Part 79

In the Muslim word at the end of the fifth century AH there was no one who was more able to refute it, expose its secrets and reject what this call was based on than al-Ghazali. The writings of al-Ghazali were very effective in refuting batiniyah. With his sharp mind and the fame that he had acquired, he was able to be a strong influence in resisting batiniyah and supporting the Sunni madh-hab. He was able to use his Shariah knowledge and his rational knowledge of philosophy, logic and theology to blow away the roots of the Batini madh-hab. His comments about them were on everyone's lips and became like proverbs: Outwardly they are heretics but inwardly they are pure disbelievers. They hide behind Shiism but they have nothing to do with the Shiites; rather it is a mask behind which they hide their plots against the people of Islam.549 Among the things that were said about al-Ghazali was that he was continually criticizing this group, uncovering the contradictions in its thought and exposing its scandalous deeds and bad intentions. Despite the fact that he was well known at this time, this criticism could have cost him his life. He himself witnessed the assassination of the great statesman Nizam al-Mulk. The Batini Shiites used to threaten everyone among those who were close to the king or among the scholars who they thought posed a danger to them. They threatened them with vengeance at the point of a dagger or in poisoned food or some other method which they were skilled in and carried out with all precision. If this proves anything, it proves the courage of al-Ghazali in speaking the truth out loud and confronting falsewould, regardless of the outcome, and his faith that nothing would befall him except that which Allah had decreed for him.550 This is a lesson and reminder for contemporary scholars to be sincere towards Allah in resisting the new Batinis. I have seen some of those who are regarded as scholars showing their fear of them, being afraid of being killed or assassinated or accused of sectarianism. Some of them have succumbed to Batini influence and flattery that carries no weight in terms of Shariah or even in terms of transient worldly concerns. Thus they leave them to tamper with the beliefs of the Ummah and that which is holy to it. Some scholars have even contributed to deceiving the Muslim masses even though they are well aware of the danger that these people pose to the beliefs and morals of the Ummah. Do they not fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (Quran 24: 37) and Allah will ask the truthful (Allah's Messengers and His Messenger (SAAW) about their truth (i.e. the conveyance of Allah's Message that which they were charged with) (Quran 33:8)1 Noor ad-Deen's military campaigns against Egypt The Fatimid vizier Ibn as-Sallar, who followed the Sunni madh-hab, attempted to contact Noor ad-Deen in order to launch a joint attack in which Noor ad-Deen would come with his troops from the north and the Fatimid fleet would attack the Crusader cities on the Syrian coast. Usamah ibn Munqidh mediated between the two sides. Ibn as-Sallar offered to take money and gifts to the sultan of Aleppo, offering to besiege Tiberias; at the same time, the Fatimid fleet would attack Gaza. If Noor ad-Deen agreed to that, Ibn Munqidh would offer him money to help him, but if he refused, then Ibn Munqidh would use the money to sponsor a number of horsemen to fight the Crusaders at Ascalon. But when he reached Busra and met with Noor adDeen, he explained to him how preoccupied he was with Damascus, and that it formed an obstacle to his cooperating with the Fatimids, because Damascus had not yet fallen to him.551 It may be noted that Ibn as-Sallar continued his fight against the Crusaders. In 546 AH/1151 CE, he spent a huge amount of money to prepare a fleet with which he attacked the coastal Crusader cities. Adh-Dhahabi spoke of Ibn as-Sallar, saying: He was a courageous hero, brave, respected: a Shafi'i Sunni who did not follow the religion of the 'Ubaydis. He welcomed Salafis and built a school for them, but there was some injustice, transgression and tyranny in him.552 These attempts were repeated when TalaT ibn Ruzayk became vizier, as he contacted Noor ad-Deen Mahmood via Usamah ibn Munqidh, but Noor ad-Deen did not hasten to respond, as he thought that the right opportunity had not yet come. Usamah ibn Munqidh and the king as-Salih Abul-Gharat TalaT ibn Ruzayk exchanged poetry in which Jihad against the Franks was mentioned and encouraged.553 Noor ad-Deen did not enter into a military alliance with TalaY ibn Ruzayk, but he paid attention to diplomatic communications. In 552 AH/1157 CE, a delegation from Noor ad-Deen arrived, and the same thing happened again in 553 AH/1158 CE. The Fatimid state responded to those delegations by sending Noor ad-Deen's ambassador back to his country with gifts and weapons estimated at a value of thirty thousand dinars, and other kinds of supplies worth an estimated seventy thousand, to support Noor adDeen's struggle against the Crusaders.554 There was a further delegation from Noor ad-Deen in 554 AH/1159 CE. On the other hand, the Fatimid state showed a friendly face to him.