Attitudes of Salah Al-Din Towards Non-Muslims and Their Holy Places During and After the Second Re-conquest of Jerusalem

Abstract

Salah al-Din is one of the best-known figures of the Middle Ages. As the Muslim Sultan of Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Palestine, Salah al-Din, was very well known as a noble man, pious and devout Sufi. One of his greatest victory was liberating Jerusalem, on 27th Rajab 583 AH/ 2nd October 1187 AD ending its 88-year occupation by the Crusaders. His generosity and magnanimity towards his opponents or rivals predominantly in that holy war was contrasts strongly with the attitude of his predecessors. These distinction attitudes in Salah al-Din’s character had brought great attention not only to Muslim world but also to the West. In this article, several questions regarding Salah al-Din’s attitudes will be raised; a) how Salah al-Din treated the non-Muslims during and after the second re-conquest of Jerusalem?; b) What is his attitudes towards the non-Muslims holy places at that time?; c) What made him behave like that? Did Salah al-Din implement Umar’s Assurance of Safety after liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187 AD? Therefore, this article attempts to examine and analyze Salah al-Din’s attitudes at that particular time and event towards non-Muslims and their sacred shrines till arrive to the conclusion regarding the above questions. The methodology used in this study is by analyzing the historical primary and secondary accounts in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the Salah al-Din attitudes.

Keywords: Salah Al-Din; Attitudes; Non-Muslim; Re-Conquest; Jerusalem 

DOI: 10.22583/ijwas.2016.08.01.03