Alp Arslan (1), son of Dāwud son of Mīkāl of the Seljuk house and brother of Sultan Malikshāh the Turk, was a courageous, awe-inspiring, imperious man of formidable authority. He carried out campaigns and pitched battles, seized a number of cities, had the Friday sermon delivered in his name in Baghdad, and stood among the foremost monarchs of his age.

When he reached Damascus, the usurper who controlled it, Atsiz (2) the Khwarazmian, rode out to greet him, exchanged salutations, and then withdrew. Tutush gave chase, struck off his head, and took the city (3). Many subsequent events and wars with the Egyptians followed. He ruled for roughly a dozen years (4). Then, in 488 AH, he marched to bring the Persian lands under his sway, but was killed in battle at Rayy when he was confronted by his nephew Barkyāruq.

Tutush was extravagant in his devotion to Shaykh Abū al-Faraj the Hanbalī (5) and regularly attended his gatherings. He convened a council for the shaykh and his opponents over the question of the Qur’an. Tutush declared, “This is exactly what he is saying: this is, in truth, a qabā (cloak); it is neither silk, nor cotton, nor linen, nor wool.”