By: Ghulam Hussain Ghazi
It is the pleasant morning of Friday, 2 October 1187. After nearly 88 years, the gates of Jerusalem are once again opening for the Muslims. The Islamic flag is flying high on the city walls. The victorious Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi (RA) is not wearing royal attire nor a golden crown. Dressed in simple clothes, he rides an Arabian horse with great dignity and grace, entering the city slowly at the head of his army. His brother Al-Malik al-Adil, nephew Al-Malik al-Zahir, vizier Qadi al-Fadil, and other commanders accompany him.
In front of the Sultan stand the city’s defenders and the Crusader lord Balian o Ibelin, along with church leaders, nobles and ordinary citizens Having sensed their clear defeat, they had surrendered the city through negotiations. A few months earlier, the Crusader king Guy de Lusignan had been captured by Sultan Salahuddin at the Battle of Hattin and was imprisoned. Until just a few days ago, this same city had been a center of resistance against the Muslims. Now the victorious army had full authority to dispense punishment. Yet, instead of massacre, plunder or revenge, a scene of silence, justice and mercy unfolded, one that history has preserved forever.
Upon entering the city, Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi (RA) immediately announced a general amnesty. He ordered: “No innocent person shall be harmed, no woman, child or elderly person shall be troubled, and no place of worship shall be touched”
The victorious Muslims were well aware of what had happened to their ancestors in this very city nearly 88 years earlier. When the Crusaders had stormed the city, they shed the blood of men, women, children and the elderly like water. For several days, the market of plunder and slaughter remained open. Despite these bitter facts, the Sultan did not allow flames of revenge to ignite in his army; instead, he chose general amnesty, justice and fairness.
Who were the Crusaders? Christians regard the cross as a symbol of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) sacrifice. In reality, between the 11th and 13th centuries, Christian kings, nobles, and armies of Western Europe launched several major military campaigns against Muslim countries in the Middle East for religious, political and economic interests. These are known in history as the Crusades. Historians generally mention eight major Crusades, which continued intermittently for about two hundred years. The major battles were fought in the regions of present-day Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey.
The First Crusade (1096–1099) began when, in 1095, Pope Urban-II delivered a fiery speech in the French city of Clermont, claiming that Jerusalem was under Muslim control and that Christian pilgrims were being oppressed. He fabricated the slogan “God wills it” that Jerusalem must be liberated from the Muslims. The Pope announced that whoever went to liberate Jerusalem would have all their sins forgiven. It was considered a “ticket to paradise,” and Christians began to view participation in this holy war as a great blessing.
This is why, in 1096, armies full of zeal set out from Europe. Their number is recorded in history as exceeding 60,000, more than the total population of Jerusalem at the time. After conquering Constantinople and Antioch along the way, they reached Jerusalem on 7 June 1099. By then, the Crusader army numbered over 13,000 and laid siege to the city for forty days. The Fatimid governor Iftikhar al-Dawla had only about 1,000 soldiers. The Crusaders built large wooden siege towers and breached the walls.
On 15 July 1099, the walls were broken. The Crusaders entered the city. Their goal was not merely to conquer land but to ignite the flames of religious fanaticism and revenge. A horrific massacre began. Along with Muslims, the Jews living there were also killed, as the Crusaders considered them enemies too. Even some Eastern Christian sects could not escape the violence, as the Crusaders viewed them as deviating from their own religious beliefs.
The historian William of Tyre and the Muslim historian Ibn al-Athir write that thousands of Muslims who had taken refuge in Al-Aqsa Mosque were slaughtered. Blood flowed up to the ankles. Jews were locked inside their synagogue and burned alive. The total number of victims in this terrible massacre is estimated between 40,000 and 70,000. After this, Al-Aqsa Mosque was turned into a residence. The Crusaders remained in control of Jerusalem for nearly a century and banned non-Christians from entering the city.
The world clearly saw the difference: In 1099, the Crusaders carried out a massacre in Jerusalem based on revenge and retaliation.
In 1187, Sultan Salahuddin conquered the city and instead of taking revenge, announced a general amnesty and upheld justice. That is why history views these two conquests from entirely different perspectives.
Who was Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi (RA)? His real name was Salahuddin Yusuf ibn Ayyub. He was born in 1138 in the city of Tikrit, Iraq, into a Kurdish family. He was raised in Damascus, where he received religious education, military training and the finest moral upbringing.
His father Najmuddin Ayyub and uncle Asaduddin Shirkuh were trusted commanders of Sultan Nuruddin Zengi. After Shirkuh’s death in 1169, Salahuddin was appointed vizier of Egypt. A few years later, he ended the Fatimid Caliphate, reattached Egypt to the Abbasid Caliphate and gradually transformed Egypt into a strong Islamic state.
In 1174, after the death of Sultan Nuruddin Zengi, he took control of Damascus. Through years of political struggle, diplomacy and military campaigns, he united most of Syria, Egypt, northern Iraq, and the Hejaz. This unity later proved to be the decisive force against the Crusaders.
The notable achievements of Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi (RA) are as follows:
– 1169: Appointed vizier of Egypt and later assumed full power.
– 1171: Ended the weak Shia Fatimid Caliphate and re-linked Egypt with the Sunni Abbasid Caliphate, thereby restoring the confidence of the Sunni majority population.
– 1174: Gained control of Damascus.
– 1175–1183: United Hama, Homs, Aleppo, and several other regions of Syria.
– 1186: Made peace and formed a political alliance with the ruler of Mosul, further strengthening Muslim unity.
– 4 July 1187: Delivered a decisive defeat to the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin. In this battle, Guy de Lusignan, king of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, was captured and the main power of the Crusader army was broken.
– July–September 1187: Recaptured Acre and other coastal areas along with several important cities.
– 2 October 1187: Jerusalem came under Muslim control without any major massacre.
After the conquest, Salahuddin Ayyubi (RA) also set examples of humanity. He imposed a ransom on the non-Muslim population of every conquered city, as was the custom according to the laws of war at the time. However, for the thousands of poor who could not afford the ransom, he paid it from the state treasury and his personal funds.
Thousands of prisoners were freed, Christian places of worship were protected, priests were granted safety and Eastern Christians and Jews were also allowed to remain in the city.
Afterward, Al-Aqsa Mosque was cleaned and prepared for worship again. Nearly eighty-eight years later, the Friday prayer was offered there. For Muslims, this was not merely a military victory but also a spiritual triumph.
Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi (RA) was not only a great commander but also a highly humble, devout and justice-loving ruler. History records that at the time of his death, there was only a very small amount of money in his personal treasury. He had spent his wealth on public service. His life bears witness to the fact that great rulers are recognized not by power alone, but by their character.
The life of Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi (RA) offers us three fundamental lessons for today:
First Lesson: Unity. He united Egypt, Syria and other Muslim regions under one leadership.
Second Lesson: Righteous Leadership. Instead of living in palaces, he stayed with his army on the battlefield and lived a simple life.
Third Lesson: Justice After Victory. Despite achieving dominance over his enemies, he did not take revenge. Instead, he demonstrated mercy, forgiveness, justice and high morals. That is why historians say: “Salahuddin Ayyubi conquered cities with his sword and won hearts with his character.”
References: Ibn al-Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh; Ibn Shaddad, Al-Nawadir al-Sultaniyyah wa al-Mahasin al-Yusufiyyah (a contemporary historian of Salahuddin); Imad al-Din al-Isfahani, Al-Fath al-Qussi fi al-Fath al-Qudsi; A History of the Crusades by Jonathan Riley-Smith; The Crusades: A History by Malcolm Cameron Lyons and David Edward Pritchett Jackson; Saladin: The Politics of the Holy War by Carole Hillenbrand; The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives.
