War Strategies: Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi

Introduction:
Salah Uddin Ayyubi better known in the Western world as Salahuddin Ayubi was a Kurdish
Muslim who became the first Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt and Syria. Salahuddin was born in Tikrit,
Iraq. Gentle hearted Salahuddin Ayyubi became one of the world's greatest warriors by defeating
crusaders and capturing the holy city of Jerusalem. He is remembered by Muslims as well as
Non-Muslims as a kind hearted un-selfish Warrior. He was a religious person and followed the
teachings of Quran and Prophet Muhammad’s teachings regarding War, he treated all of his
Prisoners with Respect and dignity, no torture, massacre, mass killing, took place during his
time. It is equally true that his generosity, his piety, lacking of extremism, that flower of
tolerance and courtesy which had been the model of our old relators, won him no less popularity
in Frankish Syria than in the lands of Islam. And unlike all other Sultan’s he did not build a
single Palace or any building for himself yet he erected mosques, hospitals, and universities for
his Muslim brothers in Cairo. He led Islamic opposition to the Franks and other European
Crusaders in the Levant. At the height of his power, he ruled over Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia,
Hejaz, and Yemen. He led the Muslims against the Crusaders and eventually recaptured
Palestine from the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem after his victory in the Battle of Hattin. As
such, he is a notable figure in Kurdish, Arab, and Muslim culture. Salahuddin was a strict
adherent of Islam. His chivalrous behavior was noted by Christian chroniclers, especially in the
accounts of the siege of Kerak in Moab, and despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders he won
the respect of many of them, including Richard the Lion-heart; rather than becoming a hated
figure in Europe, he became a celebrated example of the principles of chivalry. His family was of
Kurdish background and ancestry, and had originated from the city of Dvin, in medieval
Armenia. His father, Najm ad-Din Ayyub, was banished from Tikrit and in 1139, he and his
uncle Asad al-Din Shirkuh, moved to Mosul. He later joined the service of Imad ad-Din Zengi
who made him commander of his fortress in Baalbek. After the death of Zengi in 1146, his son,
Nur ad-Din, became the regent of Aleppo and the leader of the Zengids.
Ayubid state:

Historians differ as to when the Ayubid state began. Some say that it began when salah ad-Deen al-
Ayubi was appointed as the vizier of the Fatimid caliph al-'Adid li Deen-lllah in 564 AH 1169 CE. Others
say that it was when the khutbahs in Egypt were once again given in the name of the Abbasid caliph,
which was followed by the death of al- Adid li Deen-lllaah and the end of the Fatimid caliph ate in 567
AHl117 CE. It is true that the authority of Salah Uddin began when he was appointed as vizier, and he
reinforced his position by taking steps to abolish the Fatimid state, but from a legal point of view he was
still subject to the authority of Noor ad-Deen Mahmood who died soon after that, in 569 AHI1174 CE.
Hence in our view the year of Noor ad-Deen's death marks the beginning of the Ayubid state, which was
recognized by the Abbasid caliph alMustadi' Billah in 570 AHI1175 CE.

The Great and Noble Character of Salah ad-Deen

s alah ad-Deen al-Ayubi was distinguished by his great and noble character, which helped him to achieve
his mighty goals. The most important of his characteristics were: courage, generosity, sincerity,
tolerance, forbearance, justice, a forgiving nature, chivalry, persistence in turning to Allah, love of jihad,
patience, seeking reward with Allah, eagerness in acquiring knowledge, humility.

Education:
About education of Salahuddin historian wrote children are brought up in the way in which their
elders were brought up. Salahuddin was able to answer questions on Euclid, the Almagest,
arithmetic, and law, but this was an academic ideal and it was study of the Qur'an and the
"sciences of religion" that linked him to his contemporaries. During his studies he was more
interested in religion than joining the military. A factor which may have affected his interest in
religion was that during the First Crusade, Jerusalem was taken in a surprise attack by the
Christians. In addition to Islam, Salahuddin had knowledge of the genealogies, biographies, and
histories of the Arabs, as well as the bloodlines of Arabian horses.
Early expeditions
Salahuddin's military career began when his uncle Asad al-Din Shirkuh, an important military
commander under Nur ad-Din, started training him. In 1163, the vizier to the Fatimid caliph al-
Adid, Shawar, had been driven out of Egypt by rival Dirgham, a member of the powerful Banu
Ruzzaik tribe. He asked for military backing from Nur ad-Din, who complied and in 1164, sent
Shirkuh to aid Shawar in his expedition against Dirgham. Salahuddin, at age 26, went along with
them. Shawar was successfully reinstated as vizier. Salahuddin's role in this expedition was
minor, and he was ordered by Shirkuh to collect stores from Bilbais prior to its siege by a
combined force of Crusaders and Shawar's troops.After the sacking of Bilbais, the Crusader-
Egyptian force and Shirkuh's army were to engage in a battle on the desert border of the Nile
River, just west of Giza. Salahuddin played a major role, commanding the right wing of the
Zengid army, while a force of Kurds commanded the left, and Shirkuh stationed in the center.
Sources at the time put Salahuddin in the "baggage of the center" with orders to lure the enemy
into a trap by staging a false retreat. Commander Hugh of Caesarea was captured while attacking
Salahuddin's unit. The battle ended in a Zengid victory, and Salahuddin is credited to have
helped Shirkuh in one of the most remarkable victories in recorded history.Salahuddin and
Shirkuh moved towards Alexandria where they were welcomed, given money, arms, and
provided a base. Shirkuh split his army. He and the bulk of his force withdrew from Alexandria,
while Salahuddin was left with the task of guarding the city.
Unifying the Muslim World
Saladin, now the Sultan of Egypt, repeated the feat of Nur ad-Din in Syria when he captured
Damascus in 1174 CE. Saladin claimed to be the protector of Sunni Orthodoxy and his removal
of the Shiite caliph in Cairo and organisation of his state according to strict Islamic law gave this
claim serious weight. Saladin then set about unifying the Muslim world or at least forming some
form of a useful coalition - no easy task given the many states, independent city rulers and
differences in religious beliefs of the Sunni and Shiite Muslims.Saladin’s strategy was a potent
mixture of warfare and diplomacy mixed with the idea that he and only he could wage a holy war
against the Christian settlers in the Middle East who had formed such Latin states as the
Kingdom of Jerusalem. First, though, Saladin had no qualms either about waging war on his
Mulsim enemies. In 1175 CE, for example, an army from a rival at Aleppo was defeated by him
at Hama. Saladin’s supremacy amongst the Muslim leaders was cemented when the caliph of
Baghdad, the head of the Sunni faith, formally recognised him as the governor of Egypt, Syria
and Yemen. Unfortunately, Aleppo remained independent and, ruled by the son of Nur ad-Din, a
serious thorn in Saladin’s diplomatic side. There were more personal risks, too, as twice the
Sultan of Egypt survived attempts on his life by the Assassins, a powerful Shiite sect. Saladin
responded immediately by attacking the Assassin-held castle at Masyaf in Syria and pillaging the
surrounding area.Victories in 1179 CE at Marj Ayyun and the capture of a large fortress on the
River Jordan illustrated Saladin’s intent to rid the Middle East completely of the Franks.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic route was also pursued, chiefly in marrying Nur ad-Din’s widow,
Ismat, also the daughter of the late Damascan ruler Unur. Thus, Saladin handily associated
himself with two ruling dynasties at one stroke. Along the way there were setbacks such as the
defeat to the Franks, as the western settlers were known, notably at Mont Gisard in 1177 CE, but
victories in 1179 CE at Marj Ayyun and the capture of a large fortress on the River Jordan
illustrated Saladin’s intent to rid the Middle East completely of the westerners. Also helpful to
Saladin was his growing reputation for justice and generosity, and Saladin’s own carefully
cultivated image as the defender of Islam against rival faiths, especially Christianity. Saladin’s
position was further strengthened in May 1183 CE when he captured Aleppo and by his prudent
build-up of a very useful Egyptian naval fleet. By 1185 CE Saladin controlled Mosul and a treaty
was signed with the Byzantine Empire against their mutual enemy the Seljuks. He could now
move on the Latin states safe in the knowledge that his own borders were secure. With the
Franks distracted over conflicts of succession and the issue of who ruled the Kingdom of
Jerusalem, the time for Saladin to strike was now.
In April 1187 CE the Franks castle of Kerak was attacked, a force commanded by Saladin’s son,
al-Afdal, moved towards Acre and Saladin himself gathered together a huge army composed of
troops from Egypt, Syria, Aleppo and Jazira northern Iraq. The Franks gathered their forces in
response and the two armies met at Hattin, the Franks on their way to Tiberias to relieve
Saladin’s siege there.
Wars against Crusaders
Sultan Salah Uddin Ayyubi, the hero of hundreds of battles, was the person who for twenty years
braved the storm of the Crusaders and ultimately pushed back the combined forces of Europe
which had come to swarm the Holy Land. The world has hardly witnessed a more chivalrous and
humane conqueror. The Crusades represent the maddest and the longest war in the history of
mankind, in which the storm of savage fanaticism of the Christian West burst in all its fury over
western Asia. Christianity hurled itself against Muslims in expedition after expedition for nearly
three centuries, until failure brought lassitude, and superstition itself was undermined by its own
labour. Europe was drained off men and money, and threatened with social bankruptcy, if not
with annihilation. Millions perished in battle, hunger or disease and every atrocity imagination
can conceive disgraced the warrior of the Cross.
The Christian West was excited to a mad religious frenzy by Peter the Hermit, and his followers
to liberate the Holy Land from the hands of the Muslims. Every means, says Hallam, was used to
excite an epidemical frenzy. During the time that a Crusader bore the Cross, he was under the
protection of the Church and exempted from all taxes as well as frees to commit all sins. Peter
the Hermit himself led the second host of the Crusaders comprising forty thousand people.
Arriving at Mallevile, they avenged their precursors by assaulting the town, slaying seven
thousands of the inhabitants, and abandoning themselves to every species of grossness and
liberalism. The savage hordes called Crusaders converted Hungary and Bulgaria into desolate
regions. When they reached Asia Minor, they, according to Michaud, committed crimes which
made nature shudder.On September 29, Salahuddin crossed the Jordan River to intercepted
Crusader reinforcements from Karak and Shaubak along the Nablus road and took a number of
prisoners. Meanwhile, the main Crusader force under Guy of Lusignan moved from Sepphoris to
al-Fula. Salahuddin sent out 500 skirmishers to harass their forces and he himself marched to Ain
Jalut. When the Crusader force reckoned to be the largest the kingdom ever produced from its
own resources, but still outmatched by the Muslims advanced, the Ayyubids unexpectedly
moved down the stream of Ain Jalut. After a few Ayyubid raids including attacks on Zirin,
Forbelet, and Mount Tabor However, Raynald of Châtillon, harassed Muslim trading and
pilgrimage routes with a fleet on the Red Sea, a water route that Salahuddin needed to keep open.
In response, Salahuddin built a fleet of 30 galleys to attack Beirut in 1182. Raynald threatened to
attack the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and responded by looting a caravan of pilgrims on
the Hajj in 1185.
Battle of Hattin:
In July 1187 Salahuddin captured most of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. On July 4, 1187, at the
Battle of Hattin, he faced the combined forces of Guy of Lusignan, King Consort of Jerusalem
and Raymond III of Tripoli. In this battle alone the Crusader army was largely annihilated by the
motivated army of Salahuddin. It was a major disaster for the Crusaders and a turning point in
the history of the Crusades. Salahuddin captured Raynald de Châtillon and was personally
responsible for his execution in retaliation for his attacking Muslim caravans. The members of
these caravans had, in vain, besought his mercy by reciting the truce between the Muslims and
the Crusaders, but he ignored this and insulted the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) before
murdering and torturing a number of them. Upon hearing this, Salahuddin swore an oath to
personally execute Raynald. Guy of Lusignan was also captured. Seeing the execution of
Raynald, he feared he would be next. But his life was spared by Salahuddin with the words,
talking about Raynald:
“It is not the wont of kings, to kill kings; but that man had transgressed all bounds, and therefore
did I treat him thus”.
Events that led to the Battle of Hattin Death of Baldwin V and its impact on the Crusaders situation

King Baldwin V died in Jumada II 582 AH/August 1186 CE, a few months after his accession, and the
Crusaders' internal problems emerged once again because his death led to a serious conflict between
the princes for the throne of Jerusalem. Those who were opposed to the regency of Raymond III
continued conspiring until they eventually succeeded in withdrawing the regency from him and
transferring rule from the child to his mother Sybille, giving her the power to choose the new king,
because as a woman she could not rule. Sybille handed the crown to her husband, Guy de Lasagna, as
the opponents of Raymond III wanted.

Salah ad-Deen benefited from events occurring in the Kingdom of Jerusalem

During the time that Salah ad-Deen was striving to form a military force equipped with supplies and
weaponry, in preparation for a decisive battle against the Crusaders, he avoided any clash with the
Crusaders on more than one front, and he did not want to enable his enemy to mobilize their forces or
unite their ranks in response to the mobilization of Islamic forces. In 583 AH/1187 CE, he sent word to
the people of Aleppo, commanding them to make a peace deal with Bohemond III of Antioch, so that he
could focus on jihad against the Crusaders on one front. Salah adDeen, who was known for his military
skill, also started to take advantage of the difficult circumstances in which the Kingdom of Jerusalem
found itself following the marriage of Guy de Lasagna, whose wife had given up her authority to him. He
became King of Jerusalem when she took the crown from her own head and placed it on his, Saying, "My
husand is more able and he is more deserving of kingship.” Count Raymond of Saint Gilles, the ruler of
Tripoli, failed to attain that position, and the Templar knights refused to let him rule independently.
They asked him to act in accordance with the will which dictated that he was entitled to the regency
only, which made him throw himself into the lap of Salah ad-Deen, asking him for help against the King
of Jerusalem and the Templers. Salah ad-Deen responded to his call and gave him the help he needed.
Thus he managed to gain a new ally among the Crusaders and drive a wedge into the Crusader ranks. In
fact an armed confrontation nearly broke out between Guy and Raymond, as Raymond camped in
Tiberias and stayed there in a provocative and boastful manner after gathering around him a large
number of Crusaders, and urged the sultan to come and help him to regain his kingdom. The King of
Jerusalem also gathered a large army and would have attacked Tiberias, had it not been for the
intervention of some of the princes, who calmed things down and asked both sides to unite in order to
confront the huge preparations that Salah ad-Deen was making. This forced King Guy de Lusignan to
march to Count Raymond de Saint Gilles, to placate and appease him. Despite that, it may be said that
Salah ad-Deen gained several things from his intervening in Crusader affairs by supporting one of them
against the other, the most important of w hich was the great difference in outlook between Raymond
de Saint Gilles and some of the other Crusader rulers, foremost among whom was Reynald de Chatillon,
ruler of Kerak. Perhaps this is the reason why the historian Ibn al-Atheer described this alliance between
Salah ad-Deen and Raymond de Saint Gilles, despite its short duration, as one of the main factors that
led to the conquest of their lands and the rescue of Jerusalem from their clutches. Similarly, Salah ad-
Deen made a separate truce with Bohemond III of Antioch, either on the basis of a request from him or
at the request of Salah ad-Deen, so that he could rest assured about his rear lines and be free to focus
on the south. Raymond III extended his agreement with Salah ad-Deen so as to include the Galilee
region, which thus opened the way for Salah ad-Deen to penetrate between Jordan and Palestine.

Psychological warfare on the part of Salah ad-Deen

It seems that in this decisive battle, Salah ad-Deen was determined to destroy the Crusaders and
weaken their morale by all means. He did not focus only on direct fighting; he also used psychological
warfare to affect the enemy. The evidence for that is that after he had cornered the Crusaders at the top
of Mount Hattin, he focused his attention on capturing the True Cross' which they said contained a piece
of wood from the cross on which the Messiah (peace be upon him) had been crucified, according to
their claims. He knew that capturing it would be the greatest weapon in destroying their morale. In fact,
as soon as he captured it, the Crusaders were certain of defeat. The Muslims advanced to the top of the
mountain with the Crusaders retreating before them, falling captive or being slain, until there was no
one left with the Crusader king who had reached the top of the hill except a small group of no more than
one hundred and fifty famous and brave knights.

When the Crusaders retreated, led by their king, to the top of the hill, they charged at the Muslims who
were nearest them, and nearly pushed them from their positions, but the Muslims repelled that attack
and managed to push the Crusaders back again to the top of the hill, which made al-Malik al-Afdal
express his joy at that victory by Saying We have defeated them. The Crusaders tried once more to repel
the Muslims, who responded with a stronger attack and pushed them back to the top of the hill for the
third time. Al-Malik al-Afdal again expressed his joy at this victory by Saying "We have defeated them!"
Here we can see the military skill of Salah ad-Deen and his experience in the battlefield, as he realized
that the defeat of the Crusaders would not be complete unless their leaders fell, either by being slain or
taken captive. Then he intensified his attack and it was only a few moments before the tent fell. Salah
ad-Deen dismounted and prostrated in gratitude to Allah, weeping with joy.

Salah ad-Deen's military plan

Steps that preceded the liberation of Jerusalem Salah ad-Deen's military ability was manifested in the
military plan that he followed in his jihad against the Crusaders to regain Jerusalem. This plan was based
on forming a united Islamic front that included Egypt, Greater Syria and parts of Iraq, then confronting
the Crusaders on their own territory and dealing a heavy blow to them, as happened at the Battle of
Hattin. That was followed by his march to the cities of the Syrian coast in order to weaken the Crusaders
physically and morally. If Salah ad-Deen had headed towards Jerusalem straight after his victory at
Hattin, he would have been able to enter it without any difficulty. However, capturing Jerusalem before
gaining control of the coastal cities would not have guaranteed him full stability in Jerusalem. It was to
be expected that Western Europe would send Crusader armies to the ports of Syria and their knights
would come, in groups and individually, and enter into a heated conflict with Salah ad-Deen to take back
Jerusalem. Jerusalem was dear to them because it contained the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which
according to their false belief, as Imad ad-Deen al-Isfahani says, was where the Messiah was crucified,
and offered as a sacrifice, the divine was incarnated and the human became divine, and the cross was
raised.
By the grace of Allah and this military plan that was implemented by Salah ad-Deen to gain control of
the coastal strip, he isolated Jerusalem and prevented the arrival of reinforcements, thus dashing the
hopes of all the Crusaders, whether in Western Europe or in Greater Syria, of reaching Jerusalem and
saving it from the Muslim armies. When Salah ad-Deen took Ascalon and other cities that surrounded
Jerusalem back from the Crusaders, and thus ensured that the Kingdom of Jerusalem was thoroughly
isolated, he then resolved to take action and decided to head for Jerusalem. They issued commands and
all the Muslim troops that were spread out along the coast rallied behind him.

Capture of Jerusalem
October 2, 1187, before the blockade, Salah Uddin had offered generous terms of surrender to
the Crusaders, which were rejected. After the siege had started, he was unwilling to promise
terms of quarter to the Frankish inhabitants of Jerusalem until Balian of Ibelin threatened to kill
every Muslim hostage, estimated at 5000, and to destroy Islam's holy shrines of the Dome of the
Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque if quarter was not given. Salah Uddin consulted his council and
these terms were accepted. In 1187 CE, Jerusalem was conquered by Salah Uddin but he did not
enter the city of Jerusalem until the Crusaders had left. On Friday 27th Rajab 583 AH, Salah
Uddin entered in Jerusalem. After entering the city they went straight to the Mosque and cleaned
it. Then for the first time in more than 80 years, the people of Jerusalem heard the Azan call of
prayer from Al Aqsa Mosque. Thousands of Crusaders were arrested; the humanity of the Salah
Uddin towards the defeated Christians of Jerusalem procures an unpleasant contrast to the
massacre of the Muslims in Jerusalem when conquered by the Christians about ninety years
before.
However, Sultan was very considerate towards the defeated Christians. Respecting their feelings,
only the combatants were asked to leave the city on payment of a nominal ransom. When their
mothers, sisters, and wives appealed to Salah Uddin, he released them. In addition, he provided
them transport, etc. He allowed neither massacre nor looting. He gave free pardon to all citizens.
He even arranged for their traveling. He granted freedom to Christians to leave the city if they
paid a small tribute. Salah Uddin paid it, himself, for about ten thousand poor people. His brother
paid it for seven thousand people. Salah Uddin also allocated one of the gates of the city for
people who were too poor to pay anything that they leave from there. Summoned the Jews and
permitted them to resettle in the city. In particular, the residents of Ashkelon, a large Jewish
settlement, responded to his request.
Reasons for victory at the Battle of Hattin

Preparations and understanding the law of cause and effect Salah ad-Deen al-Ayyubi (may Allah have
mercy on him) managed to unite the Ummah in adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in jihad for the sake of Allah and to liberate
Muslim lands. Greater Syria, Egypt, the Hijaz, Yemen and Iraq came under his rule and leadership, and
he mobilized the scholars, jurisprudents, armies and thousands of mujahideen for this mission, foremost
among whom were the scholars and jurisprudents, who encouraged the warriors to fight. He formed a
strong army and established an Egyptian fleet, spending huge amounts of wealth on it.
 He was able to gather the Muslim armies, tricked the Crusader armies into coming to where he wanted
them and chose a suitable site for the battle. Step-by-step approach and the unity of the Ummah The
Seljuk emirs did a great deal to defeat the Crusaders and 'Imad ad-Deen Zangi achieved a great deal by
setting up his pioneering venture, which many at that time thought was impossible to achieve, despite
its simplicity. It was his mission of unity and liberation, the first phase of which was achieved by his son
Noor ad-Deen, and an important part of the second phase was achieved by Salah ad-Deen. Hence we
see that Salah ad-Deen's victory at Hattin was the culmination of Imad ad-Deen's unity and liberation
venture. Were it not for Noor ad-Deen's following in his father's footsteps in uniting Greater Syria and
then uniting Egypt with Syria, this victory could not have been achieved. It was achieved by the grace of
Allah and the efforts to unite the Ummah, which were based on sound Islamic belief that calls for Islamic
unity without discriminating between races, colors or nationalities. Rather they were united by
brotherhood in Islam, which does not differentiate between Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Persians or any other
nation that comes under the banner of Islam. Far-sightedness and political acumen of Salah adDeen It
may be noted that Salah ad-Deen realized the importance of working on two issues at the same time:
uniting the Islamic front and engaging in jihad against the Crusaders, because of the strong connection
between the two. It is worth mentioning here that the year 1186 CE/582 AH saw the agreement with ‘Izz
ad-Deen Mas'ood, ruler of Mosul, to come under his authority. Hence he managed to bring under his
control the four main Muslim cities which played a major role in the land war, namely Cairo, Damascus,
Aleppo and Mosul, each of which would feature prominently in the jihad venture. From another angle, it
is significant that the Crusaders, led by Raymond III, Count of Tripoli, made a truce with Salah ad-Deen,
in 1185 CE/581 AH, which was to last for four years.

The Third Crusades:

Hattin and the fall of Jerusalem prompted the Third Crusade, financed in England by a special
"Salah Uddin church tax." Richard I of England led Guy's siege of Acre, conquered the city and
executed 3000 Muslim prisoners including women and children. Salah Uddin retaliated.
The armies of Salahuddin engaged in combat with the army of King Richard I of England at the
Battle of Arsuf on September 7, 1191. All attempts made by Richard to re-take Jerusalem failed.
However, Salah Uddin’s relationship with Richard was one of chivalrous mutual respect as well
as military rivalry. When Richard became ill with fever, Salah Uddin offered the services of his
personal physician. Salah Uddin also sent him fresh fruit with snow, to chill the drink, as
treatment. At Arsuf, when Richard lost his horse, Salah Uddin sent him two replacements.
Richard suggested to Salah Uddin that in Palestine, Christian and Muslim, could be united
through the marriage of his sister Joan of England, Queen of Sicily to Salah Uddin’s brother, and
that Jerusalem could be their wedding gift. However, the two men never met face to face and
communication was either written or by messenger.
Treaty of Ramla:
As leaders of their respective factions, the two men came to an agreement in the Treaty of Ramla
in 1192, whereby Jerusalem would remain in Muslim hands but would be open to Christian
pilgrimages. The treaty reduced the Latin Kingdom to a strip along the coast from Tyre to Jaffa.
This treaty was supposed to last three years.
FOUR STRATEGIES USED & HOW ARE THEY RELATED TO THE ART OF WAR:

Strategy Number 1:
Saladin’s army positioned themselves between the crusaders and the water so that the crusaders
were forced to pitch camp overnight on the arid plateau near the village of Meskenah. According
to Ibn al Athir the Franks were despondent, tormented by thirst whilst Saladin’s men were
jubilant in anticipation of their victory. Saladin’s forces strategized that to withdraw the basic
necessities of the crusader army in this case access to drinkable water and that this will affect
their willingness to fight physically in an optimal state.
Master Sun from The Art of War called this: “Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only
seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and
afterwards looks for victory”.

Strategy Number 2:
Throughout that night the Muslims demoralized the crusaders by praying, singing, beating
drums, showing symbols and chanting. They set fire to the dry grass, making the crusaders’
throats even drier. Crusaders now became more thirsty, demoralized and exhausted. These tactics
were focused on attacking the minds of the crusader forces today this would be called
psychological warfare. Master Sun from The Art of War said about this as: “The supreme art of
war is to subdue the enemy without fighting”.
Strategy Number 3:
Early morning July 4, the crusaders became blinded by smoke from the fires set by Saladin’s
forces. Saladin’s split his army in three divisions: the center under Saladin himself, the right
under his nephew Taki ad-Din and the left, commanded by Gökböri. Here Saladin prepared for
the decisive battle by positioning his forces where they will be most effective like on a chess
board.
Master Sun from The Art of War talked of dividing forces “The control of a large force is the
same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.
There’s no difference when commanding a big army or a few men, it’s simply a question of
instituting signs and signals. If our forces are ten to the enemy’s one, to surround him; if five to
one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two”.

Strategy Number 4:
The crusaders came under fire from Saladin’s mounted archers from the division who had been
resupplied with 400 loads of arrows that had been brought up during the night. One of England’s
greatest victories was because of the skill of its archers. During the Battle of Crecy in 1346, they
killed almost 2000 French knights and soldiers. Whilst the English lost just 50 men. Archery was
a standoff weapon like a missile or sniper is today it keeps the bulk of one’s own army on stand-
by whilst picking off enemy soldiers at a distance.
Master Sun said of this: “When you shoot a bow and arrow, you aim at the clouds, not because
you expect to hit them, but so that you may reach the distant target on the ground”.

Death
The Salahuddin devoted the rest of his life to public welfare activities and built hospitals,
schools, colleges and mosques all over his dominion. He died of a fever on March 4, 1193, at the
age of 55 years in Damascus. Thus died Sultan Salahuddin, one of the most humane and
chivalrous monarchs in the annals of mankind. In him, nature had very harmoniously blended the
benevolent and merciful heart of a Muslim with a matchless military genius. The messenger who
took the news of his death to Baghdad brought the Sultan's coat of mail, his horse one dinar and
36 dirhams which was all the property he had left.
Conclusion:
His fierce struggle against the crusaders was where Salahuddin 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 Salahuddin faded into history after the middle Ages.
Salahuddin 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, the
Muslim Salahuddin was respected by Christian lords, Richard especially. Richard once praised
Salahuddin as a great prince, saying that he was without doubt the greatest and most powerful
leader in the Islamic world. His contemporaries and other historians are unanimous in
acknowledging Salahuddin as a tender hearted, kind, patient, affable person a friend of the
learned and the virtuous whom he treated with utmost respect and beneficence.Since Salahuddin
had given most of his money away for charity, when they opened his treasury, they found there
was not enough money to pay for his funeral. He died with no possession of Gold coins, Palaces,
Slaves, but The Holy Land of Jerusalem. And so Salahuddin was buried in a magnificent
mausoleum in the garden outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria.Seven centuries
later, Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany donated a new marble sarcophagus to the mausoleum.
Salahuddin was, however, not placed in it. Instead the mausoleum, which is open to visitors, now
has two sarcophagi: one empty in marble and the original in which holds Salahuddin made of
wood. An inscription written by Kaiser Wilhelm II on a wreath he laid on Salahuddin's Tomb.
“A Knight without fear or blame who often had to teach his opponents the right way to practice
chivalry”
Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Crusades: A History=2002 (Second ed.). Yale University Press. p. 146.

H. A. R. Gibb, "The Rise of Saladin", in A History of the Crusades, vol. 1: The First Hundred Years,
ed. Kenneth M. Setton (University of Wisconsin Press, 1969). p. 563.

Michael M. Gunter (2010). Historical Dictionary of the Kurds (2 ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. xxiii.

Carole Hillenbrand (1999). The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives Psychology Press. p. 594.

Christopher Catherwood (2008). Making War In The Name Of God. Kensington Publishing Corp.
p. 36.

James F. Dunnigan (1991). A Quick & Dirty Guide to War: Briefings on Present and Potential
Wars (3, illustrated, revised ed.). Quill/W. Morrow. p. 174.

Saladin Or What Befell Sultan Yusuf by Beha Ed-din, Baha' Al-Din Yusuf Ib Ibn Shaddad, Kessinger
Publishing, 2004, pp. 42, 114.

Noble Dynasties, The History of Nur Ad Din and Saladin. p. 594.

Eddé, Anne-Marie "Saladin" trans. Jean Marie Todd Harvard University Press 2011, p. 304.

Saladin Or What Befell Sultan Yusuf by Beha Ed-din, Baha' Al-Din Yusuf Ib Ibn Shaddad, Kessinger
Publishing, 2004, p. 115.

Eddé, Anne-Marie "Saladin" trans. Jean Marie Todd Harvard University Press 2011, pp. 263–64.
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