Biography of Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi

Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi is of Kurdish origin. His father Najmuddin Ayyub and his uncle Asaduddin Shirkuh hijra (migration) left his hometown near Lake Fan and moved to Tikrit area (Iraq). Shalahuddin was born in the fortress of Tikrit, Iraq in 532 H/1137 AD, when his father was the Seljuk ruler of Tikrit. Moment that, both his father and uncle served Imaduddin Zanky, the Seljuk governor for the Iraqi city of Mousul. When Imaduddin succeeded in capturing the territory of Balbek, Lebanon in 534 H/1139 AD, Najmuddin Ayyub (Shalahuddin's father) was appointed governor of Balbek and became a close aide to Syrian King Nuruddin Mahmud.  While in Balbek, Shalahuddin filled his youth by pursuing war techniques, strategy, and politics. After that, Shalahuddin continued he studied in Damascus to study Sunni theology for ten years, within nuruddin's court. At in 1169, Shalahudin was appointed vizier (counselor).

There, he inherited a difficult role in defending Egypt against the storming of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem under the leadership of Amalric I. His position It was nerve-wracking at first. No one thought he could last long in Egypt, which at that time underwent many changes of government in some In the past year due to the long genealogy of the caliph's son was met with resistance of his vizier. As the leader of the Syrian foreign warriors, neither did he had control of the Egyptian Shiite Warriors, led by someone who unknown or a weak Caliph named Al-Adid. When the Caliph dies September 1171, Saladin gets Imam's announcement under the name Al-Mustadi, the Sunnis, and most importantly, the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad, during the ceremony before Friday Prayers, and the power of authority with It is easy to fire the old bloodline. Now Saladin controlled Egypt, but officially acted as a representative of Nuruddin, which was in accordance with the custom custom of knowing the Caliph from the Abbasids. Saladin revitalizes the economy Egypt, reorganized military power, and followed his father's advice, avoiding any conflict with Nuruddin, his official master, after he became the original leader of Egypt. He waited until Nuruddin's death before initiated several serious military actions: First against Muslim territory the smaller ones, then directed them against the crusaders.

Middle East (1190 AD.). Shalahuddin's fiefdom (color red); Recaptured territory from the crusaders 1187-1189 (red color young). The bright green color indicates the surviving territory of the crusaders until the death of Shalahuddin. With the death of Nuruddin (1174) he received the title of Sultan in Egypt. There he proclaimed independence from the people Seljuk, and he proved to be the inventor of the Ayyubid dynasty and returned Sunni teachings to Egypt. He widened his territory to the west in the maghreb, and when uncle he went to the Nile to reconcile some rebellions from a former Fatimid supporter, he then proceeded to the Sea Red to conquer Yemen. He is also called waliullah which means friend Allah for Sunni muslims. 559-564 H/ 1164-1168 A.D. Since then Asaduddin, his uncle was appointed Prime Minister of the Fathimiyah Caliphate. After his uncle died, the post of Prime Minister was entrusted Caliph to Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi.

Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi managed to break the attacks of the Crusaders and the Byzantine Roman forces that launched the second Crusade against Egypt. Sultan Nuruddin ordered Shalahuddin to take power from the hands of the Fathimid Caliphate and return it to the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad starting in 567 A.D./1171 A.D. (September). After Caliph Al-'Adid, the last Fathimid caliph died then power was entirely in the hands of Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi. Sultan Nuruddin died in 659 H/1174 AD, Damascus was handed over to his young son Sultan Salih Ismail accompanied by a saint. Under a guardian there was a power struggle between Nuruddin's sons and Nurruddin's territory became fragmented. Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi went to Damascus to clean things up, but he met resistance from Nuruddin's followers who did not want unity. Eventually Shalahuddin Al-Ayyubi fought him and declared himself king for the Egyptian and Levant territories in 571 A.D./1176 A.D. and successfully expanded his territory to Mousul, northern Iraq.

Hafshoh Hafizhah