Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (14/419)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

listening to hadith; indeed, during one of his battle engagements he had an entire fascicle read to him while he was standing between the two ranks and boasted (1), “This is a situation in which no one before me has ever listened to hadith.” (2) He did so at the suggestion of al-ʿImād al-Kātib. He was tender-hearted, quick to shed tears when hearing hadith, and possessed great (3) reverence for the ordinances of the religion.

At that time there had taken refuge (4) with his son al-Ẓāhir in Aleppo a young man called al-Shihāb al-Suhrawardī (5). He knew alchemy, certain feats of sleight-of-hand, and the occult science of talismans, so al-Malik al-Ẓāhir became infatuated with him, drew him close, and loved him (6), contrary to the position of the scholars of the Sacred Law. Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn therefore wrote to his son ordering him, without fail, to put the man to death; accordingly al-Ẓāhir crucified him at his father’s command and displayed his body publicly. Some say (7) that he confined him between two walls until he died of grief. This took place in 586 AH.

Sultan Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn—may Allah have mercy on him—was among the bravest of people and the strongest in body and heart, despite being afflicted with illnesses and ailments that would have overwhelmed five hundred others. Especially (8) while he was stationed in steadfast ribāṭ at Acre, whenever their forces multiplied and reinforcements poured in, it only increased him in strength and valor. Their armies reached five hundred thousand combatants—some say six hundred thousand—yet the total number killed (9) among them was one hundred thousand.

When the fighting came to an end (10) and they seized Acre, having slain most of those who were there [from among the Muslims] (11), they all marched toward Jerusalem (12). He shadowed them station by station, [and stage by stage] (13), even though their armies were many times larger than his; yet Allah granted him victory and disgraced them, [supporting him and cutting them down] (14). He reached Jerusalem ahead of them (15), preserving and protecting it from their grasp, strengthening its structures, consolidating its foundations, and safeguarding its precincts. He remained there with his army, striking fear into them, defeating them, scattering them, breaking and capturing them, until they humbled themselves before him, implored him, and came to him asking that he conclude peace with them

(1) In the printed edition (ṭ): “he would hear in some of his muṣāfa (recitation session) a passage while between the ranks, and he would become tabajjaha (exultant).” Bajh (joy); “he exulted with it, exulting,” according to al-Qāmūs (s.v. “bajh”). (2) In the printed edition (ṭ): “no one has heard a hadith concerning his killing.” (3) In the printed edition (ṭ): “and it was abundant.” (4) In the printed edition (ṭ): “he had accompanied his son.” (5) He is Yaḥyā ibn Hubbāsh; see his extensive biography in Wafayyāt al-A‘yān, vol. 6, p. 268. (6) Absent from manuscript B. (7) In the printed edition (ṭ): “bal” (rather). (8) In the printed edition (ṭ) their placement is: “Especially during the siege of Acre, despite the multitude of their forces and supplies, this only made him stronger and more courageous.” (9) In the printed edition (ṭ): “six hundred thousand were killed.” (10) Manuscripts A and B read “al-ḥāl.” (11) Found only in the printed edition (ṭ). (12) In the printed edition (ṭ): “and they all marched to Jerusalem.” (13) Absent from the printed edition (ṭ). (14) Absent from the printed edition (ṭ). (15) In the printed edition (ṭ): “al-Quds” (Jerusalem).

سماع الحديث، حتى إِنه سمع في بعض مصافّه جزءًا وهو بين الصفين ويتبجَّح (١) بذلك، ويقول: هذا موقف لم يسمع فيه أحد من قبله حديثًا (٢) ، وكان ذلك بإِشارة العماد الكاتب. وكان رقيق القلب، سريع الدمعة عند سماع الحديث، وكثير (٣) التعظيم لشرائع الدين، وكان قد لجأ إِلى (٤) ولده الظاهر وهو بحلب شاب يقال له: الشهاب السهروردي (٥) ، وكان يعرف الكيمياء وشيئًا من الشعبذة والأبواب النيرنجيات، فافتتن به ولده السلطان الظاهر وقرَّبه وأحبه (٦) ، وخالف فيه حملة الشرع، فكتب إِليه أن يقتله لا محالة، فصلبه ولده عن أمر والده وشهَّره، ويقال: إِنه (٧) حبسه بين حيطين حتى مات كمدًا، وذلك في سنة ست وثمانين وخمسمئة، وكان السلطان صلاح الدين (رحمه الله) من أشجع الناس وأقواهم بدنًا وقلبًا مع ما كان يعتري خمسمئة من الأمراض والأسقام، ولا سيما (٨) وهو مرابط مصابر مثابر عند عكا فإِنهم كانوا كلما كثرت جموعهم وتراكمت أمدادهم لا يزيده ذلك إِلا قوة وشهامة، وقد بلغت جموعهم خمسمئة ألف مقاتل، ويقال: ستمئة ألف، وكان جملة من قتل (٩) منهم مئة ألف مقاتل. ولما انفصل الحرب (١٠) وتسلموا عكا، وقتلوا أكثر من كان بها [من المسلمين] (١١) ، ساروا برُمَّتهم إِلى بيت المقدس (١٢) فجعل يسايرهم منزلة منزلة، [ومرحلة مرحلة] (١٣) ، وجيوشهم أضعاف أضعاف من معه، ومع هذا نصره الله وخذلهم، [وأيده وقتلهم] (١٤) وسبقهم إِلى بيت المقدس (١٥) فصانه وحماه منهم، وشيد بنيانه، وأطّد أركانه، وصان حماه، ولم يزل بجيشه مقيمًا به يرهبهم ويرعبهم ويغلبهم وشملبهم. ويكسرهم ويأسرهم حتى تضرعوا إِليه وخضعوا لديه، ودخلوا عليه، [أن يصالحهم

(١) ط: يسمع في بعض مصافه جزء وهو بين الصفين فكان يتبجح. والبجح: الفرح، وبجحته تبجيحًا فتبجّح. القاموس (بجح). (٢) ط: لم يسمع أحد من قتله حديثًا. (٣) ط: وكان كثير. (٤) ط: كان قد صحب ولده. (٥) هو يحيى بن حبش، له ترجمة واسعة في وفيات الأعيان (٦/ ٢٦٨). (٦) ليس في ب. (٧) ط: بل. (٨) مكانهما في ط: ولا سيما في حصار عكا فإنه كان مع كثرة جموعهم وأمدادهم لا يزيده ذلك إِلا قوة وشجاعة. (٩) ط: ستمئة ألف فقتل. (١٠) أ، ب: الحال. (١١) عن ط وحدها. (١٢) ط: وساروا برمتهم إِلى القدس. (١٣) ليس في ط. (١٤) ليس في ط. (١٥) ط: القدس.