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Al-Malik al-Adil, Sayf al-Din Abu Bakr ibn Ayyub, was Saladin's brother and right hand. He governed Egypt in his brother's absences; when his nephew al-Aziz died in 595 AH he took Egypt and then installed his son al-Kamil, dividing the lands among his sons in his lifetime. He died in 615 AH at 'Alaqin and was buried in Damascus.
Al-Malik al-Adil, Sayf al-Din Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ayyub, Saladin's brother — the Crusaders called him Saphadin — born in Muharram 540 AH. He went with Saladin to Egypt in Shirkuh's third campaign of 564 AH, and after Nur al-Din's death governed Egypt in his brother's absences until called 'the true sultan of Egypt'; he took Aleppo in 579 AH before Saladin returned it to al-Zahir in 582 AH. When al-Aziz died in 595 AH al-Adil took Egypt and installed his son al-Kamil; Ibn al-Athir records his nephew al-Afdal held no kingdom al-Adil did not take, and that he divided the lands among his sons in his lifetime. He died on 7 Jumada al-Akhira 615 AH at 'Alaqin during the Damietta turn, aged seventy-five, and was carried to Damascus and buried at its citadel, then moved to his Adiliyya madrasa; the kharaj tables name a diwan 'al-Adili al-Sa'id' for him.
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Al-Malik al-Adil, Sayf al-Din Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ayyub, Saladin's brother, right hand and spiritual heir — called Saphadin by the Crusaders — born in Muharram 540 AH at Damascus or Baalbek, or 538 in other tellings. He accompanied Saladin to Egypt in Shirkuh's third campaign of 564 AH, and after Nur al-Din's death in 569 AH governed Egypt in his brother's repeated absences in Syria until he was called 'the true sultan of Egypt'; he took Aleppo in 579 AH with full powers before Saladin returned it to al-Zahir in 582 AH. When al-Malik al-Aziz died in Egypt in 595 AH and his son al-Mansur was installed, al-Adil took Egypt then installed his son al-Malik al-Kamil — in al-Maqrizi al-Kamil was at the Adiliyya near Damietta and took sole rule of Egypt on news of his father's death. Ibn al-Athir records that his nephew al-Afdal held no kingdom al-Adil did not take, and that he divided the lands among his sons in his lifetime so each held his realm. He died on 7 Jumada al-Akhira 615 AH at 'Alaqin — having fallen ill leaving Marj al-Suffar — while on the Damietta turn of duty, aged seventy-five years and months; his son al-Mu'azzam Isa concealed the death, carried him in a litter to Damascus, buried him in its citadel then moved him to his Adiliyya madrasa; and the kharaj tables carry 'al-Diwan al-Adili al-Sa'id' under his name.
Overview
Al-Malik al-Adil Sayf al-Din Abu Bakr ibn Ayyub, the brother of Saladin. When al-Malik al-Aziz died in Egypt in 595 AH and his son al-Mansur was set up, al-Adil took possession of Egypt, and then established there his son al-Malik al-Kamil. 1
He died on the seventh of Jumada al-Akhira 615 AH at Alaqin, while he was on the watch at Damietta, aged seventy-five years and some months, and was buried in his mausoleum in Damascus. 2
Ibn al-Athir relates that he never let his nephew al-Afdal hold a kingdom without taking it from him, and that in his lifetime he divided the lands among his sons, so each of them remained firm in his kingdom. 2
According to al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrizi says that his son al-Kamil was at al-Adiliyya near Damietta, and that when news of his father's death reached him he became sole ruler of the kingdom of Egypt 3.
He says that al-Adil left Marj al-Safar, fell ill and died on the seventh of Jumada II. His son al-Mu'azzam Isa concealed his death, carried him in a litter to Damascus, buried him in its citadel, and later moved him to the al-Adiliyya madrasa there 3.
In the land-tax registers there is a division bearing his name, "the Adili Diwan the Fortunate" 4.
Encyclopaedia of Islam account
The Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.), unsigned, describes al-'Adil I, Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Ayyub, Sayf al-Din ("Sword of the Faith", called Saphadin by the Crusaders), the brother, assistant and spiritual heir of Saladin. He was born in Muharram 540 (June–July 1145) or, by other accounts, in 538 (1143–4), in Damascus or Baalbek. He accompanied Saladin to Egypt in Shirkuh's third expedition in 564 (1169). After Nur al-Din's death in 569 (1174) he governed Egypt during Saladin's frequent absences, and was called "the real sultan of Egypt". He received Aleppo in 579 (1183) with full powers, and in 582 (1186) Saladin let Aleppo go back to al-Zahir. 5
He held Karak and Balqa' during the campaigns of 1187–8 and the Third Crusade, took part in the conquest of southern Palestine, and played an important part in the negotiations with Richard Coeur-de-Lion, with whom it was even proposed that he marry Richard's sister Joan. In 588 (1192) he was moved to the Jazira and Diyar Bakr. After Saladin's death in 589 (1193) he defeated al-Afdal, who had been viceroy of Damascus, and was proclaimed sultan of Egypt and Syria in 596 (1200). He received recognition from al-Zahir in 598 (1202) and from the caliph in 604 (1207), and he divided his provinces among his sons, al-Kamil in Egypt, al-Mu'azzam in Damascus, and al-Ashraf and al-Awhad in the Jazira and Diyar Bakr. 6
He held Saladin's empire together in the face of new Crusades, patronised religion and learning, made commercial treaties with the Italian states, and kept peace with the local Crusader states by a series of truces. When the Fifth Crusade arrived in 614 (1217), he moved into Syria to help al-Mu'azzam and organise reinforcements for Damietta, fell ill, and died at 'Alikin outside Damascus on 7 Jumada I 615 (31 August 1218). 6
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Connections
- Died in
- Damietta
- Buried in
- Damascus
- Parent of
- al-Malik al-Muzaffar Ghazi b. al-Adil· al-Malik al-Salih Isma'il b. al-Adil· Mujir al-Din Ya'qub b. al-Adil
- Sibling of
- Rabi'a Khatun bint Ayyub
- Participated in
- the Ayyubid shuffle — al-Adil to Aleppo, al-Aziz to Egypt· al-Adil takes Egypt — the Ayyubid house-war ends· al-Adil takes the Khabur and Nisibis and besieges Sinjar· al-Afdal besieges Damascus and turns back· al-Adil's seizure of Damascus· Al-Adil takes Jaffa and the Franks take Beirut (593 AH)· al-Aziz's siege of Damascus and the partition settlement (590 AH)· Death of al-Malik al-Adil and his sons' succession· Death of Salah al-Din at Damascus· Najm al-Din ibn al-Adil given Khilat· Nur al-Din Arslan Shah of Mosul defeated by al-Adil's armies· The Frankish raid on the Red Sea and the Hijaz coast at 'Aydhab
People and things also explored
Damascus· al-Malik al-Afdal Nur al-Din Ali ibn Salah al-Din· Saladin (Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub)· Al-Salih Isma'il takes Damascus and al-Salih Ayyub takes Egypt in 637· al-Malik al-Aziz Imad al-Din Uthman ibn Salah al-Din· Nur al-Din Arslan Shah· Misr (Egypt)· al-Afdal besieges Damascus and turns back
Sources
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 694
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir , p. 393-394
- Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa-l-i'tibar bi-dhikr al-khitat wa-l-athar (al-Khitat al-Maqriziyya), ed. Muhammad Zaynhum and Madiha al-Sharqawi (Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, 1998) , p.643
- Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa-l-i'tibar bi-dhikr al-khitat wa-l-athar (al-Khitat al-Maqriziyya), ed. Muhammad Zaynhum and Madiha al-Sharqawi (Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, 1998) , p.291
- Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd edition (Leiden: Brill, 1954–2008), 13 volumes , vol. 1 p. 216
- Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd edition (Leiden: Brill, 1954–2008), 13 volumes , vol. 1 p. 217
- Shadharat al-Dhahab — Ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “al-Malik al-Adil Sayf al-Din Abu Bakr ibn Ayyub”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/al-malik-al-adil-ayyub/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-26.