He crushed the Franks and the Armenians at Hārim—although they numbered thirty thousand, scarcely any escaped—and likewise at Banias.

The Franks had already been pressing hard upon Damascus and had levied a tribute against it. The commander-in-chief, Shawar, came to Nūr al-Dīn seeking protection; he honored him and sent an army back with him to restore him to his office, and they were victorious. Yet Shawar then acted treacherously, made common cause with others, and finally sought the aid of the Franks. Nūr al-Dīn, may Allah have mercy on him, therefore dispatched an immense force under his deputy Asad al-Dīn Shīrkūh, who conquered Egypt, overthrew its Rāfiḍite regime, drove the Franks away, and killed Shawar. The Egyptian realm then passed to Shīrkūh, Nūr al-Dīn’s lieutenant, and after him to Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn, who exterminated the ʿUbaydids, uprooted them completely, and reinstated the ʿAbbāsid allegiance.

Nūr al-Dīn possessed elegant handwriting and read extensively; he prayed in congregation, fasted, recited the Quran, glorified Allah, was meticulous about what he ate, shunned arrogance, and strove to emulate scholars and righteous men.

The ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir recorded these and similar traits, then said:

“He transmitted hadith and granted ijāzah for it. Whoever saw him beheld such majesty of sovereignty and awe of kingship that he was struck with wonder; yet when he spoke with him he found a gentleness and humility that left him amazed.”

Those who accompanied him at home and on campaign relate that they never heard from him an obscene word, whether in contentment or displeasure. He befriended the devout and visited them; whenever one of his mamluks experienced a nocturnal emission he would set him free and marry him to one of his female slaves. Whenever the populace complained of one of his governors he removed him. Most of the lands he acquired came into his possession by peaceful capitulation, and whenever he took a city he remitted part of its taxes from its subjects.

Abū al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzī (1) said: “He strove in jihad and wrested from the unbelievers more than fifty cities and fortresses, and in Mosul he built a congregational mosque that cost seventy (2) thousand—”