Pakistan & Turkey to coproduce TV series on legendary Muslim leader Salāh al-Dīn

The Turkish director and producer Emre Konuk, who is also the founder and owner of Akli Films, has announced the signing of a major agreement with Pakistan’s Ansari & Shah Films. The two sides have agreed to co-produce a television series surrounding the life of the iconic and inspirational Muslim general Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī (raḥimahu Allāh). [1]

https://twitter.com/emrekonukk/status/1428840816735309834

“A happy news on a blessed Friday night! Contract signed between Akli Films and Ansari & Shah Films about ‘Sultan Selahaddin Ayyubi’. May this international project, which will be prepared with the cooperation of Turkey and Pakistan, be beneficial to our country and our art world.” [1]

The legendary status of the 12^th century Muslim military commander Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī (commonly known in the West as Saladin) is celebrated and cherished by Muslims, as he rose to recapture Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. Turkish producer Konuk expressed his eagerness to begin work on the series. The 32-year-old production executive has said he hopes the upcoming series will educate and benefit people around the globe by looking at the life of “this great person who left his mark in history and all over the world”. [2]

The series is expected to air for an initial run of three seasons, with filming taking place in Turkey. The acting cast will benefit from both Pakistani and Turkish actors.

Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī was born in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit in the year 1137/8. During his youth, he was an exceptional pupil who studied the Qur’an and theology, as well as the fields of astronomy, mathematics, and law. Furthermore, he received military training, which would come into play in his adult years. [3]

Primarily revered in Islam for conquering and recapturing Jerusalem from the Crusaders, he is also known for having followed the example of the Companion and subsequent Amīr al-Mu’minīn (the Leader of the Faithful) ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu). ʿUmar and his military forces captured the city in 637-8 in a bloodless conquest. After ʿUmar conquered Jerusalem and drew up plans to ensure just rule was implemented, the city enjoyed being under the control of Muslims for the next four hundred years. However, in 1099 it fell in the hands of the Crusaders, with thousands dying in the ensuing massacre.

In the version of the covenant found in Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī, it is believed that the agreement – which is known as the “Pact of ʿUmar” – began as follows:

“In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. This is the assurance of safety, which the servant of God, ʿUmar, the Commander of the Faithful, has given to the people of Jerusalem. He has given them an assurance of safety for themselves for their property, their churches, their crosses, the sick, and healthy of the city and for all the rituals that belong to their religion. Their churches will not be inhabited by Muslims and will not be destroyed. Neither they, nor the land on which they stand, nor their cross, nor their property will be damaged. They will not be forcibly converted. No Jew will live with them in Jerusalem.” [4]

Prior to his 1187 recapture of Jerusalem, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn was instrumental in the reunification of Egypt and Syria. He abolished the Ismaili Shia Fatimid “caliphate” in the year 1171, later bolstering his authority by taking Aleppo in 1183 and Mosul in 1186. Approximately six years subsequent to the retaking of Jerusalem, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn is believed to have passed away in Damascus in 1193. His lifetime accomplishments and contributions will live on through history books and productions, such as the upcoming television series being developed by the world’s second and eighth largest Muslim nations, which are Pakistan and Turkey respectively. [3]