The Aqeeda of Sultan Nasir Salah ud din Ayyubi.
1. Ibn Kathir said regarding Nasir Salah ud din Ayyubi:
وفي شعبان منها ركب الناصر إلى الإسكندرية فأسمع ولديه الفاضل علي والعزيز عثمان على الحافظ السلفي وتردد بهما إليه ثلاثة أيام الخميس والجمعة والسبت رابع رمضان
This year (i.e. in 572 h) in Shaban Nasir went to Alexandria and made his sons Faadhil Ali and Aziz Uthman study under Hafiz Silafi and went with them (the sons) to him for three days Thursday, Friday and Saturday. [al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 472 h]
2. Also, his son Giyath ud din ordered to destroy the shrines.
Imam Mar`i bin Yusaf al Hanbali said:
Many of the historians mentioned that Sultan Malik al Zaahir (who was Salah ud din’s son by the name of Malik al Zaahir Giyath ud din Ghazi bin Nasir Salah ud din Ayyubi 569 h to 613 h) intended to demolish all the structures over the graves in Qurafa, and The Muftis of his time gave a fatwa that it is wajib on the sultan to demolish all these structures over the graves.
[Shifa as-Sudur fe ziarah al Mashahid wal qaboor by Imam Mur`ee bin Yusaf al Hanbali page 188]
3. Abul Hasan Nadwi said regarding Ayyubi
أنه كان مسلماً مؤمناً محمدياً لا يعرف غير لغة القرآن، ولا يعرف غير لغة الإيمان
He was Muslim, Momin, Muhammadi, he did not know any other language other than Quran and Eeman [quoted by Ali Muhammad as-Salabi in صلاح الدين الأيوبي وجهوده في القضاء على الدولة الفاطمية وتحرير بيت المقدس 1/521]
4. He liberated Bayt al Maqdas from Crusaders, and defeated them in Battle of Hattin [al Fath al Qassi fe Fath al Qudsi by Imad al-din Katib asFahani and other books of history]
5. He was the one who did this good deed i.e. putting an end to the ‘Ubaydi state who started these mawlid celebrations.
Imam ad-Dahabi said:
قرأت في تاريخ صنف على السنين في مجلد صنفه بعض الفضلاء سنة بضع وثلاثين وستمائة، وقدمه لصاحب مصر الملك الصالح:
I read in a one-volume book of history which describes what happened each year and was written by some good people around the year 630 and was given to the ruler of Egypt, al-Malik al-Saalih, in 667 [Tareekh al Islam (39/276)]
He read regarding great deeds of Salah ud din Ayyubi that:
وكانت هذه الفعلة من أشرف أفعاله، فلنعم ما فعل، فإن هؤلاء كانوا باطنية زنادقة، دعوا إلى مذهب التناسخ، وآعتقاد حلول الجزء الإلهي في أشباحهم.
This action (i.e., putting an end to the ‘Ubaydi state) was one of the noblest of the deeds (of Salaah al-Deen al-Ayyoobi). What a good thing he did, for these people were baatinis and heretics who called for belief in transmigration of souls and the belief that the divine was physically incarnated in them. [Tareekh al Islam (39/276)]
6. Sultan Nasir Salah ud din was Ashari and al Shafiee.
al Miqrizi said:
“وأما العقائد فإن السلطان صلاح الدين حمل الكافة على عقيدة أبي الحسن علي بن إسماعيل الأشعري تلميذ أبي علي الجبائي، وشرط ذلك في أوقافه التي بديار مصر كالمدرسة الناصرية بجوار قبر الإمام الشافعي من القرافة، والمدرسة الناصرية التي عرفت بالشريفية”
As for Aqaid of Sultan Salah ud din, He was on the aqeeda of Abul Hasan Ali bin Ismaeel al Ashari student of Abi Ali al Jibai…
المواعظ والاعتبار بذكر الخطط والآثار 4/166
He was Ashari but not extreme sufi and qaburi who ask help from dead.
Faida: Also his nephew Ashraf bin Adil was inclined towards Hanbali aqeeda and had a discussion with al Izz bin Abdus salam as well. See Tabqat al Subki 8/218
7. When Salah ud din vowed to liberate bayt al maqdas and kill Reginald or Reynald of Châtillon the leader of Crusaders who did Tanqees of Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him.
Ibn Kathir said when Salah ud din became extremely ill.
ثم نذر لئن شفاه الله من مرضه هذا ليصرفن همته كلها إلى قتال الفرنج، ولا يقاتل بعد ذلك مسلما، وليجعل أكبر همه فتح بيت المقدس، ولو صرف في سبيل الله جميع ما يملكه من الأموال والذخائر، وليقتلن البرنس صاحب الكرك بيده، لأنه نقض العهد وتنقص الرسول ﷺ، وذلك أنه أخذ قافلة ذاهبة من مصر إلى الشام، فأخذ أموالهم وضرب رقابهم، وهو يقول: أين محمدكم؟ دعوه ينصركم.
He vowed that if Allah gives him shifa from this illness then he will fight with crusaders with full force and will never fight any Muslim, and his biggest concern will be to liberate Bayt al Maqdas even if he has to spend on the way of Allah all the treasures and reserves of the kings, and that he will kill the Prince, leader of al Karak with his hands because he broke the covenant and did tanqees of Prophet peace be upon him, And what happened was that a caravan was going from Egypt to al Shaam, he (Prince) caught them and looted them and killed them and he said: Where is your Muhammad, call him so that he may help you.
[al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 581 h]
Ibn Kathir mentioned Allah listened to his dua and he became fine and Allah listen to the prayers and this was became kaffara of his sins.
8. Completion of Salahuddin’s vow to kill Reginald or Reynald of Châtillon the killer of Muslims and who also abused Prophet peace be upon him.
Ibn Kathir said after the victory of Hitteen or Hattin:
ثم جيء بملوكهم فأجلسوا عن يمينه ويساره على مراتبهم، فأجلس ملكهم الكبير عن يمينه، وأجلس أرياط برنس الكرك وبقيتهم عن شماله، ثم جيء إلى السلطان بشراب من الجلاب مثلوجا، فشرب ثم ناول الملك فشرب، ثم ناول أرياط صاحب الكرك فغضب السلطان، وقال له: إنما ناولتك ولم آذن لك أن تسقيه، هذا لا عهد له عندي.
ثم تحول السلطان إلى خيمة داخل تلك الخيمة واستدعى بأرياط صاحب الكلرك، فلما أوقف بين يديه قام إليه بالسيف ودعاه إلى الإسلام فامتنع.
فقال له: نعم أنا أنوب عن رسول الله ﷺ في الانتصار لأمته، ثم قتله وأرسل برأسه إلى الملوك وهم في الخيمة.
وقال: إن هذا تعرض لسبّ رسول الله.
Then their (crusader’s captured) Kings came who sat on his left and right according to their status. Their great kings sat on his right side and Prince Iryat (Reynald) of al Kerak and others sat on his left. Then a drink with ice was brought to Sultan who drank and then given to the king who drank it and he gave it to the Prince Iryat (Reynald). Sultan (Salahuddin) became angry and said I gave it to you (i.e. The King) and I haven’t ordered you to give it to him (Reynald), there is no covenant for him with me.
Then Sulatan (Salahuddin) went to the tent within the tent and asked for the Iryat (Reynald) the ruler of al Kerak. He came to him and Salahuddin came to him with a sword and asked him to accept Islam which he denied.
Salahudin said to him, Yes I am Naaib of Messenger of Allah peace be upon him so that I may take revenge for his ummah (i.e. Reynald killed the Muslims the ummah of Prophet peace be upon him). Then he killed him and sent his head to the kings sitting in the tent.
Salahuddin said: He (Reynald) abused Prophet peace be upon him.
[al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 583]
9. The Madrassa for Hanbalis.
Ibn Kathir said
الأمير سعد الدين مسعودابن معين الدين، كان من كبار الأمراء أيام نور الدين وصلاح الدين، وهو أخو الست خاتون وحين تزوجها صلاح الدين زوجه بأخته الست ربيعة خاتون بنت أيوب، التي تنسب إليها المدرسة الصاحبية بسفح قيسون على الحنابلة
الأمير سعد الدين مسعودابن معين الدين، كان من كبار الأمراء أيام نور الدين وصلاح الدين، وهو أخو الست خاتون وحين تزوجها صلاح الدين زوجه بأخته الست ربيعة خاتون بنت أيوب، التي تنسب إليها المدرسة الصاحبية بسفح قيسون على الحنابلة
The Ameer Sad al Din bin Mueen ud din, he was from the great umaraa in the days of Nur ud din and Salah ud din. He is brother of Sitt Hatun. When Salah ud din married her, he married his sister Sitt Rabeea Hatun to him (Sad al din’s) Nikah. The Madrassah al Sahbiat is attributed to her which is for Hanbalis in Qayson. [al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 581 h]
10. When Rafadis started calling upon the household of Ali radhiAllahanho at the time of Ayyubi.
Ibn Kathir said:
وفيها: خرجت طائفة بمصر من الرافضة ليعيدوا دولة الفاطميين، واغتنموا غيبة العادل عن مصر، واستخفوا أمر العزيز عثمان بن صلاح الدين، فبعثوا اثني عشر رجلا ينادون في الليل: يا آل علي، يا آل علي، بنياتهم على أن العامة تجيبهم فلم يجبهم أحد، ولا التفت إليهم.
فلما رأوا ذلك انهزموا فأدركوا وأخذوا وقيدوا وحبسوا، ولما بلغ أمرهم السلطان صلاح الدين ساءه ذلك واهتم له، وكان القاضي الفاضل عنده بعد لم يفارقه، فقال له: أيها الملك ينبغي أن تفرح ولا تحزن، حيث لم يصغ إلى هؤلاء الجهلة أحد من رعيتك، ولو أنك بعثت جواسيس من قبلك يختبرون الناس لسرك ما بلغك عنهم.
فسرى عنه ما كان يجد، ورجع إلى قوله وأرسله إلى مصر ليكون له عينا وعونا.
This year in Egypt a group of Rafidis did khurooj to take Fatami govt. back.. and at night they sent 12 people who would call, YA AALE ALI, YA AALE ALI and their intention was that people would answer them BUT NO ONE answered them neither turned towards them… they were captured and when sultan Salah ud din came to know about them he became sad, The Judge al Fadhil was with him.. he said: You should be happy o King, you should not be sad as no one from the people listened to these ignorant under your rule..
[al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 584 h]
11. Salah ud din ordered his son Zaahir Giyath ud din to kill the extreme sufi and philosopher Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi.
Ibn Kathir said regarding Salah ud din.
كان قد صحب ولده الظاهر وهو بحلب شاب يقال له الشهاب السهروردي، وكان يعرف الكيميا وشيئا من الشعبذة والأبواب النيرنجيات، فافتتن به ولد السلطان الظاهر، وقربه وأحبه، وخالف فيه حملة الشرع، فكتب إليه أن يقتله لا محالة، فصلبه عن أمر والده وشهره.
ويقال بل حبسه بين حيطين حتى مات كمدا، وذلك في سنة ست وثمانين وخمسمائة
And in Aleppo his (Ayyubi’s) son became a companion of a man called Shahab al Suharwardi who knew chemistry, tricks to amuse people, and some النيرنجيات, due to which Sultan’s (Ayyubi) son fell into fitna, he was close to him and loved him and he contradicted the Islamic law then he (Ayyubi) wrote to him (the son Zaahir) to kill him (Suharwardi), so he crucified him on the order of his father.
And it is also said that he captured him between two walls until he died.. and this happened in 586 h.
[al Bidaya wal nihaya vol 13 under 589 h]
He is same son who ordered to destroy the shrines over the graves due to the fatwa of scholars of his time.
12. When Salah ud din liberated Bayt al Maqdas no one shouted Ya Gawth, Ya Ali rather All the scholars shouted Takbeer.
Ibn Shaddad the teacher of Salah ud din wrote:
قصده العلماء من مصر ومن
الشام، بحيث لم يتخلف معروف من الحضور، وارتفعت الأصوات بالضجيج والدعاء
والتهليل والتكبري وخطب فيه،
Scholars came to join him , both from Egypt and from Syria ; there was not a single well-known scholar but came to the camp. Every voice was raised in shouts, calling upon God, and proclaiming His unity and power.
[Seerah Salah ud din by his teacher Ibn Shaddad 1/54]
These chants were unknown to sunnis back then, only rafadis who were against Ayyubi would call upon Ali radhiAllahanho and his household as mentioned previously.
13. The death of Salah ud din ayyubi. What a beautiful death.
Ibn Kathir said when he was ill, he appointed an Imam to recite Quran near him and when the illness goes into extreme he should ask him to say Shahadah, Ibn Kathir said, he recited Quran for whole night and then:
فلما أذن الصبح جاء القاضي الفاضل فدخل عليه وهو في آخر رمق، فلما قرأ القارئ { لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ } [التوبة: 129]
تبسم وتهلل وجهه وأسلم روحه إلى ربه سبحانه، ومات رحمه الله،
When he said Adhan of Fajr, Qadhi al Fadhil came to him and he was taking his last breaths, and when Qari recited “”there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied” [al Tauba verse 129]
He (Salah ud din) smiled and his faced cheered and surrendered his soul to Lord the Almighty, and he died Rahimahullah.
[al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 13 under 589 ]