Salahuddin Ayyubi – The Liberator of Jerusalem

Salahuddin Ayyubi, known in the West as Saladin, stands as one of the greatest Muslim leaders in history. Born in 1137 CE in Tikrit (modern-day Iraq), he rose from a scholarly and military family to become the Sultan who reunited the fractured Muslim world and liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187 CE — nearly 90 years after the city had fallen.

When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099 CE, they massacred thousands of its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. The city remained under Christian Crusader rule for almost a century. During this time, the Muslim world was divided among competing rulers and dynasties, making a unified response impossible. It was Salahuddin who painstakingly united Egypt, Syria, and surrounding regions under one banner.

The decisive engagement came at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 CE, where Salahuddin's forces outmaneuvered and destroyed the main Crusader army. This victory opened the path to Jerusalem. On October 2, 1187 — corresponding to the 27th of Rajab, the anniversary of the Prophet's Night Journey — Salahuddin entered Jerusalem.

What followed was a stark contrast to the Crusader conquest nearly a century earlier. Salahuddin forbade looting and killing. Christians were allowed to ransom themselves and leave safely. Those too poor to pay were released. He even secretly paid the ransom for many poor prisoners from his own treasury. This extraordinary mercy earned him admiration even from his Christian adversaries.

Salahuddin lived a life of remarkable simplicity and piety. Despite commanding vast wealth as sultan, he died with only a single gold coin and forty silver coins to his name — he had given everything away to the poor and to charitable causes. His character, combining military genius with profound mercy, justice, and humility, remains an inspiring example of Islamic leadership for all time.