00:00In a world torn by wars, betrayal, and chaos, a single dream was whispered in a small city called Tikrit.
00:09The dream of a child who would one day rise to change history.
00:14A child born not into royalty, but into struggle.
00:19A child who would unite divided nations, break the mightiest armies of his time,
00:25and reclaim the holiest city with compassion unmatched even by his enemies.
00:32This is the true story of Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi, the warrior of faith, the commander of justice,
00:41the liberator of Jerusalem, a story of destiny, sacrifice, and honor.
00:48In 1130, in the city of Tikrit, Governor Najm al-Din Ayyub meets a young girl who has rejected many marriage proposals.
00:58When asked what she wants in a husband, she replies that she seeks a righteous man
01:02with whom she will have a son destined to liberate Jerusalem and lead her to paradise.
01:09Najm al-Din is stunned.
01:11This is the same dream he once told his brother.
01:14Convinced that destiny has spoken, he marries the girl, saying he seeks faith, not wealth.
01:22Soon after, a son is born, Yusuf ibn Ayyub,
01:27the child who will one day become Salahuddin Ayyubi, the liberator the Muslim world had awaited.
01:35On the night of Yusuf's birth, Najm al-Din and his brother, Shirku, are exiled from Tikrit.
01:41Some consider the newborn unlucky, but destiny has other plans.
01:48The family travels to Mosul, ruled by Imad al-Din Zengi,
01:53who welcomes them warmly and appoints Najm al-Din to a regional governorship.
02:00During this time, the Muslim world is fractured,
02:04Seljuks weakened, Abbasids powerless, Fatimids declining,
02:08and the crusaders ruling four kingdoms in Palestine and Syria.
02:14Amid this chaos, young Yusuf grows under the guidance of his father and his warrior uncle, Shirku.
02:22He receives both religious training and military discipline,
02:26unknowingly preparing for a future that will change the course of history.
02:31Egypt is collapsing under the Fatimid Caliphate,
02:35forcing Nur al-Din Zengi to send his best general, Shirku, along with young Yusuf.
02:42In Egypt, Yusuf proves himself in strategy and bravery, surprising even his uncle.
02:49After Shirku's death, the Fatimid Caliph appoints Yusuf,
02:53now known as Salahuddin, as vizier, thinking he is harmless.
02:58But in 1171, after the last Fatimid Caliph dies,
03:04Salahuddin ends the Fatimid dynasty and restores Sunni rule.
03:09When Nur al-Din dies unexpectedly, Syria falls into political chaos.
03:16Nur al-Din's widows secretly call Salahuddin for help.
03:20He enters Damascus, unites Egypt and Syria,
03:24and becomes the strongest Muslim ruler of the time,
03:28ready to advance toward Jerusalem.
03:31Salahuddin realizes he must unite the Muslims before facing the Crusaders.
03:38Many rulers oppose him due to jealousy or fear,
03:42but he avoids unnecessary conflict and focuses on justice and strategic alliances.
03:49Meanwhile, the Crusader knight Reynald of Châtillon attacks Muslim pilgrims,
03:56violates truces, and even threatens Mecca and Medina.
04:01His brutality deeply angers the Muslim world,
04:05yet Salahuddin waits patiently until his forces are fully united.
04:10By 1182, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Hijaz, and parts of Iraq stand under one banner,
04:20the Ayyubid Sultanate.
04:22Salahuddin now commands a powerful united army
04:26and sets his sights firmly on Jerusalem,
04:30determined to fulfill the mission tied to his birth.
04:33The turning point comes on 3 July 1187 at the Battle of Hattin.
04:40Salahuddin traps the Crusader army,
04:43led by King Guy and the ruthless Reynald,
04:46in intense heat without water.
04:48Exhausted and surrounded, the Crusaders crumble.
04:52Thousands are killed or captured.
04:55When King Guy and Reynald are brought before him,
04:58Salahuddin treats the king kindly,
05:00but executes Reynald for years of treachery and attacks on pilgrims.
05:05This victory destroys Crusader power in Palestine.
05:08One city after another falls,
05:11Gaza, Nablus, Acre,
05:13clearing the path directly to Jerusalem.
05:16After 88 years under Crusader control,
05:19the Holy City is finally within reach.
05:23In September 1187,
05:26Salahuddin surrounds Jerusalem.
05:29The Crusaders, fearing massacre,
05:31threaten to destroy Holy sites
05:33and kill Muslim captives if denied safety.
05:38Salahuddin chooses mercy.
05:40He grants a peaceful surrender,
05:43allowing residents to leave upon paying ransom.
05:46Thousands of poor Christians cannot pay,
05:49so Salahuddin and his brother fund their freedom,
05:53releasing many without payment.
05:54European historians note the compassion shown by Muslim forces,
06:01especially compared to the Crusaders' brutality in 1099.
06:05On 2 October 1187,
06:09Salahuddin enters Jerusalem peacefully.
06:12The Ayyubid flag rises over Al-Aqsa,
06:15and Nur al-Din's long-prepared pulpit is finally installed.
06:21Jerusalem is returned to Muslim hands
06:24after nearly nine decades.
06:27The fall of Jerusalem shocks Europe,
06:30triggering the Third Crusade,
06:32led by Richard the Lionheart,
06:34Philip II of France,
06:36and Frederick Barbarossa.
06:38Barbarossa dies en route,
06:40weakening the Crusader forces.
06:43Richard and Salahuddin face each other
06:45in a series of intense but indecisive battles.
06:49Salahuddin uses guerrilla tactics,
06:51preventing the Crusaders from reaching Jerusalem.
06:55Eventually, both sides agree to the Treaty of Ramla, 1192.
07:00Jerusalem remains under Muslim rule,
07:02and Christians may visit as pilgrims.
07:06Months later, in March 1193,
07:09Salahuddin dies in Damascus,
07:12at only 55.
07:14Despite ruling a vast empire,
07:17he leaves almost no wealth,
07:19having given most of it to the poor,
07:21captives, and the cause of Jerusalem.
07:24Centuries have passed
07:26since Salahuddin Ayyubi walked this earth.
07:30Yet his courage still echoes
07:32in the hearts of millions.
07:35He fought with honor,
07:37ruled with mercy,
07:38and conquered with humanity,
07:41leaving behind a legacy
07:43no empire could erase.
07:47Jerusalem remained under Muslim rule
07:50for nearly 700 years
07:52because of his victory.
07:54And even today,
07:55his name stands as a symbol of hope,
07:59unity,
08:00and unwavering faith.
08:03If this story inspired you,
08:05make sure to like,
08:07share,
08:07and subscribe
08:08for more powerful historical journeys.
08:11And remember,
08:13history
08:14doesn't just belong to the past,
08:17it guides the future.
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