The Ayyubid army which greeted the Crusaders with quivered arrows had changed much, in some respects, since the time of the Prophet; in some respects, it had not changed at all.

Divisions, such as there were, are harder to distinguish. The vast majority of the army was mounted, and little mention is made of Turkish infantry (the Fatimid Egyptians Will be discussed later). The majority of mounted men were paid freemen, although a nobility did exist. Unlike the European armies, however, the armaments of the nobility and the freemen were no different, and this could probably also be said of the way in which the two classes were employed within the army.

In battle, the Muslims were divided into a five-element formation, with tribal divisions. One formation was placed in the rear with the baggage elements, one on each flank, one in the center, and one in the front. In Saladin's time, the frontal vanguard was a group of picked archers. This was the long-lived "five-formation" plan dating from the time of Muhammad.

The mission of the cavalry was generally all-inclusive, since it formed the main part of the army. Its chief forte, however, involved an advance toward the enemy, the release of a volley of arrows, and a quick, firing-on-the-run retreat if attacked. Once these tactics had worn enemy morale and power as effectively as possible, a cavalry attack would be made in much the same manner as the Crusaders would.

The equipment of the Muslim cavalry was much lighter than that of their enemies, which was a major factor in the higher maneuverability and greater fleetness of Saladin's army. The armament of an individual trooper would include a bow (their principal weapon. whose arrow could not be fired with sufficient velocity to penetrate even the heavy leather jerkins of the Europea infantry) and a lance or sword. Individual armor included shield and helmet Saladin also had a body of elite Mameluke horsemen who wore mailed body armor.

We have previously used the terms "Muslim and "Turkish" interchangeably; a distinction now needs to be drawn between the previously discussed Turkish majority of the army and the Egyptian elements.

The Fatimids of Egypt had traditionally relied on cavalry shock combat, rather than the Turkish horse-archer methods. However, their cavalry was never the equal of the heavy knights of the European army, and the Egyptian cavalry was an object of derision from not only the Franks, but also the Muslims of the Turkish tradition. The Egyptians probably formed nearly the whole of the Muslim infantry contingent at Arsouf in 1191. These were light infantry archers whom Saladin used as skirmishers.

A Military History of the Third Crusade

Introduction
Jihad
Battle of Arsouf 1191
Conclusion and Bibliography
The Crusader Army
The Muslim Army
Ordnance of Siege Warfare
Crusader Kings