Good answer above on the soldiers themselves but a key thing to note is that during this time it wasn't "Muslims vs Other", that came later with Zengi and Saladin.
It was Aleppo vs Damascus vs Mosul. When the "Franks" first came, the three city states basically played a staring contest with each other, thinking of ways to use the invasion for their own upperhand. So lots of retreats, fake promises and betrayals.
Nobody actually thought the Franks were a threat until Jerusalem fell.
BalakofShaam t1_j421i10 wrote
Reply to Were muslim armies harder to maintain in the field? by DJacobAP
Good answer above on the soldiers themselves but a key thing to note is that during this time it wasn't "Muslims vs Other", that came later with Zengi and Saladin.
It was Aleppo vs Damascus vs Mosul. When the "Franks" first came, the three city states basically played a staring contest with each other, thinking of ways to use the invasion for their own upperhand. So lots of retreats, fake promises and betrayals.
Nobody actually thought the Franks were a threat until Jerusalem fell.