The Crusades Through Arab Eyes

Zangī’s son, Nūr al-Dīn, succeeded his father. He was more palatable to many in the Muslim world than his predecessor because he cultivated a virtuous, balanced, and devout persona and “was thoroughly devoted to the jihād against the enemies of Islam” (144). He employed a powerful propaganda machine to psychologically mobilize the Islamic world against the Franj. His goals included the triumph of Sunni Islam over what he regarded as heretical sects (like the Shia), the creation of a unified kingdom, and the Muslim reconquest of Jerusalem. Sources “eulogize” him for his “humility and austerity” (144). For example, Ibn al-Athīr claims that Nūr al-Dīn once reprimanded a greedy wife by stating that his treasury belonged to Islam, not him. Such propaganda not only elevated Nūr al-Dīn but castigated the territorial princes who chose extravagance over jihād. He successfully mobilized the Muslim world against the Franj, and later Saladin “reaped the fruits of victory” (145).

Nūr al-Dīn began his career strategically. He took power in Aleppo while delegating authority in Mosul to his elder brother so that he could focus on Syria with the backing of an allied relation. Joscelin had reconquered Edessa when Zangī died: “Nūr al-Dīn reacted swiftly” (146) since his dynasty’s success depended on regaining it.