Salah al-Din recovers Jerusalem

Al-Suyuti says that in 583 AH Salah al-Din took many of the Syrian lands held by the Franks, the greatest of them Jerusalem. Its stay in Frankish hands had lasted ninety-one years. ²

The sultan removed the monuments the Franks had made and tore down the churches they had built, and in place of one church built a madrasa for the Shafi'is. He did not demolish the Holy Sepulchre, following the example of Umar, who did not demolish it when he took Jerusalem. ²

Al-Suyuti relates that Ibn Barjan said in his commentary on the surah of al-Rum that Jerusalem would remain in the hands of the Romans until 583 AH, and then would become a Muslim house. Abu Shama describes this as a strange claim, and says that Ibn Barjan had died long before. ²

The speaker's view (opinion): the Palestine question is an Islamic question, the land of Palestine is an Islamic endowment, and Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) endowed Jerusalem in particular (needs_source) ³.

The speaker's view (opinion): the state of Palestine is shameful, and he names two moments in Jerusalem's history: the Islamic conquest, and the time of the Crusaders ⁴.

He says al-Aqsa remained under Crusader occupation for ninety-two years (needs_source) ⁵, and says elsewhere that Jerusalem was held by wrongdoers for nearly a century before it was returned (needs_source) ⁶.

He describes the judge's sermon on the day Jerusalem returned after ninety-two years of occupation (needs_source). The judge began with the Opening chapter and recited it to the end ⁷, then prayed for the just king Salah al-Din ⁸.

He recounts that the judge prayed for Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and said of Umar that he was the first to remove the Crusader rites from the House (needs_source) ⁹.

He recounts the judge's prayer for Salah al-Din: that God cleanse al-Aqsa of the polytheists, and that his command and prohibition take effect in the East and the West ^{10 11}.

He recounts that the judge said the army had been honoured to free al-Aqsa, and that no one can harm the one whom God has helped to victory ^{12 13}. The speaker's view (opinion): the victory was God's pleasure, not the Muslims' doing alone ¹⁴.

He says the Companions taught that Jerusalem would be occupied twice, and that the present tense in the verse signifies continuity (needs_source) ¹⁵. He reads the first of the two warnings as Umar's entry into Jerusalem without battle ¹⁶.

The speaker's view (opinion): al-Aqsa returns only through pure monotheism ¹⁷.

He recounts that the Companions asked Bilal to call the adhan at al-Aqsa, and that when he did, he moved everyone present to tears ¹⁸.