Biography of Salahuddin Ayyubi
Salahuddin ayubi history, Allah has raised leaders who defended Islam and revived hope during its most difficult times. By holding firmly to the Sunnah and resisting oppression, they became guiding lights whose sacrifices preserved the essence of faith and inspired generations.
Among these noble figures was Salâh ad-Deen al-Ayubi, the unifier of hearts and lands. With conviction, courage, and piety, he transformed despair into victory and earned his revered place in history as the liberator of Jerusalem.
Father name of Salahuddin Ayubi
Najm al-Din Ayyub, the father of Salahuddin Ayyubi, was a noble and wise Kurdish leader known for his integrity and loyalty. He served with honor under the Zengid rulers and played a key role in shaping his son’s character and faith. His guidance and principles laid the foundation for Salahuddin’s future as a just and powerful leader of the Islamic world.
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“Najm al-Din Ayyub’s legacy was not written in battles, but in the character of his son who changed history.”
Early Life Salahuddin Ayubi
Saladin was born in Tikrit, a town in present-day Iraq, and his personal name was Yusuf while Salah ad-Din became a laqab, an honorific epithet meaning Righteousness of the Faith. His family was of Kurdish ancestry, tracing roots to the village of Ajdanakan near Dvin in Armenia.
He was the son of a mercenary, Najm ad-Din Ayyub, from the Rawadiya tribe who became part of the Arabic-speaking world. During that era, no scholar had more influence than sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani, whose pupils shaped many leaders. In 1132, the army of Zengi, the Atabeg of Mosul, found refuge by the Tigris River at the fortress where Ayyub served as warden and offered ferries to cross.
Yet he faced tension with Mujahid ad-Din Bihruz, a former Greek slave turned military governor of northern Mesopotamia under the Seljuks, who reprimanded him and later banished him in 1137 after Asad ad-Din Shirkuh killed a close ally.As Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad recounts, Saladin was born the same night his family moved away, later settling in 1139 at Mosul where his father became commander of Baalbek.
Salahuddin Ayubi Family Tree
The family tree of Salahuddin Ayyubi reflects a proud Kurdish heritage rooted in honor, leadership, and faith. His father, Najm al-Din Ayyub, and uncle, Asad al-Din Shirkuh, were renowned leaders who inspired his path to greatness. The Ayyubid family’s legacy continued through generations, shaping a dynasty known for its justice, unity, and devotion to Islam.
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“The Ayyubid family tree was not just a lineage—it was a foundation of faith, courage, and leadership.”
Inclination Towards Faith and Knowledge
After the death of Zengi in 1146, Nur ad-Din rose as regent of Aleppo, guiding the Zengids. Growing up in Damascus, his childhood remains scarce in records, but his education stood out. He absorbed what Children learned from elders, answering questions on Euclid, the Almagest, arithmetic, and law, yet his knowledge of the Qur’an and sciences of religion tied him to his contemporaries.
Unlike many drawn to military life, he leaned towards faith, shaped by the First Crusade when Jerusalem fell to the Christians. His grasp of Islam, genealogies, biographies, and histories of the Arabs, along with bloodlines of Arabian horses, and the Hamasah of Abu Tammam he knew by heart, made him remarkable. He also spoke Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish, and Persia, blending cultures that shaped his destiny.
Childhood and Background of Salahuddin Ayyubi
Childhood and Education
In that era, the scholar sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani had great influence, guiding his pupils including those connected to Saladin’s family. Around 1132, the army of Zengi, the Atabeg of Mosul, reached the Tigris River near the fortress where Ayyub served as warden, offering ferries and refuge.
Conflicts with Mujahid ad-Din Bihruz, a former Greek slave and military governor of Mesopotamia under the Seljuks, later led to their being banished in 1137 after Asad ad-Din Shirkuh killed an ally of Bihruz.
As noted by Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad, Saladin was born the same night his family left Tikrit, moving in 1139 to Mosul where Imad ad-Din Zengi made Ayyub commander of the fortress at Baalbek until his death in 1146, when Nur ad-Din became regent of Aleppo and leader of the Zengids.
Damascus and Knowledge Salahuddin Ayyubi
Growing up in Damascus, Saladin’s childhood remains scarce in detail, though his education shaped him deeply. His biographers such as Anne-Marie Eddé and al-Wahrani describe his skill in Euclid, the Almagest, arithmetic, and law, but most admired was his link to the Qur’an and the sciences of religion among his contemporaries.
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Victory is not through the multitude of soldiers, but through the help of Allah.
Though some urged him toward military studies, the First Crusade and the loss of Jerusalem to the Christians drew his heart closer to Islam. I personally find it inspiring how he memorized genealogies, biographies, and histories of the Arabs, traced the bloodlines of Arabian horses, and recited the Hamasah of Abu Tammam by heart, all while mastering Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish, and Persian—a reflection of both discipline and vision.
Struggles and Influence
Salahuddin Ayyubi
Salahuddin Ayyubi piety also showed when he opposed the Order of Assassins, an extremist Isma’ili Shi’i sect in Iran, whom he saw as heretics close to the Crusaders. Yet he also welcomed Asiatic Sufis and, with his followers, endowed many zawiyas that al-Maqrizi later listed.
Salahuddin Ayyubi interests and the waqfiyya reveal that the inhabitants of these places were known for knowledge, piety, and baraka or blessings. The founder had stipulated that the group be brought from abroad to settle in Cairo or Fustat, and if not, then they would include poor jurists of the Shafi’i or Maliki schools, always holding the Ash’ari creed.
Read More: Salahudin Ayubi From Warrior to Sultan
Personality and Religious Leanings
Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad, a close biographer, described Salahuddin as a deeply pious Muslim devoted to prayer, Qur’an recitation, and Sunni orthodoxy. He supported Sufism, patronized khanqahs and madrasas in Egypt and Syria, and upheld the values of the Sharia, showing little tolerance for those who rejected God’s attributes or denied the sacred law.
A true devotee of jihad, Salahuddin found deep inspiration in the Qur’an and hadith, which emphasized sacrifice and struggle in the path of Allah. Salahuddin Ayyubi life centered on preparing for battle, aiding warriors, and preserving the faith, leaving little interest in pursuits outside this cause. Though he respected piety, he also took firm action against certain mystics and philosophers when judged unfit by religious scholars.