When Islam faced a massive attack from Crusader Europe, one man united the Muslims and led them to victory over the enemy. Salahuddin Ayubi rescued Jerusalem from the Crusaders and fought off one of the most menacing enemies that Muslims have ever faced.
Warrior
Jerusalem was important to the Muslims because it contained the Dome of Rock, where Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) ascended to heaven, and the Masjid al Aqsa. Christians also valued Jerusalem as it contained the church of Jesus’ tomb.
In 1095 the Pope urged the Christians to unite and take Jerusalem. Four years later, Christian forces captured Jerusalem and slaughtered Muslims in the process.
By 1176 Salahuddin had become a powerful Muslim ruler. Even though the Crusaders had signed a peace treaty with Salahuddin, Reynald (a Christian prince) attacked a pilgrim caravan on its way to Hajj. He even planned to attack Makkah and Madinah to destroy the grave of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). Salahuddin made the call for Jihad and united all Muslim states to defend Islam.
The Crusaders gathered their armies and confronted Salahuddin at a place called Hattin. Salahuddin prevented access to water by blockading Lake Tiberas, and left the thirsty Christians without water throughout the night. Then when the sun blazed, Salahuddin started bush fires, which glared into the eyes of the crusaders. Salahuddin’s archers then shot their arrows at the Crusaders. The Crusaders charged at the Muslims and managed to break the lines. However Salahuddin’s armies closed in behind them, leaving them trapped. Salahuddin made the final charge and cut through the Christians - the battle had been won.
Salahuddin took back Jerusalem in 1187 after 88 years of occupation; this would forever be remembered as Salahuddin’s greatest achievement and it made him a hero of Islam. He will be remembered as the Rectifier of Faith because he brought faith back to the Holy Land.
Role model
Salahuddin was a devout Muslim who would never miss his daily prayers. He loved hearing the Quran and would weep at the beauty of Allah (s.w.t)’s words. He was an Islamic scholar who would often journey just to gain more knowledge. He disliked people who brought unnecessary debate and controversy into Islam.
He is best known for his mercy. When the Crusaders had invaded Jerusalem they massacred the inhabitants and destroyed the mosques. The slaughter was so immense that Crusaders waded through blood up to their ankles. But when Salahuddin retook the city he allowed the women and children to leave if they wished. And rather than destroying the churches he allowed Christian pilgrims free passage. He also invited Jews to resettle in Jerusalem.
Salahuddin built schools and abolished taxes that pilgrims had to pay on their way to Makkah. He had great compassion, mercy and generosity. He was known to give jewels away to schools and hospitals. At his death he was the most powerful ruler of Islam there had been since the Prophet (s.a.w), but he had only 1 gold piece and 47 silver pieces to his name, and owned no property.
Many people and leaders of today dwell on worldly goods, they should look at Salahuddin as an example. He placed Islam above everything else.
Salahuddin was very courageous. He rose to the occasion in battle; he never showed any anxiety about the numbers and strength of the enemy. This was due to his strong faith in Allah (s.w.t).
The Muslim youth should look up to him as a role model. His generosity, courage and devotion to faith should inspire us all to be better Muslims.
Al-Afdal his son had the following description placed on his tomb:
‘Almighty Allah, look upon his soul and open to him the gates of Paradise, the last victory for which he hoped.’
Comments
May Allah (swt) give us a Salahuddin (ra) of our time to come and liberate the lands of Palestine, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq etc. Those Muslims in the Army in the Muslim lands need to wake up and be a man like Salahuddin(ra)and restore the honour and dignity of this noble Ummah....Oh where is our Salahuddin (ra)....
Wrong question. You should be asking why you are not (like) him or on the path to becoming (like) him.
If it is an important enough task, why leave it to someone else?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Salahaddin was a military general who could bring about change in Palestine - rather than relying on sticky plasters to do the job alone!
We have hundreds of generals across the Muslim world - all of them potential Salahaddins - they need to do their duty and the rest of us remind them to do that duty...
Is it just me, or would a modern equivalent of Salahuddin bring change in the Muslim world through peaceful means.
Most Muslims who die in warfare or combat die at the hands of other Muslims.
So it seems that very few of the current generals/leaders are anywhere NEAR achieving what Salahuddin did.
But you never know, insha'Allah I'm wrong about this.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
Read Vali Nasr's analysis of where these generals and leaders came from - imposed by colonialists and educated at western military schools like Sandhurst emerging westernised and secularised. Musharraf's autobiography is a good ethnographic account exemplifying this for those who love concrete examples.
Change will no doubt come from their more junior officers who usually have links with the populations and Islamic sentiment and can see the how their superiors sell out Muslims and their interests...
Is sandhurst a brain washing facility?
If it provides the best training in military techniques (and considering how the people trained there seem to rise to the top, it may be a possibility), why would you want your generals to be less well trained?
Poor training and discipline will only result in more loss of life.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Yes it is - it brainwashes you with western ideological thought
Of course it does - what's that pink pig doing outside my window? Looks like it is flying...
Most naive... you need to read Nasr's analysis and then comment - he provides the full picture of the role European military academies had in producing the oversized military and secret police institutions to control the natives which in turn are used by contemporary leaders to use them to control and suppress their populations!
Our politicians (and their children) and civil service come to Western universities where they don't learn Islamic jurisprudence, philosophy, economics, politics... but western ideologies - they cannot think beyond them when they go back home and operate within the paradigms the colonialists had set. Wallerstein detailed such control mechanisms in his world systems theory - or dependancy theory - where the world's periphery depend on the core western nations! As a concrete example if all that is too abstract for you, read Benazir's academic history - from christian convents and schools in Pak to US and UK universities, her head was full of kufr western ideologies with not an iota of Islamic thought - no wonder she criticised Islamic penal systems and was condemned by the scholars! Most of our rulers are no different!
Western military acadamies along with the above comments don't provide any notions of jihad, dependancy on Allah's will for victory, dua, history of the Muslim world and its military exploits, the Caliphate etc Generals who come out of them are western in their outlooks and respect international law, colonial institutions like the UN, IMF, World Bank etc and perpetuate dependancy by relying on the superpowers (Russia or US during the cold war and US now) etc
I am quite sure that one of the radical things that Salahuddin Ayubi did in his time was that he prepared... and he did not fight battles without preparation unlike some other contemporaries at the time and people did rebuke him for that then too.
More, even in the time of the prophet (saw), Khalid Ibn Walid withdrew from a battle where the Muslims were outnumbered and being beaten.
What impact does the notion of jihad have on military strategy?
I think you are conflating political issues with military ones.
(saying that, even soldiers want to be paid/fed)
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
When and how did the Muslims lose Jerusalem again?
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRV47ZloxZw&feature=player_embedded]
The full lecture
EDIT: just listened to the lecture - it was great!
definitely recommend it 
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
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asaalamu alaikum wa rahmatu allahu wa barakat. Why are you waiting ?? what is there to wait for ?? Don't you know that death can claim you any minute?? instead of wishing that Salahuddin Ayubi(born as a kurd)was here?? he was just another believer.. but his imman was stronger than most of us. The person you should be hoping to see is yourself in the mirror, take a look at your life and see what needs to be changed and is in the lines of islam. you do your prayers and always be thankfull to Allah (s.w.t) the person that we should all be waiting for to decend from the heaven to unite all th muslims against the evil is the one and only Jesus (isa) the Messiah (Mesih) who will be sent down to earth to lead the greatest battle of islam ever known, it will be agaisnt all evil and only the true believers will be able to fight for him, the rest will be known as evil. This fight will be against the followers of dajal. that is the only person you should be waiting for and hoping to live to take part in that battle... but untill then you do your part as a muslim, follow the teaching of Mohamed (s.a.w.) asaalamu alakium wa rahmatu allahu wa baraka my dear brothers and sisters of islam