the hidden estrangement between Nūr al-Dīn and Saladin

الوحشة بين نور الدين وصلاح الدين باطنًا

c. 1172 CE · 568 AH

Misr (Egypt)

A private estrangement opened between Nūr al-Dīn and Saladin, concealed from the public: Saladin had hurried back to Egypt after taking Ayla without leave, and kept back Egypt's money from him — until Nūr al-Dīn thought of marching on Egypt to take it from his hand 1.

Depth

At a glance

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In time

1160117011801190 c.
The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era · The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks

Summary

A secret estrangement arose between Nur al-Din and Salah al-Din, which they kept hidden from the people. It came from Salah al-Din's haste to return to Egypt after taking Ayla without permission, and his refusal to help with the wealth of Egypt, to the point that Nur al-Din resolved to march on Egypt and take it out of his hand. 1

Connections

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Had participant
Nur al-Din Mahmud ibn Zangi· Saladin (Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub)
Occurred at
Misr (Egypt)

People and things also explored

Shirkuh enters Egypt, Shawar is killed, and Shirkuh takes the vizierate· Ending the Ubaydid Khutba and Restoring the Abbasid Khutba in Egypt· the Ayyubid shuffle — al-Adil to Aleppo, al-Aziz to Egypt· The Frankish siege of Damietta (564 AH)· Asad al-Din Shirkuh's first expedition to Egypt· Ismat al-Din Khatun· the great battle at Acre — the sieges fiercest day· al-Adil takes Egypt — the Ayyubid house-war ends

Sources

  1. al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir , p. 35
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “the hidden estrangement between Nūr al-Dīn and Saladin”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/nur-saladin-rift-568/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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Related

Shirkuh enters Egypt, Shawar is killed, and Shirkuh takes the vizierate

In Rabīʿ I Shirkuh entered Egypt with the Nūrid armies and took it. The Franks had stormed Bilbays — killing and enslaving — then besieged Cairo while Shawar burned Fusṭāṭ (the fire ran fifty-four days) and bought their withdrawal for a promised million dinars; al-ʿĀḍid had sent his womenfolk's hair to Nūr al-Dīn begging rescue. When Shirkuh arrived Shawar was killed — as commonly told, Saladin's hand at his uncle's order — and Shirkuh took the vizierate, dealt justly with the people, then died days later, choked, it was said, on a feast of rich food.