1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:09,380 The Mawaddah Association presents: 3 00:00:09,380 --> 00:00:13,380 "Events in Ramadan." 4 00:00:13,380 --> 00:00:16,739 By Ra'd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha. 5 00:00:16,739 --> 00:00:21,019 The Demolition of the City of Ashkelon. 6 00:00:21,019 --> 00:00:26,019 On the first of Ramadan in the year 587 AH. 7 00:00:26,019 --> 00:00:29,019 There was a hero among the heroes of the Muslims, 8 00:00:29,019 --> 00:00:33,020 gripping a large pickaxe with both of his strong hands, 9 00:00:33,020 --> 00:00:37,020 and swinging it against the fortifications of a city belonging to his Ummah, 10 00:00:37,020 --> 00:00:41,020 a precious pearl among the gems of his kingdom. 11 00:00:41,020 --> 00:00:44,340 With him were his sons and his brothers, 12 00:00:44,340 --> 00:00:46,340 his forces and his soldiers, 13 00:00:46,340 --> 00:00:49,340 and vast throngs of his people. 14 00:00:49,340 --> 00:00:55,340 In the hand of each of them was a pickaxe, striking at a side of the city. 15 00:00:55,340 --> 00:00:58,380 As for the one holding the large pickaxe, 16 00:00:58,380 --> 00:01:02,380 he was the great hero, Salah al-Din. 17 00:01:02,380 --> 00:01:06,379 And as for the stricken city, it was Ashkelon. 18 00:01:06,379 --> 00:01:12,540 Ashkelon was not, at that time, some remote village abandoned by its inhabitants, 19 00:01:12,540 --> 00:01:17,540 left to the elements to demolish and ruin. 20 00:01:17,540 --> 00:01:21,540 Nor was it a small, crumbling village 21 00:01:21,540 --> 00:01:24,540 that one would find easy to abandon, 22 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:28,569 or easy to set one's hands to destroy. 23 00:01:28,569 --> 00:01:32,569 Rather, it was one of the greatest cities of Palestine, 24 00:01:32,569 --> 00:01:35,569 situated between Gaza and Bayt Jibrin, 25 00:01:35,569 --> 00:01:39,569 resting on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, 26 00:01:39,569 --> 00:01:42,569 with towering heights and impregnable fortifications. 27 00:01:42,569 --> 00:01:46,569 It stood like a giant in the middle of the road between Egypt and the Levant. 28 00:01:46,569 --> 00:01:51,569 It watched like a vigilant sentry over the approaches of the sea. 29 00:01:51,569 --> 00:01:55,629 Ashkelon combined majesty with beauty; 30 00:01:55,629 --> 00:01:59,629 for in addition to its formidable fortifications 31 00:01:59,629 --> 00:02:05,629 and its towering battlements, it possessed clear signs of splendor and grace, 32 00:02:05,629 --> 00:02:09,629 such that historians called it the "Bride of the Levant." 33 00:02:09,629 --> 00:02:15,629 It was a title they were stingy with, bestowing it only upon Ashkelon and Damascus. 34 00:02:15,629 --> 00:02:21,759 The demolition of Ashkelon at the hands of Salah al-Din has a long, stirring story, 35 00:02:21,759 --> 00:02:26,759 beginning in the era of the Rightly Guided Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), 36 00:02:26,759 --> 00:02:29,889 and continuing to this very day. 37 00:02:29,889 --> 00:02:34,889 The Muslims conquered the city of Ashkelon during the era of al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him), 38 00:02:34,889 --> 00:02:38,889 when he sent word to Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, 39 00:02:38,889 --> 00:02:43,889 commanding him to conquer Ashkelon and the neighboring coastal cities. 40 00:02:43,889 --> 00:02:47,889 Mu'awiyah obeyed the command and conquered the fortified city, 41 00:02:47,889 --> 00:02:52,889 and stationed guards there to protect it from the raids of the Byzantines. 42 00:02:52,889 --> 00:03:00,889 Then, groups of the noble Companions and the great Tabi'un began to flock to Ashkelon, 43 00:03:00,889 --> 00:03:04,889 until it became a center of knowledge and religion, 44 00:03:04,889 --> 00:03:07,889 and a refuge for the memorizers of the Qur'an and scholars of hadith. 45 00:03:07,889 --> 00:03:11,889 The fortified city of Ashkelon remained in the hands of the Muslims 46 00:03:11,889 --> 00:03:14,889 for five centuries and a quarter of a century, 47 00:03:14,889 --> 00:03:17,889 holding the reins of the road between Egypt and the Levant, 48 00:03:17,889 --> 00:03:21,889 and blocking the sea routes against every aggression. 49 00:03:21,889 --> 00:03:25,979 In the year 548 AH, 50 00:03:25,979 --> 00:03:30,979 the Crusader invasion swept over it, along with other Muslim lands they had overrun. 51 00:03:30,979 --> 00:03:35,979 Its fall, along with the fall of its sister city Acre, into the hands of the Franks, 52 00:03:35,979 --> 00:03:40,979 was a thorn in the throats of the Muslims and a speck of dust in the eyes of the mujahidin. 53 00:03:40,979 --> 00:03:45,979 This is because whoever possessed Acre and Ashkelon possessed Jerusalem, 54 00:03:45,979 --> 00:03:48,979 and severed the route between Egypt and the Levant. 55 00:03:48,979 --> 00:03:55,400 Ashkelon and Acre remained in the hands of the Crusaders for nearly thirty-five years, 56 00:03:55,400 --> 00:04:02,400 until Allah decreed that they be conquered at the hands of the hero of Islam and the Muslims, Salah al-Din. 57 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,530 On the day Salah al-Din conquered the city of Ashkelon, 58 00:04:06,530 --> 00:04:08,530 hopes blossomed in his heart, 59 00:04:08,530 --> 00:04:13,530 and he was overcome with a joy he had not felt with any previous conquest. 60 00:04:13,530 --> 00:04:18,560 It is no wonder, for Ashkelon would bring him closer to his greatest aspiration: 61 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,560 the aspiration of liberating Jerusalem. 62 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,560 Salah al-Din sent a message to his people in Egypt 63 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,560 following the conquest of Ashkelon, 64 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,560 in which he said, after praising Allah as He deserves: 65 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:34,560 "We descended upon Ashkelon, 66 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,560 the impregnable stronghold, the fortified fortress, and the towering mountain. 67 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,560 It possessed a strength that exceeded all expectations. 68 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,560 We conquered it fourteen days after we descended upon it, 69 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,560 and the banners of Tawhid were raised upon its walls, 70 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,560 its homes were inhabited by Muslims, 71 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,560 and the mu'adhdhins called the takbir in all its quarters. 72 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,560 Our resolve is set on heading toward Jerusalem; 73 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:07,560 if Allah grants victory, we shall then turn to the city of Tyre. 74 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,560 Peace be upon you." 75 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,819 After the conquest of Ashkelon, Salah al-Din realized 76 00:05:12,819 --> 00:05:16,819 that a door of goodness had been opened for him, 77 00:05:16,819 --> 00:05:18,819 and that he must enter it. 78 00:05:18,819 --> 00:05:22,819 He used to repeat the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 79 00:05:22,819 --> 00:05:26,819 "Whoever has a door of goodness opened for him, let him seize it, 80 00:05:26,819 --> 00:05:29,819 for he does not know when it will be closed against him." 81 00:05:31,009 --> 00:05:34,009 At that, he gathered his scattered troops, 82 00:05:34,009 --> 00:05:37,009 consolidated his divided forces, 83 00:05:37,009 --> 00:05:40,009 assembled the elite of his soldiers and the best of his commanders, 84 00:05:40,009 --> 00:05:43,009 and set out for the great conquest. 85 00:05:43,009 --> 00:05:46,199 On Sunday, the 15th of Rajab, 86 00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:50,199 in the year 583 AH, 87 00:05:50,199 --> 00:05:55,199 Salah al-Din descended upon the Crusaders in Jerusalem like the hand of fate. 88 00:05:55,199 --> 00:05:57,199 On the 27th of that month, 89 00:05:57,199 --> 00:06:01,199 the hero liberated the city from the hands of the Crusaders, 90 00:06:01,199 --> 00:06:05,199 and brought down the Great Cross from atop the Noble Rock, 91 00:06:05,199 --> 00:06:10,199 after it had remained in the grip of the Crusaders for over ninety years. 92 00:06:10,199 --> 00:06:13,329 The fall of Jerusalem stirred the fury of Europe; 93 00:06:13,329 --> 00:06:15,329 it rose up in an uproar. 94 00:06:15,329 --> 00:06:18,329 This great event shook the throne of the Pope, 95 00:06:18,329 --> 00:06:21,329 who began to warn of woe and destruction, 96 00:06:21,329 --> 00:06:23,329 and called for a holy war. 97 00:06:23,329 --> 00:06:26,329 Men rushed from every direction, 98 00:06:26,329 --> 00:06:29,329 wealth flowed from every pocket, 99 00:06:29,329 --> 00:06:32,329 and weapons poured in from every path. 100 00:06:32,329 --> 00:06:34,389 The road to Jerusalem 101 00:06:34,389 --> 00:06:37,389 was through Acre and Ashkelon. 102 00:06:37,389 --> 00:06:42,620 The Crusaders attacked Acre with an assault the likes of which history had never witnessed, 103 00:06:42,620 --> 00:06:47,620 and the Muslims defended it with a defense the likes of which history had never witnessed. 104 00:06:47,620 --> 00:06:51,870 Salah al-Din stood alone against all of Europe, 105 00:06:51,870 --> 00:06:54,870 and he and his army suffered such exhaustion 106 00:06:54,870 --> 00:06:56,870 that they could no longer bear it. 107 00:06:56,870 --> 00:06:59,870 He realized that he would inevitably be defeated 108 00:06:59,870 --> 00:07:03,870 if a helping hand did not reach him from the Caliph of the Muslims. 109 00:07:03,870 --> 00:07:06,870 So he sent a message from the fields of jihad 110 00:07:06,870 --> 00:07:10,870 to the calm and tranquil Caliph in Baghdad, 111 00:07:10,870 --> 00:07:12,870 in which he said: 112 00:07:12,870 --> 00:07:14,870 "The long duration and the heavy expense 113 00:07:14,870 --> 00:07:17,870 have taken their toll on us and our soldiers. 114 00:07:17,870 --> 00:07:19,870 The disbelievers are being reinforced by the sea; 115 00:07:19,870 --> 00:07:22,870 the sea brings them ships more numerous than its waves, 116 00:07:22,870 --> 00:07:25,870 and soldiers more plentiful than its foam. 117 00:07:25,870 --> 00:07:29,870 If the Muslims kill one of them on land, 118 00:07:29,870 --> 00:07:32,870 the sea sends a thousand in his place, 119 00:07:32,870 --> 00:07:36,899 and if one rank of them is wiped out, they bring twenty more." 120 00:07:36,899 --> 00:07:38,899 Then he said: 121 00:07:38,899 --> 00:07:41,899 "The King of the Germans has come out against us, 122 00:07:41,899 --> 00:07:43,899 along with the kings of the Cross, 123 00:07:43,899 --> 00:07:45,899 the masses from beyond the sea, 124 00:07:45,899 --> 00:07:47,899 and the hordes of all the nations of disbelief. 125 00:07:47,899 --> 00:07:50,899 Their Pope has forbidden them every comfort, 126 00:07:50,899 --> 00:07:53,899 extracted every reserve from their treasuries, 127 00:07:53,899 --> 00:07:56,899 clothed them in mourning garments, 128 00:07:56,899 --> 00:07:58,899 and bound them to the plan of jihad, 129 00:07:58,899 --> 00:08:02,899 so that they might seize from our hands the tomb of Christ 130 00:08:02,899 --> 00:08:05,899 and rescue the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from us." 131 00:08:05,899 --> 00:08:07,939 Then he continued: 132 00:08:07,939 --> 00:08:11,939 "This requires us to exhaust the resolve of men 133 00:08:11,939 --> 00:08:14,939 and deplete our financial treasuries. 134 00:08:14,939 --> 00:08:17,939 It is incumbent upon the Caliph of the Muslims 135 00:08:17,939 --> 00:08:20,939 to protect the qiblah of his subjects, 136 00:08:20,939 --> 00:08:22,939 and to remove their affliction." 137 00:08:22,939 --> 00:08:24,939 Then he said: 138 00:08:24,939 --> 00:08:28,939 “He said: My Lord! I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the wrong-doing folk.” (5:25) 139 00:08:28,939 --> 00:08:31,939 "My brother has already joined your side, 140 00:08:31,939 --> 00:08:33,940 and here are my children; 141 00:08:33,940 --> 00:08:37,940 I have exposed their faces to your enemy, 142 00:08:37,940 --> 00:08:41,940 and for your sake, I would not mind seeing them suffer harm." 143 00:08:41,940 --> 00:08:44,970 Then he implored the Caliph, saying: 144 00:08:44,970 --> 00:08:49,970 "O kin of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), 145 00:08:49,970 --> 00:08:51,970 be his successor in his Ummah, 146 00:08:51,970 --> 00:08:53,970 and fulfill your duty toward them. 147 00:08:53,970 --> 00:08:55,970 Do not delay our aid, 148 00:08:55,970 --> 00:09:00,970 for the benefit of relief is only found before it is too late." 149 00:09:00,970 --> 00:09:04,000 Then he concluded his sorrowful letter, saying: 150 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,000 "Furthermore, 151 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,000 even if time has bitten us, we remain. 152 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,000 We pledge to Allah that we shall remain standing 153 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,000 until we are victorious or we have fulfilled our duty. 154 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,000 And that no one shall reach the descendants of Ahmad 155 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,350 as long as there remains one of the descendants of the Ayyubids to be remembered." 156 00:09:24,350 --> 00:09:30,350 Salah al-Din's letter did not find a listening ear from the Caliph and his men, 157 00:09:30,350 --> 00:09:33,419 nor did it find receptive hearts. 158 00:09:33,419 --> 00:09:36,419 The Muslims continued to defend Acre 159 00:09:36,419 --> 00:09:39,419 until it fell into the hands of the Crusaders, 160 00:09:39,419 --> 00:09:44,419 after swords had become blunt, arms had grown weary, and resolve had faltered. 161 00:09:44,419 --> 00:09:48,480 It was a day of great calamity for the Muslims. 162 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:50,480 The Crusaders did not miss the opportunity; 163 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,480 they directed their armies toward Ashkelon, 164 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,480 and beyond Ashkelon lay Jerusalem. 165 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:02,480 Salah al-Din found himself unable to repel the Crusaders from Ashkelon, 166 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:07,700 and realized he had to make a firm decision in a critical situation. 167 00:10:07,700 --> 00:10:11,700 Making firm decisions in critical situations 168 00:10:11,700 --> 00:10:15,700 is a matter that only the greatest of men can handle. 169 00:10:15,700 --> 00:10:20,700 Umar ibn al-Khattab made a firm decision in a critical situation 170 00:10:20,700 --> 00:10:23,700 the day he pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr at the Saqifah, 171 00:10:23,700 --> 00:10:26,700 thereby ending evil and establishing order. 172 00:10:26,700 --> 00:10:30,700 Abu Bakr made a firm decision in a critical situation 173 00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:34,299 when he resolved to fight those who withheld zakat, 174 00:10:34,299 --> 00:10:37,100 thereby protecting Islam and preserving the religion. 175 00:10:37,100 --> 00:10:41,769 Salah al-Din made a firm decision in a critical situation, 176 00:10:41,769 --> 00:10:43,970 and decided to demolish Ashkelon 177 00:10:43,970 --> 00:10:46,169 and remove it from existence, 178 00:10:46,169 --> 00:10:50,970 so that the enemy would not use it as a fortress, a residence, or a base. 179 00:10:50,970 --> 00:10:55,259 It would have been difficult for Salah al-Din to make his decision 180 00:10:55,259 --> 00:10:59,059 had he not been a leader who was fully empowered and obeyed. 181 00:10:59,500 --> 00:11:02,700 And it would have been difficult for the Muslims to execute it 182 00:11:02,700 --> 00:11:05,700 had they not been on the same level as their leader. 183 00:11:05,700 --> 00:11:09,299 Salah al-Din said on the day he issued his decision: 184 00:11:09,299 --> 00:11:12,299 "By Allah, to lose all my children 185 00:11:12,299 --> 00:11:16,899 is dearer to me than to demolish a single stone of Ashkelon, 186 00:11:16,899 --> 00:11:21,879 but there is a benefit for Islam and the Muslims in doing so." 187 00:11:21,879 --> 00:11:24,080 In late Sha'ban, 188 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:29,679 Salah al-Din sent his army to hinder the Crusader advance toward Ashkelon. 189 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,879 On the first of Ramadan, 190 00:11:31,879 --> 00:11:36,480 he raised his pickaxes to demolish the great, ancient city, 191 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:40,340 with vast throngs of Muslims alongside him. 192 00:11:40,340 --> 00:11:42,740 Then time turned its cycle, 193 00:11:42,740 --> 00:11:47,139 and the swords of the Muslims drove the remnants of the Crusaders into the sea. 194 00:11:47,139 --> 00:11:51,139 The descendants of Salah al-Din rebuilt Ashkelon, 195 00:11:51,340 --> 00:11:54,340 and settled their children and offspring there. 196 00:11:54,340 --> 00:11:59,340 It remained in the hands of the Muslims until the Jews took it from them, 197 00:11:59,340 --> 00:12:02,539 and gave it the name Ashdod. 198 00:12:02,539 --> 00:12:06,139 The city, stricken by its new invaders, 199 00:12:06,139 --> 00:12:10,940 awaits today the liberating leader and the saving hero. 200 00:12:10,940 --> 00:12:14,940 So, congratulations to the one through whose hands salvation will come.