ABSTRACT

They [the crusaders] looked out over Syria, on separated kingdoms, disunited hearts and differing views linked with hidden resentment, and with that their desires became stronger and extended to what they all saw. They did not stop, tireless in ghting the jihad against the Muslims. The Muslims were sluggish, and (we were) avoiding ghting them and were reluctant to engage in combat until they conquered more than their greatest hopes had conceived of the country, and destroyed and humiliated many times the number of people that they had wished. . . . The [crusaders’] desires are multiplying all the time because of what appears to them of the (Muslims’) abstinence from (opposing) them, and their hopes are invigorated by virtue of what they see of their enemies’ contentedness with being unharmed by them, until they have become convinced that the whole country will become theirs and all its people will be prisoners in their hands. May God in his generosity humble their ideas by bringing together everyone and arranging the unity of the people, for He is near, and answers (prayers) . . .