Part 7

I start by describing the battle of Hattin and the beginning of the Muslim attack, Crusader losses, and the causes of victory in the battle of Hattin by following natural laws, such as the laws of preparation, cause and effect, and taking a gradual approach. I also speak of Salah ad-Deen's farsightedness, political acumen, great sincerity towards Allah, application of the laws of Allah in his state and the blessings thereof: how he gained power in the land and prevailed over his enemies by the help of Allah; security, stability, glory, honour, victory and conquest; the effect of justice on achievement of victory; preparation of a fighting generation in which were the attributes required for victory; his good relationship with Allah and the way he would turn to Him after making preparations; the success of the intelligence network; reactions of the Muslim world and Crusader world to the battle of Hattin; conquests on the coast before the conquest of Jerusalem; consequences of the battle of Hattin, such as its being a decisive battle; the importance of geographical awareness in understanding and managing the conflict; and cumulative efforts in achieving major victories for nations. I also discuss Salah ad-Deen's military plan for the liberation of Jerusalem, such as the media angle; mobilising the troops and general mobilisation; sieges, fighting and decisive attacks; negotiations followed by the handover of Jerusalem and the liberation of the holy city; Salah ad-Deen's fulfilment of his promises; his mercy towards prisoners, old men and women, and the wives and daughters of the slain; his respect for the Christians' feelings; fulfilling promises, seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah; his overwhelming humane feelings and spirit of sublime chivalry; and how he followed the example of the Rightly Guided Caliph 'Umar ibn alKhattab (may Allah be pleased with him) when he conquered Jerusalem during his caliphate. The beauty of Islam became apparent to westerners from the conduct of Salah ad-Deen in peace and in war, his respect for freedom of opinion and belief, and his adherence to lofty, humane values and the sublime teachings of Islam. I discuss Salah ad-Deen's reforms in Jerusalem, how he sent delegations with the glad tidings to all parts of the Muslim world, his difference of opinion with the Abbasid caliph and the presence of the scholars at the conquest of Jerusalem and elsewhere. I also mention some of the lessons to be learned from the liberation of Jerusalem, such as: the importance of devoted scholars in waking up the Ummah; raising the new generation with sound Islamic beliefs; explaining the concept of loyalty to Allah and His Messenger and the believers; unity of the Ummah; clear Islamic vision of the nature of the battle; having a longterm strategy; the need for human resources with great knowledge to comprehend the actual situation; the importance of the Ummah repenting, turning to Allah and keeping away from sin. There is no way to liberate Palestine and the occupied Muslim lands except by Jihad for the sake of Allah in the broadest and most comprehensive sense, which means engaging on all fronts: political, media, spiritual, academic, strategic, military and so on. I discuss the Third Crusade and the reaction in Western Europe to the liberation of Jerusalem, in terms of the general mobilisation that took place that resulted in this Crusade, in which kings, princes and Christian clergy took part. The German Emperor, the King of England and the King of France all took part in that Crusade, but it did not achieve its goals, first by the grace of Allah and then due to the efforts of Salah ad-Deen and the Muslim Ummah that rallied around him, in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, the Maghreb and elsewhere. I speak of the nature of the negotiations between al-Malik al- 'Adil, the brother of Salah ad-Deen, and Richard the Lionheart, the King of England, which lasted for 15 months and involved 42 meetings before culminating in the treaty of Ramlah. This Crusade was characterised by a large degree of understanding with the Muslims. Both sides were in close contact with one another, and it went beyond that to the suggestion of a treaty, and the sending of fruits and ice to Richard the Lionheart during his illness and sending Salah ad-Deen's personal physician to treat him. The effects of this interaction on the lives of the Franks were as follows: ❖ They transmitted from the Muslims a large amount of science and knowledge which was new (to the Europeans) at that time. They wrote books about it which contained a great deal of innovation and invention, and set out laws concerning the sciences. ❖ They transmitted from the Muslims many new handicrafts and arts, such as the manufacture of textiles, metalwork and glasswork. They also transmitted from them the art of architecture. This had a profound effect on the artistic, commercial and industrial life of Europe. ❖ Western civilisation was influenced by Islamic civilisation to such an extent that the former began to flourish. Islamic civilisation helped it to emerge from the sea of savagery and darkness that prevailed at that time. The Orientalists admitted this fact before Muslim historians spoke of it. I mention the sickness and last days of Salah ad-Deen, and that one of the religious scholars stayed with him and recited the Quran over him.