For our solidarity with the Palestinian people i am starting a new Great Arab commanders serious and one name we often hear Muslim Ummah call for at the hour of their need is the great Sultan Salāh ud-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb and who was Sultan Salāh ud-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb and what were his achievements; Born in 1138 in Tikrit, Iraq – died on 4th March 1193 in Damascus, Syria Salāh ud-Dīn name was Yusuf and Salāh ud-Dīn is a descriptive epithet, meaning Righteousness of the Faith. He was a Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria and founded the Ayyubid Dynasty. He led Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders. In July 1184, his forces defeated the combined forces of Guy of Lusignan, King Consort of Jerusalem and Raymond III of Tripoli the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin. This led the way to his re-capturing of Palestine, which had been seized from the Fatimid Egyptians by the Crusaders 88 years earlier. Salāh ud-Dīn captured Raynald de Châtillon who was a French knight (honorary title) and executed him in retaliation for torturing and murdering Muslims travelling to and from the pilgrimage of Hajj. In July 1187, Salāh ud-Dīn captured the Kingdom of Jerusalem and despite the Crusaders slaughter when they originally conquered Jerusalem in 1099, Salāh ad-Dīn granted an amnesty, with free passage to all Catholics and even the defeated Christian army. He permitted the Jews to resettle in the city. The third Crusade by Richard I of England (Richard the Lion Heart) led to a Guys siege of Acre and he conquered the city. Richard and Salāh ad-Dīn’s armies engaged in combat at the Battle of Arsuf on 7th September 1191. Richard moved his forces towards Ascalon and Salāh ud-Dīn emptied the city and camped a few miles away. The next day Salāh ud-Dīn attacked Richard’s army. After a furious battle, Richard managed to save some of his troops and retreated to Ascalon. After that, all Richard’s attempts to re-take Jerusalem were defeated. Later in 1192, the two men came to an agreement in the Treaty of Ramla, whereby Jerusalem would remain in Muslim hands and reduced the Latin Kingdom to a strip along the coast from Tyre to Jaffa. After that, they sent each other many gifts as tokens of respect, but never met face to face. At the height of his power, his Sultanate included Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, Hejaz and Yemen. It is reported that at the time of his death, he had 1 piece of gold and 47 pieces of silver and he gave away all his other wealth to the poor. Salāh ad-Dīn was strictly adherent of Islam and his chivalrous behavior was noted by Christian chronicle, he won the respect of many. In 1898, German Emperor Wilhelm II visited the Salāh ud-Dīn’s tomb to pay his respects and left an inscription on a wreath saying. “A Knight without fear or blame who often had to teach his opponents the right way to practice chivalry” a figure who had been largely forgotten in the Muslim world. Salāh ad-Dīn heroism and leadership gained a new significance and his recapture of Palestine from the European Crusaders is considered inspiration for the modern-day Arabs opposition to the occupation of Palestine. Raja Tahir Masood Author and Historian Peterborough UK
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:54:30 +0000
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