Narrating the life of Saladin, this groundbreaking biography places the 12th-century sultan of Egypt and Syria in historical context against the backdrop of the 10th- and 11th-century Sunni Revival, a powerful sweeping intellectual renaissance that transformed every field of Islamic thought. Islamic scholar A. R. Azzam contends that Saladin was not just the brilliant military commander of popular imagination but that his true greatness lay in his political and spiritual vision. Famous for driving the crusaders out of Jerusalem and for his bitter war of attrition with Richard the Lionheart, and fabled for his chivalry and generosity, he became the most powerful man in the Islamic empire, but died penniless, without enough money to line his coffin. In telling his fascinating and complex story, this study introduces readers to Saladin’s society and the men with whom he surrounded himself, analyzing the vital religious, military, intellectual, and administrative roles they played.

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