“So it was that on Friday 2 October 1187, or Rajab 583 by the Muslim calendar, the very day on which Muslims celebrate the Prophet’s :saw: nocturnal journey to Jerusalem, Saladin solemnly entered the holy city. His emirs and soldiers had strict orders: no Christian, whether Frankish or Oriental was to be touched. And indeed, there was neither massacre nor plunder.”
“And al-Aqsa mosque, which had been turned into a church, became a Muslim place of worship again”
Sound familiar???
Muslims require another Salahuddin to rid our lands of the abomination that occupies it.
Actually, to celebrate the 'Isra and Mi'raaj is an Innovation for our grand-fathers, the Companions of the Prophet, the best of the Believers of this Ummah never done this.
And, also, it is not known for sure if that is the real date of the Isra.
But, yeah:
We have the Crusadors (who gave our land away to the Jews).
We have the Aqsa under occupation.
But we have no Salah ad-Deen - May Allah be Pleased with him.
We need to raise our children up on the correct Islaam. The Islaam of the Companions. We need to build their foundations, raise them upon the correct Knowledge and the stories of the Companions and those who followed them exactly in Belief.
A lot of Muslims think it is a waste of time to tell stories of the Companions and those who followed them, because that was "a page of the past".
And, on the other hand we have the other Muslims who do teach their children the stories of the Companions but as fairy tales or legends. Never to be acted upon or implemented.
We must remember the Companions and people like Salah ud-Deen were normal people, they made mistakes, they sinned, and they loved this world, they loved the women, the wealth, their children, their houses - BUT, they shunned it, they strove to achieve the Hereafter.
We must raise our children up on their examples, and that does not mean, oh nice bed time story today - But, rather, they need to implement what the Companions done.
'Ukbah ibn Nafah, the great heroic Mujahid Commander of this Ummah was raised up on stories about Abu Bakr, 'Umar, Abu 'Ubaydah, Khaalid, 'Utbah, Usamah etc - Basically he was raised up by his cousin, 'Amr ibn al-Aas (who was himself a great Commander and Warrior), who told him stories and examples of the Companions and their bravery and their courage.
And that is why 'Ukbah awas the great man he was, he imitated the Companions, he learnt about them, he had knwoledge about them, he had love for them, he wanted to be like them - So he got up, and implemented what he had learnt.
How will the Ummah ever raise up a Salah ud-Deen - when the future flag bearers of Islaam are not taught this type of Knowledge?
karen armstrong's book "Jerusalem" has a very godo historic account of salah-ad-din's conquest of the city and the events that followed....
its a must read i'd say....
how salah-ad-din treated the christians, smoe christians in erope started saying that he had secretly converted to christianity cuz only a christian cud show such a character....
(take from the same book i just mentioned)....
Then it is not a very accurate book as:
“I was told that when the shaykh read the verse that says, There is no god but God, on him alone do I rely, the sultan [Salahudin] smiled. His face lit up, and then he gave up his soul”
The only reason neither he nor his amry slaughter christian, keep in mind that there were all sort of christian sects settled in Jerusalem some european and some oriental, because he had made a vow not to follow in the footsteps of Frankish occupation of Jerusalem as the Franks had slaughtered close to a hundred thousand inhabitants of Jerusalem.
He wanted to duplicate the feat of Umar and enter the city of Islam’s first Kaba without any bloodshed or plunder.
According to Ibn Shaddad at the time of his death "the Sultan left only 1 Dinar and 47 Dirhams. He had no houses, or goods or villages or gardens or any personal property."
This was not even enough for his burial which had to be borrowed.
Ibn Shaddad wrote "Not a pice was spent from his legacy on his burial. Everything had to be borrowed, even the bundles of straw for the grave. The shroud was provided by his minister and chronicler, Qadi Fadil, from a legitimate source."
He was the leader of the largest muslim empire at that time and this is all the wealth he had.
I dont think there is any muslim that is so admired and respected by the non muslims as Salahudin was.
and enter the city of Islam’s first Kaba without any bloodshed or plunder.