Before Salahuddin could unite the Muslim world, earlier leaders had to address deep internal divisions. 

When radical groups like the Qarmatians stole the Black Stone and extremist factions terrorized scholars, visionaries like Nizam al-Mulk responded by building institutions—the Nizamiyya schools—that would educate the generation of scholars who would guide leaders like Nur al-Din and Salahuddin.

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0:00 - The worst time in Islamic history?

4:19 - Emergence of the Ismaili Empire

9:40 - How the Qaramita stole the Black Stone from the Ka’bah

11:30 - The founding of Cairo and spread of Ismailism

13:36 - The arrival of the Seljuks and Nizam al-Mulk 

17:47 - Imam al-Ghazali’s response to the Ismailis and philosophers

21:57 - The Order of the Assassins

25:47 - The attempt to assassinate Salahuddin (rh)   

This episode draws on leading historical works about Salahuddin and the revival that reshaped the Muslim world. If you’d like to explore the era more deeply, we recommend:

• How the Generation of Salahuddin Appeared — Dr. Majid Irsan Al-Kailani
• The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin — Ibn Shaddad
• Salahuddin al-Ayyubi — Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi
• Saladin: The Triumph of the Sunni Revival — A.R. Azzam
• For young readers: Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam — Diane Stanley