This brave Scottish man fought alongside the Ottoman soldiers for Madīnah and was later martyred….

This brave Scottish man fought alongside the Ottoman soldiers for Madīnah and was later martyred.

He was born in Scotland in 1793, named Thomas Keith. He took part in the British expedition in Egypt, and after suffering a tremendous loss, he was taken as a prisoner by the Ottomans. His soldiering skills and grasp of the Arabic language, however, would soon be recognized in Egypt. In this new country, Keith drew inspiration from Islām; its simplicity of practice, the concept of no appointed priesthood, and more so, a religion of good character.

Keith eventually embraced Islām and was given the name Ibrāhīm Ağa after becoming the newly appointed chief of the military. Ibrāhīm then embarked on defending Madīnah and the resting place of the holy Prophet ‎ﷺ, as the Ottomans faced a rebellion on their hands.

After a successful military campaign in Madīnah and later Makkah in 1815, Ibrāhīm was appointed as the governor of Madīnah. However, it was a position he would only hold for a few months before being ambushed and martyred at the age of 23.

#History #OttomanEmpire #Madinah #Osmanlı