Saif al-Din Qutuz

I want you to forget the movie "Wa Islamah" and read the real life story of Qutuz and how he transformed Egypt from a state of chaos to a great victory over the greatest superpower at that time in just one year.
For your information, we will not liberate Al-Aqsa unless we follow what Qutuz did, but you are still in a state of negligence.

Qutuz

He is King Al-Muzaffar Saif al-Din Qutuz bin Abdullah al-Mu'izzi, the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He is considered the most prominent king of the Mamluk state, although his reign lasted only one year, because he was able to stop the Mongol advance that nearly destroyed the Islamic state. He defeated them in a crushing defeat in the Battle of Ain Jalut, and pursued their remnants until he liberated the Levant.

Its origin and upbringing

Qutuz was born a Muslim prince during the Khwarazmian Empire. He was Mahmud ibn Mamdud, the nephew of Sultan Jalal ad-Din Khwarazm Shah. He was born in the land of Khwarazm Shah to a father named Mamdud and a mother who was the sister of King Jalal ad-Din ibn Khwarazm Shah. His grandfather was one of the greatest kings of Khwarazm Shah and engaged in long wars with Genghis Khan, the Tatar king, but he was defeated and Najm ad-Din took over the rule. He had a brilliant start to his reign and defeated the Tatars in many battles. However, he later suffered several setbacks until the Tatars reached his capital. Following the collapse of the Khwarazmian Empire in 628 AH / 1231 AD, he was kidnapped by the Mongols. He and other children were taken to Damascus and sold in the slave market and given the name Qutuz. Qutuz remained a slave who was bought and sold until he ended up in the hands of Izz ad-Din Aybak, one of the Mamluk princes of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt.
Shams ad-Din al-Jazari narrates in his history about Sayf ad-Din Qutuz: “When he was in the slavery of Musa ibn Ghanim al-Maqdisi in Damascus, his master beat him and insulted him about his father and grandfather. He cried and did not eat anything the rest of the day. The master ordered Ibn al-Zaim al-Farrash to appease him and feed him. Al-Farrash narrated that he brought him food and said to him: ‘All this crying because of a slap?’ Qutuz replied: ‘I am crying because he insulted my father and grandfather, who are better than him.’ I said: ‘Who is your father? One of them is an infidel?’ He replied: ‘By God, I am only a Muslim, the son of a Muslim. I am Mahmud ibn Mamdud, the nephew of Khwarazm Shah, one of the sons of kings.’ So he remained silent and I appeased him.” He also narrates that when he was young, he told one of his peers that he saw the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and he gave him the good news that he would rule Egypt and defeat the Tatars. This means that the man considered himself to be on a mission and that he was so righteous that he saw the Messenger of God and God chose him for that. There is no doubt that Qutuz, may God have mercy on him, was a messenger of God’s mercy and divine providence for the Arab and Islamic nation and the world, in order to rid the world of the evil and danger of the Tatars forever. His arrival to rule Egypt was a good omen for Egypt and for the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Qutuz was described as a blond young man with a thick beard, a brave hero who was chaste in his dealings with the Prophet, who was above minor sins and was devoted to prayer, fasting and reciting the supplications. He married from his people and did not leave behind any male children. Rather, he left behind two daughters, of whom people did not hear anything after him.

His guardianship over the rule

King Izz ad-Din Aybak appointed Qutuz as the Sultan's deputy. After King al-Mu'izz Izz ad-Din Aybak was killed by his wife Shajar ad-Durr, and after him, his wife Shajar ad-Durr was killed by the concubines of Aybak's first wife, Sultan Nur ad-Din Ali ibn Aybak assumed power, and Saif ad-Din Qutuz assumed guardianship of the young Sultan, who was only 15 years old.
The rise of the child Nur ad-Din to power caused much unrest in Egypt and the Islamic world. Most of the unrest came from some of the Bahri Mamluks who remained in Egypt and did not flee to the Levant with those who fled during the days of King Al-Mu'izz Izz ad-Din Aybak. One of these Bahri Mamluks, named Sanjar al-Halabi, led the revolt. He wanted to rule for himself after the murder of Izz ad-Din Aybak, so Qutuz was forced to arrest him and imprison him. Qutuz also arrested some of the leaders of the various rebellions, so the rest of the Bahri Mamluks quickly fled to the Levant, to join their leaders who had fled there before that during the days of King Al-Muizz. When the Bahri Mamluks arrived in the Levant, they encouraged the Ayyubid princes to invade Egypt, and some of these princes responded to them, including Mughis al-Din Omar, the Emir of Karak, who advanced with his army to invade Egypt. Mughis al-Din actually arrived with his army in Egypt, and Qutuz went out to him and prevented him from entering Egypt, and that was in Dhul-Qi'dah of the year 655 AH / 1257 AD. Then Mughis al-Din returned to dreaming of invading Egypt again, but Qutuz prevented him again in Rabi' al-Akhir of the year 656 AH / 1258 AD.

He assumed power

Qutuz Mahmud ibn Mamdud ibn Khwarazm Shah was effectively running the country, but a child sultan was sitting on the throne. Qutuz saw this as weakening the authority of the government in Egypt, undermining people's confidence in their king, and strengthening the resolve of his enemies, who saw the ruler as a child. The child sultan was interested in cockfighting, ram-fighting, pigeon-raising, donkey-riding in the citadel, and socializing with the ignorant and common folk, leaving his mother and those behind her to manage the affairs of state during those difficult times. This abnormal situation continued for nearly three years, despite the growing dangers and the fall of Baghdad to the Mongols. One of those most affected by this and fully aware of these dangers was Prince Qutuz, who was deeply saddened by what he saw as the king's recklessness, the control women exercised over the country's resources, and the tyranny of the princes, who prioritized their own interests over those of the country and its people.
Here, Qutuz made the bold decision to depose the child sultan, Nur ad-Din Ali, and assume the throne of Egypt. This occurred on the 24th of Dhu al-Qi'dah 657 AH / 1259 AD, just days before Hulagu's arrival in Aleppo. Ever since Qutuz had ascended to power, he had been preparing to confront the Tatars.
When Qutuz assumed power, the domestic political situation was extremely tense. Six rulers had ruled Egypt over the course of approximately ten years: King al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub, his son Turan Shah, Shajar al-Durr, King al-Mu'izz Izz al-Din Aybak, Sultan Nur al-Din Ali ibn Aybak, and Sayf al-Din Qutuz. There were also many Mamluks coveting power and vying for it.
The country was also experiencing a severe economic crisis as a result of the repeated Crusades, the wars that took place between Egypt and its neighbors in the Levant, and the internal strife and conflicts.
Qutuz worked to improve the situation in Egypt while preparing to meet the Tatars.

Preparing to meet the Tatars

Qutuz thwarted the Mamluks' ambitions for power by uniting them behind one goal: to stop and confront the Tatar advance. He gathered the princes, senior commanders, leading scholars, and opinion leaders in Egypt and said clearly to them: "My only intention (i.e., my intention in seizing power) was for us to unite to fight the Tatars, and that cannot be achieved without a king. When we go out and defeat this enemy, then the matter is yours. Place whomever you wish in power." Most of those present calmed down and accepted this. Qutuz also accepted a peace treaty with Baybars, who had sent messengers to Qutuz asking him to unite to confront the Mongol armies that had entered Damascus and captured its king, al-Nasir Yusuf. Qutuz greatly appreciated Baybars, gave him the position of minister, granted him Qalub and the surrounding villages, and treated him as one of the emirs. He even placed him at the forefront of the armies in the Battle of Ain Jalut.
In preparation for the decisive battle with the Tatars, Qutuz wrote to the princes of the Levant, and Prince Al-Mansur, the ruler of Hama, responded to him and came from Hama with some of his army to join Qutuz’s army in Egypt. As for Al-Mughith Omar, the ruler of Al-Karak, and Badr Al-Din Lu’lu’, the ruler of Mosul, they preferred an alliance with the Mongols and treason. As for King Al-Sa’id Hassan bin Abdul Aziz, the ruler of Baniyas, he also categorically refused to cooperate with Qutuz, and instead joined the Tatar forces with his army to help them fight the Muslims.
Qutuz suggested imposing taxes on the people to support the army. This decision required a religious edict (fatwa), because Muslims in an Islamic state only pay zakat, and only those who are able to pay it do so, and under the known conditions of zakat. Imposing taxes on top of zakat can only be done in very special circumstances, and there must be a legal basis to permit it. Qutuz consulted Sheikh Al-Izz ibn Abd Al-Salam, who issued the following fatwa: "If the enemy attacks the country, it is obligatory for the entire world to fight them. It is permissible to take from the people what will help them with their equipment, provided that nothing remains in the public treasury and that you sell your possessions and equipment. Each of you should limit yourself to his horse and weapon, and you should be equal in this regard to the common people. As for taking the money of the common people while the money and luxurious equipment of the army commanders remain, then that is not permissible."
Qutuz accepted Sheikh Al-Izz bin Abdul Salam’s words and started with himself. He sold everything he owned and ordered the ministers and princes to do the same. Everyone obeyed and the entire army was prepared.

The arrival of the Tatar messengers

While Qutuz was preparing his army and people to meet the Tatars, Hulagu's messengers arrived carrying a threatening message to Qutuz that said: "In the name of the God of the heavens, whose right is due to Him, who has given us possession of His land and has given us authority over His creation, which the victorious king, who is of the Mamluk race, the master of Egypt and its districts, and all its princes, soldiers, clerks, and workers, its nomads and its urbanites, its great and small, knows about. We are God's soldiers on His earth. We were created from His wrath and He gave us authority over whomever His wrath has befallen. You have a lesson in all the lands and a warning from our resolve. So take heed from others and hand over your affairs to us before the cover is removed and the mistake returns to you. We do not have mercy on those who weep, nor do we pity those who complain. We have conquered the lands and purified the earth from corruption. So you should flee, and we should pursue. What land will shelter you? What country will protect you? What do you see? We have water and soil?" You have no escape from our swords, and no way out of our hands. Our horses are swift, our swords are thunderbolts, our spears are piercing, our arrows are deadly, our hearts are like mountains, and our numbers are like sand. Our fortresses are powerless, our armies are useless to fight us, and your prayers against us are not heard, because you have eaten what is forbidden, been too proud to return greetings, betrayed your oaths, and disobedience and disobedience have spread among you. So expect humiliation and disgrace: “So today you will be recompensed with the punishment of humiliation for what you used to be arrogant upon the earth without right.” [Al-Ahqaf: 20], “And those who do wrong will come to know to what [final] return they will be returned.” [Ash-Shu’ara’: 227] It has been proven that we are the disbelievers and you are the wicked, and We have given authority over you to the One in whose hand is the management of affairs and the decreed rulings. “Your many are few in our sight, and your noble ones are lowly in our sight. Your kings have no power over us except by humiliation. So do not prolong your speech, and hasten to return your answer before war ignites its fire and kindles its sparks, and you find neither honor nor glory from us, nor a book nor amulet, when our spears attack you violently, and you are afflicted by the greatest calamity from us, and your lands become empty of you, and its thrones empty. We have been fair to you, when we sent to you, and you are fair with our messengers upon you.”
Qutuz gathered the leaders and advisors and showed them the letter. Some of the leaders were of the opinion to surrender to the Tatars and avoid the horrors of war. Qutuz said: “I will meet the Tatars myself, O leaders of the Muslims. You have been eating from the public treasury for a long time, and you are averse to the invaders. I am heading out. Whoever chooses jihad will accompany me, and whoever does not choose it will return to his home. God is aware of him, and the sin of the Muslims’ women is on the necks of those who are late to fight.”
The commanders and princes were excited to see their leader decide to go out and fight the Tatars himself, instead of sending an army and staying behind.
Then he stood up to address the princes while crying and saying: “O princes of the Muslims, who will stand for Islam if we are not there?”
The princes declared their agreement to jihad and to confront the Tatars, no matter the cost. The Muslims' resolve was strengthened by the arrival of a letter from Sarim al-Din al-Ashrafi, who had been captured by the Mongols during their invasion of Syria. He then accepted service in their ranks, explaining to them their small numbers and encouraging them to fight them, not to fear them.
Qutuz cut the throats of the messengers Hulagu had sent him with the threatening message, and hung their heads in Al-Raydaniyah in Cairo. He kept the twenty-fifth to carry the bodies to Hulagu. He sent messengers throughout Egypt calling for jihad in the way of Allah, its obligation and its virtues. Al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam himself called the people, so many rose up to form the heart and left flank of the Muslim army. The regular Mamluk forces formed the right flank, while the rest hid behind the hills to decide the battle.

On the battlefield

The two armies met at the place known as Ain Jalut in Palestine on the 25th of Ramadan 658 AH / September 3, 1260 AD. The war was fierce, and the Tatars used all their capabilities. The superiority of the Tatar right wing, which was putting pressure on the left wing of the Islamic forces, became apparent. The Islamic forces began to retreat under the terrible pressure of the Tatars. The Tatars began to penetrate the Islamic left wing, and martyrs began to fall. If the Tatars completed their penetration of the left wing, they would encircle the Islamic army.
Qutuz was standing in a high place behind the lines, observing the entire situation, directing the army divisions to fill the gaps, and planning every little thing. Qutuz saw the suffering that the left wing of the Muslims was experiencing, so he pushed the last regular divisions towards it from behind the hills, but the Tatar pressure continued.
Qutuz himself went down to the battlefield to support the soldiers and boost their morale. He threw his helmet to the ground, expressing his longing for martyrdom and his lack of fear of death, and uttered his famous cry: "O Islam!"
Qutuz fought fiercely with the army, until one of the Tatars aimed his arrow at Qutuz, missing him but hitting the horse Qutuz was riding, which was killed instantly. Qutuz dismounted and fought on foot, having no horse. One of the princes saw him fighting on foot, so he rushed to him and gave up his horse to him. However, Qutuz refused, saying, "I would not deprive the Muslims of your benefit!!" He continued fighting on foot until they brought him a spare horse. Some of the princes blamed him for this action and said, "Why didn't you ride so-and-so's horse? If any of the enemy had seen you, they would have killed you, and Islam would have perished because of you."
Qutuz said: “As for me, I was going to heaven, but Islam has a Lord who will not let it down. So-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so were killed... until he counted a number of kings (such as Omar, Othman, and Ali). Then God established for Islam those who would protect it other than them, and Islam did not let it down.”
The Muslims were victorious and Qutuz pursued their remnants. The Muslims purged the entire Levant in a matter of weeks. The Levant was once again under the rule of Islam and Muslims, and Damascus was conquered. Qutuz declared the unification of Egypt and the Levant once again into one state under his leadership, after ten years of division, since the death of King Al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub. Qutuz, may God have mercy on him, delivered sermons from pulpits in all the Egyptian, Palestinian and Levantine cities, until sermons were delivered for him in the upper reaches of the Levant and the cities around the Euphrates River.
Qutuz began distributing Islamic provinces among the Muslim princes. It was part of his wisdom, may God have mercy on him, that he returned some of the Ayyubid princes to their positions, in order to ensure that strife would not occur in the Levant. Qutuz, may God have mercy on him, was not afraid of their betrayal, especially after it became clear to them that they were unable to defeat Qutuz and his righteous soldiers.

His murder

Rukn al-Din Baybars killed Sultan al-Muzaffar Qutuz in Dhu al-Qi'dah 658 AH / October 24, 1260 AD during the army's return to Egypt. The reason was that Sultan Qutuz had promised Baybars to grant him the rule of Aleppo after the war ended. After that, Sultan Qutuz thought of giving up the sultanate and continuing his life in asceticism and seeking knowledge, leaving the leadership of the country to the commander of his armies, Rukn al-Din Baybars. Consequently, he retracted his decision to grant Baybars the governorship of Aleppo, since he would become king of the entire country. Baybars believed that Sultan Qutuz had deceived him, and his companions began to portray this to him and incite him to rebel against the sultan and kill him. When Qutuz returned from recapturing Damascus from the Tatars, the Bahri Mamluks, including Baybars, gathered to assassinate him on their way to Egypt. When he approached Egypt, he went hunting one day, and camels traveled on the road, so they followed him. Anz al-Isfahani approached him to intercede for some of his companions. He interceded for him, and he tried to kiss his hand, but he held it. Baybars overcame him. He fell with the sword, his hands and mouth torn apart. The others shot arrows at him and killed him. Qutuz was then carried to Cairo and buried there.

It appears to those who look at the history books that have preserved this story for us that Saif ad-Din Qutuz came to perform a specific historical mission, and as soon as he accomplished it, he disappeared from the historical stage after attracting attention and admiration that made his historical role, despite its short period of time, great and lasting.

Why We Were Great
From the book Unforgettable Leaders by Tamer Badr