Noor Ad-Deen Zangi who had a dream to take Bayt al Maqdas back from Crusaders.
1. Ibn Al-Atheer may Allaah have mercy upon him wrote, “I have read the biographies of the Muslim commanders and I have not found any of them, after the rightly-guided Caliphs and ʻUmar ibn ʻAbd Al-ʻAzeez, who had a better history and was keener to uphold justice than Noor Ad-Deen Mahmood Zangi.” [Islamweb]
2. Ibn Jawzi and Noor ud din would write to each other.
Ibn Kathir said:
قال ابن الجوزي: استرجع نور الدين محمود بن زنكي رحمه الله تعالى من أيدي الكفار نيفا وخمسين مدينة، وقد كان يكاتبني وأكاتبه.
Ibn Jawzi said: Nur al Din Mahmud bin Zangi Rahimah ullah took 50 cities back from the captivity of Kuffar, He and I would write to each other.
[al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 569 h]3. Shaykh Zubair Ali Zai Rahimaullah said
Ibn al Atheer said: He was scholar of fiqh on the Madhab of Abu Hanifa, and he was not biased on this [alKamil 9/125]
(Shaykh Zubair commented) These type of Hanafi scholars are not blind followers.. of taqleed rather even after affiliation with school of thought and fiqh they remain followers of Quran and sunnah. [al Hadith no. 62 page 10]
4. Ibn Asakir wrote Fadail al Jihad when Nur ad-din and Salah al-din were doing Jihad against Kuffar. [as said by Hafidh Nadeem Zaheer in Fadail al Jihad of Ibn Asakir page 10]
5. Ramadan 559 h battle of Harim.
Nur ad-Din Zangi VS Crusaders i.e. combined army from the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, the Byzantine Empire, and Armenia.
Background.
Ibn Kathir mentioned Nur ud din almost got killed when crusaders attacked Muslims Army in 558 h and martyred many of the Muslims, Nur ud din was saved by a Man, and that Man was also killed by crusaders. Nur ud din used to take care of his family.
In 559 h the Battle of Harim Happened in Ramadhan.
Ibn Kathir said:
فتحت في رمضان من هذه السنة، وذلك أن نور الدين استغاث بعساكر المسلمين فجاؤوه من كل فج ليأخذ ثأره من الفرنج، فالتقى معهم على حارم فكسرهم كسرة فظيعة، وأسر البرنس بيمند صاحب إنطاكية، والقومص صاحب طرابلس، والدوك صاحب الروم، وابن جوسلين، وقتل منهم عشرة آلاف، وقيل: عشرين ألفا.
وفي ذي الحجة منها فتح نور الدين مدينة بانياس، وقيل: إنه إنما فتحها في سنة ستين، فالله أعلم.
وكان معه أخوه نصر الدين أمير أميران، فأصابه سهم في إحدى عينيه فأذهبها، فقال له الملك نور الدين: لو نظرت لما أعد الله لك من الأجر في الآخرة لأحببت أن تذهب الأخرى.
In this year in Ramadhan Harim was conquered. Nur ud din asked help of Muslim armies and they came to him from everywhere to take revenge from crusaders, They fought them in Harim and had a crushing victory against them. And captured the Prince Bohemund of Anitoch, Hakim of Tripolial Qumas, Sahib of Rome and son of Joscelin. Killed 10,000 of them and some say 20,000.
And in Dhul hajjah Nur al din won the city of Baniyas..in which eye of his brother Naseer ud din was injured due to an arrow. Nur al din said to him, If you would see what Allah has prepared for you in the aakhirah you would ask for your second eye to be injured as well.
[al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 559 h]