Who was Salahuddin Al-Ayoubi? Salahuddin was born in the year 532 AH/1137 CE in Tekrit on the West Bank of the Tigris between Mosul and Baghdad, loved dearly by his father, Ayyub, and nourished on the lofty principles, Salahuddin the Kurd soon showed signs of the blessings which were to follow him. Within two months of his coming to Egypt, his uncle whom he was forced to accompany there, died. Suddenly, Salahuddin was the ruler of much coveted Egypt. In an instance, he was a changed man. From that time on his career was one long championship of Islam. “No sooner did he assume the overlordship of Egypt the world and its pleasures lost all significance in his eyes,” says ibn Shaddad the Qadi of his army. He renounced the temptations of pleasure and took to a life of sweat and toil, which increased day by day until Allah summoned him to his Mercy. Such are the words of Allah: “Perhaps you hate a thing while it is good for you and you may love a thing while it is bad for you.” “When Allah gave me the land of Egypt with so little trouble, I knew that he meant for me the blessed land also, for He Himself implanted the thought in my heart,” said Salahuddin. He soon had the satisfaction of seeing his administration respected and order established in all aspects. He generously spent on the people from the money the Fatimids had been storing up in the palace walls, won the hearts of his people, and brought the faction-ridden country under obedience and his rule. He took great pains to establish the Sunnah more firmly in Egypt with the aid of the ‘ulama. People came to visit him from every walk of life and flocked to his court from all parts. He never disappointed the hopes of visitors nor allowed them to depart with empty hands. When the crusaders heard that Salahuddin was ruling successfully they were convinced that he would soon overtake them, lay waste their usurped dwellings and wipe away all traces of their rule. This would most probably have happened but Salahuddin had one substantial obstacle - the disunity of the Muslims. They had immense riches and natural strength in the region and spent most of their time fighting each other rather than the real enemy. It took Salahuddin 18 years to get the attention of the Muslims in order to liberate Muslim lands. During that time Muslims were barely holding out in Egypt and Syria. Yet slowly, Salahuddin’s example through persuasion, teaching, time and understanding worked to unite the Muslims. “Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Egyptians - they were all Muslims and his servants when he called,” Lane writes. “In spite of their differences of race, their national jealousies…he had kept them together…” When Salahuddin had finally united the hearts in the core lands of Islam, virtually all the blessed lands returned to Muslim hands within five months. By Friday 27th Rajab/2nd October 1187 C.E. the Muslims were knocking on the door of al-Aqsa mosque. Allah allowed the Muslims to take the city as a celebration on the anniversary of the mi’raj, the Prophet’s (†) ascension into heaven. Truly, this was a sign that this deed was pleasing to Almighty Allah. “It was a victory of victories,” recalls ibn Shaddad. “A testimony of faith to a multitude of people, scholars, noblemen, merchants and masses who were brought there by the news of Salahuddin’s victories and success in the lands of the Mediterranean coast.” All the ‘ulama came to join Salahuddin, both from Egypt and Syria. There was not a single well-known dignitary but he had come. The joyful shouts of “Allahu Akbar” and “La Ilaha Illallah” reached to the skies. After 90 years Friday prayers were again held in Jerusalem. A huge cross that glittered on the Dome of the Rock was thrown down. It was an indescribable event, the joy of the blessings and the victory of Allah were to be witnessed everywhere on that day. The non-Muslims of Jerusalem asked for mercy and he gave it. Every man, woman and child was allowed to ransom themselves for a paltry price. He kept order in every street and refused to allow the People of the Book to be verbally abused, much less molested. What a far cry from the victorious Christians of 1099 (and the 1980s) who killed, tortured, shot in cold blood and burnt defenceless Muslims in the streets of Al-Aqsa. “Fortunate were the merciless because they obtained mercy at the hands of the Muslim Sultan,” said Lane. Salahuddin said: “Well, when by Allah’s help not one crusader is left on this coast, I intend to divide my territories and to change the successors with my last commands, then, having taken leave from them, I will sail on this sea to its lands across the water until there shall not remain on the face of this earth one unbeliever in Allah or I will die in this attempt”.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:07:23 +0000
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