"When God gave the land of Egypt, I was sure that He would also give Palestine to me."
The sentence was uttered by An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub know as saladin with full confidence after successfully conquering Syria and Egypt in 1175. For Saladin, Palestinian land became important because there, precisely in Jerusalem, there was the Aqsa Mosque purified by Muslims. In Muslim belief, Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first Qibla. He was the place where the Prophet made the journey of Mecca, which gave birth to the command of the five daily prayers. In short, seizing Palestinian land is not only spiritual for Salahuddin, but also a way of legitimating himself as a great caliph in the Middle East.
About seven decades before Saladin delivered his speech, Jerusalem was captured by Catholics from the hands of Muslims. This struggle was carried out at the blessing of Pope Urban II through military expansion called the First Crusade.
The First Crusade began with a request for military assistance delivered by Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Komnesus to the Pope in 1095. At that time the Byzantine Empire was confronting the Seljuk Turkish Empire. This request was agreed by the Pope on November 27, 1095 by preparing thousands of troops from various countries in Western Europe. But the Pope also has another mission. He wanted to ensure the safety of Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem and reunite Christian forces in the Middle East that were still under the control of al-Afdhal's Fatimid forces.
The First Crusaders traveled land and sea through Constantinople then Jerusalem. In July 1099 the Crusaders arrived in Jerusalem. Under the command of Godfrey of Buillon, the Crusaders pounded the fortress of Jerusalem to the ground. They finally conquered the city on July 15, 1099.
Blood Flood in Jerusalem
Not only for Muslims, Jerusalem is also a holy city for Jews and Christians. For centuries the call to prayer has mixed with the sound of church bells and the singing of Orthodox Jews. So that it is not difficult for anyone to imagine how excited the Crusaders were when they first set foot on a land that has a close history to this journey of Jesus Christ. In this land Jesus was hailed and buried.
Ironically, the euphoria was also what made the Crusaders eager to kill and terrorize the population of Jerusalem. Carole Hillenbrand, Professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at the University of Edinburgh, described the horrors experienced by Muslims and Jews through the Muslim historical sources he got.
"The Franks invaded the city and captured it. Many residents of Jerusalem fled to places of worship and many more were killed. Jews gathered in the synagogue and the Franks burned it. ... they destroyed graves including Ibrahim's grave, "wrote Hillenbrand in the Crusade: Islamic Viewpoint (2015).
Another source obtained by Hillenbrand said that Crusaders had killed more than 70,000 people in the Aqsa Mosque. Among them are many priests, clerics, worship experts, sincere people, migrants and those who live near the shrine.
"The madness was formalized in the name of religion by Pope Urban II in 1095," wrote James Reston in the Warriors of God: God's Forces of the Crusades (2007).
Beyond these criticisms, the First Crusade was also considered a symbol of heroism, knighthood, and piety which led to the birth of medieval literature, philosophy and romance in Europe.
Pay Off Promises
Beginning in July 1187 or 12 years after vowing to liberate Palestine, Salahuddin began mobilizing his troops across the Jordan River to take Jerusalem. The first attack he addressed to Tiberias Fortress.
This attack sparked a debate among the Crusaders: Is it waiting for Salahuddin to arrive in Jerusalem or take preventive action by sending a counterattack to Tiberias? Thursday night, July 2, King Guy of Lusignan who became ruler of Jerusalem decided to help Tiberias.
wretched-His decision became a big blast for the Crusaders. Salahuddin's attack on Tiberias Fortress turned out to be just a trap to lure Crusaders in Jerusalem outside the nest. A long journey in the sun made King Guy and his troops thirsty. At the same time, Saladin and his troops blocked the only access road to the water source on the Sea of
Galilee. Finally, through sporadic attacks on July 4, 1187, Salahuddin bent King Guy's forces in the Hattin valley. Tiberias Fortress was handed over on the 5th of July.
"It was a fatal mistake that brought disaster to the Crusader kingdom, they had to travel about 20 kilometers under the hot sun of July. They do not have water and do not provide any supply lines, "said Muhammad Moenes Awad, professor of history from Sharjah University, quoted from Al Jazeera.
Jonathan Phillips, historian from the University of London, said the battle of Hattin was a key battle in the history of the Crusades. Saladin's victory made most of the Crusaders dead and captured.
"He destroyed Frank's army, he captured the king of Jerusalem, he seized the True Cross. And this is a big military victory that will pave the way to reclaim Jerusalem itself, "Phillips said.
What's interesting - without sources and valid evidence - a number of articles about the Hattin war in Indonesian state that the event took place during Ramadan. In fact, based on the Islamic calendar, July 4, 1187 coincides with 16 Rabiul Akhir 583.
Victory at Hattin increased the morale of Salahuddin's forces and at the same time dropped the mentality of the Crusaders. In the following days, before arriving in Jerusalem, Saladin and his troops succeeded in conquering important cities such as Acre / Akko (July 10), Tyrus (July 14), Toron (July 26), Sidon (July 29), Gibelet (4 August), Beirut (August 6), and Ashkelon (September 5).
Sunday, September 20, 1187, Saladin and his troops arrived in Jerusalem. They set up camp and began to make siege. The next day, Salahuddin attacked the north and northwest side of the walls of Jerusalem. However, the power of the Crusaders at the fortress of Jerusalem, led by Balian from Ibelin, was still quite strong.
Fierce resistance made Saladin relax the attack. On September 29, Salahuddin finally succeeded in breaking down the fortress wall. On October 2, King Balian gave up unconditionally. This date has a symbolic meaning for Saladin and his troops because it coincides with Rajab 27, the day of the event of the Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad.
After the transfer of power, Saladin allowed the Crusaders to leave. There were no massacres against the local population like when the city was conquered by Crusaders.
"This scene was completely the opposite of the bloody massacre in July 1099. Crusaders were allowed to leave. Families and ordinary people do it in a peaceful convoy without being harassed by Muslims, "said Qassem Abdu Qassem, head of history from Zagaziq University, Egypt.
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