Saladin

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For other uses see Saladin (disambiguation).

Salah ad-Din Yusuf

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

Al-Malik an-Nasir

Statue of Saladin in Damascus

Sultan of Egypt and Syria

Reign 1174 – 4 March 1193

Coronation 1174, Cairo

Predecessor New office

 Al-Aziz Uthman (Egypt)

Successor
 Al-Afdal (Syria)

Born 1137

Tikrit, Upper Mesopotamia, Abbasid Caliphate

Died 4 March 1193 (aged 55–56)

Damascus, Syria, Ayyubid Sultanate

Burial Umayyad Mosque, Damascus

 Spouse Ismat ad-Din Khatun

Full name

An-Nasir Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb

Dynasty Ayyubid

Father Najm ad-Dīn Ayyūb

Religion Sunni Islam (Shafi'i)[1][2][3]

An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: ‫ صالح الدين يوسف بن أيوب‬/ ALA-LC: Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn
Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb; Kurdish: ‫ سەالحەدينی ئەييووبی‬/ ALA-LC: Selahedînê Eyûbî), known as Salah ad-
Din or Saladin (/ˈsælədɪn/; 1137 – 4 March 1193), was the first sultan of Egypt and Syria[4] and the
founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish ethnicity,[5][6][7] Saladin led the Muslim
military campaign against the Crusader states in the Levant. At the height of his power, his sultanate
included Egypt, Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, the Hejaz, Yemen and other parts of North Africa.
He was originally sent to Fatimid Egypt in 1164 alongside his uncle Shirkuh, a general of
the Zengid army, on the orders of their lord Nur ad-Din to help restore Shawar as vizier of the
teenage Fatimid caliph al-Adid. A power struggle ensued between Shirkuh and Shawar after the
latter was reinstated. Saladin, meanwhile, climbed the ranks of the Fatimid government by virtue of
his military successes against Crusader assaults against its territory and his personal closeness to
al-Adid. After Shawar was assassinated and Shirkuh died in 1169, al-Adid appointed Saladin vizier,
a rare nomination of a Sunni Muslim to such an important position in the Isma'ili Shia caliphate.
During his tenure as vizier, Saladin began to undermine the Fatimid establishment and, following al-
Adid's death in 1171, he abolished the Fatimid Caliphate and realigned the country's allegiance with
the Sunni, Baghdad-based Abbasid Caliphate.
In the following years, he led forays against the Crusaders in Palestine, commissioned the
successful conquest of Yemen, and staved off pro-Fatimid rebellions in Upper Egypt. Not long after
Nur ad-Din's death in 1174, Saladin launched his conquest of Syria, peacefully
entering Damascus at the request of its governor. By mid-1175, Saladin had
conquered Hama and Homs, inviting the animosity of other Zengid lords, the official rulers of Syria's
various regions. Soon after, he defeated the Zengid army at the Battle of the Horns of Hama and
was thereafter proclaimed the "Sultan of Egypt and Syria" by the Abbasid caliph al-Mustadi. Saladin
made further conquests in northern Syria and Jazira, escaping two attempts on his life by the
"Assassins", before returning to Egypt in 1177 to address issues there. By 1182, Saladin had
completed the conquest of Muslim Syria after capturing Aleppo, but ultimately failed to take over the
Zengid stronghold of Mosul.[8]
Under Saladin's command, the Ayyubid army defeated the Crusaders at the decisive Battle of
Hattin in 1187, and thereafter wrested control of Palestine—including the city of Jerusalem—from
the Crusaders, who had conquered the area 88 years earlier. Although the Crusader Kingdom of
Jerusalem continued to exist until the late 13th century, its defeat at Hattin marked a turning point in
its conflict with the Muslim powers of the region. Saladin died in Damascus in 1193, having given
away much of his personal wealth to his subjects. He is buried in a mausoleum adjacent to
the Umayyad Mosque. Saladin has become a prominent figure in Muslim, Arab, Turkish and Kurdish
culture,[9] and he has often been described as being the most famous Kurd in history.[10][11][12][13]

Contents
 1Early life
 2Early expeditions
 3In Egypt
o 3.1Vizier of Egypt
o 3.2Sultan of Egypt
 4Conquest of Syria
o 4.1Conquest of Damascus
o 4.2Further conquests in Syria
o 4.3Campaign against the Assassins
 5Return to Cairo and forays in Palestine
o 5.1Battles and truce with Baldwin
 6Domestic affairs
 7Imperial expansions
o 7.1Conquest of Mesopotamian hinterland
o 7.2Possession of Aleppo
o 7.3Fight for Mosul
 8Wars against Crusaders
o 8.1Capture of Jerusalem
o 8.2Third Crusade
 9Death
 10Family
 11Recognition and legacy
o 11.1Western world
o 11.2Muslim world
 12See also
 13References
 14Bibliography
o 14.1Primary sources
o 14.2Secondary sources
 15Further reading
 16External links

Early life
Saladin was born in Tikrit in modern-day Iraq. His personal name was "Yusuf"; "Salah ad-Din" is
a laqab, an honorific epithet, meaning "Righteousness of the Faith."[14] His family was most likely
of Kurdish ancestry,[5] [15] and had originated from the village of Ajdanakan [16] near the city of Dvin in
central Armenia.[17][18] The Rawadiya tribe he hailed from had been partially assimilated into the
Arabic-speaking world by this time.[19] In 1132, the defeated army of Imad ad-Din Zengi, the ruler
of Mosul, found their retreat blocked by the Tigris River opposite the fortress of Tikrit, where
Saladin's father, Najm ad-Din Ayyub served as the warden. Ayyub provided ferries for the army and
gave them refuge in Tikrit. Mujahed al-Din Bihruz, a former Greek slave who had been appointed as
the military governor of northern Mesopotamia for his service to the Seljuks, reprimanded Ayyub for
giving Zengi refuge and in 1137 banished Ayyub from Tikrit after his brother Asad al-Din
Shirkuh killed a friend of Bihruz. According to Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad, Saladin was born on the
same night that his family left Tikrit. In 1139, Ayyub and his family moved to Mosul, where Imad ad-
Din Zengi acknowledged his debt and appointed Ayyub commander of his fortress in Baalbek. After
the death of Zengi in 1146, his son, Nur ad-Din, became the regent of Aleppo and the leader of
the Zengids.[20]
Saladin, who now lived in Damascus, was reported to have a particular fondness for the city, but
information on his early childhood is scarce.[21] About education, Saladin wrote "children are brought
up in the way in which their elders were brought up." According to his biographers, Anne-Marie
Eddé[22] and al-Wahrani, Saladin was able to answer questions on Euclid, the Almagest, arithmetic,
and law, but this was an academic ideal and it was study of the Qur'an and the "sciences of religion"
that linked him to his contemporaries.[20] Several sources claim that during his studies he was more
interested in religion than joining the military.[23] Another factor which may have affected his interest
in religion was that, during the First Crusade, Jerusalem was taken by the Christians.[23] In addition to
Islam, Saladin had a knowledge of the genealogies, biographies, and histories of the Arabs, as well
as the bloodlines of Arabian horses. More significantly, he knew the Hamasah of Abu Tammam by
heart.[20] He spoke Kurdish and Arabic.[24]

Early expeditions

A possible portrait of Saladin, found in a work by Ismail al-Jazari, circa 1185

Saladin's military career began under the tutelage of his uncle Asad al-Din Shirkuh, a prominent
military commander under Nur ad-Din, the Zengid emir of Damascus and Aleppo and the most
influential teacher of Saladin. In 1163, the vizier to the Fatimid caliph al-Adid, Shawar, had been
driven out of Egypt by his rival Dirgham, a member of the powerful Banu Ruzzaik tribe. He asked for
military backing from Nur ad-Din, who complied and, in 1164, sent Shirkuh to aid Shawar in his
expedition against Dirgham. Saladin, at age 26, went along with them.[25] After Shawar was
successfully reinstated as vizier, he demanded that Shirkuh withdraw his army from Egypt for a sum
of 30,000 gold dinars, but he refused, insisting it was Nur ad-Din's will that he remain. Saladin's role
in this expedition was minor, and it is known that he was ordered by Shirkuh to collect stores
from Bilbais prior to its siege by a combined force of Crusaders and Shawar's troops.[26]
After the sacking of Bilbais, the Crusader-Egyptian force and Shirkuh's army were to engage in a
battle on the desert border of the River Nile, just west of Giza. Saladin played a major role,
commanding the right wing of the Zengid army, while a force of Kurds commanded the left, and
Shirkuh was stationed in the center. Muslim sources at the time, however, put Saladin in the
"baggage of the centre" with orders to lure the enemy into a trap by staging a feigned retreat. The
Crusader force enjoyed early success against Shirkuh's troops, but the terrain was too steep and
sandy for their horses, and commander Hugh of Caesarea was captured while attacking Saladin's
unit. After scattered fighting in little valleys to the south of the main position, the Zengid central force
returned to the offensive; Saladin joined in from the rear.[27]
The battle ended in a Zengid victory, and Saladin is credited with having helped Shirkuh in one of
the "most remarkable victories in recorded history", according to Ibn al-Athir, although more of
Shirkuh's men were killed and the battle is considered by most sources as not a total victory. Saladin
and Shirkuh moved towards Alexandria where they were welcomed, given money, arms and
provided a base.[28] Faced by a superior Crusader-Egyptian force attempting to besiege the city,
Shirkuh split his army. He and the bulk of his force withdrew from Alexandria, while Saladin was left
with the task of guarding the city.[29]

In Egypt
Main article: Saladin in Egypt
Vizier of Egypt

Saladin's battles in Egypt

Shirkuh was in a power struggle over Egypt with Shawar and Amalric I of the Kingdom of Jerusalem,
in which Shawar requested Amalric's assistance. In 1169, Shawar was reportedly assassinated by
Saladin, and Shirkuh died later that year.[30] Nur ad-Din chose a successor for Shirkuh, but al-Adid
appointed Saladin to replace Shawar as vizier.[31]
The reasoning behind the Shia caliph al-Adid's selection of Saladin, a Sunni, varies. Ibn al-Athir
claims that the caliph chose him after being told by his advisers that "there is no one weaker or
younger" than Saladin, and "not one of the emirs [commanders] obeyed him or served him".
However, according to this version, after some bargaining, he was eventually accepted by the
majority of the emirs. Al-Adid's advisers were also suspected of promoting Saladin in an attempt to
split the Syria-based Zengids. Al-Wahrani wrote that Saladin was selected because of the reputation
of his family in their "generosity and military prowess". Imad ad-Din wrote that after the brief
mourning period for Shirkuh, during which "opinions differed", the Zengid emirs decided upon
Saladin and forced the caliph to "invest him as vizier". Although positions were complicated by rival
Muslim leaders, the bulk of the Syrian commanders supported Saladin because of his role in the
Egyptian expedition, in which he gained a record of military qualifications.[32]
Inaugurated as vizier on 26 March, Saladin repented "wine-drinking and turned from frivolity to
assume the dress of religion", according to Arabic sources of the time.[33] Having gained more power
and independence than ever before in his career, he still faced the issue of ultimate loyalty between
al-Adid and Nur ad-Din. Later in the year, a group of Egyptian soldiers and emirs attempted to
assassinate Saladin, but having already known of their intentions thanks to his intelligence chief Ali
ibn Safyan, he had the chief conspirator, Naji, Mu'tamin al-Khilafa—the civilian controller of the
Fatimid Palace—arrested and killed. The day after, 50,000 Black African soldiers from the regiments
of the Fatimid army opposed to Saladin's rule, along with a number of Egyptian emirs and
commoners, staged a revolt. By 23 August, Saladin had decisively quelled the uprising, and never
again had to face a military challenge from Cairo.[34]
Towards the end of 1169, Saladin, with reinforcements from Nur ad-Din, defeated a massive
Crusader-Byzantine force near Damietta. Afterward, in the spring of 1170, Nur ad-Din sent Saladin's
father to Egypt in compliance with Saladin's request, as well as encouragement from the Baghdad-
based Abbasid caliph, al-Mustanjid, who aimed to pressure Saladin in deposing his rival caliph, al-
Adid.[35] Saladin himself had been strengthening his hold on Egypt and widening his support base
there. He began granting his family members high-ranking positions in the region; he ordered the
construction of a college for the Maliki branch of Sunni Islam in the city, as well as one for
the Shafi'i denomination to which he belonged in al-Fustat.[36]
After establishing himself in Egypt, Saladin launched a campaign against the Crusaders,
besieging Darum in 1170.[37] Amalric withdrew his Templar garrison from Gaza to assist him in
defending Darum, but Saladin evaded their force and captured Gaza in 1187. In 1191 Saladin
destroyed the fortifications in Gaza build by King Baldwin III for the Knights Templar. [38] It is unclear
exactly when, but during that same year, he attacked and captured the Crusader castle of Eilat, built
on an island off the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. It did not pose a threat to the passage of the Muslim
navy, but could harass smaller parties of Muslim ships and Saladin decided to clear it from his
path.[37]
Sultan of Egypt

Saladin as depicted on a dirham coin, ca. 1190

According to Imad ad-Din, Nur ad-Din wrote to Saladin in June 1171, telling him to reestablish the
Abbasid caliphate in Egypt, which Saladin coordinated two months later after additional
encouragement by Najm ad-Din al-Khabushani, the Shafi'i faqih, who vehemently opposed Shia rule
in the country. Several Egyptian emirs were thus killed, but al-Adid was told that they were killed for
rebelling against him. He then fell ill, or was poisoned according to one account. While ill, he asked
Saladin to pay him a visit to request that he take care of his young children, but Saladin refused,
fearing treachery against the Abbasids, and is said to have regretted his action after realizing what
al-Adid had wanted.[39] He died on 13 September, and five days later, the Abbasid khutba was
pronounced in Cairo and al-Fustat, proclaiming al-Mustadi as caliph.[40]
On 25 September, Saladin left Cairo to take part in a joint attack on Kerak and Montreal, the desert
castles of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, with Nur ad-Din who would attack from Syria. Prior to arriving
at Montreal, Saladin however withdrew back to Cairo as he received the reports that in his absence
the Crusader leaders had increased their support to the traitors inside Egypt to attack Saladin from
within and lessen his power especially the Fatimid who started plotting to restore their past glory.
Because of this, Nur ad-Din went on alone.[41]
During the summer of 1173, a Nubian army along with a contingent of Armenian refugees were
reported on the Egyptian border, preparing for a siege against Aswan. The emir of the city had
requested Saladin's assistance and was given reinforcements under Turan-Shah, Saladin's brother.
Consequently, the Nubians departed; but returned in 1173 and were again driven off. This time,
Egyptian forces advanced from Aswan and captured the Nubian town of Ibrim. Saladin sent a gift to
Nur ad-Din, who had been his friend and teacher, 60,000 dinars, "wonderful manufactured goods",
some jewels, and an elephant. While transporting these goods to Damascus, Saladin took the
opportunity to ravage the Crusader countryside. He did not press an attack against the desert
castles, but attempted to drive out the Muslim Bedouins who lived in Crusader territory with the aim
of depriving the Franks of guides.[42]
On 31 July 1173, Saladin's father Ayyub was wounded in a horse-riding accident, ultimately causing
his death on 9 August.[43] In 1174, Saladin sent Turan-Shah to conquer Yemen to allocate it and its
port Aden to the territories of the Ayyubid Dynasty.

Conquest of Syria
Conquest of Damascus
In the early summer of 1174, Nur ad-Din was mustering an army, sending summons to Mosul, Diyar
Bakr, and the Jazira in an apparent preparation of attack against Saladin's Egypt. The Ayyubids held
a council upon the revelation of these preparations to discuss the possible threat and Saladin
collected his own troops outside Cairo. On 15 May, Nur ad-Din died after falling ill the previous week
and his power was handed to his eleven-year-old son as-Salih Ismail al-Malik. His death left Saladin
with political independence and in a letter to as-Salih, he promised to "act as a sword" against his
enemies and referred to the death of his father as an "earthquake shock".[44]
In the wake of Nur ad-Din's death, Saladin faced a difficult decision; he could move his army against
the Crusaders from Egypt or wait until invited by as-Salih in Syria to come to his aid and launch a
war from there. He could also take it upon himself to annex Syria before it could possibly fall into the
hands of a rival, but he feared that attacking a land that formerly belonged to his master—forbidden
in the Islamic principles in which he believed—could portray him as hypocritical, thus making him
unsuitable for leading the war against the Crusaders. Saladin saw that in order to acquire Syria, he
either needed an invitation from as-Salih, or to warn him that potential anarchy could give rise to
danger from the Crusaders.[45]
When as-Salih was removed to Aleppo in August, Gumushtigin, the emir of the city and a captain of
Nur ad-Din's veterans, assumed the guardianship over him. The emir prepared to unseat all his
rivals in Syria and the Jazira, beginning with Damascus. In this emergency, the emir of Damascus
appealed to Saif al-Din of Mosul (a cousin of Gumushtigin) for assistance against Aleppo, but he
refused, forcing the Syrians to request the aid of Saladin, who complied.[46] Saladin rode across the
desert with 700 picked horsemen, passing through al-Kerak then reaching Bosra. According to his
own account, was joined by "emirs, soldiers, and Bedouins—the emotions of their hearts to be seen
on their faces."[47] On 23 November, he arrived in Damascus amid general acclamation and rested at
his father's old home there, until the gates of the Citadel of Damascus,[46] whose commander Raihan
initially refused to surrender, were opened to Saladin four days later, after a brief siege by his
brother Tughtakin ibn Ayyub.[48] He installed himself in the castle and received the homage and
salutations of the inhabitants.[46]
Further conquests in Syria
19th-century depiction of a victorious Saladin, by Gustave Doré

Leaving his brother Tughtigin as Governor of Damascus, Saladin proceeded to reduce other cities
that had belonged to Nur al-Din, but were now practically independent. His army
conquered Hamah with relative ease, but avoided attacking Homs because of the strength of its
citadel.[49] Saladin moved north towards Aleppo, besieging it on 30 December after Gumushtigin
refused to abdicate his throne.[50] As-Salih, fearing capture by Saladin, came out of his palace and
appealed to the inhabitants not to surrender him and the city to the invading force. One of Saladin's
chroniclers claimed "the people came under his spell".[51]
Gumushtigin requested Rashid ad-Din Sinan, grand-master of the Assassins of Syria, who were
already at odds with Saladin since he replaced the Fatimids of Egypt, to assassinate Saladin in his
camp.[52] On 11 May 1175, a group of thirteen Assassins easily gained admission into Saladin's
camp, but were detected immediately before they carried out their attack by Nasih al-Din
Khumartekin of Abu Qubays. One was killed by one of Saladin's generals and the others were slain
while trying to escape.[51][53][54] To deter Saladin's progress, Raymond of Tripoli gathered his forces
by Nahr al-Kabir, where they were well placed for an attack on Muslim territory. Saladin later moved
toward Homs instead, but retreated after being told a relief force was being sent to the city by Saif al-
Din.[55][56]
Meanwhile, Saladin's rivals in Syria and Jazira waged a propaganda war against him, claiming he
had "forgotten his own condition [servant of Nur ad-Din]" and showed no gratitude for his old master
by besieging his son, rising "in rebellion against his Lord". Saladin aimed to counter this propaganda
by ending the siege, claiming that he was defending Islam from the Crusaders; his army returned to
Hama to engage a Crusader force there. The Crusaders withdrew beforehand and Saladin
proclaimed it "a victory opening the gates of men's hearts".[55] Soon after, Saladin entered Homs and
captured its citadel in March 1175, after stubborn resistance from its defenders.[57]
Saladin's successes alarmed Saif al-Din. As head of the Zengids, including Gumushtigin, he
regarded Syria and Mesopotamia as his family estate and was angered when Saladin attempted to
usurp his dynasty's holdings. Saif al-Din mustered a large army and dispatched it to Aleppo, whose
defenders anxiously had awaited them. The combined forces of Mosul and Aleppo marched against
Saladin in Hama. Heavily outnumbered, Saladin initially attempted to make terms with the Zengids
by abandoning all conquests north of the Damascus province, but they refused, insisting he return to
Egypt. Seeing that confrontation was unavoidable, Saladin prepared for battle, taking up a superior
position at the Horns of Hama, hills by the gorge of the Orontes River. On 13 April 1175, the Zengid
troops marched to attack his forces, but soon found themselves surrounded by Saladin's Ayyubid
veterans, who crushed them. The battle ended in a decisive victory for Saladin, who pursued the
Zengid fugitives to the gates of Aleppo, forcing as-Salih's advisers to recognize Saladin's control of
the provinces of Damascus, Homs and Hama, as well as a number of towns outside Aleppo such
as Ma'arat al-Numan.[58]
After his victory against the Zengids, Saladin proclaimed himself king and suppressed the name of
as-Salih in Friday prayers and Islamic coinage. From then on, he ordered prayers in all the mosques
of Syria and Egypt as the sovereign king and he issued at the Cairo mint gold coins bearing his
official title—al-Malik an-Nasir Yusuf Ayyub, ala ghaya "the King Strong to Aid, Joseph son of Job;
exalted be the standard." The Abbasid caliph in Baghdad graciously welcomed Saladin's assumption
of power and declared him "Sultan of Egypt and Syria". The Battle of Hama did not end the contest
for power between the Ayyubids and the Zengids, with the final confrontation occurring in the spring
of 1176. Saladin had gathered massive reinforcements from Egypt while Saif al-Din was levying
troops among the minor states of Diyarbakir and al-Jazira.[59] When Saladin crossed the Orontes,
leaving Hama, the sun was eclipsed. He viewed this as an omen, but he continued his march north.
He reached the Sultan's Mound, c. 25 km from Aleppo, where his forces encountered Saif al-Din's
army. A hand-to-hand fight ensued and the Zengids managed to plow Saladin's left wing, driving it
before him, when Saladin himself charged at the head of the Zengid guard. The Zengid forces
panicked and most of Saif al-Din's officers ended up being killed or captured—Saif al-Din narrowly
escaped. The Zengid army's camp, horses, baggage, tents and stores were seized by the Ayyubids.
The Zengid prisoners of war, however, were given gifts and freed. All of the booty from the Ayyubid
victory was accorded to the army, Saladin not keeping anything himself.[60]
He continued towards Aleppo, which still closed its gates to him, halting before the city. On the way,
his army took Buza'a, then captured Manbij. From there, they headed west to besiege the fortress
of A'zaz on 15 May. Several days later, while Saladin was resting in one of his captain's tents, an
assassin rushed forward at him and struck at his head with a knife. The cap of his head armour was
not penetrated and he managed to grip the assassin's hand—the dagger only slashing
his gambeson—and the assailant was soon killed. Saladin was unnerved at the attempt on his life,
which he accused Gumushtugin and the Assassins of plotting, and so increased his efforts in the
siege.[61]
A'zaz capitulated on 21 June, and Saladin then hurried his forces to Aleppo to punish Gumushtigin.
His assaults were again resisted, but he managed to secure not only a truce, but a mutual alliance
with Aleppo, in which Gumushtigin and as-Salih were allowed to continue their hold on the city and
in return, they recognized Saladin as the sovereign over all of the dominions he conquered.
The emirs of Mardin and Keyfa, the Muslim allies of Aleppo, also recognised Saladin as the King of
Syria. When the treaty was concluded, the younger sister of as-Salih came to Saladin and requested
the return of the Fortress of A'zaz; he complied and escorted her back to the gates of Aleppo with
numerous presents.[61]
Campaign against the Assassins

Saladin ended his siege of the Ismaili ("Assassins") fortress of Masyaf, which was commanded by Rashid ad-
Din Sinan, under uncertain circumstances in August 1176.
Saladin had by now agreed truces with his Zengid rivals and the Kingdom of Jerusalem (the latter
occurred in the summer of 1175), but faced a threat from the Ismaili sect known as the "Assassins",
led by Rashid ad-Din Sinan. Based in the an-Nusayriyah Mountains, they commanded nine
fortresses, all built on high elevations. As soon as he dispatched the bulk of his troops to Egypt,
Saladin led his army into the an-Nusayriyah range in August 1176. He retreated the same month,
after laying waste to the countryside, but failing to conquer any of the forts. Most Muslim historians
claim that Saladin's uncle, the governor of Hama, mediated a peace agreement between him and
Sinan.[62][63]
Saladin had his guards supplied with link lights and had chalk and cinders strewed around his tent
outside Masyaf—which he was besieging—to detect any footsteps by the Assassins.[64] According to
this version, one night Saladin's guards noticed a spark glowing down the hill of Masyaf and then
vanishing among the Ayyubid tents. Presently, Saladin awoke to find a figure leaving the tent. He
saw that the lamps were displaced and beside his bed laid hot scones of the shape peculiar to the
Assassins with a note at the top pinned by a poisoned dagger. The note threatened that he would be
killed if he didn't withdraw from his assault. Saladin gave a loud cry, exclaiming that Sinan himself
was the figure that had left the tent.[64]
Another version claims that Saladin hastily withdrew his troops from Masyaf because they were
urgently needed to fend off a Crusader force in the vicinity of Mount Lebanon.[63] In reality, Saladin
sought to form an alliance with Sinan and his Assassins, consequently depriving the Crusaders of a
potent ally against him.[65] Viewing the expulsion of the Crusaders as a mutual benefit and priority,
Saladin and Sinan maintained cooperative relations afterwards, the latter dispatching contingents of
his forces to bolster Saladin's army in a number of decisive subsequent battlefronts.[66]
n