His father had been the deputy in Acre. He therefore set sail to restore the fortunes of the Fatimid caliph al-Mustanṣir, gained control of the province, eliminated several emirs, and the lands continued to submit to him until he died. After him, this son of his took the reins; his stature grew immensely, and he put an end to Nizār, son of al-Mustanṣir—the champion of the Bāṭinī cause—together with his atabeg Aftakīn, the frontier governor. Al-Afdal was a brave warrior, awe-inspiring and of high rank. When al-Mustaʿlī died, he installed al-Āmir, al-Mustaʿlī’s son, as imam, placed him under guardianship, and kept him in check. Al-Āmir, however, was reckless and dissolute; he plotted to kill al-Afdal, arranged for a group to attack him, and they dealt him grievous wounds. Al-Āmir then came down to him, professed compassion, and once he had breathed his last, confiscated all his wealth. Al-Āmir remained in his residence for forty days while the scribes inventoried the money and treasures, and he imprisoned his children. Al-Afdal’s tenure lasted twenty-eight years. The emirs disliked him because he was Sunni, and he would in turn vex them. Yet he was just; after his death injustice and innovation spread. The vizierate then passed to al-Maʾmūn al-Baṭāʾiḥī.

They murdered him in Ramaḍān 515 AH, at the age of fifty-eight.

Ibn Khallikān relates in his History: The author of ad-Duwal al-Munqaṭiʿah reports that al-Afdal left behind six hundred thousand thousand dinars, two hundred and fifty irdabb of dirhams, fifty thousand brocade garments, and twenty thousand silk garments,