The Tomb of Salah al-Din
Next to the grand Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, there is a small, domed building. At first glance, it looks humble, though the interior is beautifully decorated with blue, Islamic tiles depicting floral designs and verses from the Quran. Despite its modest appearance, this shrine is an important pilgrimage site, for it hosts the tomb of Salah Al-Din (An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub): the man who, in the 12th century, changed the dynamics in the Middle East, leaving a legacy that echoes to this day.
Salah Al-Din has gone down in history as the victor of the Battle of Hittin against the Franks, and the conqueror of Jerusalem from the Crusaders (in 1187). He united Egypt and Syria under one ruler, becoming the first sultan of the unified territory and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and, although by the end of his life, he lost some of the lands to the Crusaders, he managed to unify the Arabs, positioning them on the map as a noteworthy player in the Middle East. The last years of his life coincided with the campaign of Richard the Lionheart who, despite his legendary efforts, never managed to regain Jerusalem. He did not even meet Salah Al-Din in person, though the two men shared a profound respect for each other.
Most importantly, though, Salah Al-Din is remembered for his benevolent disposition and magnanimous nature towards friends and enemies alike. He would never refuse a request from a man of honour, even the fiercest of his foes, and was merciless only when dealing with those who had insulted Islam, be they “heretics” or some of the Franks.
Throughout his life, he consistently distributed his wealth to the poor. According to his biographer, his treasurers, aware of his extreme generosity, always kept a certain sum hidden away for emergencies but, despite all precautions, when he died, the state treasury contained no more than an ingot of Tyre gold and forty-seven dirhams of silver – not enough even for his funeral.
When he conquered Jerusalem, he allowed many poor people, plus the old, the widows, the orphans, and the men with young children to be released without paying the customary ransom. The state treasurers despaired, and counter-proposed that, at least, the wealthy and prominent ones should pay a higher amount. However, Salah Al-Din refused, for he had not conquered Jerusalem to amass gold or seek vengeance. His prime objective was – as he, himself, explained – to do his duty before his God and his faith, avoiding bloodshed as much as possible. His reward would be the opportunity to pray in a holy place denied to the Muslims for a hundred years. As a result, the patriarch of Jerusalem walked away paying only ten dinars, like everybody else, carrying with him numerous chariots filled with gold, carpets, and other precious goods, as “personal property” protected under the decree of Salah Al-Din.
He was known for his emotional reactions when faced with the hardship of other people, his eyes often filling with tears. His hospitality, even towards defeated opponents, was renowned, and it has been recorded that he was fast to send peaches and pears to Richard the Lionheart when the latter was ill in Ascalon, along with snow from Mount Hermann to cool his fever.
Many such examples adorn the biography of Salah Al-Din, and, perhaps, it is this legacy that, beyond his military and political successes, touches the hearts of the people to our days.
Photo credits: Cover photo from the internet (credits unknown); the interior photo of the tomb: © Konstantina Sakellariou
