The Sovereign Magistral Order of the Temple of Solomon recognizes that our Muslim friends in the tradition of Saladin historically embodied and promoted the same Codes of Honour as the Knights Templar. Despite popular misconceptions, it is a historical fact that the original Templar Order found common bonds of unity with the Muslim (Saracen) Knights of Saladin, rooted in shared ancient principles of Chivalry and spiritual Faith. Accordingly, members of the modern Order also know that both traditions continue to be connected, and remain united in mutual respect and interfaith cooperation.

Full in-depth history and article here: http://www.knightstemplarorder.org/muslim-chivalry-templars/

Excerpted from full story:

Arabian Traditions as the Source of European Chivalry


Historians specializing in medieval Arabia have established that 11th-12th century European Chivalry was greatly influenced by ancient Arabian Chivalry (Al-Furúsiyyah Al-Arabiya) (الفروسا العربيه): “During the Arab era… and the years of the Crusades, Chivalry with all its attributes was transferred to Western Europe. An important Arab contribution to Western medieval society, its origin has been virtually ignored by Western historians.” In particular, “The ethical and romantic characteristic” of Chivalry (Furúsiyyah) (فروسه), “as practiced in the Arabian Peninsula, evolved and spread with the Muslim expansion.” [1]


Chivalry was the most prominent characteristic of the Muslim “Moors” who conquered the Iberian Peninsula (covering Spain, Portugal, Andorra and part of Southern France) beginning in 711 AD. In classical Arab culture, to become a genuine Knight (Fáris) (فارس), one had to master the virtues of dignity, eloquence, gentleness, horsemanship and artistic talents, as well as strength and skill with weaponry. These ancient chivalric virtues were transferred by the Moors, who comprised the majority population of the Iberian Peninsula by 1100 AD, and their brand of Chivalry quickly spread throughout Europe. (FULL STORY HERE)

“Knight-errantry, the riding forth on horseback in search of adventures, the rescue of captive maidens, the succor rendered everywhere to women in adversity – all these were essentially Arabian ideas, as was the very name of Chivalry, the connection of honourable conduct with the horse-rider, the man of noble blood, the cavalier.”

The Sultan Saladin & the Knights Templar

‘Portrait Of Saladin’ (ca. 1560) by Cristofano Dell Altissimo


The Muslim Knights of the opposing Saracen armies during the medieval crusades were primarily led by the Egyptian General “Saladin”, properly pronounced “Sala-ha-dín” (صلاح الد ين). His full name was Salah Al-Din Ibn Yusuf Al-Ayyubi (1137-1193 AD). The name Salah ad-Din means “Righteousness of Faith”.

Saladin rose to power as a General in 1169 AD, and became titled as the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, thereby founding the Ayyubid dynasty (Al-Ayyūbīyūn) (الايوبيون) in 1174 AD. He later also became the Sultan of Mesopotamia, Yemen, and parts of North Africa.

As reported in a British documentary film broadcast on national television, Christian contemporary chroniclers and historians noted the “noble and chivalrous” behavior of Saladin. Despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders, he won deep respect from many of them, including King Richard the Lionheart of England, and throughout Europe and among Templars worldwide he became a celebrated example of the principles of Chivalry.

According to European historians, during the Battle of Jaffa in 1192 AD, one of the most important battles of the Crusades, when King Richard lost his horse, Saladin graciously sent him two replacement horses as a personal gift, to enable his worthy opponent to continue leading the knights. Touched by Saladin’s pious honour, King Richard proposed that his own sister, Joan of England, Queen of Sicily, should marry Saladin’s brother, and offered that Jerusalem (which both the Templars and Saracens had fought for) could be their wedding gift. (FULL STORY HERE)

During the winter of 1191-1192 AD, Richard the Lionheart was suffering from a fever, while he and his Knights were recovering from the previous battle of Arsur, to gather strength for the next planned battle in Jerusalem. Richard knew that Saladin was a strict Muslim, and that Islam shared the fundamental Christian values requiring to help those in need. By now the mutually earned respect was so strong between the Knights Templar and the Saracens of Saladin, that King Richard was able to appeal to his otherwise nemesis Saladin, requesting fresh water and fresh fruit to cure his fever. Saladin sent a gift of pure frozen snow and fresh fruit to all of the Templars for their health.
Shortly thereafter, cancelling the planned final battle, Richard and Saladin signed a peace accord, the Treaty of Ramla of 1192 AD.

Muslim Saracen Friendship with the Knights Templar

‘Saladin Rex Aegypti’ (Saladin King of Egypt), painting in 15th century manuscript, holding bread as a symbol of peace offering, balanced by the sword


Contemporary 12th century chronicles documented the friendship between many Templar Knights and the Muslim Saracens of Saladin. This is noted by a 19th century historian describing the visit of Saladin with Templar Knight Humphrey of Toron in the camp of King Amalric during the Truce of Alexandria:

“Humphrey… was acquainted with the speech and the customs of the people represented by the visitor [Saladin], and had been on terms of friendship with some of them. The amenities of the occasion called for a show of courtesy on his part, and this was returned with such good will by his guest [Saladin] that what had been but politeness a moment before became, after a brief acquaintance, a sympathetic accord. After all, there was much in common between these enemies through circumstance.”

Historians consistently note that such encounters between the Knights Templar and Saracens of Saladin were characterized by “the glow of sympathy inspired by their new-found friendship”, notwithstanding that “To be sure, they would fight each other on the morrow”. (FULL STORY HERE)

Those Arthurian legends of Holy Grail quests, featuring many references to cross-over and friendship with the Saracens, were in fact created and promoted by the 12th century Knights Templar, purposely to help preserve the authentic doctrines of their tradition. This connection proves the genuine Templar belief in the fundamental compatibility, underlying common values, and resulting shared friendship between the Knights Templar and the Muslim Saracens.

Templars Were Not “Crusaders” & Not Against Muslims

Directly disproving the popularized superficial misconceptions, the original Knights Templar rejected the idea of the “Crusades”, as supposedly being to eliminate Muslims or eradicate Islam. The Temple Rule of 1129 AD, being the founding Charter of the Templar Order, explicitly condemned the Crusades, criticizing that it “did not do what it should, that is to defend… but strove to plunder, despoil and kill” (Rule 2).

Some Western historians have noted: “Time and again [there was] failure on the part of his [Saladin’s] opponents to observe the vows which they had taken so solemnly, but were not always so scrupulous to uphold. But, though the sworn Knights of Christendom sometimes failed to stand by their given word… the records show unswerving adherence to his vows on the part of this Moslem [Saladin]. And these are the records of the enemy.”

The 18th century lawyer and historian David Hume documented in the historical record that “The advantage indeed of science, moderation, humanity, was at that time [of the Crusades] entirely on the side of the Saracens”, combined with “a spirit of generosity.”
Original ‘Eagle of Saladin’ stone carving, from the Cairo Citadel constructed by Salahadin ca. 1180 AD


According to European 12th century chronicles: “Moreover it was not altogether without cause that the Sultan [Saladin] declared war; Reginald, Prince of Antioch, having broken the terms of truce [from 1180 AD], which had been agreed upon between our people and the [Saracens]”, attacked a large passing caravan of civilian Muslim travelers and taken them captive (in 1182 AD). “The Sultan… moved with indignation at the outrage, raised all the strength of his kingdom, and assailed with power and impetuosity the territories of Jerusalem. … Parthians, Bedouins, Arabs, Medes, Cordians, and Egyptians, though differing in country, religion, and name, were all aroused with one accord to the destruction of the Holy Land.”

The glory and comparative unity of the Arab World under Saladin was forever thereafter seen as the perfect symbol of Arabian values of humanity against corrupt political forces. For this reason, a version of the “Eagle of Saladin” has been periodically used as the symbol of Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Yemen, the United Arab Republic, and the United Arab Emirates in the modern era. Archaeology indicates that the Eagle of Saladin was never his official heraldic seal as a General or Sultan, but it was found on the West wall of the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo, such that it can be considered a valid charge element authentic to the tradition of the Arabian Chivalry of Saladin. (FULL STORY HERE)

Exposing Manufactured False Christian-Muslim Conflicts

Such unethical behavior by “Crusaders” (who were not Templars), as documented by contemporary chroniclers, was caused by bad leadership – and sometimes even by undermining interference – by corrupt officials from secular kingdoms, seeking political or economic gain or self-advancement.

It cannot be emphasized enough – for the deeper Truth to finally be told – that neither alleged “religious differences” nor “religion” itself were ever the actual cause of such military conflict. Rather, it was always the unlawful provocations by secular officials, who falsely abused merely superficial religious ideas, to manufacture false Chistian-Muslim conflicts, creating artificial situations which forced honourable Knights to have to fight battles which they otherwise would never have supported.
Emile Léon Gautier (ca. 1852 AD) photo portrait by J.P. Ziolo


The authoritative 19th century historian Emile Leon Gautier (1832-1897 AD), an archivist of the Imperial Archives and Chief of the historical section of the National Archives of France, traced the original source of those corrupt manipulations. He exposed the root cause as being “Merovingian string-pulling” by the Merovingian dynasty, which he described as a political clan behaving as a self-styled “race” of ruling elites.

Gautier connected that clan to “the race of the Mayençais, to that race of traitors” from Bavaria (who also operated in France), who historically worked to undermine the Code of Chivalry, and “tried to oppose to it a Satanic Counter Code.”

Gautier documented and exposed the covert provocations of the intended result, that propaganda about the “waves of Saracen invasion alarmed the people… and barbarism threatened to descend like a pall [plague] upon the astonished world. It was then… that the weak entertained the very natural idea of seeking the protection of the strong.” (FULL STORY HERE)

The Ancient Warrior’s Code of Chivalry

According to many career soldiers and military scholars, there is a certain bond that is often created between enemies during and after battle, which is called “The Warrior’s Code”. Researchers explain the significance of the Warrior’s Code:

‘Jerusalem’ (2014), allegorical oil painting of Templars &amp; Saracens on Temple Mount, by Jason Askey (South African artist)

‘Jerusalem’ (2014), allegorical oil painting of Templars & Saracens on Temple Mount, by Jason Askey (South African artist)

The Code exists “to protect the victor, as well as the vanquished”. “People think of the rules of war primarily as a way to protect innocent civilians from being victims of atrocities… In a much more profound sense, the rules are there to protect the people doing the actual fighting.” The Code is designed to “prevent soldiers from becoming monsters… all battlefield behaviors that erode a soldier’s humanity. … Most warrior cultures share one belief: There is something worse than death, and one of those things is to completely lose your humanity.”

American mainstream media reported that the phenomenon of “post-traumatic stress disorder” in US soldiers returning from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq arises from having seen and done things that are unimaginable. A study has shown that veterans who “felt as if they had participated in dishonorable behavior during the war” or saw the enemy as “subhuman” experienced the greatest degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Journalists have documented that soldiers typically “recognize the common humanity of the enemy” when they are face-to-face on the battle field. “That sudden recognition can spring from many sources in battle – hearing the moans of a wounded enemy; sharing a common language; or opening the wallet of an enemy and seeing pictures of his wife and children.” According to scholars, “respect for the enemy’s humanity typically starts at the top… A leader sets the tone, and the troops get the message.” (FULL STORY HERE)