Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, better known in the West as Saladin, established a state
comprising the countries of Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Western Arabia towards the end of
the twelfth century After Christ.
He is regarded in the world as a chivalrous man, who displayed high qualities of
generosity and kindliness in the field of battle to friend and foe which were very rare
even among the heroes of the time.
The Third Crusade by the Christians took place in his time and those Christians who took
part in it could not help but admire and respect the Sultan as an extremely skilful and
noble enemy.
Salahuddin was born in 1138 A.C. Although his early years were spent in obscurity, he
showed signs of great promise in his youth and he reached the high office of a Wazier
(Minister) in the court of the Fatimid Khalifah in Egypt.
Salahuddin's energy, determination and resourcefulness soon opened more avenues for
progress. In 1175 A.C. when the last of the Fatimid Khalifahs died, Salahuddin declared
his independence, and later the Khalifah at Baghdad confirmed him as the Sultan of Egypt
and Arabia. Salahud-deen soon added portions of Syria under his rule and he was looked
upon as the most powerful head of a considerable part of the Muslim world.
A number of Christian states were established in Syria by the Crusaders, and from these,
Muslim caravans were often attacked and harassed by the Christians. This forced the Sultan
to take up arms, as a result of which the whole of Palestine was conquered by him. This
brought about a complete unification of Syria and Egypt.
This sparked off the Third Crusade (1189 A.C.) in which the Roman Empire, France and
England joined hands to challenge Islam. The struggle continued for three years during
which the Christians suffered so many defeats that they were thoroughly disillusioned.
They soon realised the futility of their efforts and adopted a policy of reconciliation,
and a peace treaty was concluded in 1192 A. C. The Sultan's greatest achievement was to
crush the Crusaders and to reconquer Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187 A.C.
The generosity, the magnanimity and the high sense of morality which the Sultan displayed
in that hour of his triumph, have been universally applauded by the historians. Says one:
"if the taking of Jerusalem were the only fact known about Saladin, it were enough to
prove him the most chivalrous and great-hearted conqueror of his own and perhaps of any
age." (Saladin by Stanley Lane-Pole).
Sultan Salahuddin was a just, merciful and chivalrous man who won unstinted praise from
even his enemies. There was not a trace of fanaticism in Sultan Salahuddin. He always
treated people of every religious group with equal fairness. He was not only a warrior but
a cultured ruler, who patronised great scholars. He found public schools and academies,
established free hospitals. His piety, magnanimity and generosity were household words
even beyond the borders of his empire.
The citadel of Cairo, which he built as his residence bears testimony to his energy and
enterprise in the field of architecture.
He died in Damascus, in the year 1193 A.C.
A quote from Salahuddin:
"We hope in Allah Most High, to whom be Praise. Who leads the hearts of Muslims to calm what torments them and ruins their prosperity.
Where is the sense of honor of the Muslims? The pride of the Believers? The zeal of the Faithful?
We shall never cease to be amazed at how the disbelievers for their part have shown trusts, and it is the Muslims who have been lacking in zeal. Not one of them has responded to the call.
Not one intervenes to straighten what is distorted; but observe how far the Franks have gone. What unity they have achieved. What aims they pursue. What help they have given. What sums of money they have borrowed and spent. What wealth they have collected and distributed and divided amongst them.
There is not a king left in their lands or islands, not a lord or a rich man who has not competed with his neighbors to produce more support and rival his peers in strenuous military efforts. In defense of their religion they consider it a small thing to spend life and soul; and they have kept their infidel brothers supplied with arms and champions of war; and all they have done and all their generosity has been done purely out of zeal for him they worship in jealous defense of their faith.
The Muslims on the other hand are weakened and demoralized; they have become negligent and lazy, the victims of unproductive stupefaction and completely lacking in enthusiasm. If, Allah forbid, Islam should draw reign, obscure her splendor, blunt her sword there would be no one, east or west, far or near who would blaze the zeal for Allah's religion, or choose to come to the aid of Truth against Falsehood.
This is the moment to cast off laziness, to summon from far and near all those men who have blood in their veins; but we are confident [He speaks about himself and the small party of believers who began with him and then became a large party]; but we are confident thanks to Allah- alhamdulillah- in the help that will come from him and entrust ourselves to him in sincerity of purpose and deepest devotion.
Insha'Allah, Insha'Allah the disbelievers shall perish and the Faithful have a sure deliverance."