Death of Salah al-Din at Damascus

وفاة صلاح الدين بدمشق

c. March 1193 CE · Safar 589 AH

Damascus

In Safar 589 Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadhi died at Damascus. He had ridden out to meet the pilgrims, and on his return he fell ill the same day with a severe illness that lasted eight days. Before the illness he had summoned his son al-Afdal Ali and his brother al-Malik al-Adil Abu Bakr and asked their counsel: 'We are now free of the Franks; where shall we aim?' Al-Adil advised a campaign against Khilat, where he had been promised lands; al-Afdal advised the lands of Rum held by the sons of Qilij Arslan, which were larger, had more troops, were quicker to take, and lay on the Franks' route if they came overland. Salah al-Din said: 'You are both remiss and lacking in resolve. Rather, I shall march on the lands of Rum, and you, Adil, take some of my sons and the army to Khilat; when I have finished I will come to you, and we will enter Azerbaijan and join the lands of the 'Ajam, where none will bar us.' He then let al-Adil set off for al-Karak, and Salah al-Din fell ill and died before al-Adil returned. Ibn al-Athir mentions his forbearance: a mamluk threw a sarmuz at some men and it landed near him, and he turned to the other side and spoke to his companion so as to overlook it. He asked for water five times at one sitting and it was not brought, and he said: 'My companions, by God, thirst has killed me!' Water was brought and he drank, and he did not reproach the delay ¹.