their books produced; on examination they fully confirmed his claim, so Maḥmūd adopted the Shāfiʿī school. This is how Imām Abū al-Maʿālī reports the incident, in far greater detail than what we have cited here (1).

ʿAbd al-Ghāfir al-Fārisī, in his biographical entry on Maḥmūd, writes: “He was sincere in his resolve to exalt the religion, ever victorious and frequently engaged in jihad. He possessed keen intelligence and deep insight, was sound in judgment, and his court was a gathering place for scholars. His grave in Ghazna is still visited.”

Abū ʿAlī ibn al-Bannāʾ relates that ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn al-ʿUkbarī heard Abū Masʿūd Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Bajalī say:

“Ibn Fūrak entered the presence of Sultan Maḥmūd and said, ‘It is impermissible to describe Allah as being “above,” for that would necessarily entail describing Him as being “below”; whoever can be said to have an above can likewise be said to have a below.’

“The sultan replied, ‘I am not the one who described Him thus that the objection should fall upon me; rather, He described Himself that way.’

“Ibn Fūrak was struck dumb, and when he left the sultan’s presence he died. People say that his gall bladder burst.”

ʿAbd al-Ghāfir adds: “Works were compiled on Maḥmūd’s career, recording his circumstances moment by moment. In the realm of goodness and public welfare, ample resources (2), troops, awe, and majestic state were made available to him in a manner no one had ever witnessed.”

Abū al-Naḍr Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-ʿUtbī says in his book al-Yamīnī (3) concerning