Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi Chapter 1
Birth and Childhood Events;Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi Chapter 1 In Urdu | History Of Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi In Urdu & English Salahuddin was born in 532 Hijri or the year 1138 A.D. in the fort at Takreet. The day he was born was the very day that his father was dismissed from his stately posi- tion and asked to vacate the city. Various reasons have been quoted for his removal from office.
Whatever the actual reason, Salahuddin’s father and his uncle, Sher Koh, presented themselves before the great monarch, Atabuk Azam Imaduddin Zangi. Here, they were received with much fanfare. Imaduddin Zangi had not for- gotten the favor that Najamuddin had once done to him. It so happened that in the year 1132,
Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi Chapter 1
the vanquished army of Sultan Zangi was mak- ing an effort to cross the River Tigris but to no avail. Najamuddin, who was then the ruler of the fort at Takreet, gathered a fleet of wooden boats with the help of which the army crossed safely to the other bank. To return the favour, Imaduddin Zangi granted a lot of valuable property to his benefactor and also gave him the charge of the Fort of Ba’albak.
When the Sultan died, Salahuddin was merely 9 years old. His father and uncle took him to the son of the monarch, Noorudin Mahmood Bin Zangi. Sultan Nooruddin was so impressed by their courage, dignity and organizational abilities that he made them his close associates and appointed them as commanders of his army.
Maturity and Opportunity for Jihad;
There are no detailed historical accounts of Salahuddin’s childhood. However, when he turned 16, he began to accompany his father and uncle to the court of the Sultan. Even at such a tender age, Salahuddin was composed and levelheaded.
Sul- tan Nooruddin could perceive in him the qualities of courtesy, astuteness, intellect and valor. Under his personal supervision, he began to send the lad on military ex- peditions. Salahuddin had a conciliatory, mild and non-aggressive nature. At this age, he was hardly interested in fighting and warfare. Salahuddin accompanied the second expedition to Egypt on the orders of the Sul- tan.
He later expressed that he felt as if his heart had been pierced by a sharp knife. But the Sultan did not pay any heed to his emotions and instead, readied for him suitable weaponry for the battlefield. The helpless youth succumbed in the face of the royal command. This incident has been recorded in detail by Ibn Aseer. Fate had compelled Salahuddin towards jihad.
It would be appropriate to give a background of the events unfolding at the time. At the end of the 11th century A.D. the situation in the Middle East took a turn for the worst and the Muslims were confronted with internal strife and external aggres- sion.
The Caliph of the Muslim Empire in Baghdad was helpless and incapable of handling the alarming situation. Syria was comprised of a number of small Arab states, each of which was controlled by an independent chief.
