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

**Author:** Dr. Hassan Elwan
**Series:** The Salahuddin Generation
**Published:** 2026-02-14
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/YI6E6H6Fmyk
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-11
**Topics:** History

## Summary
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.

## Key Points
- Salahuddin fortified Jerusalem personally, even carrying stones on his own shoulders, and divided his army between inside and outside the city to create a strategic trap for the Crusaders.
- Ibn Shaddad advised Salahuddin to combine multiple conditions for an accepted du'a — Friday, Fajr time, between adhan and iqamah, in sujood, in Masjid al-Aqsa, with charity — and that very day the Frankish advance halted due to internal divisions.
- Richard the Lionheart declared Jerusalem impossible to take as long as Salahuddin was alive and the Muslims were united, and reluctantly retreated.
- Salahuddin signed a truce — not a peace treaty — for three years and three months, never acknowledging the legitimacy of the Frankish state or their right to any lands.
- Salahuddin was prevented by scholars from performing Hajj because his duty to protect the Muslims took precedence, a heartbreaking sacrifice for him personally.
- Upon his death, Salahuddin left only 47 dirhams — not enough for his own burial — having spent all his wealth on the poor, the needy, and the Muslim cause.
- Baha ad-Din Qaraqush honored his promise to pay Richard 80,000 dinars for his release, demonstrating that the men of Salahuddin upheld Islamic ethics even toward enemies who had betrayed them.
- Salahuddin's final message to the Ummah, carried by his flag bearer, warned against hubb al-dunya (love of the worldly life) — which the Prophet (ﷺ) identified as the root cause of the Ummah's weakness.
- Salahuddin's will to his children prioritized taqwa, avoiding bloodshed, protecting the hearts of people, and guarding huqooq al-ibad — not defending Jerusalem — showing his ultimate goal was the pleasure of Allah, not the means.
- Salahuddin's legacy of madrasas and scholarly institutions sustained Islam for centuries, with one UNESCO study concluding that 'the madrasa saved Islam.'

## Chapters
- 0:00 The Final March to Jerusalem
- 2:31 Poisoned Wells & War of Attrition
- 4:33 The Night of Duʿa
- 8:29 The Counterstrike at Jaffa
- 11:18 “Islam Has No Greater King”
- 15:19 Salahuddin's One Dream
- 18:26 The Promise of 80,000 Dinars
- 21:12 The Illness of the Sultan
- 26:18 The Flag-Bearer’s Message
- 27:59 His Final Will to His Children

## Transcript
**[0:00]** The knights of the Franks went all the way to Salahuddin's position and a very ferocious battle started to happen. And men were starting to run away and I saw Salahuddin standing

**[0:16]** himself ordering the drummers to ask everybody to stay where they're at and the arrows are flying around. And at that point, Salahuddin was forced to order a retreat of his troops till they went inside the forest. It seems the battle of Arsuf was a setback. What will

**[0:34]** happen next? The final battle of Jerusalem.

**[0:57]** We saw last time how Richard eventually ended up taking the city of Jaffa though Salahuddin razed it to the ground and was forced to make the final decision. And Richard and the Franks decide to start the march towards the city of Jerusalem. After 2-3 years, all what the

**[1:16]** crusaders can do is take the city of Acre, Jaffa, Ashkelon and that's it. Now they head for their prize, the city of Jerusalem. Salahuddin understands that the battle is all about the city of Jerusalem and he starts

**[1:32]** supervising the fortification of the city himself. What will happen next? Salahuddin gathers all his army and gives them a speech. Now that today you are the army of Islam and the ones defending it, as you are aware, the

**[1:47]** blood of the Muslims, their property and their offspring depend on your protection. There are no other Muslims that can face this enemy but you. If you turn away, God forbid, the Franks will roll up these lands as they roll up a scroll. This is your responsibility as

**[2:03]** you are the ones whom Allah placed this responsibility on. You have been supported by the wealth of the people whom you are supposed to protect. The Muslims in all the lands depend on you. Salahuddin makes it clear, nobody else is coming to our aid and we are the ones that

**[2:20]** Allah put in that spot and we should perform with ihsan. Know that it's Allah that's watching us and know that everything we do is for His sake. And Salahuddin again with his reliance on Allah assures people that Allah will bring victory to the Muslims no matter what setbacks

**[2:42]** they had. And Salahuddin starts his strategy. The way from Jaffa all the way till Jerusalem goes inland. Now Richard is exposed and Salahuddin poisoned all the wells on the way and started harassing the forces of the Franks. And Salahuddin's strategy shifted. Drain them, cut their supplies.

**[3:02]** The further they go inland, the more difficult their situation becomes. And the march dragged and numerous battles happening and at one point Salahuddin now is really disturbed and he decides, he makes an announcement. I am going to protect the city myself. Nobody will

**[3:19]** surrender this city. I'll lead the defense from inside of the city. I'll divide my army. Half outside, half inside. So when they come, not only we can attack from inside, we surround them from the outside. And then because they're inland, there is no supply from the sea. It's

**[3:36]** going to be very difficult for them. It's said that he used to carry some stones on his own shoulder to fortify the city. That's how much he was keen to defend that city. Ibn Qudamah has a description of Salahuddin when he came and he says, I came and I find

**[3:52]** a king that is awe-inspiring. A king that is so approachable yet so revered by his friends. And he would spread his table and everybody would come and they would eat and they would discuss things and it's always full of scholars and he was deeply intellectual, deeply compassionate

**[4:09]** and everybody is speaking of such high matters. And then they would go and they would start fortifying the city. And he said, all his friends are mimicking him. They take him as a role model as he supervises the fortification of the city of Jerusalem.

**[4:26]** Now Salahuddin is really worried and Ibn Shaddad narrates that one night Salahuddin spent the whole day, you know, worrying, encouraging his soldiers and fortifying the city. Nighttime comes, Ibn Shaddad goes to Salahuddin as usual. Why? Because Salahuddin, as we said, every

**[4:44]** single night he studies hadith with Ibn Shaddad. And Ibn Shaddad said, I entered and I found the Sultan very concerned. He looked really grieved. He looked like he was really worried. I think you need to sleep. Maybe it's a good idea tonight. Just let's go to bed. Let's

**[5:01]** have some rest. And Ibn Shaddad said, I left the Sultan, went to my tent and I couldn't sleep myself. Out of what? Worry. Himself is worried. He sees how the Sultan is and the state of the Muslims. He said till it was almost Fajr time, I came back and I saw

**[5:16]** Salahuddin in the same state. And I told him, Sayyidi, maybe you didn't sleep. And he said, no, I couldn't sleep. Ibn Shaddad then said something really profound to Salahuddin. He said, I have an idea. Today is a Friday night. Here is what you need to do. It's Fajr time.

**[5:35]** So I want you to make wudu, go to the Aqsa mosque, give charity in secrecy and then between adhan and iqamah, pray two rak'ahs, which is a sunnah. And there is a reason why between adhan and iqamah, because we know between adhan and iqamah, if you make a du'a, Allah

**[5:51]** responds to it. That's a hadith. And he said, I want you to pray those two rak'ahs and in the position of sujood, in Masjid al-Aqsa on a Friday night between adhan and iqamah, you make a du'a to Allah. Tell Allah everything that you can do, you have done and that you

**[6:07]** fully rely on Him and that you need His help. Exhibit your state of poverty between His hands. And I know that the likes of you, if you make du'a in such kind of a matter, Allah will never turn them back. And I want you to notice what Ibn Shaddad, he combined a

**[6:25]** number of hadiths. Friday, Fajr salah, between adhan and iqamah, in the sujood position, giving charity. He combined all the reasons why a du'a can be accepted and told the Sultan, do those and Allah will surely come to your help. And he said, I watched as the Sultan

**[6:44]** gives charity, makes wudu, goes to the Aqsa mosque after adhan and I watched him pray those two rak'ahs, make a long sujood, long du'a with his tears wetting his grey beard now and long du'a. And then they pray Salat al-Fajr. And surely enough, that day, news

**[7:04]** reached Salahuddin. The Franks have stopped their advancement towards Jerusalem. What happened? The Franks are quarreling between themselves. They're divided. Some of them say it is impossible, they don't want to continue. Some of them insist that they should continue

**[7:19]** and they're bickering and differing and arguing against each other. And then their advancement is delayed. Then news comes to Salahuddin that Richard asked the Templars and the Hospitallers and everybody come and he asked them, describe the situation for me. Describe the city. And

**[7:38]** they described the city of Jerusalem and the fortification and Salahuddin forces inside and his forces outside and the situation logistically. And Richard says the following, this is a city that is impossible to take as long as Salahuddin is alive and the Muslims are united

**[7:57]** around him. The Templars and the Hospitallers, those knights, agreed with Richard. They told him it's a lost cause. The damage that we had already sustained on the way to Jerusalem, the attacks of Salahuddin, we cannot sustain this campaign. It's a suicide to attempt to

**[8:13]** take Jerusalem at this point. And reluctantly, Richard pulls his troops and heads back towards the city of Jaffa. Richard gave up because of the determination and the efforts that Salahuddin has put. But is it only his determination and efforts? Is it the du'a of Salahuddin?

**[8:34]** See those are the things that we learn from the likes of Ibn Shaddad, how Salahuddin was. Never underestimate the power of du'a. Allah owns the hearts of people. Now that Richard cannot go to Jerusalem, what he should do? Maybe I should go north. And he starts heading

**[8:50]** with his ships north towards the city of Beirut. Maybe we can get one more city from Salahuddin. Salahuddin did something amazing. While Richard is heading north, Salahuddin orders his troops go out of Jerusalem, head towards the city of Jaffa. And in few hours, he was already

**[9:07]** around the city of Jaffa. He started surrounding the city, building his catapults and trebuchets, started throwing the stones, breached the walls of the city of Jaffa, gave them an ultimatum, surrender the city or else. They refuse. He orders the attack. They come, they breach

**[9:22]** the walls. Oh they have built another wooden wall inside. And the battle rages. And he breaches the second wall. And now the soldiers of Salahuddin start pouring into the city of Jaffa. And the news reach Richard that Salahuddin forces somehow breach the walls

**[9:41]** and they're already taking the city of Jaffa. And within three days, Richard is very disturbed. He turns the boats, heads towards the city of Jaffa, reaches there to find some of the flags of Salahuddin already around the city. And he thinks the city fell. And he's about

**[9:56]** to go back. But news come, the fort inside the city is still holding. What happened? The people inside the city of Jaffa bought time. They went to Salahuddin, we want to talk, truce and gave time for Richard to come. Upon hearing the news, Richard ordered all

**[10:13]** his troops to go on the shore and clear the beach and gathered his army, started heading towards the city of Jaffa. Salahuddin hears the news. What do you think Salahuddin did? I know, the heart says fight. But see it is not about emotions only. There is strategy.

**[10:30]** Salahuddin did something that might surprise you. Gathered all his army, ordered a retreat. Everybody out of the city of Jaffa, everybody goes away. Why? Why? Remember the battle is about what? Jerusalem. I do not want to be surrounded again like Acre around the city

**[10:47]** of Jaffa. The point was what anytime Richard leaves to attack any other city, we're going to go out and attack you in your back. And Richard, shocked and frustrated, sends a letter. He tells them, this Sultan of yours is a great man. Islam has no greater king mightier

**[11:05]** than him. By God, he's great. I could not have imagined that he would take Jaffa in three months. How could he have taken it in three days? And then he asks, greet the Sultan for me and say, for God's sake, give me what I asked for to make peace. This is a matter

**[11:24]** that must have an end. My lands over the sea have been ruined. For this to go is no good for us, nor for you. Now let's open negotiations. And Richard insists, it's all about Jerusalem. Give me Jerusalem. Salahuddin again refuses. Eventually, Richard gives in and tells Salahuddin,

**[11:46]** it's okay. You can keep Jerusalem, but at least let me have the lands that I got. Salahuddin refuses. You will not have any of the lands. And Salahuddin is persistent. War will continue. There is no truce. There is no peace between us. All the lands belong to us. Eventually,

**[12:04]** all Salahuddin leaders gather and came to meet Salahuddin. What do they want? They say we all requested that the Sultan accept the truce from the Franks. However, he was very reluctant. And after some further concessions with Richard, Salahuddin, because everybody

**[12:21]** told him, please accept. What will it mean? It means the third crusade has failed. They came, hundreds of thousands, three years. All what they took is the city of Acre and Jaffa. They failed to take the city of Jerusalem. You broke the third crusade. Let them leave.

**[12:41]** If we do that, then Jerusalem is really ours. That's a big win. Forget about Jaffa. We can take those cities later. For now, let them leave. And they told him, the cities, this campaign, long campaign, drained the treasury. Egypt has been drained throughout the years,

**[13:00]** supplying all the troops with all what they need. Al-Qadi al-Fadil told him, you know, the treasury of Egypt is almost empty. You're spending so much around the city of Acre. And again, without the unity of Egypt and Sham, it would have been impossible to stop

**[13:16]** the Franks. It would have been impossible. Unity is necessary. Salahuddin finally agrees. And he tells Ibn Shaddad, let's sign the truce. And what is the truce? The truce is there will be peace between the Franks and the Muslims for three years and three months. I want to

**[13:35]** note something. There is a big difference between a truce and a peace treaty. Salahuddin did not have a peace treaty. He never said, I acknowledge the Frankish state. I acknowledge that the kingdom of Jerusalem has the right to stay. He never said any of the cities belong

**[13:50]** to them. He never acknowledged them. A truce is what? There is a truce. It's for a given time. Then what happens after the truce ends? We're enemies again. He never acknowledged them. And Richard told Salahuddin, after three years and three months, I will be back and

**[14:06]** I will fight you. And Salahuddin responds, I will be here waiting for you. I'd rather fight you than anybody else. Why was he so reluctant? Salahuddin informed Ibn Shaddad, I'm afraid to make peace, not knowing what becomes of me. I'm old. Our enemy will grow

**[14:26]** strong. They're going to come back. I am afraid I will die. My children, they will divide. Every one of them will take a fort and the city, and then they'll start fighting and the Franks might take everything back again. And then he told Ibn Shaddad, if you live

**[14:43]** long enough, you might see what I'm predicting. And SubhanAllah, did this really happen? We'll find out. The time comes and they signed the treaty. And that is the end of the third crusade. Richard, heartbroken, could not open Jerusalem, says farewell and sails back to England. And

**[15:05]** the kings of Europe start to leave. And Salahuddin now is in time of peace. Salahuddin has one request. All those years he has served the Muslims. Now he has one request for himself. And he says, I want to go and make Hajj. The cities of Mecca and Medina, the cities that

**[15:25]** he protected, all the things that he did for the Hujjaj, he never had time to make Hajj. He was consistently in the battle. Now that he's free, he says, this is a personal request. I want time for myself, not to party, not to rest, to do Hajj. And SubhanAllah, scholars

**[15:45]** respond, it is impermissible for you to go for Hajj. Why? It's the rukn of Islam. I have to. And they told him, no, the Franks are still here. If they know that you left for Hajj, most likely they will come. And they will attempt to attack the city of Jerusalem and we might lose.

**[16:04]** As long as they're here, you cannot go for Hajj. Your duty is to protect the Muslims. And Salahuddin, you can tell his heart was broken. The only wish that he wanted for himself, the only thing that he wanted, he could not get.

**[16:20]** And al-Qadi al-Fadil told him, ya Salahuddin, tend to the different cities and tend to the economy. This war destroyed so much, it's time to rebuild. And Salahuddin now starts going back to the cities. He visits the city of Damascus. Years now passed, he did not set foot in the city of Damascus.

**[16:40]** People were so happy to see the Sultan. And it is said, it was almost a celebration that Salahuddin is coming. And people came out to meet him. And the governor of Damascus came to meet Salahuddin. And he's walking Salahuddin in the city. And he tells him, ya Sultan, look, look at this.

**[16:56]** He built a mansion, a palace. He says, I built this for you so that you can rest, a place to retire. After everything, you deserve it. I built this for you. The response of Salahuddin, he looked at it. And then he looked back and he said,

**[17:12]** this is a place built for someone that thinks he's not going to die. We were not created for this. We were created to worship and serve Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. And then he looked to that man. What money did you use to build this? You use the money of the Muslims to build a palace.

**[17:29]** You think that will sit well with me? And he removed the governor from power. He saw that as a mistake, as a slip, that if anything, it means that this man is not fit. He's not trustworthy. Money of the Muslims should not be spent

**[17:45]** to build a palace for Salahuddin. This is not what we're living for. This is not what Salahuddin is about. While Salahuddin was in Damascus, he had a very pleasant surprise. He saw one man that he thought is dead, but he was still alive, Baha ad-Din Qaraqush,

**[18:03]** the one that led the defense in the city of Acre. He thought that Richard killed him with the 3,000 prisoners, but apparently Richard spared him. Why? He's an Amir, he has money. And now when the truce is signed,

**[18:18]** he agreed to release Baha ad-Din if he was to pay him 80,000 dinars by himself. But then Baha ad-Din goes to Salahuddin and he asks, I need to leave. Why? He said, I promised to give Richard 80,000 dinars

**[18:33]** and I have to go start collecting and selling things that I have so I can go and give him the money. What is the lesson? If you were in Baha ad-Din Qaraqush's shoes, what would you do? Would you really fulfill your promise? I mean, look how many times they betrayed.

**[18:49]** I mean, I can say, yeah, okay, I'll give you 80,000. Let me go once I leave, ma'as salama, done, good. Alhamdulillah, right? And I can say, you know what? They did it too. I reciprocate, al-'aynu bil-'ayn, you know, an eye for an eye. Nevertheless, they learned the lesson from the Prophet (ﷺ).

**[19:05]** We are not like the people we fight. They are not our teachers. If they betray, we do not betray. If they lie, we do not lie. If they kill women and children, we do not kill women and children. Baha ad-Din Qaraqush, despite the betrayals he faced, he gave a word.

**[19:22]** And therefore, as a Muslim, he would fulfill his word. Those are the men of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, men that were true to the call, men that were true to la ilaha illallah Muhammad Rasulullah. And then Salahuddin starts now rebuilding all the cities. He gathers all the commanders.

**[19:38]** What should we do next? You know, we have three years. We're not going to just wait and do nothing. We have to prepare. We have to get ourself ready. And they tell him, more unity. More Muslims can be united. And they pointed two things. Some of them said the Seljuks are becoming so weak

**[19:55]** and they consistently harass us. Maybe we should go there. And maybe you should unify this land. You know, Salahuddin had a certain criteria. He would say, I don't want the cities for its money. I want the city for its men.

**[20:10]** It's not about greed. And no, no, no, no, no. I need to unify the Muslims so that when it's time, I need the men to come to the help of Islam. That's all what he needed. The other party said, the Eastern districts. You know, Baghdad now was fighting the Khwarazmians.

**[20:26]** And maybe we should go there. Which one should we pick? And Salahuddin said, we are going to do both. And SubhanAllah, he was right. From the East later came the Mongols. And he had a vision. The man was definitely a strategist, SubhanAllah.

**[20:42]** And Salahuddin now says, although I cannot go for the pilgrimage, let me at least watch the Hujjaj. Let me at least prepare the roads for them. Let me at least prepare the guest houses for all of them. And he goes out to watch the roads

**[20:58]** and watch the pilgrims as they go for Hajj. And you can imagine his state, tears in his eye. The only thing that he wanted, he could not get. SubhanAllah. He was so sad inside and he's on his horse as the pilgrims pass by.

**[21:14]** Everyone is safe. Everyone is taken care of. Everyone is making du'a for Salahuddin. But it said it was cold. And Salahuddin, it seemed he caught something. A cold, a flu, and he started to feel sick, unfortunately. And people were worried.

**[21:29]** The Sultan, now he's not that old, but all the effort, 17 years on a horseback, fighting day and night, fighting winter, summer, and spring, it had an effect on him. And he went to the city of Damascus.

**[21:44]** And doctors came and they tried their best, but Salahuddin's health kept deteriorating. And they said, what can we do? He loved Quran. So they brought a reciter. And they said, like what you used to do when he was healthy, every night, you should recite two to three juz

**[22:01]** for Salahuddin al-Ayyubi. Now, Salahuddin started to fall into coma and he's unconscious. And Ibn Shaddad says, everybody was worried. And people in the streets, everybody's asking, the Sultan, what will happen? Everybody loved the Sultan, Salahuddin.

**[22:17]** They keep asking the doctors. And surely enough, the Sultan went into a full coma. And the reciter would say, anytime I recite one of the names of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala he says, sahih, true, true. And then he goes back into coma.

**[22:32]** And then he said, till I reached one verse, wa Allahu alladhi la ilaha illa huwa 'alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabbul 'Arsh al-'Azim. It is indeed Allah, the one that no deity is worthy of worship except Him. On Him do I rely. And He is the Lord of the great throne.

**[22:50]** And he said, I saw Salahuddin's face light up, a big smile, and he gave his soul out. The great Sultan, the Sultan that's so beloved to all the people, the one that liberated Jerusalem,

**[23:05]** the one that united the Muslims, the one that represented compassion has passed away. And Ibn Shaddad describes that that was a dark day. Grief engulfed the whole city. People were about to die from sadness. Islam never saw a day like this

**[23:21]** since the time of the four rightly guided Caliphs. Ibn Qudamah, he said, men grieve for him as they grieve for prophets. For he was loved by good and bad, Muslim and unbeliever alike. This was the Sultan Salahuddin.

**[23:38]** And Ibn Shaddad said, I used to hear people before that they would say when somebody's dying, I wish to give my soul in ransom for you. I used to think that was an exaggeration. Till the day the Sultan died, I saw it in myself and in every single other person.

**[23:55]** All of us, we would gladly have given our souls if it was to bring the Sultan back. People really loved the Sultan. You know what is said in Mecca and Medina, they used to make du'a, and you know the Imam, when he makes du'a for the Caliph, and everybody says, Ameen.

**[24:10]** Whenever he makes du'a for Salahuddin, it is said in Mecca and Medina, Ameen, it will shake the Masjid apart. People loved Salahuddin. They viewed him, this is the one that saved Jerusalem, guarded Mecca and Medina.

**[24:25]** After he died, a shock. Now they want to bury the Sultan, and they discover the Sultan of Egypt and Sham does not have enough money for his own burial. He left no estates, no houses, nothing. All what he left is 47 dirham,

**[24:42]** not enough to even bury him. It was the scholars that came, and the likes of Ibn Shaddad that gave from their own money, the Sultan of Sham and Egypt, where is his money? He spent it on the needy. He spent it on the poor. He spent it on the women when he opened Jerusalem.

**[24:58]** He spent it on all the horses that he bought when the Muslims were fighting in Acre. All his money. Al-Qadi al-Fadil comes, and the burial of Salahuddin. And they said, they washed the body of Salahuddin.

**[25:13]** Ibn Shaddad said, I could not wash that. I could not even be present in that situation. I was so sad. People started coming from all over the place to pray janazah prayer on the Sultan of the Islam and Muslims, the Sultan Salahuddin.

**[25:29]** It is said the funeral prayers extended. People would come, fill the masjid, they pray, they leave. The janazah prayer of Salahuddin took the entire day before they can finally bury Salahuddin al-Ayyubi. And they started, you know,

**[25:44]** lowering Salahuddin in his grave. Al-Qadi al-Fadil goes down to the grave of Salahuddin, puts the sword of Salahuddin beside him, and tells him, this is a sword you lean on, on your way to Jannah inshallah. But Salahuddin left with a surprise.

**[26:00]** Before he dies, he left a message to all the Muslim ummah. He asked that his flag bearer to come and have an audience with him. He gave his flag bearer a message. He told him the following, you were the one that held my flag when I was alive.

**[26:16]** Hold it after I die. Hold it in a long pole and go around all the cities. Gather the Muslims around you. Tell them, this is the flag of the great Sultan, the one who commanded men and ruled vast lands. The great Sultan is now dead.

**[26:34]** And all what he took from the life of this world was a hole in earth that he's buried in and a piece of cloth that wrapped his body. And even that is going to disintegrate. What was the message of Salahuddin to the Muslim ummah?

**[26:50]** Attachment to the worldly life. Hubb al-dunya wa karahiyat al-mawt. The reason that the Prophet (ﷺ) identified why this ummah will be weak, why this ummah gets defeated. It is not because we're few in numbers or have lack of resources.

**[27:06]** The real ailment, the love and attachment to worldly things, power, status, money, houses, versus the love of Allah. Salahuddin's message to all of us. Remember death. Don't get too comfortable in this life. We were not created here just to enjoy.

**[27:24]** Yeah, we can enjoy a little bit, but we have a mission here. We are created to worship Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. This is not our home. Our home is Jannah. This is not the place where we find rest and peace in. Dunya is the plantation of the hereafter.

**[27:39]** This is where we plant the seeds from which we get the fruits when we go to Jannah. Remember death. Do not get too much attached to the life of this world. But Salahuddin had another message that shows you the heart of this great Sultan. His will.

**[27:54]** Before he dies, he asks his children to come, to give them his final will. And I still remember reading the will of Salahuddin. What do you think he'll tell his children? I thought he will tell them, protect Jerusalem. The Franks will be back. Be united.

**[28:10]** Defend Jerusalem. Defend the Muslims. That was not the case to my surprise. Whoa, what it says about this man. He says the following. I advise you, I command you to have the taqwa of Allah as is the source of all good. I command you with what Allah commanded you

**[28:27]** for it's the way to your salvation. I warn you. I warn you from bloodshed or indulging in it for blood never rests. Who's saying that? The one that more than a hundred thousand Franks died on his hands. He's not bloodthirsty.

**[28:43]** He's warning them, do not kill unnecessarily. Be careful. Do not shed blood. And then he says the following. I ask you to protect. And I thought, okay, here it comes. I ask you to protect Jerusalem. He said a statement. I think we should just think about that.

**[28:59]** Wallahi, these words are like, should be written with gold. He said, I ask you to protect the hearts of people, the hearts of the leaders and the hearts of the noble. What king, what ruler, what politician in his campaign said my duty is to protect your heart?

**[29:16]** The most valuable thing in my eye is not your resources. It's not your money. The hearts of people. That's a very powerful message because for him, Jerusalem is important. But you know what it says about Salahuddin? What is important is not Jerusalem.

**[29:31]** What is important is Allah. Allah is my goal. Protecting Jerusalem is the means to that goal. My heart is not attached to the means. The goal is the pleasure of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. That's my goal. One way to do it is to defend Jerusalem.

**[29:47]** But the means should never be my goal. Some people sometimes build a masjid and then on their deathbed, what do they tell their children? They take care of the masjid, it's good. But the masjid was a tool, a way, a path to Allah. It's not about the masjid you built.

**[30:03]** It's about obeying Allah. It's about pleasing Allah. This is true Tawheed. That's how Salahuddin was. He was really concerned about the hearts of people more than he was concerned about Jerusalem. And then he tells his children, do not envy anyone.

**[30:19]** For death leaves no one. Be mindful about what is between you and people, for it will never be forgiven, except if they forgive you. As for what's between you and Allah, Allah is the most forgiving and most merciful. Be mindful, do not wrong anybody.

**[30:36]** Huqooq al-'ibad, huqooq al-'ibad. Allah is Ghafoor Raheem, He's easy going. People on the other hand, you wrong someone, on the day of judgment, you will pay miserably for it. That was the heart of the Sultan, Salahuddin.

**[30:52]** And that's what he lived for and he represented. After the burial, al-Qadi al-Fadil comes and he sees the children of Salahuddin and they ask him for advice. And he said the following. He said, as for my advice to you,

**[31:08]** I am so grieved to offer any advice. As for consultation, you don't need anything. However, it is clear for me that if we all agree and remain united, the loss of your father will be our greatest loss.

**[31:23]** On the other hand, if you were to differ and disunite, then the loss of the Sultan will be the least of our afflictions. In his time, he changed history, he changed the map. He liberated more than 80 forts and citadels,

**[31:39]** Salahuddin al-Ayyubi. What Salahuddin al-Ayyubi did from building schools and the infrastructures of Egypt lasted for centuries to come. The infrastructure of Egypt that Salahuddin built was indeed what stopped the Franks and stopped the Mongols in the following century.

**[31:57]** He might have died, but the legacy of Nizam al-Ayyubi, the legacy of the schools, the legacy of the scholars, the works of Imam al-Ghazali, Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Shaykh Ahmad al-Rifa'i, Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi, Al-Hafidh Ibn Asakir continued.

**[32:12]** And that sustained, even if rulers were bad after that. As I said before, some people that analyzed this in a study done for UNESCO, one of them said, the madrasa saved Islam. And that was very true. And Ibn Shaddad finishes the book about Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, the biography of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, and he says, those were the days of the Sultan Salahuddin al-Ayyubi and the men around him.

**[32:40]** Those days passed. Their long years now feel like few moments and their long struggles now feel like a dream that passed in a glimpse of an eye. The story of the generation of Salahuddin is not a bedtime story intended to put our kids to sleep. It's a story for the Ummah, men and women, to wake up and rise to the occasion.

## Other Episodes in "The Salahuddin Generation"
- [The Man Who Outsmarted Salahuddin | Ep. 10 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-10.md)
- [One Sultan vs. All of Europe — Counterattack | Ep. 9 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-9.md)
- [The Victory That Reopened Jerusalem | Ep. 8 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-8.md)
- [The Plot to Dig the Prophet ﷺ’s Grave | Ep. 7 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-7.md)
- [Salahuddin’s Revolution Begins | Ep. 6 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-6-salahuddin-revolution-begins.md)
- [3,000 Riders to Egypt: An Impossible Mission | Ep. 5 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-5.md)
- [The Rise of Zengi | Ep. 4 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-4-the-rise-of-zengi.md)
- [How Imam Al-Ghazali Built A Generation | Ep. 3 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-3.md)
- [Why Jerusalem Fell in the First Crusade | Ep. 2 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-2.md)
- [The Rise of the Assassins | Ep. 1 | The Salahuddin Generation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-episode-1.md)
- [The Salahuddin Generation: Knights and Scholars | OFFICIAL TRAILER](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-official-trailer.md)
- [The Salahuddin Generation – Official Teaser](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-salahuddin-generation/the-salahuddin-generation-series-official-teaser.md)