In Latin, his name was rendered as "Siraconus"; William of Tyre, referring to the expedition of 1163, describes him as: an able and energetic warrior, eager for glory and of wide experience in military affairs.

He was a man of great endurance under hardships, one who bore hunger and thirst with an equanimity quite unusual for that time of life.

He was the son of Shadhi ibn Marwan, a Kurdish chief,[4] and the brother of Najm ad-Din Ayyub, the ancestor of the Ayyubid dynasty.

Shirkuh was invited back into Egypt by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Adid in 1167, to help defeat the Crusaders who were attacking Cairo.

The Muslims fought a pitched battle with the Crusaders, who did not have the resources to conquer Egypt and were forced to retreat.

Shirkuh and his associates enjoyed widespread support among the civil elite In Egypt for religious reasons.

When he reached Cairo with his armies he was welcomed by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Adid and treated with great honour.

A number of historians have offered the view that Shirkuh's death was an important factor in allowing Saladin to consolidate his position as Sultan and as undisputed head of the Ayyubid family.