About

 

A virtual, voluntary, e-Forum, for ethical and spiritual peace, to remove misconceptions resulting in Islamophobia, through conceptual insight to Islam, Christianity and Judaism in the light of Holy Scriptures. The Basic concept is inspired by Bible andQur’an;112:1-4, 25:73, 10:24, 60:7-9,5:82, 22:40, 45:14-15, 3:64-65,2:62, 33:39, 3:104, 103:3, Deuteronomy;6:4-5, 33:26; Psalms;14:1, 116:5, Job;23:8-9, Exodus; 9:14, 34:6-7, Psalms;, 2Samuel;7:22, Isaiah;46:5,9,Mathew;19:17-19, Mark;12:29-31, Romans;1:25].

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SALADIN

In this era of turmoil, and religious extremism the personalties like Saladin,  symbolize respect of human rights, tolerance, compassion  piety and bravery. Hence this site dedicated to Saladin [Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb,  born 1137/38, Tikrīt, Mesopotamia died March 4, 1193, Damascus, Syria].  He became sultan of Egypt, Syria, Yemen, and Palestine and founder of the Ayyūbid dynasty.  Though as a youth he preferred religious to military studies, he began his military career under his uncle, a military commander of the Zangid dynasty. On his uncle’s death, Saladin became vizier of the Fāṭimid dynasty of Egypt. In 1171 he abolished the Shīʿite Fāṭimid caliphate and announced a return to Sunnite Islam in Egypt. From 1174, as sultan of Egypt and Syria, he succeeded in uniting Egypt, Syria, northern Mesopotamia, and Palestine. His reputation as a generous and virtuous but firm ruler rekindled Muslim resistance to the Crusades. In 1187, turning his full strength against the Latin Crusader states, he captured Jerusalem, which had been in Christian hands for 88 years. Whereas the Christian conquest had been marked by slaughter, Saladin’s troops demonstrated courteous and civilized behaviour. His victory deeply shocked the West and led to the call for the Third Crusade (1189–92), which matched him against Richard I (the Lionheart); their stalemate resulted in a peace that gave the Crusaders only a small strip of land from Tyre to Yafo (Jaffa). Many Muslims consider Saladin the paradigm of the pious and virtuous ruler.[Source Encyclopedia Britannica]

“European merchants supply the best weaponry, contributing to their own defeat” [Saladin]

Urdu Video:

 

Recognition and legacy:

His fierce struggle against the crusaders was where Saladin achieved a great reputation in Europe as a chivalrous knight, so much so that there existed by the fourteenth century an epic poem about his exploits. Though Saladin faded into history after theMiddle Ages, he appears in a sympathetic light in Sir Walter Scott‘s novel The Talisman (1825). It is mainly from this novel that the contemporary view of Saladin originates. According to Jonathan Riley-Smith, Scott’s portrayal of Saladin was that of a “modern [19th Century] liberal European gentlemen, beside whom medieval Westerners would always have made a poor showing.” Despite the Crusaders’ slaughter when they originally conquered Jerusalem in 1099,  Saladin granted amnesty and free passage to all common Catholics and even to the defeated Christian army, as long as they were able to pay the aforementioned ransom (the Greek Orthodox Christians were treated even better, because they often opposed the western Crusaders).

An interesting view of Saladin and the world in which he lived is provided by Tariq Ali‘s novel The Book of Saladin. Though contemporary views on Saladin are often positive. Notwithstanding the differences in beliefs, the Muslim Saladin was respected by Christian lords, Richard especially.

King of England, Richard once praised Saladin as a great prince, saying that he was without doubt the greatest and most powerful leader in the Islamic world. Saladin in turn stated that there was not a more honorable Christian lord than Richard. After the treaty, Saladin and Richard sent each other many gifts as tokens of respect, but never met face to face.

In April 1191, a Frankish woman’s three month old baby had been stolen from her camp and had been sold on the market. The Franks urged her to approach Saladin herself with her grievance. According to Bahā’ al-Dīn, Saladin used his own money to buy the child back:

He gave it to the mother and she took it; with tears streaming down her face, and hugged it to her breast. The people were watching her and weeping and I (Ibn Shaddad) was standing amongst them. She suckled it for some time and then Saladin ordered a horse to be fetched for her and she went back to camp.