Background
He succeeded his father as the second emir of Damascus. When Saladin died in 1193, al-Afdal inherited Damascus, but not the rest of his father's territories. Egypt was inherited by al-Aziz and Aleppo by az-Zahir.
He succeeded his father as the second emir of Damascus. When Saladin died in 1193, al-Afdal inherited Damascus, but not the rest of his father's territories. Egypt was inherited by al-Aziz and Aleppo by az-Zahir.
He was the leader of the Ayyubids in the In 1196, al-Aziz lost his patience as a result of al-Afdal's incompetent reign. Al-Afdal was later exiled to Salkhad, Hauran. There are no records of his death but it is supposed that he died there in exile in 1225.
In 1187, al-Afdal led Saladin's forces against Gerard of Ridefort, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, at the Al-Afdal's troops consisted of about 7,000 men. Gerard survived but almost all the others were killed. However, according to the Itinerarium Peregrinorum, a history of the Third Crusade which followed the battle, Gerard did not rashly engage the enemy, but was actually caught unaware and was the victim of an attack himself.
