with them, and they were thrown into the fire; he threatened anyone who busied himself with the subsidiary rulings. He ordered the hadith memorizers to compile a book on prayer drawn from al-kutub al-khamsa (the Five Hadith collections), the Muwaṭṭaʾ, the Musnad of Ibn Abī Shaybah, the Musnad of al-Bazzār, the Sunan of al-Dāraquṭnī, and the Sunan of al-Bayhaqī, just as Ibn Tumart had earlier compiled one on purification.

He would then dictate this work himself to the senior officials of his realm, and many people memorised it; whoever mastered it received a stipend and a robe of honour… until he said:

His purpose was to wipe the Mālikī school from the land and oblige the people to follow the literalist method (al-Ẓāhir). This very aim had been shared by his father and grandfather, though they had not made it public. More than one person told me that Ibn al-Jadd related to them, saying:

“I entered upon the Commander of the Faithful Yūsuf and found before him the book of Ibn Yūnus. He said, ‘I am examining these opinions that have been introduced into the religion. When an issue has several views, where lies the truth, and which view must the layman adopt?’

“I began to set the matter out for him, but he cut me off and said, ‘There is nothing but this,’ pointing to the Qur’an, ‘or this,’ pointing to the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd, ‘or this,’ pointing to the sword.”

Yaʿqūb said, “People of the Muwaḥḥidūn, you are tribes; when something befalls a man he seeks refuge with his tribe. These men”—meaning the students of knowledge (1)—“have no tribe but me.” Thus they became highly esteemed among the Almohads.

In the year 585 AH he campaigned against the Franks, then returned and fell ill. His brother Abū Yaḥyā began to speak of taking the throne; when Yaʿqūb recovered, he killed him and threatened the rest of the kin (2).

In the year 590 AH the truce was broken, so he made ready for war and reviewed his armies in Seville,