First Jumu'ah prayer in Jerusalem

Christian groups will never give up striving to reach this place. So we will do what the caliph 'Umar did, when he preserved this building after the Conquest of Jerusalem in the early years of Islam.” Rene Grousset commented, "All this sultan's good character and respect for freedom of opinion and belief is represented in this beautiful statement.”204 Salah ad-Deen, with his Islamic attitude, astounded the kings and leaders of the west, as they were leading their armies in Greater Syria. Even the French used to say that he had French blood in him, and the Germans, English and Italians all wrote brilliant stories about the attitude of Salah ad-Deen and talked about him in their towns, cities and theatres.205 Salah ad-Deen was indeed an Islamic man in all senses of the word, following the example of the Messenger Muhammad (SAW) in his forgiveness, forbearance and tolerance. One of the European historians said concerning him, "It will always be remembered that a harsh and bloody era such as that era could not corrupt a man of great power and authority, such as Salah adDeen.206 The greatest evidence of the respect that the Franks had for this rare heroism and tolerance is the interest that the German emperor Wilhelm II showed in visiting the tomb of Salah ad-Deen when he visited Syria in 1315 AH/1898 CE, accompanied by the empress. He delivered a speech in which he praised Salah ad-Deen, and the empress sent a wreath of flowers to be placed on the grave of the great hero. First Jumu'ah prayer in Jerusalem When crosses, bells, monks, pigs and priests had been removed from the sacred mosque, and the believers entered it and the call to prayer was given, and the devil fled and the Quran was recited therein, and the place had been purified, the first Jumu'ah prayer was held on the fourth day of Sha'ban, eight days after the conquest.

The minbar was set up beside the purified prayer area, fine carpets were spread throughout its vast interior, lamps were hung up and the Quran was recited instead of the distorted versions of the Gospel that had been read in the past. Truth came and falsehood was cancelled out; carpets were laid out and there was a great deal of prostration and other acts of worship, and many supplications were offered. Blessings came down and distress was relieved; prayers were established, the adhan was given and the bells were silenced. The muezzins were present and the priests were absent; people felt at ease and tranquility prevailed. Cheerfulness was widespread and unhappiness was dispelled, and the worshippers and ascetics were present. The One was worshipped with much bowing and prostrating, standing and sitting.

The mosque was full and tears flowed from hearts filled with emotion. This was a great and noble day, an immense blessing, a splendid occasion, a day when supplications were answered and blessings came down, when tears flowed and obstacles were overcome. Muezzins gave the call to prayer when the sun passed its zenith and people's hearts soared with joy at the new situation. Until that moment the sultan had not appointed a khateeb, but many scholars had prepared for it lest they be called upon and find themselves unprepared. To appoint the khateeb a decree came from the sultan when he was in the blessed Dome of the Rock: Al Qadi Muhiy ad-Deen ibn az-Zaki was to be the khateeb today, so he put on the black cloak of authority and ascended the minbar. Allah gave him dignity and honored him with words of righteousness.

He delivered a great and eloquent khutbah to the people, in which he mentioned the nobility of the sacred house, and what was narrated of its virtues, the signs to be found in it, and this great blessing that Allah had bestowed upon the people present, which was equal to many righteous deeds. Shaykh Shihab ad-Deen Abu Shamah quoted it in Kitab ar-Rawdatayn at length. Text of the Khutbah The first thing that he said when he spoke was: So the people that committed wrong were eliminated. And all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. (Quran 6: 45) He quoted words of praise from the Quran, and then he said: Allah is Able to attain victory Praise be to Allah Who has humiliated polytheism by His might, Who controls all affairs by His decree, Who perpetuates blessings by means of gratitude, Who punishes the disbelievers from directions they perceive not, Who decrees the alternation of days by His justice, grants the best end to the pious by His grace, grants shade to His slaves and causes His religion to prevail over all others. {He is the Irresistible [Supreme], above His slaves} (Quran 6: 18) Who cannot be resisted, the Prevailer over His creation Who cannot be disputed; the One Who decrees what He wills and cannot be questioned; the One Who rules as He wants and cannot be resisted. Praise Him for causing His slaves to be victorious and to prevail, for granting honor to His close friends and supporting those who support His cause, for purifying His sacred house from the filth of polytheism.

Praise Him inwardly and outwardly. Praise for the noble Messenger and his Companions I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship other than Allah alone, with no partner or associate, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, {He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none equal or comparable unto Him} (Quran 112: 2-4). This is the testimony of one whose heart has been purified by tawhid and is content with Him as his Lord. I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger, the dispeller of doubt, the defeater of polytheism, the toppler of falsehood, who was taken on the Night Journey from alMasjid al-Haram to this, al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and was taken up thence to the highest heaven, to the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntaha). {Near it is the Garden of refuge [Paradise]. When there covered the lote tree that which covered it!

The sight [of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)] did not swerve, nor did it transgress [its limit].} (Quran 53: 15-17) May Allah send blessings and peace upon him and upon his successor asSiddeeq207 (Abu Bakr), the first one to believe, and upon the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) the first one to remove from this house the symbol of the cross, and upon the Commander of the Faithful 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (RA), Dhun-Noorayn208 and the collector of the Quran, and upon the Commander of the Faithful 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, the destroyer of polytheism and breaker of idols, and upon his family and Companions and those who follow them in truth.209 May Allah be pleased with the mujahideen O people, receive glad tidings of the pleasure of Allah, which is the ultimate goal and highest status because of what Allah has brought about at your hands: the regaining of this lost and from that misguided nation, which has been restored to Islam, where it belongs, after it was transgressed against by the polytheists for nearly one hundred years; the purification of this house which Allah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honored) {…in them His Name is remembered...} (Quran 24: 36); the removal of polytheism from it after having been dominated by it and its becoming deeply entrenched. Now it is built on a solid foundation of tawhid and piety, for it is based on piety. The qualities of al-Masjid al-Aqsa It is the home of your father Ibraheem, the place of ascent {Mi’raj) of your Prophet Muhammad (SAW), your qiblah towards which you used to pray at the beginning of Islam. It is the homeland of the prophets, the focal point of the friends of Allah, the refuge of the messengers, the place where revelation came down, the place to which commands and prohibitions were sent down. It is in the land of resurrection and gathering. It is in the holy land which Allah has mentioned in His clear Book.

It is the mosque in which the Messenger of Allah led the highest-ranking angels in prayer; it is the land to which Allah sent His slave and Messenger, His Word which He bestowed upon Maryam and a Spirit from Him, 'Eesa, whom He honored with the office of Allah's Messenger and Prophet who never departed from a position of servitude to Allah. Allah Says: Never would the Messiah disdain to be a servant of Allah. (Quran 4: 172) They have certainly disbelieved who Say that Allah is Christ, the son of Mary (Quran 5: 17) It is the first of the two qiblas, the second of the two mosques and the third of the holy sanctuaries. So journey is to be undertaken to any mosque, after the two holiest, except to it. Congratulations to Salah ad-Deen and his Muslim troops for their victory Were it not for the fact that you were among those whom Allah had chosen from among His slaves and selected from among the inhabitants of His land, you would not have been singled out for this virtue in which no one can compete with you or attain the honor that you have attained. Glad tidings to you of an army at whose hands appeared miraculous battles like Badr, resolve like that of (Abu Bakr) asSiddeeq, conquests like those of 'Umar, armies like those of 'Uthman, power like that of 'Ali.

You have brought back for Islam days like those of al-Qadisiyah, Yarmook and Khaybar, and battle charges like those of Khalid ibn al-Waleed. May Allah reward you with the best of rewards on behalf of His Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and show appreciation for what you have done; may Allah reward you for offering your souls in fighting the enemy, and may Allah accept from you what you offered of your blood in order to draw close to Him, and reward you with paradise, for it is the abode of the blessed. Thanking Allah for the victory Appreciate this blessing, may Allah have mercy on you, as it should be appreciated, and fulfill the duty towards Allah of giving thanks to Him for bestowing this blessing upon you exclusively and for choosing you to do this service, because this is the conquest for which the gates of heaven were opened. By means of its light the darkness was illuminated and the angels who are close to Allah rejoiced and the Prophet (SAW) and Messengers were comforted. What greater blessing can there be than your being made the army that would conquer Jerusalem towards the end of time, the troops by means of whose swords the banners of faith would be raised a while after the time of Prophet-hood? It may be that the exchange of congratulations among the people of heaven is greater than that among the people of earth.

Virtues of al-Aqsa and al-Quds Is it not the House to which Allah refers in His Book and mentions by name When He Says: Exalted is He [Allah] Who took His Servant [Muhammad] by night from AlMasjid al-Haram [at Makah] to Al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem], whose surroundings We have blessed. (Quran 17: 1 ) Is it not the House which was venerated by kings and praised by Messengers, in which the four Books which were revealed from your God, Glorified and Exalted, are recited? Is it not the House for the sake of which Allah held back the sun for Joshua, holding it back from setting and causing it to move slowly until he achieved victory? Is it not the House which Allah commanded Moosa to enjoin his people to save, but no one responded except two men, and Allah was angry with them because of it and made them wander in the wilderness as a punishment for their disobedience? Gratitude to Allah alone So praise Allah, Who strengthened your resolve to do that which the Children of Israel refused to do at the time when they were favored above all others; He enabled you to do that which the nations who came before you failed to do, and caused you to unite for His sake after being divided, and made it a matter of 'was' and 'have' instead of 'will' and 'until'. The angels thank Allah for the mujahideen Congratulations to you, for Allah has mentioned you among those who are close to Him; He has made you his troops and praised you to the angels, for what you have given to this House of the fragrance of tawhid, spreading sanctification and praise of Allah, and what you have removed from this place of the stench of polytheism, the 'trinity' and evil beliefs.

Now the angels of heaven are praying for forgiveness for you, and sending blessings upon you. Prohibition of arrogance and committing sin Take care of this blessing that has been given to you and guard it by fearing Allah. The one who adheres to that and clings to this handhold will be safe and will be protected. Beware of following whims and desires, or following the route that leads to doom, or turning back on your heels and forgetting about fighting the enemy. Make the most of this opportunity, remove what is left of the traces of evil, strive properly for the sake of Allah. O Slaves of Allah, sell your souls to please Him, as He has made you His slaves.

Victory comes only from Allah Beware lest the devil causes you to slip, and beware of transgressing the limits and thinking that this victory only came about because of your sharp swords, fine horses and steadfastness in battle. No, by Allah, And victory is not but from Allah. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise (Quran 8:10) Keeping away from sin Beware, O slaves of Allah, after Allah has honored you with this great conquest and immense blessing, and singled you out for this clear conquest and caused you to hold fast to this rope which He held out to you, lest you commit any major sin that He has prohibited, or do any grave act of disobedience, then you would be like her who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has become strong (Quran 16:92), or like the one to whom We gave Our signs, but he threw them away; so Satan followed him up, and he became of those who went astray (Quran 7: 175). Call for continuation of the jihad Jihad is the best of your acts of worship and the noblest of your traditions. Support Allah's cause and He will cause you to prevail; remember Allah and He will remember you; give thanks to Allah and He will increase your blessing and show appreciation to you. Strive hard to put an end to this problem and finish off the enemy, purify the rest of the land that has angered Allah and His Messenger; chop off the branches of disbelief and uproot it entirely.

The time for Islamic vengeance and supporting the Ummah of Muhammad (SAW) is overdue. Allah is Great; it is the victory of Allah. Allah will prevail, and humiliate and subdue those who disbelieve. Call to liberate the rest of the holy land Remember, may Allah have mercy on you that this is an opportunity, so make the most of it; it is a gain, so seize it; it is a mission so strive hard for it and strengthen your resolve. Matters are judged by how they end. Allah has given you the upper hand against this defeated enemy although they are equal or superior to you in numbers, so how about when you are outnumbered by them by twenty to one?

Allah Says: If there are among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. (Quran 8: 65) May Allah help us and you to follow His commands and heed His prohibitions; may He help all the Muslims with victory from Him: If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; and if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? (Quran 3: 160) Supplications for Sultan Salah ad-Deen and the Muslims in their religious and worldly affairs The end of the second part of the khutbah was similar to what is usually said. After praying for the caliph, he said: O Allah, grant long life to the sultan, your slave, who submitted himself to your majesty, who is grateful for your blessing, who acknowledges your gifts. He is Your cutting sword, Your shining star, the defender of Your faith, the defender of Your sanctuary, the noble master, the victorious king, the uniter of the believers, the subduer of the worshippers of the cross, Salah ad-Dunya wad-Deen,210 the sultan of Islam and the Muslims, the purifier of the sacred House, Abul-Muzaffar, Yoosuf ibn Ayub, the reviver of the state of the Commanders of the Faithful. O Allah, cause his state to reach everywhere on earth, cause the angels to surround his banners, reward him with the best of rewards on behalf of Islam, and reward him on behalf of the Ummah for his resolve.

O Allah, preserve Islam, protect faith and cause it to spread east and west. O Allah, as You have brought about victory in Jerusalem at his hand after the people had despaired and the believers were sorely tested, cause him to prevail throughout the Land and to defeat all the disbelievers, so that no battalion of disbelievers will meet him but he will destroy them, no group will meet him but he will scatter them. O Allah, thank him on behalf of Muhammad (SAW) and cause his authority to expand east and west. O Allah let him be the cause of justice spreading throughout the land. O Allah, humiliate the disbelievers and immoral people through him and grant him domination over all countries; cause his troops to be victorious throughout the land. O Allah, keep authority in his hands and those of his offspring until the Day of Judgment; protect his sons and the sons of his father, the blessed kings; support him by means of them and honour those who are loyal to him and to them.

O Allah, as You have brought about at his hands this blessing for Islam, that will remain and abide for months and years, grant him the eternal blessing that does not fade away in the abode of the pious, and answer his prayer: My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteousness of which You approve, and admit me by Your Mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants. (Quran 27: 19) Then he offered supplications in the customary manner.211 After the prayer, Shaykh Zayn ad-Deen Abul-Hasan 'Ali ibn Naja al-Masri sat on the preacher's chair with the sultan's permission and exhorted the people to right conduct. It was a great time and a blessed gathering, to Allah is due all praise. Al-Qadi Muhiy ad-Deen ibn az-Zaki delivered the khutbah to the people on Fridays for four weeks, then the sultan appointed a permanent khateeb for Jerusalem and sent word to Aleppo to bring the minbar that al-Malik al-Adil Noor ad-Deen Mahmood had ordered to be built for Bayt al-Maqdis; he had hoped that it would be conquered at his hands, but it was to be conquered at the hands of one of his followers after his death.212 The minbar of Noor ad-Deen in Jerusalem Al-Malik al-'Adil Noor ad-Deen Mahmood Zangi (may Allah have mercy on him) knew by his insight that the Conquest of Jerusalem would occur after he was gone. So in Aleppo he issued orders that a minbar be made for al-Quds, and the carpenters, craftsmen and engineers put a lot of effort over several years into making it, adorning it in a most creative and finely-crafted manner; thousands were spent on the production of this magnificent piece, which was checked upon and improved thousands of times. This minbar was kept in the Jami' mosque of Aleppo, like a sword kept in its sheath, until the sultan issued orders to fulfill the vow of Noor ad-Deen and the minbar was transported to its place in al-Quds, thus confirming the miracle of Noor ad-Deen that shone for many years after his death.

He was one of the doers of good of whom Allah says: And Allah loves the doers of good (Quran 3: 134)213 According to the account of 'Imad ad-Deen al-Isfahani: Noor ad-Deen's heart was filled with the light of faith and his piety set an example for the righteous to follow; he was the most ascetic of worshippers and the most devoted in worship of ascetics, one of the chosen, pious, righteous friends of Allah. By means of his intuition he saw that victory was close, and that Allah would answer his supplication, even if that came after his death. His strong resolve made him strive even harder and brought him divine support. Allah purified him of faults. Allah lifted him above any doubt or suspicion because of his purity of heart. The blessing of his efforts continued to support Islam after his death, which culminated in Salah ad-Deen gaining control over his kingdom after he was gone.

He [Noor ad-Deen] was the one who raised him [Salah ad-Deen], taught him, loved him and favoured him; he is the one who set the precedent of jihad and conquest, and set out the route to success. It so happened that the Jami' mosque in Aleppo burned down at the time of Noor ad-Deen, and a minbar was needed. So that minbar (which had been made for al-Quds) was set up, and what a beautiful sight it was! Then the carpenters started working on the prayer niche, to make it match the minbar in design. Anyone who sees the mosque of Aleppo today will see that it is similar to the minbar of Jerusalem. When the sultan conquered Jerusalem, he ordered that the minbar be brought, and it was carried to al-Masjid alAqsa.

Thus the honor of Allah was made manifest by causing Islam to prevail. Everyone joined in the supplications, praying for mercy for Noor adDeen and for victory and blessing for Salah ad-Deen.214 This action is indicative of the extent of Salah ad-Deen's sincerity towards Noor ad-Deen Mahmood Zangi, who did a great deal to achieve Muslim unity, paving the way for the eradication of the Crusader presence in Greater Syria. It also indicates that when Salah ad-Deen put an end to the Zangid state which had become very weak and declined after the death of Noor ad-Deen Mahmood and the appointment of his young son al-Malik as-Salih Isma'eel, the aim was only to continue the preparations for jihad against the Crusaders, in order to remove them and take back Jerusalem.215 Salah ad-Deen restores Jerusalem Salah ad-Deen removed the buildings and walls that the Crusaders had introduced in the sanctuary of Jerusalem. The Templars had built houses and dwellings along the west side of al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and had incorporated part of the mosque into their buildings. They had built a wall across the front of the prayer niche and used it for storage or, it was said, they used it as a place for relieving themselves, intending that as an insult to Islam and the Muslims.216 Over the Rock in Jerusalem they built a church, which they filled with images and icons. They set up an altar on the Rock, and allocated spaces there for monks.

On top of the Dome of the Rock they set up a large cross, and did other things that changed its features. The greedy ones among them cut pieces from the Rock and sold them in the markets of Constantinople and Sicily for their weight in gold.217 On the first Friday of Sha'ban 583 AH/ 9 October 1187 CE, which was a week after the Friday on which the Muslims had entered Jerusalem, Salah ad-Deen issued orders to remove any and all buildings and walls the Crusaders had constructed. The wall blocking the prayer niche was to be removed. He also ordered that the structures and images that they had introduced on the scared Dome be removed. Then he ordered al-Faqeeh Diya' ad-Deen al-Hakari to be in charge of that and to surround it with iron windows.218 With regard to the golden cross that the Crusaders had set up on the Dome of the Rock, Ibn Wasil states that as soon as the Muslims entered the city, a group of them climbed up the Dome and removed the cross which fell, whereupon all the people shouted as one, inside and outside the city, Muslims and Franks alike. As for the Muslims, they shouted "Allahu Akbar!" with joy, whereas the Franks cried out in anguish and sorrow.219 When Salah ad-Deen finished removing everything the Crusaders had introduced in Jerusalem, he began to refurbish al-Masjid al-Aqsa, putting a great deal of effort into beautifying it and making its inscriptions precise.

He brought marble of unparalleled splendor, and gems from Constantinople, and other materials for adornment which defy description. He began to refurbish and adorn it, removing the images and statues that were on its walls.220 Salah ad-Deen paid particular attention to the prayer niche, adorning it with marble.221 The sultan spread carpets in al-Masjid alAqsa, making it a place devoted for worshippers, cleansing it of filth and sweeping away all dirt from in and around it.222 Al-Malik al-Muzaffar Taqi ad-Deen 'Umar brought to the Dome of the Rock large amounts of rosewater; he himself took charge of sweeping its length and breadth, then he washed it with water several times until it was purified, and he poured rosewater over it. He cleaned and purified its walls, and he perfumed it with incense. Al-Malik al-Afdal Noor ad-Deen ‘Ali ibn Salah ad-Deen came along with dignity and honor and furnished it with fine carpets.223 The Muslims cleaned the mosque and furnished it with reed mats, hung up lamps and spread carpets.214 After Salah ad-Deen had finished purifying Bayt al-Maqdis of the Crusader relics, he appointed sermon-givers, imams, muezzins and caretakers for al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the Dome of the Rock and other mosques in Jerusalem, and brought copies of the Quran and the wooden boxes in which they were kept. Salah ad-Deen also set up schools and ribats. He turned a church into a school for Shafi’i scholars, allocated the house of the Patriarch as a ribat for the poor, and set up great endowments to support it.225 Salah ad-Deen's recapture of Jerusalem from the clutches of the Crusaders was so important for Salah ad-Deen and his status among the Muslim heroes that it may be said that the Rightly-Guided Caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) rescued Jerusalem from Byzantine clutches in 15 AH, and Salah ad-Deen revisited this achievement in the sixth century AH, after Jerusalem had been subjected to Crusader aggression which lasted for nearly a hundred years.

By means of this great action, Salah ad-Deen laid the foundation for the Muslim sultans who came after him to finish off the rest of the Crusaders in Greater Syria.226 Sending glad tidings and delegations throughout the Muslim world By recapturing Jerusalem, Salah ad-Deen reached the pinnacle of political and military glory. News of this incident began to spread throughout the Muslim world. Salah ad-Deen hastened to send the glad tidings of the recapture of Jerusalem to the 'Abbasid caliph in Baghdad and to various Muslim emirs and rulers. Abu Shamah, quoted from al-'Imad al-Isfahani, who was not present during the conquest because he was sick, that when he heard news in Damascus of the sultan Salah adDeen's victory in Jerusalem, he recovered from his sickness and went to him, reaching him on the second Saturday after the conquest. Al-Isfahani described the incident: I arrived in the morning, and he was so happy to see me that he gave a gift to the one who told him of my arrival even before he saw me. His companions were asking him for letters giving the glad tidings so that they could take them everywhere, west and east and he was telling them, "There is a man for this mission.” So on that day I wrote seventy letters, each letter telling the glad tidings in an eloquent manner.

Among them was the letter to the caliph's embassy in Baghdad, which I began with this verse: {Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds, that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth, just as He granted it to those before them, and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has preferred for them [Islam] and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security.} (Quran 24: 55) He also sent word to the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos, telling him the glad tidings of that great victory.227 Salah ad-Deen received letters and delegations from Muslim kings and emirs, including the Seljuks of Rum, Khorasan and Iraq, congratulating him for the great victory for which Allah had singled him out.228 When the Muslims heard of the recapture of Jerusalem, they came to visit it 'from every deep mountain pass', coming via all routes. They assumed their ihram from Jerusalem to visit the Ancient House (the Ka'bah in Makkah).229 Salah ad-Deen sat in his tent outside Jerusalem to meet prominent figures, emirs and scholars who came to him from all over and to visit Bayt al-Maqdis, and congratulate him for the unique blessing that Allah had bestowed upon him, namely the recapture of Jerusalem from the Crusaders.230 Salah ad-Deen' s differences with the Abbasid caliph Salah ad-Deen had some problems with the caliph an-Nasir, a caliph of strong character who cared about outward appearances and titles more than anything else. That is because despite the fact that when he became caliph he gave full authority to Salah ad-Deen, after a while he sent him a letter via his vizier rebuking him for some things he had heard about him.231 Ibn Katheer summed up the differences between the caliph an-Nasir and the sultan Salah ad-Deen: …The caliph wrote to him and rebuked him for several things: he sent the glad tidings of victory at Hattin with a young Baghdadi man who was of lowly status in their eyes, and had no standing; he sent news of the Conquest of Jerusalem with a courier and called himself al-Malik an-Nasir, as if competing with the caliph an-Nasir. Salah ad-Deen met the envoy with a kind and cheerful attitude and expressed nothing but his willingness to hear and obey, and he sent word apologizing for what had happened, stating that war had distracted him from taking his time in many matters. As for his using the title of an-Nasir, it stemmed from the days of the caliph al-Mustadi', but nevertheless, whatever title the caliph gave him, he would choose nothing but it, and he was extremely polite towards the caliph, may Allah have mercy on him.232 Presence of the scholars in Salah ad-Deen' s conquests The scholars and jurisprudents were with Salah ad-Deen and he received full support from them. Salah ad-Deen had begun his conquests after Hattin with the conquest of Acre on Friday 2 Jumada II 583 AH/1187 CE, because it was on the route to Jerusalem on the one hand, and so that, by conquering it, he could be certain of cutting off the reinforcements and supplies that came through it from Europe to the Crusaders in Jerusalem on the other hand.

A number of scholars took part in this conquest, foremost among whom were Al Qadi al-Fadil, al-Faqeeh Jamal ad-Deen 'Abd al-Lateef ibn ash-Shaykh Abi an-Najeeb as-Sahrawardi and al-Faqeeh Diya' adDeen 'Eesa al-Hakari. After Salah ad-Deen had completed the conquest of the city of Acre, Al Qadi al-Fadil turned its largest church into a congregational mosque and ordered that the qiblah and minbar be built, and Friday prayers were established there. Ibn al-Atheer mentioned in this regard that it was the first Friday prayer to be established on the Syrian coast after the Franks had taken over it.233 At that time, alFaqeeh Jamal ad-Deen 'Abd al-Lateef ibn ash-Shaykh Abi an-Najeeb as-Sahrawardi took charge of the khutbah and imams, then Salah ad-Deen appointed him after that to be in charge of all positions of sermon-givers, judges, endowments, and those responsible for checking on standards in the marketplace in the city of Acre.234 Al-Faqeeh 'Eesa al-Hakari had been with Salah ad-Deen during his campaigns and conquests. Hence after the conquest of Acre, the sultan allocated to him all the houses, Land and other places that had belonged to the Knights Templar. He took them, with all the produce and property that they contained, as a token of appreciation and an acknowledgement of his status and his participation in the jihad with the Muslims, as well as an encouragement to continue striving hard and taking part in this duty.235 This action on Salah ad-Deen's part was unique and unprecedented; this gift was something other than the wealth of war booty that Salah ad-Deen distributed to the mujahideen and that the Muslims acquired as the result of this conquest. The Islamic sources are agreed that a large number of scholars took part with Salah ad-Deen in the Conquest of Jerusalem, as was stated by the historians.

Scholars came to him from Egypt and Syria, and no one who was known stayed behind or failed to come.236 Shaykh Abu 'Umar ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi and his brother Shaykh Muwaffaq ad-Deen ibn Qudamah were among those who took part in this conquest; they were famous, virtuous scholars.237 Ibn al-Atheer noted: He and his brother, along with their maternal cousin al-Hafidh 'Abd alGhani and his brother Shaykh al-Imad, never stayed behind from any campaign in which Al-Malikal-Malik Salah ad-Deen set out for Frankish territory. They were present with him at the Conquest of Jerusalem and the coast and elsewhere.238 In the midst of his joy at this great conquest, Salah ad-Deen did not forget his vizier and consultant, Al Qadi al-Fadil, whose sickness had prevented him from being present at the Conquest of Jerusalem and who was staying in Damascus. Salah ad-Deen sent a letter to him with the glad tidings of his conquest. From the words of this letter we can clearly see the extent of Salah ad-Deen's love and appreciation for this noble judge and how he wished that he could have been present at that time. Then his joy at the blessing of victory that Allah had bestowed upon him would have been complete.239 After Allah blessed Salah ad-Deen with the Conquest of Jerusalem on Friday 27 Rajab 583 AH/October 1187 CE, he shared out the wealth that had been taken from the Crusaders to ransom themselves among the emirs, scholars and jurisprudents who had been present with him during this conquest. The amount was over three hundred thousand dinars.240 Then he sat in his tent outside Jerusalem in a humble and dignified manner among the scholars, to receive congratulations after this great conquest.241 The poets among the scholars offered their congratulations to Salah ad-Deen for this great conquest in odes in which they expressed the extent of their happiness at this clear victory.

Among them was the famous poet Al Qadi Ibn Sana' al-Mulk.242 It is worth mentioning that Al Qadi al-Fadil and Al-Qadi Muhiy ad-Deen az-Zaki were among the elite scholars who had predicted and were optimistic about the Conquest of Jerusalem by the Muslims, and they had sent word to Salah ad-Deen giving him these glad tidings. This is mentioned in the ode that Ibn az-Zaki composed on the occasion of Salah ad-Deen's successful annexation of Aleppo into the united Islamic front in 579 AH/1183 CE, when he said: Your conquest of Aleppo by the sword in Safar is like glad tidings of conquering Jerusalem in Rajab. This line of verse is regarded as one of the most amazing coincidences and as a kind of optimism expressed by Al Qadi Ibn az-Zaki, in which he foretold the Conquest of Jerusalem in Rajab. Allah willed that Jerusalem should be conquered in Rajab 583 AH, four years after these glad tidings were spoken. Perhaps these good words in which the Conquest of Jerusalem was foretold, were a motivation and inspiration to Salah ad-Deen to strive hard to conquer Jerusalem in that blessed time, which happened to be the date of the Prophet (SAW) Night Journey from Makah to Jerusalem and ascent from there into the heavens.243 The Sultan Salah ad-Deen appointed Al Qadi Muhiy ad-Deen ibn az-Zaki to deliver the Friday khutbah in alMasjid al-Aqsa as an honor to him in return for this line of poetry in which he had praised Salah ad-Deen for his conquest of Aleppo, and in which he foretold the conquest of Jerusalem in Rajab, but also because of his status and that of his scholarly family, his strict adherence to the truth, and his many accomplishments in fiqh and literature, in addition to the fact that he enjoyed a unique talent in eloquence and composition of speeches and motivating his listeners.244 Thus it becomes clear to us the importance of the role played by the scholars in the Conquest of Jerusalem, as they joined the ranks of the mujahideen as volunteers, motivated by religious fervor. They came from all places and took up arms behind Salah ad-Deen to liberate Jerusalem, motivated by their hope of victory or martyrdom, and Allah crowned their efforts with victory and the return of Jerusalem-Masjid al-Aqsa to the Muslims.

Their role did not end after that; rather, this conquest was a strong motivation and raised their morale. This is what we see in the khutbah of Al Qadi Ibn az-Zaki which urged the Muslims to continue in the path of jihad until the Muslim lands were completely cleansed of the enemy's dross. We also see that in the exhortation of al-Faqeeh Ibn Naja.245 Another of the great works undertaken by the scholars in Jerusalem after the conquest was what al-Faqeeh Diya' ad-Deen 'Eesa al-Hakari did: he made iron grilles to be placed over the windows for the Dome of the Rock to protect it from any tampering, after the sultan Salah ad-Deen had removed the icons, images and crosses that the Crusaders had installed around it.246 Siege of Tyre In 583 AH/1187 CE, Salah ad-Deen achieved great victories against the Crusaders. He took control of most parts of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, apart from the city of Tyre which the Muslim historians described as a fortified city stretching out into the sea as if it were a ship, with no route to and except one road which had seven towers.247 In addition to that it had strong walls and high towers and was filled with Crusaders who had fled to it because of the safe passage that Salah ad-Deen had granted to the Crusaders in return for handing over their cities to him.248 Although the Crusaders had lost most of their leaders and commanders in their battles with Salah ad-Deen, as they were either slain or fell captive, some new, competent leaders appeared among them who took charge of their affairs, especially Conrad de Montferrat,249 whom Ibn Shaddad described as a great and wise man, strict in adherence to his religion and very tough.250 Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi described him as courageous and determined.251 This Conrad, or 'the Marquis', as the Arabic sources call him, became the leader of the Crusaders. The princes and knights inside the city agreed to rally behind the banner of Conrad and recognize him as their leader, in return for his pledge to defend them and protect them against Muslim attacks. A decision was also reached to reject the conditions offered by Salah ad-Deen during negotiations.

He quickly sent delegations to request reinforcements and help from Western Europe and he shouldered the burden of defending what was left of the Crusader entities in Greater Syria until the Third Crusade arrived.252 Salah ad-Deen was forced to lift the first siege of Tyre before conquering Jerusalem, and Conrad worked to strengthen its fortifications and prepare it for the expected battle. He dug a moat on the eastern side, which was the only side that connected the city to the land, so the city became like an island, and he fortified its walls.253 When Salah ad-Deen came back to besiege it again on 22 Ramadan/ November, he began the siege by bombarding the walls of the city with mangonels. The Muslims used different types of weapons to breach the walls, but to no avail. The city managed to withstand the Muslim strikes and attacks on Land and sea, at which point Salah ad-Deen resorted to political means to persuade Conrad to surrender, because his father William III was a prisoner of Salah ad-Deen, so he tried to use him to influence Conrad, threatening to execute him. However, this attempt failed due to Conrad's stubbornness, as he responded by saying that he would prefer the slaughter of himself and his father to handing over any part of the city. As a result of these political and military developments, Salah ad-Deen was forced to lift the siege of Tyre at the end of Shawwal 583 AH/beginning of January 1188 CE.

That was the first failure he had experienced in his military operations against the Crusaders since the Battle of Hattin.254 A number of factors together prompted Salah ad-Deen to lift the siege on Tyre, the most important of which were:  The psychological condition of the Ayubid army had become very critical after facing difficulty in conquering the city; some of his commanders suggested that the troops needed to rest.  The rich emirs and sponsors of the army suggested lifting the siege from Tyre because they were afraid that Salah ad-Deen would borrow from them to spend on the army if the siege continued, at a time when Salah ad-Deen supported the view of some of his other commanders, which was that the army should continue the siege of Tyre and borrow money from the rich. But the latter insisted on lifting the siege.  Tyre became open to the sea after the naval blockade imposed by the Egyptian fleet failed, so food supplies and weapons continued to come to the city.  Salah ad-Deen had been lenient towards the Crusaders of the conquered cities, and his allowing them to gather in Tyre had raised their morale, so they got together to defend the city.  Natural factors also played a role in the failure of the siege, as winter was very rainy and cold that year, and sickness broke out in the Ayubid camp.255 The Muslim historians expressed profound regret for Salah ad-Deen's failure to conquer Tyre. The historian Ibn al-Atheer, who is known for his critical bias against Salah ad-Deen, held Salah ad-Deen responsible for what happened to the Muslims at Tyre, and said that no one was to blame with regard to Tyre except Salah ad-Deen, for he had facilitated the gathering of Crusaders there and supplied them with men and wealth from the people of Acre, Ascalon, Jerusalem and elsewhere, because he was too lenient and tolerant towards the Crusaders.256 Sibt ibn al-Jawzi thought that Salah ad-Deen had wasted an opportunity for the Muslims by transferring the Crusaders to Tyre without taking the consequences into account; he should have presented Islam to them, and executed any who did not accept it. He also likened these events to what had happened in the battles of Badr and Uhud. It seems that Ibn al-Atheer may have been biased against Salah ad-Deen because he was a supporter of the Zangids and he had not forgotten that Salah ad-Deen had put an end to their rule in Syria; it is not unlikely that Sibt ibn al-Jawzi was influenced by Ibn al-Atheer in that regard.257 In fact, the plan that Salah ad-Deen followed with regard to the Crusaders was based on guaranteeing their safety in return for their handing over the cities and fortresses to him, which gave Salah ad-Deen the opportunity to capture most of the Kingdom of Jerusalem within a few months, apart from a few places, among which was the city of Tyre. Salah ad-Deen had no choice but to follow this plan, because if he had tried to capture the cities of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by means of force and perseverance, the fighting would have gone on for a long time.

This is in addition to the fact that he followed a policy of handovers in return for safety, in accordance with the tolerant nature of Islam.258 Throughout his wars Salah ad-Deen behaved as if he was trying, with full awareness, to make himself acceptable to his future subjects and to lay the foundations of a state in which the two religions could live side by side under his authority. Salah ad-Deen's aim was to crush the political power of the Crusaders, not to wipe out the Christians.259 Salah ad-Deen's conduct, which was based on the teachings of Islam, had an impact on the politicians and people of Europe, because of what they saw of his generous pardons and noble tolerance. He was a good example for people260 and presented a positive image of Islam with his noble character and his sword. This is what made Churchill Say concerning him, "He was one of the greatest kings of this world. It also prompted the English writer H. Rider Haggard to say that he was "the greatest man on the face of the earth.”261 Completion of conquests Conquest of Kerak and Crac de Montreal Stephanie, the Lady of Outrejourdain (Transjordan), which was adjacent to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, was one of the prisoners ransomed after the Conquest of Jerusalem.

She asked Salah ad-Deen to release her son Humphrey, ruler of Toron (now Tibnin), and Salah ad-Deen agreed to her request, but he stipulated, in return, that she should handover the two great fortresses of Kerak and Crac de Montreal which belonged to this province. It seems that Stephanie agreed to Salah ad-Deen's condition, so he released her son, and at the same time she instructed the garrisons of the two fortresses to surrender, but they refused to do so, which prompted her to return her son to captivity. In return for this noble conduct, Salah ad-Deen responded with an act that was even nobler: he released her son after a few months. He then besieged the two fortresses. The siege of Kerak and Crac de Montreal lasted for more than a year, during which time the defenders were exposed to hunger and thirst, but they only surrendered after their supplies had run out and they had eaten their mounts, and they had begun to despair of any help reaching them that would enable them to persist. They persevered until there was no room left for patience, and surrendered in Rabee' 1 584 AH/ May 1188 CE.

Turning towards the north After conquering the southern areas of Greater Syria and adding them to the other Muslim areas from Eilat and ‘Aqabah in the south to Beirut in the north, with the exception of Tyre, Salah ad-Deen then headed north to conquer regions under Crusader domination in the principalities of Tripoli and Antioch. Maymond III of Tripoli died of grief shortly after fleeing from the Battle of Hattin, leaving no children. He left instructions that he was to be succeeded by the eldest son of Bohemond III of Antioch, but the latter needed his firstborn son by his side to defend the principality of Antioch.262 Salah ad-Deen raided Baqee'ah after reinforcements came to him from Sinjar, and attacked Crac des Chevaliers, which was under the control of the Templers, in Rabee' II/June, but he was confronted with the strength of its fortifications, so he moved on to the coast of Tripoli and Antioch, and attacked Antartus in Jumada I/July and entered it, but the citadel held out against him, so he ordered that the city be set on fire and it was razed to the ground.263 He also besieged Fort Marqab, but it also resisted him, so he headed towards Baniyas, in the northernmost part of the principality of Tripoli, and conquered it, then he penetrated deep into the principality of Antioch, where the coastal citadel of Jablah surrendered to him, as did Latakia, which was the largest port in the principality of Antioch. The Crusaders abandoned it after they were unable to defend it. He conquered the citadel of Bak Isra'eel which was located on the road to Hamah, opposite Jablah.264 After that, Salah ad-Deen turned towards the interior, taking with him his son adh-Dhahir Ghazi, ruler of Aleppo, and attacked the citadel of Zion, which belonged to the Hospitallers; he conquered it by force and the garrisons of Bakkas and Shaghar, which lay to the northwest on the Orontes River, surrendered to him, as did Sarmeen and Barziyah, which were the last citadels in the furthest point south of the Orontes.265 With these conquests, complete domination was achieved over all the frontline posts around the city of Antioch, and there was nothing left of the fortresses belonging to this principality apart from Baghras and Darbasak to the north, so Salah ad-Deen attacked them. Barbasak, which was located in the Amanus mountains266 and belonged to the Templars, surrendered to him, as did the citadel of Baghras, which also belonged to the Templars and controlled the route that led from Antioch to Cilicia.267 Thus the wings of the two principalities of Tripoli and Antioch were clipped, and there was nothing left but the cities of Tripoli and Antioch themselves, in addition to the port of Suwaydiyah.

The Hospitallers held on to the fortresses of Markab and Crac des Chevaliers, and the Templars held on to Antartus. As a result of the way the situation deteriorated in the Principality of Antioch, Bohemond III sought a truce with Salah ad-Deen, in which he acknowledged all his conquests. The Muslim troops had become exhausted as a result of the ongoing fighting, hence he agreed to this request and a truce was drawn up between them to last for eight months.268 This truce allowed Salah ad-Deen to turn again towards the south, after he granted leave to part of his army. He attacked two forts belonging to the Templars in Safad and the Hospitallers in Kawkab, and conquered them in Shawwal and Dhul-Qa'dah 584 AH/December 1188 CE and January 1189 CE, respectively.269 "We were not created to stay in Damascus: we were created for worship and for jihad for the sake of Allah" In Rabee' I of 584 AH, Salah ad-Deen entered Damascus after returning from one of his campaigns. The Muslims rejoiced, glad tidings were spread and the city was decorated. As-Safi ibn al-Qabid, the treasurer, had built a huge house in the citadel, facing south.

Salah ad-Deen got angry with him and dismissed him from his post and said, "We were not created to stay in Damascus, rather we were created for worship and for jihad.270 What you have done is something that discourages one and makes a person turn away from that for which he was created.” 271 The sound Islamic teaching which the Ummah learned from the Messenger of Allah (SWT) is that which dominated the movements and attitude of Salah adDeen and his choices in life. Hence he uttered these words that deserve to be written in letters of gold, "We were created only for worship and for jihad.” Before that, at Hattin, he said to his general staff, "Do not fight for my sake, rather for the sake of Allah.” tawhid had cleansed his heart of whatever was clinging to it of whims and desires, temptation and whispers from the devil. With his deep faith and precise understanding of his religion, he challenged the claims of the astrologers who warned him against conquering Jerusalem and had said to him, "Conquer Jerusalem and you will lose one of your eyes.” He had replied, "I would be content to conquer it and go blind.” Then he conquered it after it had been in the hands of the Franks for more than seventy years, 272 thus proving false the speculation of the astrologers. He listened only to the call of Allah and His Messenger (SAW) 273 Death of Usamah ibn Munqidh In 584 AH, the great emir and scholar, the knight of Syria, Majd ad-Deen Mu'ayyid ad-Dawlah Abul-Muzaffar Usamah ibn al-Ameer Murshid ibn 'Ali ibn Muqallid ibn Nasr ibn Munqidh al-Kinani ash-Shayzari died.274 Adh-Dhahabi said: He lived for ninety-seven years and died in Damascus in Ramadan 584 AH. He wrote lines of poetry praising the sultan Salah ad-Deen. Usamah ibn Munqidh lived a long life filled with achievements, righteous deeds, calamities and disasters.

He witnessed the Crusaders' campaigns against Greater Syria and took part in the movement of jihad and martyrdom for the sake of liberating Muslim lands from western invaders in Shayzar and its environs under the banner of the Zangids. He took part in political life at times of both war and peace during the life of Zangi, and at the end of the Fatimid era, the foundations of which collapsed at the hand of an-Nasir Salah ad-Deen. With the death of Usamah ibn Munqidh, the final page of the history of the family of Munqidh in Syria was closed. Ibn al-'Adeem described him as a virtuous emir and a brave and knightly literary poet, who wrote numerous books, engaged in famous exploits and was of virtuous character. Ibn Tagharri Burdi wrote, "He possessed deep knowledge of literature, writing and poetry, and was a wise and capable knight, who had memorized twenty thousand lines of verse from the times before Islam.”276 Most important lessons From studying the incidents outlined above, the researcher may discover a number of lessons which are applicable to our modern life, among which are: The importance of the devoted scholars in reviving the Ummah The Ummah is in the utmost need of those who can wake it from its slumber, bring it out of its ignorance and alert it to its negligence. Among the reasons for the great good that was achieved at the hands of Salah ad-Deen was the activity of the scholars in educating, teaching, directing and guiding.

The most important role that awaits the devoted scholars is the purifying of the 'aqeedah of the coming generation from the false beliefs, myths and ideas of polytheism with which it has been contaminated; purifying the Sunnah from that with which it has been contaminated; purifying Islamic history from the confusion with which it is contaminated and making manifest the bright points in our history so that lessons may be drawn from them; purifying fiqh from the personal views and innovated matters with which it is contaminated; purifying the art of preaching from the stories from Jewish sources, myths and fairy tales with which it is contaminated; and raising the new generation in this manner. This is the foundation of reform that is needed to establish any revival. The scholars should direct educators to revise the curricula in order to raise the new generation with love for jihad and present them with the example of the great leaders of history who defeated the disbelievers, such as the rightly-guided caliphs, Abu 'Ubaydah, Mu'adh, Khalid ibn al-Waleed, al-Muthanna ibn Harithah, Noor ad-Deen, Salah ad-Deen, Qutuz and Baybars; and to teach this new generation about the decisive battles of Islam and inspire them from an early age to love the idea of giving and sacrificing for their religion. The scholars must enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil; confront evil and the lack of resolve; and protect the Ummah from being tampered with by every follower of whims and desires. The scholars have to correct the deviation of the Ummah and its leaders, among whom there are tyrants, oppressors and suppressors, the low who are reluctant to rise, the lax who are reluctant to become serious, the wrongdoers who are reluctant to be just, the deviants who are reluctant to follow the straight path, those who denounce good and approve of evil. Jerusalem will never be taken back until after the devoted scholars lead the Ummah aright and guide its rulers to the path of good.277 Educating the new generation in the 'aqeedah of Ahl asSunnah wal-Jama'ah Those who call people to Islam and aspire to liberate Jerusalem and al-Aqsa must raise the generation that is to achieve the hoped-for victory.

They must raise it with the 'aqeedah of the Messenger and his Companions, and purify their beliefs of the false and corrupt notions, myths, ideas of polytheism and innovations with which they are contaminated. What beautiful words Imam Malik ibn Anas, the imam of Madinah, spoke when he said, "Nothing will be good for the last of this Ummah except that which was good for the first of them.” How beautiful are the words of the one who said, “Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, then it will be established for you on earth.” Jerusalem only fell at the hands of the Fatimids, who were followers of innovation and it was only lost when loyalty to Islam was lost and the Arab revolutionaries allied themselves with the British against the Muslim Turks. Jerusalem only fell (to the Zionists) after the people deviated from the straight path and the men in leading positions were the ones who sought to keep Islam out of the conflict. It is impossible for Jerusalem to be regained at the hands of those who revile the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, denounce them as disbelievers and undermine the basic principles of this religion. They and their ilk are the daggers with which the Ummah was stabbed. Allah grants victory to those in whose hearts he knows there is sincerity, resolve, sound understanding, pure tawhid and loyalty (to Allah and His Messenger).278 Loyalty purely for the sake of Allah and His Messenger The crux of the matter is that everyone in this Ummah, near and far, young and old, should express their disappointment in Jews and Christians because of their disbelief (in Allah's scriptures and His messengers), and express their disapproval of those who have stolen the land of Palestine.

Their leaders' statements indicate that the conflict between us and them is religious in nature. For example, the U.S. Leaders' love and loyalty towards Israel is based on a purely religious and biblical foundation, as they venerate the Torah, the 'Old Testament', as much as they venerate the Gospel, the 'New Testament'. This establishment and protection of Israel is based on a religious commitment in England and America. Shame on the Ummah that handed over its affairs and those of its children, its resources and its land to its enemies! Shame on the Ummah that rejected its Islam and adopted the defective ideas of the Greeks and Romans!

Shame on the rich who seek the help of others!279 U.S. Presidents have spoken of what Israel means to them. The International Herald Tribune published a special report280 which included the words of ten American presidents, over a period of fifty years from the establishment of Israel until the present, in which they affirmed their commitment to the security of Israel. This newspaper commented: Since achieving independence in 1948, Israel has occupied a special place in the hearts of Americans and in the hearts of America's presidents. In every administration, the president has acknowledged the importance of Israel's security to the national interests of America.281 Bill Clinton said, "America and Israel share a special bond, a relationship that is unique among all other nations. As is the case in America, Israel enjoys a strong democracy, as a symbol of freedom.

It is an oasis of independence, a refuge for the oppressed and persecuted.” George Bush: "For more than forty years, the United States and Israel have enjoyed friendship based on mutual respect and commitment to the principles of democracy. Our resumed search for peace begins in the Middle East, by understanding that the ties that bind our two countries cannot be undone.” Ronald Reagan: "Free men and women in Israel prove every day the strength of courage and faith. If we go back to 1949 [sic], the year when Israel was founded, some critics claimed that the new state could not survive. But now no one has any doubt that Israel is the land of stability and democracy in a region of tyranny and turmoil.” Jimmy Carter: "The survival of Israel is not just a political issue, rather it is a moral commitment. This is my profound belief of which I am certain. This is the belief which the overwhelming majority of the American people share with me.

Strong and secure Israel is not just the concern of the Israelis; rather it is the concern of the United States and the entire free world.282 Gerald Ford: "My commitment to the security and future of Israel is based on fundamental principles. It is a personal interest, as an enlightened and educated man, as our role in supporting Israel is an honor to our national legacy.283 Richard Nixon: "The Americans are impressed by a people who cultivated the desert and turned it into a garden. The Israelis have proven, with evidence that is acceptable to the Americans, that they have courage, patriotism, idealism and love of freedom. I have seen that and I believe in it.284 John Kennedy: "Israel was not created to disappear; it will survive and flourish. It is the offspring of security and the home and of courageous people. It will never be broken by lies or by the breaking of its morale.

It carries the shield of democracy and the sword of freedom.285 Dwight Eisenhower: "Our forces have saved the remnants of the Jewish people in Europe for a new life, a new hope, in a new land. We support all men of sincere resolve. I salute the young state and wish it every success.286 Harry Truman: "I had faith in Israel before it was established, as I have faith in it now. I believe that it has a bright future ahead of it, not just as an independent nation, but as the embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.287 Unity of the Ummah is founded on unity of belief Allah Says: Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row, as if they are a [single] structure. (Quran 61: 4 ) The united nation is stronger at times of combat than factions which come together, then scatter; which march, then stop, brought together by temporary interests. It is the decree of Allah in this life that when the Ummah is united on the basis of 'aqeedah, it is stronger and more powerful, even if its numbers are few.

This can clearly be seen in the flow of history. What a difference there is between a venture that is motivated by whims and desires and human concepts, and a venture that is motivated by divine principles. What a difference there is between an Ummah whose course is enlightened by the religion of Allah and peoples whose whims and desires give them a little light, then it is extinguished. Engaging in a decisive battle with the Rafidah alongside us does not help. Salah ad-Deen did away with the Fatimid state first, then after that he was able to liberate Jerusalem, after putting an end to Rafidi thought. History teaches us the role played by the Batinis and the Rafidi Shiites in betraying the Ummah, killing its mujahideen and placing obstacles in the way of the jihad against the Crusaders throughout Islamic history.

In recent history, they formed an alliance with the United States at the expense of Afghanistan and Iraq, putting their sectarian interests above everything else. The followers of innovation are like scorpions which bury their heads and bodies in the sand, leaving only their tails exposed, and whenever they are able to, they sting. The followers of innovation are like that too: they hide among the people, then whenever they gain power, they take what they want.288 Islamic banner for the battle The banner of Islam is our life and hope, our light and insight. It is the only banner for our coming battles. The Jews and Christians are fighting us on the basis of the Torah in a religious war, under the banners of the cross and the star, so we can only fight on the basis of the Quran. When they refer to the teachings of the Talmud, we should refer to Bukhari and Muslim; when they say, "We venerate Saturday," we should Say, "We venerate Friday"; when they Say, "the Temple Mount", we should Say, "al-Aqsa"; when they fight under the banner of Judaism and Christianity, we should fight under the banner of Islam.289 Jamal Hamadan writes, Before Islam, the Arabs of Arabia were not a nation and they had no history; they were not even a nation without history, rather they were just a bunch of warring tribes, bent on mutual destruction, speaking many dialects and sometimes even different languages.

They did not have any presence outside Arabia, and any history that they had was the matter of folklore, at best.290 The Arabs came out of the desert and entered history by virtue of Islam, and they could not have achieved anything without it. For the Arabs, Islam was not just a message from heaven, it was salvation from heaven.291 Islam came to stay, and Islam came back to lead again.292 The banner of Noor ad-Deen and Salah ad-Deen in their battles was Islam, and the Muslim people, Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Persians and others, all rallied around that banner and achieved these brilliant victories. A far-reaching Islamic strategy and the scholars who understood the situation The liberation of Jerusalem at the hands of Salah ad-Deen teaches us that there is a specific course to be followed in order to liberate it once again, with its own aims and means, all of which are in accordance with Islamic teaching, but no progress can be made without a clear, detailed method which will allow the people involved to know what they want. Allah Says: {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides them whom you do not know but whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the Cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.} (Quran 8: 60) So it is essential to clarify a number of matters o Who is our enemy? o How does each of our enemies think, and what are their potentials? o What has each of our enemies prepared? o Have we prepared ourselves to meet the challenges? How have our enemies succeeded in achieving their goals? o Why have our enemies succeeded in tying the Ummah in chains and forcing it to submit to them; how have they stolen our holy places, land and resources, and mocked our beliefs? o Why does the Ummah have such a careless attitude towards this serious danger which is threatening its existence?

The reason is to be found in the fact that this Ummah is ignorant of its religion and of the mission for which it was created and for which it was given power on earth. That resulted in corruption of beliefs, politics, conduct and morals, and the Ummah fell into doing haram things, consuming haram wealth, neglecting its obligations towards Allah and failing to understand properly the concept of loyalty (to Allah and to Islam) and disavowal (of His enemies and of disbelief).293 The solution can come if we are sincere in our intention and turn to Allah. We can learn from historical experiences in order to prepare a long-term strategic plan to confront contemporary challenges,294 a strategy that is based on the Islamic identity that we have lost. Allah (SWT) says: And Say: Ours is] the religion of Allah [Islam] and who is better than Allah in [ordaining] religion? And we are His worshippers. (Quran 2: 138) Repentance of the Muslim Ummah, its turning back to Allah and its avoidance of sin The support of Allah does not come to a nation that is promiscuous, heedless, and turns away from Allah and His Messenger.

The support of Allah does not come to a nation that is sinking in the foul mire of sin and rebelling against the laws of its Lord, turning standards upside down and going against the divine laws. Rather His support comes to a nation that is patient and knows that it will only prevail against its enemy by virtue of its obedience to Allah and of its enemy's disobedience to Him, and knows that Allah has honored it with Islam; if it seeks glory in anything else, Allah will humiliate it. So victory requires beseeching, earnest tears and turning humbly to Allah. Find out about how the Prophet (SAW) wept and prayed the night before Badr, the night before the Battle of the Confederates and all the battles of this Ummah.295 Turning back to Allah is one of the means of major victory. Jihad for the sake of Allah is the only way to take back Jerusalem The only way to liberate the occupied lands is the way of jihad for the sake of Allah,296 which represents the basis of our security and the pinnacle of our religion, and is one of the gates to paradise. It is a release from the earth's gravity which allows us to rise above the heavy burden of flesh and blood.

The Ummah will not be able to protect its existence and its holy places except by means of the act of worship that is jihad for the sake of Allah; this act of worship that was performed by Noor ad-Deen and Salah ad-Deen was one of the factors that enabled them to confront the crusaders. Allah (SWT) Says: O you who have believed! Shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful torment? [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the Cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know. He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment.

And [you will obtain] another [favor] that you love: victory from Allah and an imminent conquest. And give good tidings to the believers. (Quran 61: 10-13) Other lessons that we can learn are: 1) The importance of putting one's trust in Allah, relying on Him and having certain faith in His support for the believers; 2) Understanding and comprehending the laws of cause and effect ordained by Allah, such as the principle of changing what is in the heart, the natural conflicts that occur among people, and the law of Allah concerning the means of victory or defeat; 3) The moral means that lead to victory include faith in Allah, awareness of Him, the will for jihad, sincerity, trust in Him, patience, unity, consultation, remembrance of Allah, supplication, obedience, courage, steadfastness; 4) The material means that lead to victory include spending, preparing equipment and weapons, preparing the mujahideen militarily, planning, implementing the principles of war such as deciding on a goal and keeping it in mind, mobilizing the forces, moderation in using force and reserving it, taking the enemy by surprise, seeking the right time, flexibility, security, cooperation, pursuit; understanding the law of Allah which dictates that truth should prevail and falsehood should be vanquished; 5) Understanding the conflict between truth and falsehood; 6) Understanding the law of Allah which leads to the punishment of nations; and finally 7) Knowing the causes of divine punishment of nations by eliminating them: causes such as disbelief in Allah, denial of the Day of Recompense, attributing their polytheism and sin to the will of Allah on the basis of conjecture, harming the Messengers in various ways, disbelief of the nation after the coming of the signs that it asked for, its seeking to hasten the punishment, arguing on false grounds, being preoccupied with this world and forgetting the hereafter, extravagance and luxury, vanity, arrogance, deviousness, preventing people from going to the mosques, sinning, and so on.