al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik

Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (Caliph al-Walid I, 50–96 AH / 670–715 CE) was the sixth Umayyad caliph and the ruler during whose reign the Islamic empire reached its greatest territorial extent, with the conquests of al-Andalus in the west and Transoxiana and Sindh in the east occurring simultaneously. He ruled from 86 to 96 AH and presided over what many historians consider the height of Umayyad power.

Under his caliphate: Tariq ibn Ziyad crossed to Iberia and defeated Roderic (711 CE), beginning the conquest of al-Andalus; Musa ibn Nusayr followed and extended the conquest through most of the peninsula; Qutayba ibn Muslim conquered Khwarizm, Samarqand, and Ferghana; Muhammad ibn Qasim conquered Sindh. The empire stretched from the Atlantic to Central Asia.

He is also remembered for major building projects: the expansion and beautification of the Prophet's mosque in Medina under Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz's supervision; the construction of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, one of the earliest and most magnificent mosques in Islam; and building projects in Jerusalem. His reign brought unprecedented prosperity and construction to the Muslim world.

He also established hospitals for the sick and the leprous, funded care for the disabled, and reportedly insisted that the state provide for those who could not care for themselves — policies considered progressive for the era. He died in 96 AH and was succeeded by his brother Sulayman. His caliphate is regarded as the political apogee of the Umayyad dynasty.