Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (22/123)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

He was born in Cairo in 576 AH, making him a contemporary of his brother al-Muʿaẓẓam.

He transmitted hadith from Ibn Tabarzad. Abu al-Ḥusayn al-Yūnīnī has reported to us on his authority, and al-Qūṣī likewise narrated from him in his Muʿjam. He heard the Ṣaḥīḥ in eight days from Ibn al-Zubaydī.

He first held Jerusalem; then his father assigned him Ḥarrān, Edessa, and other districts. Later he came to rule Akhlāṭ, and his fortunes shifted more than once until he gained Damascus after al-Nāṣir’s siege of the city. There he governed with justice, lightened oppression, and the populace loved him.

Despite his diversions, he possessed piety and fear of Allah. He was generous, open-handed, an accomplished horseman, brave, and endowed with many virtues.

When he passed through Aleppo in 605 AH (1), his cousin King al-Ẓāhir received him, lodged him in the Citadel, and spent lavishly on him. He stayed with him for twenty-five days, during which some fifty thousand dinars were expended on his account. Al-Ẓāhir then presented him with a grand gift: one hundred bundles borne by one hundred mamluks containing sumptuous garments; twenty-five horses; twenty mules; two camel caravans; several robes of honour for his close attendants; one hundred thousand dirhams; and other items besides.

Among the fortunate turns in his life was that his brother King al-Awhad, lord of Akhlāṭ, fell ill, so al-Ashraf went to visit him,

= Abu al-Fida, al-Mukhtasar, vol. 3, pp. 167-168; al-Dhahabi, Tarikh al-Islam, fols. 170-173 (Aya Sofya MS 3012); al-Dhahabi, al-Ibar, vol. 5, p. 146; al-Dhahabi, Duwal al-Islam, vol. 2, p. 104; al-Fayumi, Nathr al-Juman, vol. 2, fols. 86-92; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa-l-Nihaya, vol. 13, pp. 146-149; Ibn Duqmaq, Nuzhat al-Anam, fols. 26-27; Ibn Taghribirdi, al-Nujum al-Zahira, vol. 6, pp. 300-301; al-Maqrizi, al-Suluk, vol. 1, part 1, p. 256; Ibn al-Imad, Shadharat al-Dhahab, vol. 5, pp. 175-177; along with other historical works. (1) For further details, see Ibn al-Wardi, Mufarrij al-Kurub, vol. 3, pp. 183-187.

وُلِدَ: بِالقَاهِرَةِ، فِي سَنَةِ سِتٍّ وَسَبْعِيْنَ، فَهُوَ مِنْ أَقرَانِ أَخِيْهِ المُعَظَّمِ. وَرَوَى عَنِ: ابْنِ طَبَرْزَد. حَدَّثَنَا عَنْهُ: أَبُو الحُسَيْنِ اليُوْنِيْنَيُّ. وحَدَّثَ عَنْهُ أَيْضاً: القُوْصِيُّ فِي (مُعْجَمِهِ) . وَسَمِعَ (الصَّحِيْحَ) فِي ثَمَانِيَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنِ: ابْنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ. تَملَّكَ القُدْسَ أَوَّلاً، ثُمَّ أَعْطَاهُ أَبُوْهُ حَرَّانَ وَالرُّهَا وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ تَملَّكَ خِلاَطَ، وَتَنَقَّلَتْ بِهِ الأَحْوَالُ، ثُمَّ تَملَّكَ دِمَشْقَ بَعْدَ حِصَارِ النَّاصِرِ بِهَا، فَعَدَلَ، وَخَفَّف الجَوْرَ، وَأَحَبَّتْهُ الرَّعِيَّةُ. وَكَانَ فِيْهِ دِينٌ وَخَوفٌ مِنَ اللهِ عَلَى لَعِبِهِ. وَكَانَ جَوَاداً، سَمحاً، فَارِساً، شُجَاعاً، لَديهِ فَضِيْلَةٌ. وَلَمَّا مرَّ بِحَلَبَ سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَسِتِّ مائَةٍ (١) ، تَلقَّاهُ الملكُ الظَّاهِرُ ابْنُ عَمِّهِ، وَأَنْزَلَه فِي القَلْعَةِ، وَبَالَغَ فِي الإِنفَاقِ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرِيْنَ يَوْماً، فَلَعَلَّهُ نَابَهُ فِيْهَا لأَجله خَمْسُوْنَ أَلْفَ دِيْنَارٍ، ثُمَّ قَدَّمَ لَهُ تَقدِمَةً وَهِيَ: مائَة بُقْجَةٍ مَعَ مائَةِ مَمْلُوْكٍ فِيْهَا فَاخِرُ الثِّيَابِ، وَخَمْسَةٌ وَعِشْرُوْنَ رَأْساً مِنَ الخيلِ، وَعِشْرُوْنَ بَغلاً وَقطَارَان جِمَال، وَعِدَّة خِلَعٍ لِخوَاصِّه وَمائَةُ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَأَشيَاءُ سِوَى ذَلِكَ. وَمِنْ سَعَادتِه أَنَّ أَخَاهُ الملكَ الأَوْحَدَ صَاحِبَ خِلاَطٍ مَرِضَ، فَعَادَهُ الأَشْرَفُ،

= والمختصر لأبي الفدا: ٣ / ١٦٧ - ١٦٨، وتاريخ الإسلام، الورقة: ١٧٠ - ١٧٣ (أيا صوفيا ٣٠١٢) ، والعبر: ٥ / ١٤٦، ودول الإسلام: ٢ / ١٠٤، ونثر الجمان للفيومي: ٢ / الورقة: ٨٦ - ٩٢، والبداية والنهاية: ١٣ / ١٤٦ - ١٤٩، ونزهة الانام لابن دقماق، الورقة: ٢٦ - ٢٧ والنجوم الزاهرة: ٦ / ٣٠٠ - ٣٠١، والسلوك: ١ / ١ / ٢٥٦، وشذرات الذهب: ٥ / ١٧٥ - ١٧٧ وغيرها من كتب التاريخ. (١) انظر تفاصيل ذلك في " مفرج الكروب ": ٣ / ١٨٣ - ١٨٧.