Which Khalifa conquered Cyprus? Impact of conquest of Cyprus

 Which Khalifa conquered Cyprus?

 Cyprus was conquered by Hazrat Moawiya in the era of Hazrat Usman, the third caliph of Islam. This conquest had a great impact on the Islamic state. This was the first island in which there was great role of hazrat Ameer Moaawiya and Hazrat Abu sufiyan.(History of Arab, page 167) "The Rise of the 'Cyprus Conqueror':

*The Conquest of Cyprus in the Era of Hazrat Usman RA*

This was the first major Muslim naval campaign, and it happened when Hazrat Usman ibn Affan RA was Caliph, and Hazrat Muawiyya ibn Abi Sufyan RA was the governor of Shaam/Syria.

Cyprus at that time was a Byzantine island in the eastern Mediterranean. It was used by the Romans as a base to launch raids on the Muslim coastal cities of Shaam and Egypt. Trade ships were also being harassed. So protecting the coast became a priority.

How it started

Hazrat Muawiyya RA had been building a navy for a few years. Shaam had ports like Acre and Tyre, and he trained sailors and built ships there. 

In around 28 AH / 649 CE, he wrote to Hazrat Usman RA asking for permission to attack Cyprus. 

Hazrat Usman RA was cautious at first. The Prophet ﷺ had spoken about the danger of sea expeditions, and the Caliph didn’t want to put Muslims at unnecessary risk. But after consultation, he gave permission with one condition: do not force any soldier to go. Only those who volunteer should join.

That’s when the campaign got organized.

    

                         The main incidents in detail

*1. The first expedition, 28 AH / 649 CE*

Hazrat Muawiyya RA led the fleet himself from the port of Acre. With him was a group of companions and tabi’in. A notable person in this expedition was Umm Haram bint Milhan RA, the aunt of Anas ibn Malik RA. She had heard a hadith from the Prophet ﷺ about the first army that would fight in the sea, and she wanted to be part of it.

The Muslim fleet landed on Cyprus. The Byzantines there did not have a large enough force to resist for long. After some fighting and a short siege, the people of Cyprus asked for peace.

The treaty was significant because it set the model for later dealings:

- Cyprus would pay jizya to the Muslims

- In return, the Muslims would not settle on the island permanently and would not interfere in their internal affairs

- Cyprus would also not aid the Byzantines against Muslims

So it became a kind of neutral, tribute-paying territory rather than a province that was fully annexed.

*2. The martyrdom of Umm Haram RA*

This is the most quoted incident from that campaign. When the army returned, Umm Haram RA fell from her mount near the coast and passed away. She was buried there. Her grave in Larnaca, Cyprus, later became known as the Hala Sultan Tekke and is still visited today. For Muslims it was seen as a fulfillment of the Prophet’s ﷺ glad tidings about those who join the first naval expeditions.

*3. Renewals and later agreements*

The treaty didn’t last forever because the Byzantine Empire kept trying to retake influence. 

- In 33 AH / 653 CE, Hazrat Muawiyya RA sent another expedition and reasserted Muslim control, again with a treaty.

- Later, in 78 AH / 688 CE, during the Umayyad period, another agreement was made where Cyprus became a condominium: it would pay tribute to both Muslims and Byzantines and remain demilitarized.

But the foundation was laid in Usman RA’s time. That’s why historians mark 649 as the first conquest.

Why this mattered

1. *Naval power*: This was the start of the Muslim navy. After Cyprus, Muslim fleets went on to control much of the Mediterranean.

2. *Strategy*: It pushed Byzantine raids away from the Shaam coast.

3. *Governance model*: Instead of mass conquest, Muawiyya RA used treaties that gave local people autonomy. That reduced bloodshed and made administration easier.

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FAQ

*Q1: Who ordered the conquest of Cyprus?*  

Hazrat Muawiyya RA, as governor of Shaam, proposed it. Hazrat Usman RA, as Caliph, gave the final permission.

*Q2: Was Cyprus fully annexed at that time?*  

No. After the 649 treaty it paid jizya and was under Muslim protection, but it was not settled or governed directly like other provinces. Full annexation came much later.

*Q3: Why was the sea expedition considered risky?*  

Travel by sea was dangerous in that era, and there were specific narrations about it. That’s why Hazrat Usman RA made it voluntary and didn’t compel anyone.

*Q4: What happened to Umm Haram bint Milhan RA?*  

She accompanied the expedition and passed away in Cyprus after falling from her mount. Her shrine is in Larnaca and is respected by Muslims.

*Q5: Did the Byzantines accept the treaty?*  

Initially yes. But later they violated it several times, which led to further Muslim campaigns to reaffirm control.