Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi

Question 1

Who was Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi?

Answer 1

Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi was the ruler of Egypt and Syria. He was one of the greatest and noblest warriors that the world has ever known.

Question 2

Where, when and to whom was Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi born to?

Answer 2

He was born in Tikrit, in 1137, to a noble family of Syria.

Question 3

Who was his father?

Answer 3

His father was Najmuddin Ayub.

Question 4

Who was his uncle?

Answer 4

His uncle was Asaduddin Sherkoh.

Question 5

His father Najmuddin Ayub and his uncle Asaduddin Sherkoh were both trusted generals of whom?

Answer 5

His father Najmuddin Ayub and his uncle Asaduddin Sherkoh were both trusted generals of Sultan Nooruddin Mehmood, the ruler of Syria.

Question 6

What changed in Salahuddin when he accompanied his uncle to Egypt.

Answer 6

Salahuddin was a very noble person who loved peace but it changed when he had to accompany his uncle to Egypt.

Question 7

After his uncle Sherkoh’s death, what did Salahuddin do?

Answer 7

After his uncle Sherkoh’s death, Salahuddin had to take command. He became the minister of Egypt.

Question 8

What position did his uncle hold?

Answer 8

His uncle Sherkoh was the general of the force that defeated the armies of the Crusaders when they invaded Syria and Egypt.

Question 9

What happened after he became the minister of Egypt?

Answer 9

His humane and just policies soon won hearts of the people, who made him the ruler of Egypt when the caliph died.

Question 10

Who died in 1174?

Answer 10

In 1174, the ruler of Syria, Sultan Nooruddin Mehmood died.

Question 11

In 1174, the ruler of Syria, Sultan Nooruddin Mehmood died. Who took the throne after him?

Answer 11

His eleven-year-old son, Malik-us-Saleh, could not control the affairs of the state.

Question 12

What message did Salahuddin send to Malik-us-Saleh?

Answer 12

Like a loyal subject, Salahuddin sent a message offering his services to the young ruler but received no answer.

Question 13

What did the Crusaders do during the rule of Malik-us-Saleh?

Answer 13

Taking advantage of the weak government in Syria, the Crusaders laid siege around the capital city of Damascus and asked for a very heavy ransom to leave it.

Question 14

What did Salahuddin do when he heard that Crusaders had laid siege around the capital city of Damascus and asked for a very heavy ransom to leave it?

Answer 14

When he heard about this, Salahuddin rushed with a small force to save Damascus. He fought and pushed the Crusaders out and took possession of the city.

Question 15

What did Salahuddin do after taking possession of Damascus?

Answer 15

But like a truly noble soul, he did not enter the palace of his father’s patron, Sultan Nooruddin Mehmood. Instead, he stayed in his father’s house.

Question 16

Who was Malik-us-Saleh and how did his countrymen feel about him? What happened after his death?

Answer 16

Malik-us-Saleh was a very weak and ineffective ruler. His countrymen were disappointed in him. He died young, and after his death, Salahuddin was truly and lovingly acknowledged by all as the ruler of Syria.

Question 17

Which peace treaty did Reynaud, the ruler of Chattillon voilate?

Answer 17

There was a peace treaty between the French and the Sultan in Palestine. The Muslims respected the truce, but the Christians did not. Reynaud, the ruler of Chattillon, attacked a Muslim caravan passing by his castle. The caravan was looted and its people were killed brutally.

Question 18

At the open violation of the truce what did Sultan Salahuddin do?

Answer 18

This open violation of the truce enraged Sultan Salahuddin who marched with a force, attacked, and gave heavy losses to the powerful army in a battle near Hattin in 1187.

Question 19

In sharp attacks after the battle of Hattin, which cities did Sultan Salahuddin reoccupy?

Answer 19

Then in sharp attacks one after the other, he reoccupied the cities in possession of the Christians. These included Jericho, Ramlah, Jaffa, and Beirut. Ascalon was also surrendered by the Christians after a short siege.

Question 20

After quick and successive victories, where did the Sultan turn towards?

Answer 20

After quick and successive victories, the Sultan turned towards Jerusalem where there was a force of 60,000 Christian Crusaders.

Question 21

Did the Sultan take Jerusalem?

Answer 21

After quick and successive victories, the Sultan turned towards Jerusalem where there was a force of 60,000 Christian Crusaders. But nothing could now stop Salahuddin’s advance and victory. Jerusalem was taken by the Muslim army.

Question 22

What was the difference between the treatment of the Crusaders and the Muslims when they occupied Jerusalem?

Answer 22

Unlike the Crusaders who had mercilessly killed and butchered Muslims when they occupied Jerusalem, the Sultan treated the defeated Crusaders with kindness and humanity. He pardoned the Christians living in Jerusalem. The soldiers were allowed to leave after payment of a very small ransom, and ransom for thousands who had no money was paid by the Sultan himself. Those who left the city were allowed to take all their bags and baggage with them.

Question 23

After entering the city of Jerusalem, what did the Sultan do?

Answer 23

After entering the city, the Sultan went straight to the Masjid Al-Aqsa, which was cleaned up and, after more than 80 years, people heard the azaan from mosque.

Question 24

After Jerusalem, which places did Sultan Salahuddin capture?

Answer 24

After Jerusalem, Sultan Salahuddin captured many towns on the sea coast, which were held by the Christian Crusaders.

Question 25

What did the victory of the Muslims in Jerusalem result in?

Answer 25

The victory of the Muslims in Jerusalem upset the Crusaders greatly. As a result, Emperors of France and Germany, and Richard, the Lion-heart, King of England, joined forces to avenge this defeat. They marched with a huge army to capture Jerusalem again.

Question 26

What did the Crusaders do first when they marched with a huge army to capture Jerusalem again?

Answer 26

At first they laid a siege to Acre for several months.

Question 27

During the siege of Acre for several months, what did the Muslims do?On which promise did they give up?

Answer 27

The besieged Muslims continued to hold on despite an acute shortage of food, but at last they gave up on the promise that no one would be killed if 200,000 pieces of gold were given as ransom to the Crusaders.

Question 28

When there was some delay in payment, what did Richard order that enraged the Sultan? What did the Sultan vow?

Answer 28

There was some delay in payment when Richard ordered a massacre of innocent Muslims. This enraged Salahuddin who vowed to avenge the act of merciless bloodshed.

Question 29

How did Salahuddin avenge the act of merciless bloodshed?

Answer 29

In eleven consecutive battles, along the coastline of 150 miles, he defeated the Christian forces one after the other and inflicted heavy losses on them.

Question 30

In the end what happened?

Answer 30

The King of England was at last forced to ask for peace. This was accepted by the Sultan. In September 1192, peace was declared, and the Crusaders left the Holy Land for their homes in Europe.

Question 31

When did he die?

Answer 31

When he died in 1193 in Damascus, the whole country was drowned in sorrow.

Question 32

How many pieces of gold did the besieged Muslims offer to pay to the Crusaders as ransom?

Answer 32

200,000

Question 32

Although Sultan Salahuddin was a brave general and could pursue his enemies to the end, he nevertheless was a fair opponent and had a kind heart.
How do we know this?

Answer 32

When King Richard’s horse was killed in a battle, the Sultan sent him his own horse. Later on when the King got sick, the Sultan sent his personal physicians to attend to the ailing king.

Question 33

What does these incidents tell us?
When King Richard’s horse was killed in a battle, the Sultan sent him his own horse. Later on when the King got sick, the Sultan sent his personal physicians to attend to the ailing king.

Answer 33

These incidents tell us how we can learn to be good even to our foes and not always be looking for revenge.

Question 34

What can the personality of this son of Islam be a guiding light for?

Answer 34

The personality of this son of Islam can be a guiding light for us to live our life fearlessly. with wisdom and at the same time being just and kind-hearted.

Question 35

What did the Sultan spent the rest of his life doing?

Answer 35

The Sultan spent the rest of his life doing social and public welfare works.

Question 36

With whom was he a true friend?

Answer 36

He was a true friend of the learned and the pious and treated them with great respect.

Question 36

What did the world loose in him?

Answer 36

In him the world lost one of the bravest and the most humane monarchs the world has ever known.

Question 37

When he died how much money was he left with?

Answer 37

One Dirham and 36 Dinars was all he had left when he died.

Question 38

Today, what is he still the symbol of?

Answer 38

Today, he is still the symbol of bravery and humanity all over the world and a hero for poets, singers, and writers.