Was Ṣalāh al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī A Sufī and An Ash’arī and Why Did Allāh Grant Him Victory by Shaykh Dr. ʿAbdullah ibn Ṣulfīq aẓ-Ẓafīrī

Question:

Answer:

Allāh grants His victory to His religion and He grants victory to those who have been oppressed. He even grants victory to His religion upon the hands of a sinful and wicked man, as the Prophet ﷺ explicitly said in the ḥadīth,

“Certainly Allāh will give victory to this religion through a sinful man.” 

Yes, Allāh brought victory to the Muslims at the hands of Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī but was that because he was following the Ash’arī ‘Aqīdah? Or is that because the Ash’arī ‘Aqīdah is the true ‘Aqīdah and Allāh was giving victory to him because he was following that ‘Aqīdah? Quite the contrary. Allāh was giving victory to those who have been oppressed in that time, and that was the situation of the Muslims at that time.

The crusaders allied themselves with the Rāfiḍah, who would conspire against the Muslims and transgress against the boundaries of the Muslim lands. They invaded Muslim homes and because they were oppressed, Allāh brought victory to the oppressed believers. But, does that mean whoever was involved or whoever Allāh made a tool for combating that oppression, that he is upon the correct ‘Aqīdah? Again, the ḥadīth of the Messenger ﷺ,

“Certainly Allāh will give victory to this Dīn at the hands of a man who is sinful, evil.”

So, simply because Allāh brought victory to the Muslims at the hands of Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī, (may Allāh forgive and have mercy upon him), this does not mean that his creed was the correct creed. In fact, the Ash’arī ‘Aqīdah differs with countless articles of faith that we find explicitly spelled out for us in the Qur’ān and Sunnah. Thus, there is no direct relationship between his ‘Aqīdah and the victory given to the Muslims through him. And Allāh knows best.