The Battle of Tours in 732, also called the Battle of Poitiers, pit the Franks against The Umayyad Caliphate. Islam was invading France. Charles Martel (The Hammer) defeated ‘Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, who was killed. The significance and the facts are always debated. It is assumed that the two armies met where the rivers Clain and Vienne join between Tours and Poitiers. The Franks (and Burgundians) numbered about 30,000, the Muslims about 80,000. (But there is significant disagreement over these numbers.) Europe has always claimed it a great victory, Islam less so.
What is without doubt is that 109 years after the death of the Prophet, when communication was very limited, a most powerful army developed from nowhere and, under the inspiration of this dead man, threatened to conquer the entire known world.
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