Does The Franks In The Book Of Contemplation

Throughout The Book of Contemplation Islam and the Crusades the author states his opinion on the Franks and talks about them throughout the entire book. The views Usama has on the Franks is very clear and very well stated throughout the book, in many cases not just on occasion. The Franks are the first known Germanic Tribes to roam the land around third century AD. They became today’s modern day French people who settled in modern day France. Usama born on July 4, 1095 was part of the Banu Munqidh clan, which was an established Muslim Arab Family with much political prominence. Usama and his clan did not think very highly of the Franks in fact they considered them cursed by God, or Allah. The Franks were not well liked, not thought highly

of, and were the enemy to the Muslims, Usama and his clan hated them and were constantly fighting them.
During the Battle with the Franks, very few Muslims were killed but the Franks suffered numerous deaths, however a Frankish knight named Ibn al-Daqiq, pierced his spear through the chest of a Muslim messenger because he was wearing a gilded cuirass. After this took place the Atabeg ordered that the Frankish heads were to be collected. Once they were all collected the total was around three thousand. Whenever Usama mentions the Franks in parenthesis he adds, May God confound them, may God have mercy on their souls, or mentions that the Franks are cursed.
Usama and the Muslims were constantly battling against the Franks.

Usama writes that he asks his Lord what he shall do next and the Lord replies once you arrive in Ascalon to write to him and he will tell him what to do next. Upon arrival Usama writes, “He then gave me six thousand Egyptian dinars and a camel load of clothes of Dabiqi cloth, ciclatoun, squirrel-fur, Dimyatu brocade and turbans. He also assigned a group of Bedouin to me to act as guides.” Usama then talks about how his Lord rid him of all obstacles by seeing all his needs no matter what they may be. The Muslims and the Franks did not see eye to eye as the Muslims were trying to spread their Islamic religion while the Franks were trying to spread Christianity throughout the World, which is why they met many times in battle throughout the

Crusades.
Usama’s goal was to get rid of the Franks, and stop their spread of Christianity throughout the world and instead spread the Islamic religion.

Usama stated that Franks are not capable of great energy or jealousy. They were not capable of being great people. He referred to a Frank whom he bought prisoners off of as the Devil. Usama views the Franks as awful people, who are no good and are not capable of good doings, they are all around bad people.

The Franks were sneaky, tricky, and horrible people in the eyes of the Muslims, doing whatever it took to gain an edge, attacking in the night, trying to spread Christianity and trying to stop Usama and his clan from spreading their Islamic religion. The Franks moved all over Western Europe mainly in present day France, Belgium, and Western Germany. The Franks moved all over Europe fighting the Muslims, and spreading attempted to spread Christianity wherever they went. The Franks were a big part of the Crusades against the Muslims and the clan of Usama Ibn

Munqidh.
The Franks once set up tents and settled in the middle of a cornfield in Hama, while there was a full harvest of corn going on. They were spotted by a group of robbers who then ran to the Muslim clan and told them they would set the field on fire and kill the entire Frankish army. Once nightfall came the robbers went to the cornfield and did just that, although it did not go as planned. Once the fire was lit and spreading it lit up the field like daytime, and with the Franks on the watch they chased down the robbers and killed most of them and got away from the fire. Although the Franks were hated by the clan they definitely were not stupid, they clearly had well thought out plans, surprise attacks, and watch incase they were attacked by surprise.
The author made it clear throughout the entire book that the Franks were cursed, incapable of being good people, and were wrong by trying to spread Christianity throughout Europe. The author stated that the Franks had none of the human virtues except for courage; they have neither precedence nor high rank except for the knights, and have no men worthy of the name expect for the knights – it is they who are the masters of legal reasoning, judgment and sentencing. The author makes it clear that he believes they are nothing compared to his people and all they are needed for is legal reasoning, judgment, and sentencing, and made it clear that they were incapable of any other tasks except for the knights. Frankish captives were held and the Muslims attempted to convert them, which did not work in most cases but occasionally a Frank would convert over to Islam. The Franks and the Muslims have a long ugly history, and definitely did not see eye to eye and that was made clear by Usama and the author of the book.