Salah ad-Deen’s Preparations for the Liberation of Jerusalem
Sultan Salah ad-Deen’s strategy to reclaim Jerusalem showcased his exceptional military planning. He first focused on uniting Egypt, Greater Syria, and parts of Iraq into a strong Islamic front. Instead of attacking Jerusalem immediately after his victory at the Battle of Hattin, he targeted coastal cities to weaken the Crusaders both physically and morally. This prevented Western Europe from easily sending reinforcements through Syrian ports, which could have reignited conflict over Jerusalem.
By capturing key coastal cities like Ascalon and isolating Jerusalem, Salah ad-Deen ensured the Crusaders had no route for aid. With Jerusalem fully cut off, he led his unified forces to liberate the city, securing a decisive and stable victory.
After the Battle of Hattin, Salah ad-Deen capitalized on the presence of Muslim forces in Syria to secure control of coastal cities and ports. He launched a widespread call to jihad across the Muslim world, inspiring scholars, jurists, and volunteers to join his campaign to liberate Jerusalem, a site sacred in Islam as the first Qibla and the third holiest sanctuary.
During his coastal campaign, Salah ad-Deen summoned Egyptian forces, including his son al-Malik al-‘Azeez ‘Uthman, who became a vital support. He also deployed a naval fleet led by Admiral Lu’lu’ to intercept Crusader reinforcements by sea, ensuring steady supplies from Egypt.
Aware of Jerusalem’s strong fortifications, Salah ad-Deen prepared a range of siege engines, including mangonels, naphtha-throwers, and stone-cutters, to breach the city’s defenses. His meticulous planning set the stage for a decisive victory.
The Siege and Battle for Jerusalem (1187 CE)
Before fully encircling Jerusalem, Salah ad-Deen’s forces clashed with Crusader guards near the city walls. Led by Emir Jamal ad-Deen Sharween, the Muslim detachment defeated the Crusaders, killing their commander. By September 26, 1187 CE, Salah ad-Deen began the siege with a well-coordinated assault using 12 powerful mangonels to bombard the city’s walls, while sappers worked to undermine its defenses.
The Crusaders fiercely defended their city, using arrows, artillery, and counter-attacks. Both sides fought with intense determination, seeing the battle as a religious duty. Despite their efforts, the Crusaders could not withstand the relentless Muslim attack. The sappers eventually breached the walls, paving the way for Salah ad-Deen’s victory.
A desperate plan by Crusader knights to launch a final attack was abandoned after Patriarch Heraclius persuaded them to stay and protect the civilians within the city, acknowledging their inevitable defeat.
The Decisive Assault on Jerusalem
Salah ad-Deen launched a final, decisive attack on Jerusalem after intense fighting. Under cover of heavy mangonel (catapult) fire and a relentless barrage of arrows, his forces advanced, forcing the Crusader defenders to retreat from the walls. The attackers crossed the defensive ditch, clung to the walls, and began breaching them with coordinated efforts.
On September 29, 1187 CE, the attackers broke through the wall and raised their banners. Although the defenders temporarily pushed them back, they realized further resistance was futile. Overwhelmed by fear and desperation, the city’s residents flocked to churches to pray and confess, while women cut their daughters’ hair to spur the men into defending their families. The Crusaders understood their situation was hopeless, marking the beginning of their surrender.
Negotiations for the Surrender of Jerusalem
After fierce resistance, the Crusaders sent envoys to request safety in exchange for surrendering Jerusalem to Salah ad-Deen. He initially rejected their plea, recalling the massacre of Muslims during the Crusaders’ conquest of the city in 491 AH. The Crusaders, led by Patriarch Heraclius and Balian de Ibelin, tried to negotiate again. When Salah ad-Deen refused, Balian threatened to destroy the city’s holy sites, kill Muslim prisoners, and commit mass suicide to deny the Muslims any spoils of war.
After consulting his advisors, Salah ad-Deen agreed to accept Jerusalem’s surrender under specific terms. The Crusaders could leave the city upon paying a ransom: ten dinars per man, five for women, and four for boys. Infants required a ransom of one or two dinars. For the poor, Balian negotiated a collective sum of 30,000 dinars to secure their release. Salah ad-Deen allowed 40 days for payment, after which any unpaid individuals would be enslaved.
The city was peacefully handed over on Friday, 27 Rajab 583 AH (October 12, 1187 CE). Following the agreement, Crusaders began selling their belongings at low prices, unable to carry them during their departure.
Salah ad-Deen’s Entry into Jerusalem
On Friday, 27 Rajab 583 AH (October 12, 1187 CE), Salah ad-Deen entered Jerusalem after the Crusaders surrendered the city. Following a 12-day siege, the Islamic banners were raised over the holy city, marking a significant victory. This date held special significance, coinciding with the anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) Night Journey (Isra’ and Mi’raj).
Salah ad-Deen stationed commanders at the city gates to collect ransoms from the Crusaders leaving Jerusalem. The city was overcrowded, housing 60,000 men along with women and children, as many had sought refuge from nearby towns like Ascalon, Ramlah, and Gaza.
Upon gaining control, Salah ad-Deen began restoring Jerusalem’s Islamic identity. He removed the golden cross from the Dome of the Rock and purified al-Masjid al-Aqsa as the Knights Templar had constructed residences, baths, and latrines in the western section of al-Masjid al-Aqsa during their occupation. He reinstated the mosque’s original features, appointed an imam, and installed a minbar. Local Christians were allowed to return to their homes and freely buy possessions from departing Crusaders. This respectful yet firm restoration marked a new era for the city.
The Minbar of Noor ad-Deen
Noor ad-Deen Mahmood Zangi, believing that Jerusalem would be liberated after his time, ordered a special minbar to be built in Aleppo. Skilled craftsmen spent years meticulously crafting this masterpiece, checking and improving it repeatedly to ensure perfection. Once completed, the minbar was kept in the Jami’ mosque of Aleppo, stored like a sword waiting for its moment of use. After liberating Jerusalem, Salah ad-Deen honored Noor ad-Deen’s vision by placing the minbar in al-Quds, fulfilling his long-standing wish. This act demonstrated Salah ad-Deen’s deep respect for Noor ad-Deen, who had devoted his efforts to uniting the Muslim world and removing the Crusaders from Greater Syria.
The Mercy of Salah ad-Deen and Muslim Tolerance
Salah ad-Deen honored his promise by allowing those who paid a ransom to leave Jerusalem safely. To manage this, he stationed senior commanders at each gate to oversee the process. Despite the relatively small ransom amount, many Crusaders could not afford it, and after the 40-day deadline, they became prisoners. Wealthy Crusaders, including Patriarch Heraclius, left the city with their riches, showing no concern for the poor among them. Heraclius took his vast wealth without ransoming anyone else.
This indifference stemmed from the Crusaders’ lack of familial or communal ties, as many were mercenaries or individuals escaping serfdom in Europe. Their behavior contrasted starkly with the compassion shown by Salah ad-Deen and his fellow Muslim leaders.
Salah ad-Deen’s brother, al-Malik al-‘Adil, requested 1,000 poor Crusaders to release them for Allah’s sake, and Salah ad-Deen agreed. This act inspired both Balian de Ibelin and Patriarch Heraclius to plead for more leniency, which Salah ad-Deen granted by freeing additional captives. He even issued a public proclamation offering freedom to elderly Crusaders who could not afford the ransom, allowing countless individuals to leave through a designated gate from sunrise to nightfall.
Further acts of mercy followed: the emir of Bira requested the release of 500 Armenians who had come for worship, while Muzaffar ad-Deen ‘Ali Koojak asked for the release of 1,000 Armenians from Edessa. Salah ad-Deen granted both requests.
This generosity extended beyond the leadership, as ordinary Muslims also displayed tolerance and kindness. Such actions compelled even Western writers to praise Salah ad-Deen, noting his remarkable ability to teach Christians the true meaning of compassion and tolerance.
Salah ad-Deen demonstrated remarkable tolerance and generosity toward the Crusader captives in Jerusalem. His compassion extended to the wives and daughters of Crusader knights who had been killed or captured.
When these women, weeping, pleaded for mercy, Salah ad-Deen listened and acted with kindness. He ordered that any woman who could identify her husband as a captive be reunited with him and allowed them to leave freely. For those whose husbands or fathers had died, he provided them with financial support from his personal wealth, ensuring they could sustain themselves according to their social status.
His actions moved the women so deeply that they prayed for him in gratitude.
Key Acts of Salah ad-Deen’s Compassion and Tolerance
- Reuniting the Wife of King Guy
The wife of King Guy, daughter of Amalric, remained in Jerusalem with her attendants and requested to join her imprisoned husband. Salah ad-Deen permitted this, allowing her and her retinue to reunite with King Guy in the Nablus Tower. - Princess Stephanie and Her Son Humphrey
Princess Stephanie de Milly, mother of Humphrey and widow of Reynald, sought the release of her captive son. Salah ad-Deen agreed to free him if she surrendered her fortress. Though she failed when the fortress occupants refused her entry, Salah ad-Deen honored her dignity and ensured her son remained safe. She entrusted her son to Salah ad-Deen, who promised his release once the terms were met. - Respecting Christian Holy Sites
Some suggested demolishing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to deter Christian pilgrims permanently. Salah ad-Deen, however, upheld the precedent set by Caliph Omar (RA), who had preserved the site after the Islamic conquest of Jerusalem. He rejected the proposal, demonstrating his respect for Christian sentiments and heritage. - Allowing Christians to Remain in Jerusalem
After paying the agreed ransom, some Christians requested permission to stay in Jerusalem. They pledged to live peacefully and fulfill their civic duties. Salah ad-Deen allowed this, making them dhimmis (non-Muslim citizens under Islamic protection) who paid the jizyah tax. They were granted the same rights and responsibilities as Muslims, reflecting his fairness and mercy.
These actions highlighted Salah ad-Deen’s fairness, compassion, and commitment to coexistence, even in the aftermath of conquest. Salah ad-Deen’s handling of Jerusalem in 1187 remains a historical example of magnanimity and respect for humanity.
Comparison to the Crusaders in 1099 CE
In 1099 CE, during the Crusaders’ conquest of Jerusalem led by Godfrey and Tancred, they committed horrifying atrocities. The Muslim defenders were killed en masse—burned, drowned, or slaughtered—resulting in rivers of blood. The Crusaders plundered the city, pillaged homes, and enslaved women.
In contrast, Salah ad-Deen’s recapture of Jerusalem in 1187 CE displayed remarkable tolerance and justice. He adhered strictly to the principles of Islamic Sharia, resisting the urge for vengeance despite the Crusaders’ brutal past actions. His fair treatment of the city’s inhabitants, regardless of religion, highlighted the stark difference between his humane leadership and the savagery of the Crusader leaders.
Conclusion
Salah ad-Deen’s recapture of Jerusalem in 1187 CE was a monumental achievement, solidifying his status as a Muslim hero. It paralleled the earlier liberation of Jerusalem by the Rightly-Guided Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) from Byzantine control in 15 AH (637 CE). Salah ad-Deen mirrored this historic triumph in the sixth century AH (12th century CE) by ending nearly a century of Crusader occupation. His victory not only restored Jerusalem to Muslim control but also set the stage for future Muslim sultans to eliminate the remaining Crusader presence in Greater Syria.
Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done
righteous deeds, that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon
the earth, just as He granted it to those before them, and that He will surely
establish for them their religion which He has preferred for them [Islam] and
that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security. [Qur’an 24: 55]
