer, is a senior engineer and regional quality control engineer with the New York State Department of Transportation. He traveled in Spain from Nov 8-12, 2012.
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