[quote=@Drunken Conquistador]
[@Aristo]

So, before I start my intro post: The part about the Timlukids preparing for war in the OP is just for flavor or are they actually preparing a Jihad-by-another-name? And if yes, would my kingdom, being at the border know enough to start preparing to defend itself?
[/quote]

There are many different tribes and principalities within the Timlukid world, and cooperation is decentralized, sporadic. At the moment, there is no all-out Jihad brewing, but skirmishes between the east and west aren't uncommon. There very well could be a few maverick sultans arrayed against you, but that'd hardly be the entirety of the Timluks' might. 
For now, just note that tensions across the border are high - not unusually - and there may be multiple clans at the forefront. Their number and makeup come down to good your spies/scouts are. I'll do some POVs through the Timluk perspective now and then, but I'm leaving a bit of the opening stages to the players.