None of the battles that these men were about to fight in were ever portrayed to them as national battles, i.e. battles in which the word "Egypt" as meaning a nation-state was referred to. Instead, to incite them to fight or to encourage them to excel in training, reference was made either to religion or to their superior training and better organization. … During the Syrian campaign the enemy was no other than the Sultan of the Muslims, and the Protector of the Two Holy Shrines himself. In that case, as was shown during the storming of the fortress of Acre, it was the superiority of their training and their organization that the soldiers were referred to in order to encourage them before battle started.

Builds on: "Religious language motivated Egyptian soldiers against Greek rebels but not the sultan."

Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 1337