Thread by @khawar_achakzai

Human Rights, Amnesty and Sultan Salah-ud-Din Ayubi:

We are talking about 12th century C.E when the whole Europe was living their dark ages, small groups fighting and killing each other and savagery was the order of day. The middle world too was constantly (1/n)

warring: tribes with tribes, kingdoms with kingdoms and civilisations with civilisations. Before the pre-modern concept of “Human Rights”, Sultan Salahuddin laid the most luminous examples of dignity for human life, tolerance, kindness and justice that would put (2/n)

all current standards of ‘Rights’ to shame.

1. In the Battle of Hattin when his army laid siege of Al-Quds the Jewish envoy threatened that they would kill all the Muslims, loot their properties and burn all Muslim relics in case Ayubi’s army didn’t surrender. Ayubi sure (3/n)

of his own victory played cool and offered the frustrated envoys to pay a little ransom to Muslims and they could leave the city safely. This saved large number of Christian and Jewish lives.

2. During the first crusade there had been widespread killings of Muslims (4/n)

According to Tyreman in his book ‘God’s War: The slaughter continued for days; Muslims were indiscriminately killed, and Jews who had taken refuge in their synagogue died when it was burnt down by the Crusaders.” This had taken place merely 88 years before the Hattin. (5/n)

All non-Muslims feared if Salah-ud-Din would keep his promise for all the innocent Muslim blood they had on their hands. Salah-ud-Din was follower of Muhammad (S.A.A.W) whose promise was a word of destiny. Salah-ud-Din kept every singly word of his agreement and pardoned all. 6n

3. As per the agreement the Christian army had to pay a ransom of 30,000 dinars for the safe passage. The elite and the top soldiers paid it but the poor could not and were left at the mercy of Sultan. Rightly so.. He himself paid the ransom of hundreds of poor soldiers. (7/n)

4. After seeing the mercy of Salah-ud-din his brother freed 1000 Christian soldiers. According to Filippo Donvito in his research paper titled ‘Saladin’s Christian hostages and prisoners: Hangman or Gentleman?’ Around 20,000 poor Christians who had no money to pay (8/n)

the ransom were pardoned by the Sultan and were allowed to leave the city. Due to this act of generosity, thousands of Christians converted to Islam.

5. The agreement did not mention any protection to those who were leaving the city, but Sultan ordered his army to provide (9/n)

protection to the Christians going away from Jerusalem, till they reach a safe place.

6. Salah-ud-Din was advised by his close associates to destroy the Church of Sepulchre but he didn’t, setting forward an example of religious tolerance, even if it were against the enemies. 10

7. He allowed the Orthodox Christians and Syriacs to remain and to worship as they chose. The Copts, who were barred from entering Jerusalem by the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem as they were considered heretics and atheists, were allowed to enter the city without (11/n)

paying any fees and the Sultan treated them as his own subjects. The copts were given their holy places. The Abyssinian Christians were allowed to visit the holy places of Jerusalem without paying any fees.

6. The soldiers were strictly ordered to be respectful (12/n)

to women. They were allowed to leave the city with all dignity and honour. Crimes against women by anyone were not tolerated. The wives of captured Kings and lords e.g Sibylla were given full respect and dignity.

Ayubi is a great hero of Islam and humanity and rightly so.. n/n