The War of the Tenth of Ramadan (October 1973)

Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal and stormed the Bar Lev Line while Syrian forces attacked the Golan, in a simultaneous offensive that restored the Ummah's confidence after the setback of 1967. The crossing remains a symbol of resolve.

At two in the afternoon on Saturday 10 Ramadan 1393 AH (6 October 1973), the largest water-crossing operation in modern history began: the Egyptian waves crossed the canal under the cover of the fire of thousands of guns, and water hoses breached the earthen ramparts of the Bar Lev Line, opening the gaps.

The cry of "Allahu Akbar" was raised as the war-slogan, and the fortresses of Bar Lev — said to be impregnable — fell within hours. On the Golan the Syrian forces stormed the fortified positions and recovered parts of the plateau in the first days.

Regardless of the military and political outcomes after the breach and the ceasefire, the day of the crossing — deliberately chosen in the month of fasting — remained a lesson that Ramadan is a month of struggle and effort, in which the Ummah recalls Badr, ʿAyn Jalut and Hattin.