Customer Reviews

Saladin

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Medieval historian Geoffrey Hindley presents Saladin: Hero of Islam. Originally published in 1976, Saladin: Hero of Islam is now in a new edition, which takes into account the latest scholarship on Saladin's career and also features an updated introduction. Chapters tell how Saladin achieved a swift rise to power through conquest, intrigue, and opportunism; Saladin's tremendous gifts as a battlefield commander and military organizer stemming from his singleness of purpose and virtually unique political skill; and perhaps most unusual for military leaders of his era, Saladin's qualities and ethics that earned him a reputation for chivalry and mercy. Saladin: Hero of Islam does not idolize Saladin, yet actively seeks to understand just why his reputation in the Christian as well as the Muslim world has endured to the present day. Featuring black-and-white plates, Saladin: Hero of Islam is heavily researched yet accessible to lay readers, and highly recommended for library collections and biographical reading lists.

From the very first chapter in the book I was touched to the pit of my soul by this great man and his legacy to the point of near tears. Upon reading the final chapter about Saladin's death, my tears broke free despite my great efforts at the sad death of this extraordinary man and his life long wish to perform the Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca) but dying before that.

As for the book itself, I felt that if one wanted to get a brief insight as to who this extraordinary man was, one simply has to read the first and last chapters to realize that. The rest of the book details his ascendancy to power and his climatic legacy. The author uses both Islamic and European references to chronicle Saladin's legacy, as reassurance of accuracy, the author did quote Baha-Din Bin Shadad who was Saladin's biographer and most reliable source into his life (which by the way is a somewhat difficult book to obtain due to the very high demand).

I must warn readers despite the author's great research into the subject and knowledge of Islam, there are some misconceptions and general mistakes when it comes to understanding and interpreting certain actions or teachings of Islam. The most notable of which is in the very first chapter where the author attributes Saladin's more than noble treatment of the captured Christians once he had captured Jerusalem. The author attributes his noble and benevolent generosity to his personal character and failed to realize that this was due to Saladin's strict observance of the rules of war dictated by Islam (a counter argument would naturally be that few others were as he was when they were the victors in war, true but just because some people don't follow the rules doesn't make the rules wrong, it simply means that certain people disregarded the rules). Also, the author makes the assumption that the Koran is the ONLY source of Islamic teachings, it is true that it is the primary source but it is complemented by the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him, which never contradicted the teachings of the Koran, but simply emphasised the intricacies. An example of such an instance is where the author states that Muslims were angered by the fact that a statue of Saladin was carved in his memory and that there is no prohibition in the Koran against statues, but did the author refer to the teachings of the Prophet peace be upon him for the intricacies? It is obvious that he has not, the matter is discussed as clear as day. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that I have given a four star rating instead of a full five.

Other than that, the author does a great job of revealing many little details on how Islamic culture influenced Europeans during the middle ages, even down to personal hygiene (funny story in the book about that one) I laughed out loud trying to imagine the scene at that time! Also, one of the most emotional moments for me was when Saladin mobilized his army when he head that the Franks had attacked the pilgrims on their way to Mecca, despite agreements not to do so (because back then agreements with the infidel Muslims were void, whereas Saladin honoured his word even with infidels because it was dictated by the teachings of Islam and not out of personal characteristics), and how outraged he was at such an act.

One of THE MOST emotionally stirring books I have ever read about what has got to be ONE OF THE GREATEST men in history. I hope that readers will take into account the points I have listed above about the author's misinterpretations or misconceptions when reading this book which I strongly recommend for anyone who is curious about that era and this truly outstandingly great man.