Salah Ad-Deen Al-Ayubi 03

261 Pages·2013·1.53 MB·English

IN THE NAME OF
ALLAH
THE ALL-COMPASSIONATE, ALL-MERCIFUL

Salah ad-Deen al-Ayubi
Volume Three
The Battle of Hattin, the Conquest ofJerusalem
and the Third Crusade

By: Dr. Ali M. Sallabi
Translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC PUBLISHING HOUSE
Contents
About the word Lord .......................................................................... 11
The Battle Of Hattin, The Conquest of Jerusalem and The Third
Crusade .............................................................................................. 12
CHAPTER I: The Battle of Hattin ..................................................... 12
Events that led to the Battle of Hattin ............................................... 13
Death of Baldwin V and its impact on the Crusaders situation ...... 13
Salah ad-Deen benefited from events occurring in the Kingdom of
Jerusalem ....................................................................................... 13
Reynald de Chatillon breaks the truce with the Muslims again .... 15
The battle of Sephoria .................................................................... 17
Preparations that preceded the Battle of Hattin ........................... 18
Crusader preparations ................................................................... 18
Salah ad-Deen' s plan for the decisive battle ................................. 19
Salah ad-Deen heads towards Tiberias .......................................... 20
Events of the battle ........................................................................... 23
Beginning of the Muslim attack ..................................................... 23
Psychological warfare on the part of Salah ad-Deen ..................... 24
Crusader losses at Hattin ............................................................... 25
Salah ad-Deen offers the prayer of gratitude and receives the
captive kings ................................................................................... 26
Salah ad-Deen' s attitude towards the prisoners ........................... 27
Preparations and understanding the law of cause and effect ....... 28
Step-by-step approach and the unity of the Ummah .................... 30
Far-sightedness and political acumen of Salah ad-Deen ............... 31
Organizing his state and the Fiefs of his emirs .......................... 32
Reining in his family's ambitions and placating them .............. 33
External diplomatic efforts ........................................................ 34
The issue of jihad ...................................................................... 35
Being granted power and authority............................................. 38
Security and stability .................................................................. 39
Honour and glory ...................................................................... 40
Victory and conquest ..................................................................... 41
Justice ............................................................................................. 42
A generation that fought for the sake of Allah .............................. 44
It followed the truth ................................................................... 44
It established the commands of Allah ...................................... 45
It established the duty of jihad for the sake of Allah .............. 45
It was patient and steadfast .................................................... 46
Seeking help from the scholars and consulting them about war and
administrative matters ................................................................... 47
A strong relationship with Allah ..................................................... 47
Turning to Allah after making preparations ................................... 48
Success of Salah ad-Deen's intelligence operations ...................... 49
Reasons for victory that were the fault of the Crusaders .......... 50
Abul-Hasan an-Nadawi on the secret behind Salah ad-Deen's
success ....................................................................................... 51
Reactions to the Battle of Hattin ................................................... 53
Al-Qadi al-Fadil's joy at the victory at Hattin ............................. 53
An amazing dream ..................................................................... 54
Conquests on the coast before the Conquest of Jerusalem ...... 54
Consequences of the Battle of Hattin ............................................ 56
A decisive battle ......................................................................... 56
The beginning of the end for the Crusader presence ................ 57
Rise in Salah ad-Deen's status .................................................... 58
The Battle of Hattin: the key to Jerusalem ................................ 58
Importance of geographic awareness ........................................ 59
Respect and admiration for Salah ad-Deen ............................... 59
Cumulative efforts that preceded Salah ad-Deen ..................... 60
CHAPTER II The Conquest of Jerusalem ............................................. 61
Crusader preparations inside Jerusalem ........................................ 62
Salah ad-Deen's military plan ......................................................... 63
Steps that preceded the liberation of Jerusalem ....................... 63
The media dimension ................................................................. 64
Summoning the Egyptian forces ................................................ 64
The siege and fighting ................................................................ 65
The decisive attack ..................................................................... 66
Negotiations for the handover of Jerusalem ............................. 67
Salah ad-Deen's entry into Jerusalem ............................................ 69
History has never known any conqueror more merciful than the
Muslims .......................................................................................... 70
A devout Crusader queen ......................................................... 72
The wife of a captive king ......................................................... 72
Princess Stephanie, mother of Humphrey ............................... 72
Salah ad-Deen respected the Christians' feelings .................... 73
Permitting some Christians to remain in Jerusalem ................ 73
Steven Runciman's opinion ....................................................... 74
Grousset's opinion ......................................................................... 75
First Jumu'ah prayer in Jerusalem ..................................................... 76
Text of the Khutbah ....................................................................... 77
Allah is Able to attain victory ..................................................... 78
Praise for the noble Messenger and his Companions ............... 78
May Allah be pleased with the mujahideen ............................ 79
The qualities of al-Masjid al-Aqsa ............................................. 79
Congratulations to Salah ad-Deen and his Muslim troops for
their victory ............................................................................... 80
Thanking Allah for the victory .................................................. 81
Virtues of al-Aqsa and al-Quds ................................................... 81
Gratitude to Allah alone ............................................................ 82
The angels thank Allah for the mujahideen ............................. 82
Prohibition of arrogance and committing sin.......................... 82
Victory comes only from Allah ................................................. 83
Keeping away from sin .................................................................. 83
Call for continuation of the jihad ............................................. 83
Call to liberate the rest of the holy land ................................. 84
Supplications for Sultan Salah ad-Deen and the Muslims in their
religious and worldly affairs ....................................................... 84
The minbar of Noor ad-Deen in Jerusalem .................................... 86
Salah ad-Deen restores Jerusalem ................................................. 88
Sending glad tidings and delegations throughout the Muslim world
....................................................................................................... 90
Salah ad-Deen' s differences with the Abbasid caliph ................... 91
Presence of the scholars in Salah ad-Deen' s conquests ............... 92
Siege of Tyre ................................................................................... 95
Completion of conquests ............................................................... 99
Conquest of Kerak and Crac de Montreal .................................. 99
Turning towards the north ......................................................... 99
"We were not created to stay in Damascus: we were created for
worship and for jihad for the sake of Allah" ................................ 101
Death of Usamah ibn Munqidh .................................................... 102
Most important lessons ............................................................... 103
The importance of the devoted scholars in reviving the
Ummah ..................................................................................... 103
Educating the new generation in the 'aqeedah of Ahl as-Sunnah
wal-Jama'ah ............................................................................. 104
Loyalty purely for the sake of Allah and His Messenger .......... 105
Unity of the Ummah is founded on unity of belief .................. 107
Islamic banner for the battle ................................................... 108
A far-reaching Islamic strategy and the scholars who understood
the situation ............................................................................. 109
Repentance of the Muslim Ummah, its turning back to Allah and
its avoidance of sin ................................................................... 110
Jihad for the sake of Allah is the only way to take back Jerusalem
................................................................................................. 111
CHAPTER III The Third Crusade and the Death of Salah ad-Deen .... 113
The Crusaders seek help from the West ...................................... 113
The German emperor on his way to the east .............................. 116
The Germans Enter Armenia .................................................... 118
Death of the German emperor ................................................ 118
Scattering of the Germans after the death of their king ......... 119
Salah ad-Deen's attitude towards the German campaign ....... 121
The Crusaders besiege Acre ......................................................... 122
Scholars who participated in the battle ................................... 124
Scholars' impact on the fighters' morale ................................. 125
Salah ad-Deen holds a consultative meeting ........................... 127
Request for help from a king of the Maghreb ......................... 128
Role of Al Qadi al-Fadil during the Crusader siege of Acre ...... 132
Efforts of Salah ad-Deen to lift the siege of Acre ......................... 142
Penetrating the naval blockade of Acre ................................... 142
The swimmer 'Eesa penetrates the siege ................................ 144
The Muslims target the siege engines and other war machines
................................................................................................. 145
Crusader siege of the 'Tower of Flies' ...................................... 145
The Muslims take control of the situation ............................... 147
Outstanding courage ................................................................ 148
Muslim attack on a four-storey siege tower ............................ 148
Changing the Muslim troops in Acre ........................................ 149
A great catastrophe for the Muslims ....................................... 149
Some of the Franks become Muslim ....................................... 150
Martyrdom of Jamal ad-Deen Muhammad ibn Arkaz ............. 150
Arrival of Al Qadi al-Fadil at Salah ad-Deen's camp ................. 151
Death of the chief Qadi Kamal ad-Deen ash-Shahrazoori in
Mosul ....................................................................................... 151
The Kings of France and England arrive at Acre ....................... 152
The fall of Acre ............................................................................. 153
Negotiations for the handover of Acre .................................... 154
Salah ad-Deen urges the Muslims in Acre to be steadfast ...... 155
Crusader treachery and breaking of the deal .......................... 156
The Christian woman searching for her infant son .................. 158
Dealing with the King of England ............................................. 159
Reasons for the fall of Acre .......................................................... 159
Arrival of new European forces ............................................... 159
Crusaders' use of various new weapons .................................. 160
A lengthy siege ......................................................................... 160
Financial woes in Salah ad-Deen’s army ................................... 161
After Acre ..................................................................................... 162
The battle of Arsuf ....................................................................... 162
Destruction of Ascalon ................................................................. 164
Organization of the defenses of Jerusalem ................................. 167
Negotiations between al-'Adil and Richard ................................. 169
Salah ad-Deen's political acumen and attitude towards the war 171
Salah ad-Deen's preparations to defend Jerusalem .................... 172
The Battle of Jaffa ........................................................................ 175
Negotiations and the Treaty of Ramlah ....................................... 177
The first stage ........................................................................... 177
The second stage ..................................................................... 178
The third stage ......................................................................... 179
The fourth stage ....................................................................... 181
The fifth stage .......................................................................... 182
The sixth stage ......................................................................... 184
Outcome of the Third Crusade and the most important events
before the death of Salah ad-Deen .............................................. 185
Salah ad-Deen's illness and death: 589 AH .................................. 195
The final days of the life of Salah ad-Deen .............................. 195
Salah ad-Deen’s sickness .......................................................... 196
The people swear allegiance to al-Malik al-Afdal ............ 198
His death (may Allah have mercy on him) ............................... 199
Reception of condolences and burial....................................... 201
The sword of Salah ad-Deen in his grave ................................. 202
Last words of Salah ad-Deen to his son al-Malik adh-Dhahir .. 203
The sultan's estate ................................................................... 203
A most brilliant letter announcing the death of Salah ad-Deen
................................................................................................. 204
A good dream ........................................................................... 205
Epilogue ............................................................................................ 207
Notes ................................................................................................ 208
Select Bibliography ........................................................................... 228
Appendix A Timeline of Major Events .............................................. 251
596 AH: The death of Qadi al-Fadil (Abu 'Ali 'Abd ar-Raheem al-
'Asqallani), trusted advisor to Salah ad-Deen .................................. 256