Saladin’s Jihad in the 12th Century
Abstract:
In 1095, Pope Urban II called for the Christians to take up arms and destroy the Muslims who threatened Byzantium and controlled the religious sites of the Christian faith. The First Crusade pillaged and slaughtered its way across Asia Minor and down into Palestine, initiating centuries of religious war that consumed the region. In response to the atrocities committed by the crusaders, the Muslim religious leaders called for a Jihad, so that the Muslims might destroy the Christian threat and restore peace and prosperity under Islam. One of the great leaders of the Jihad was Salah al-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria. By force, he united the other Muslim nations under Sunni Islam, retook the holy city of Jerusalem, and defended the Muslim world from the Third Crusade. Saladin was considered to be a successful general, a generous and merciful sovereign, and a pious man. Despite this reputation, he was just a man. He was shaped by his religious values, education, and the teachings of his mentors, which allowed him to perceive the steps necessary to pursue the Jihad. Saladin took Jihad as his purpose, and directed all of his experience and effort into restoring and defending the serenity of Islam.