Saladin

Saladin (1138-1193) was a Kurdish leader of Muslim forces during the period of the Crusades. He is widely revered as the ideal of a Warrior-King – fierce in battle and generous to his enemies. He united the Muslim territories and succeeded in driving out the crusaders from the Holy city of Jerusalem.

Saladin (An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub) was born (1138) to a Kurdish family in Tikrit (now part of northern Iraq and the birthplace of Saddam Hussein). Saladin grew up in Mosul and later Damascus. He was educated in maths, law, sciences and in particular studied the Qu’ran the Holy Book of Islam. As a youngster, he had a sincere interest in religious matters but was increasingly involved in military affairs – he was tutored in warfare and politics by the emir of Damascus, Nur ad-Din.

Saladin was married aged 14, and from an early age lived austerely and sought to follow the injunctions of the Qu’ran. Throughout his life, he was generous with material objects, preferring to give away wealth to the poor. When his wife complained at a lack of money to buy clothes, he responded.