Name: One Sultan vs. All of Europe — Counterattack | Ep. 9 | The Salahuddin Generation
Uploaded: 2026-02-01T04:39:13.000Z
Channel: Dr. Hassan Elwan
Description: Jerusalem was liberated. The ummah celebrated. But Salahuddin knew the truth — the real war was only beginning. Europe’s kings mobilized. Massive armies crossed land and sea. A counterattack unlike anything before was coming. Because victory does not end wars. It invites them.

Why Victory Triggers Counterattacks

Europe Declares the Third Crusade

The Siege of Tyre Begins

Winter War and Exhaustion

Salahuddin’s Greater Vision

The Siege of Acre Begins

Epidemic Spreads Through the Armies

Salahuddin Becomes Gravely Ill

The Egyptian Army Arrives

Barbarossa Enters the War

Jerusalem was liberated. The ummah celebrated. But Salahuddin knew the truth &#x2014; the real war was only beginning. Europe&#x2019;s kings mobilized. Massive armies crossed land and sea. A counterattack unlike anything before was coming. Because victory does not end wars. It invites them.

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The Salahuddin Generation – Official Teaser

The Salahuddin Generation: Knights and Scholars | OFFICIAL TRAILER

The Rise of the Assassins | Ep. 1 | The Salahuddin Generation

Why Jerusalem Fell in the First Crusade | Ep. 2 | The Salahuddin Generation

How Imam Al-Ghazali Built A Generation | Ep. 3 | The Salahuddin Generation

The Rise of Zengi | Ep. 4 | The Salahuddin Generation

3,000 Riders to Egypt: An Impossible Mission | Ep. 5 | The Salahuddin Generation

Salahuddin’s Revolution Begins | Ep. 6 | The Salahuddin Generation

The Plot to Dig the Prophet ﷺ’s Grave | Ep. 7 | The Salahuddin Generation

The Victory That Reopened Jerusalem | Ep. 8 | The Salahuddin Generation

One Sultan vs. All of Europe — Counterattack | Ep. 9 | The Salahuddin Generation

The Man Who Outsmarted Salahuddin | Ep. 10 | The Salahuddin Generation

SERIES FINALE: Salahuddin’s Legacy | Ep. 11 | The Salahuddin Generation

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Dr. Hassan Elwan

The Final March to Jerusalem

Poisoned Wells & War of Attrition

The Night of Duʿa

The Counterstrike at Jaffa

“Islam Has No Greater King”

Salahuddin's One Dream

The Promise of 80,000 Dinars

The Illness of the Sultan

The Flag-Bearer’s Message

His Final Will to His Children

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Islamic history provides a rich resource of wisdom from the Prophet's life and the legacy of scholars to help us navigate present challenges. This heritage offers insights to address current issues and misunderstandings.

History

This final episode of 'The Salahuddin Generation' series covers the concluding chapters of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi's life, beginning with the strategic standoff against Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade. After the Battle of Arsuf, Richard's forces marched toward Jerusalem, but Salahuddin fortified the city personally, poisoned wells along the route, and delivered a powerful speech reminding his army of their duty to Allah and the Muslims. A pivotal moment came when Salahuddin, sleepless with worry, was advised by Ibn Shaddad to perform du'a in Masjid al-Aqsa on a Friday between adhan and iqamah in sujood — combining multiple conditions for an accepted supplication. That very day, the Frankish forces halted their advance due to internal divisions, and Richard ultimately declared Jerusalem impossible to take while Salahuddin lived and the Muslims remained united. After a truce of three years and three months was signed — notably not a peace treaty acknowledging the Frankish state — Richard departed heartbroken. Salahuddin then wished to perform Hajj but was advised by scholars that his duty to protect the Muslims prevented him. He fell ill watching the Hajj pilgrims pass and died in Damascus, his face lighting up with a smile as the verse 'wa huwa Rabbul Arsh al-Azim' was recited. Shockingly, the Sultan of Egypt and Sham left only 47 dirhams — not enough for his own burial — having spent everything on the poor and the Muslim cause. His final message, carried by his flag bearer through the cities, warned against attachment to the dunya. His will to his children focused not on defending Jerusalem, but on taqwa, avoiding bloodshed, protecting the hearts of people, and guarding the rights of others (huqooq al-ibad). His legacy — the madrasas, scholars, and institutional infrastructure he built — continued to sustain Islam for centuries, even stopping the Mongols in the following generation.

The Kings Who Swore to Break Him

When Titles Mattered More Than Lives

The Stranger Who Saved Acre

Miracle at the River

The Weapon Built to End It All

Betrayal at Acre

The Frankish Mother

Battle of Arsuf

The Shocking Wedding Proposal

This episode of 'The Salahuddin Generation' covers a critical phase of the Third Crusade, focusing on Salahuddin al-Ayyubi's struggle to defend the Muslim lands against the combined forces of Europe. Facing the massive German army of Frederick Barbarossa, Salahuddin sought help from Muslim rulers, including the Abbasid Khalifa in Baghdad and the ruler of Morocco, but received little meaningful support — the Khalifa sent a mere 20,000 dinars (equivalent to one day's siege expenses) and Morocco's ruler demanded an honorific title Salahuddin refused to grant. Despite this isolation, Salahuddin maintained unwavering tawakkul (reliance on Allah), as documented by his secretary Imad al-Din al-Asfahani. A pivotal turning point came when Frederick Barbarossa drowned crossing a river, causing most of his massive army to disband — an event described as divine intervention. Salahuddin's letter to the Muslim Ummah, calling them to rise without victim mentality and praising the Crusaders' unity and sacrifice as a mirror for Muslim shortcomings, is presented as timeless in its relevance. The episode details the fall of Akka after a two-year siege, including Richard the Lionheart's massacre of 3,000 Muslim prisoners, and the Battle of Arsuf where Salahuddin suffered a tactical setback due to his troops losing discipline. Throughout these trials, Salahuddin was spiritually sustained by letters from the scholar Al-Qadhi Al-Fadhil, who reminded him that true victory lies in maintaining one's character and gratitude to Allah. Salahuddin's chivalry is illustrated by his recovery of a Frankish woman's stolen baby, and his strategic clarity is shown in his firm rejection of Richard's two-state proposal, insisting all the land belongs to the Muslims. The episode ends with Richard beginning his inland march toward Jerusalem for the final confrontation.

The Largest Crusader Army Assembled

The Battle of Hattin Begins

The Capture of the "True" Cross

A Decisive Victory Without Slaughter

Why Jerusalem Was Not Taken Immediately

Balian’s Moral Dilemma

The City Is Taken Without Bloodshed

Al-Aqsa Found in Ruins

The Pulpit of Nur ad-Din Is Installed

The death of Nur ad-Din Zengi

The fragile unity falls apart

Salahuddin returns to Damascus

The girl who stopped Salahuddin's army

The Assassins’ ceasefire with Salahuddin

Building Egypt, uniting al-Sham, keeping the Crusaders at bay

Reynald of Châtillon, the rogue Crusader knight

Reynald’s plot to dig the Prophet ﷺ’s grave

Salahuddin spares his enemy’s wedding

Salahuddin strategy to trap the Crusaders

Salahuddin’s major sin during his youth

Salahuddin as an example of Muslim masculinity

The scholars around Salahuddin

Generosity of Rabia Khatun, Salahuddin’s sister

The Crusaders’ navy attacks Egypt

Abolishing the Ismaili caliphate

Time to liberate Jerusalem, or too soon?

A conspiracy by the Assassins, Crusaders, and Ismaili loyalists

Nur ad-Din Zengi’s bloodless conquest of Damascus

Asad ad-Din Shirkuh and and the race for Egypt

The Battle of Harim (Zengids vs. Crusaders)

Resilience of Shirkuh and 3,000 Muslim knights

The Zengids’ second attempt to take Egypt

Shirkuh’s brilliant strategy

Shirkuh’s surprise in Alexandria

Saving Cairo from the Crusaders

Assassins’ Friday Killings

Imad ad-Din Zengi: Unity and Justice

Damascus Allies with the Crusaders

Edessa: The Weakest Crusader State

Zengi Assassinated—Hope Collapses Again

Nur ad-Din Zengi’s Lightning Counterattack

Scholars Behind the Revival (al-Jilani & Others)

Reforming the Kurds: A Dangerous Mission

Nur ad-Din Zengi: The Ascetic Ruler

Ends Don’t Justify Means (Leadership Shift)

Sharia Justice vs “Harsh Power”

Taxes Abolished—Charity Explodes

Second Crusade Targets Damascus

Outlasting the Crusader Super-Alliance

Ascalon Falls: Egypt in Danger

Defending Muslims Outside Damascus

Sham United: Mosul, Aleppo, Damascus

Victory Through the Weak (Prophetic Hadith)

Introduction

How Muslims Really Saw the Crusaders

Why Muslims “Smelled the Army” Before Seeing It

The Real Consequence of Living Beside Muslims

The Crusader's Coastline Advantage

Real Help Arrives… and Gets Betrayed

The Road of Change is Painful

When Muslims Unite… Against Muslims

A Power Vacuum in Aleppo

“Five Dogs” in a Dream…

Two Scholarly Strategies

The C vs A+ Problem: Ceasefire vs Liberation

Imam Al Ghazali Walks Away

A New Power Rises

The Salahuddin Generation

Last time, we saw how Salahuddin and the generation of Salahuddin, throughout years of work, finally, the fruits of this hard work that started long time ago, is paying off. We saw how Salahuddin and his forces defeated the Franks in the great battle of Hattin, and that opened the doors in front of Salahuddin and he started capturing many cities and finally, he crowned this with liberating Jerusalem. Some people would say the story of Salahuddin, this is the end, here is our hero, he achieved his victory, the struggle paid off, good news, and let's go home and we're done. That is not the case. The biggest battles of Salahuddin, his biggest agonies, his biggest struggles, it's yet to come. Because after Salahuddin conquered Jerusalem, a new chapter, a new crusade is about to happen, what we call the principle of the counter-attack. When I'm fighting an opponent, what happens if I all of the sudden achieved victory, and I won, and I pushed my opponent back, and you know, and I won a major battle? Most of us sit down and say, hey, it's time to celebrate. What do you think my opponent will be doing? And similarly for Salahuddin, he realized very well what's going to happen. Now that Jerusalem fell to his hands, the crusaders and the Levant, they were not alone. They were supported by a superpower, Europe. Where through sea, they can get whatever reinforcements they need. They can get soldiers, they can get arms, they can get swords, they can get knights, they can get siege engines, they can get grains, they can get supplies, and Europe is big. And therefore, the Franks in the kingdom of Jerusalem, they're very, very well supported. And Salahuddin realized, he's not just fighting them, he's fighting against Europe. And Europe will retaliate. He needs to prepare for the counter-attack. And when the news of Jerusalem reached Europe, the Pope Urban III was so devastated, so grieved, it is said that he died out of a heart attack. The new pope, he announced the necessity of fighting back Salahuddin, and that they must attack and regain everything that they lost. And as such, he sent letters to all of the kings of Europe. And I'm speaking about powerful kings, the likes of Richard the Lionheart, Philippe Augustus of France, William II of Sicily, Frederick Barbarossa of Germany. And it is said all of the kings of Europe gathered together as the third crusade. And their destination is to attack Salahuddin, regain everything that Salahuddin gained. And they even sent letters to Salahuddin al-Ayyubi. And they told him, if you do not give us back Jerusalem and all the other cities that you took, we are going to come. And it's not going to be just Jerusalem. We will take everything out of your hand. All the kings are going to come your way. You're going to lose everything. Salahuddin did not compromise. And he sent a letter back. And he said the following, anyone who's going to set foot into this land, he's going to meet the fate of his brothers in Hattin. I am not afraid. If you come here, you're going to die here. No compromise. I'm giving nothing back. That was the tawakkul of Salahuddin. But nevertheless, he understood the concept of a counterattack. He understood what he's facing. That is why after he liberated Jerusalem and spent maybe four weeks, one month in Jerusalem, you know, worshipping and reestablishing the city, he immediately set out, gathered his troops, and he did two things. One thing that he did, all the cities on the coast must be fortified. And he started with the city of Akka. Why? The city of Tyre is still not in his hand. And if a counterattack comes, they'll probably land in the city of Tyre. The first city to the south on the way of Jerusalem is Akka. That is where the attack is going to happen. And therefore, he asks one of his top commanders, Baha al-Din Qaraqush, the one that built the citadel in Egypt, a man that knows how to fortify cities very well, he puts him in charge and asks him to fortify the city of Akka. And Baha al-Din Qaraqush spends his time and a lot of money and wealth and energy, and he fortifies the city of Akka in such a way that we will see the consequences of this. The second thing, the city of Tyre. So Salahuddin orders his troops to gather and attack the city of Tyre. But unfortunately, the time that Salahuddin has spent to open Jerusalem and take care of it, this more than a month, gave the people inside the city of Tyre time to fortify the city. The city now is well fortified. And it is said they dug trenches all the way surrounding the city. The city is like an island except for a very narrow piece of land. Any army attempting to attack Tyre has to go into that narrow piece of land. Also now the crusader ships from both sides can start throwing arrows and fire and bombard the Muslim army. And Conrad, this Italian knight that led the defenses, zealous, has really really ignited the passion and inspired steadfastness in all the hearts of the people defending Tyre. And ho…

The Salahuddin Generation

Dr. Hassan Elwan

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