How Tariq ibn Ziyad Conquered Spain with Courage and Skill

 Here is another possible narration of a heroic Islamic military invasion, based on the information I found from the web search results:

The year was 711 CE, and the Muslims had already conquered most of the Middle East and North Africa. They had also crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Iberian Peninsula, where the Visigoths ruled. The leader of the Muslim army was Tariq ibn Ziyad (d. 720 CE), a Berber general who had been appointed by Musa ibn Nusayr (d. 716 CE), the governor of North Africa. He had been given permission by the caliph Walid I (r. 705-715 CE) to raid the southern coast of Spain, but he had bigger plans.

He landed with about 12,000 men at a rocky promontory that came to be known as Jabal Tariq (the mountain of Tariq), or Gibraltar in English. He then marched inland, where he met a much larger Visigothic army led by King Roderic (r. 710-711 CE) at the Guadalete River. He gave a famous speech to his soldiers, in which he said:

"O my warriors, whither would you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy. You have left now only the hope of your courage and your constancy. Remember that in this country you are more unfortunate than the orphan seated at the table of the avaricious master. Your enemy is before you, protected by an innumerable army; he has men in abundance, but you, as your only aid, have your own swords, and, as your only chance for life, such chance as you can snatch from the hands of your enemy. If the absolute want to which you are reduced is prolonged ever so little, if you delay to seize immediate success, your good fortune will vanish, and your enemies, whom your very presence has filled with fear, will take courage. Put far from you the disgrace from which you flee in dreams, and attack this monarch who has left his strongly fortified city to meet you. Here is a splendid opportunity to defeat him, if you will consent to expose yourselves freely to death. Do not believe that I desire to incite you to face dangers which I shall refuse to share with you. In the attack I myself will be in the fore, where the chance of life is always least."

Inspired by his words, his men fought bravely against the Visigoths, who were divided by internal rivalries and lacked discipline. The battle lasted for eight days, until Roderic was killed and his army was routed. Tariq then proceeded to capture Toledo, the capital of Spain, and other cities. He also sent detachments to raid other regions of Spain and Portugal.

He was soon joined by Musa ibn Nusayr, who brought another 18,000 men from North Africa. Together, they completed the conquest of most of Spain and Portugal in less than two years. They also crossed the Pyrenees and raided parts of France, until they were stopped by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732 CE.

Tariq ibn Ziyad was one of the most heroic Islamic military leaders in history. He conquered a vast and rich land with a small and loyal army. He used his courage and skill to overcome his enemies and win over his allies. He left behind a legacy of culture and civilization that is still admired today.