and that she had set aside large sums of money, which later vanished.

She was of commendable conduct, but jealousy destroyed her.

The preachers would pray: “O Allah, preserve the pious noblewoman, Queen of the Muslims, the safeguard of this world and the faith, Umm Khalil al-Mustaʿṣimiyya, consort of Sultan al-Malik al-Ṣāliḥ.”

As for al-Mansur ʿAli, he was deposed, and Qutuz—the man who broke the Tatars—took the throne. He banished ʿAli and his brother Qilij to the land of al-Ashkari. Sayf al-Din Qilij himself told me that his brother embraced Christianity in Constantinople, married, fathered Christian children, lived on until about 700 AH, and called himself Michael.

I say: We seek refuge with Allah from wretchedness; after ruling Egypt he lapsed into unbelief and ruin.

119 – al-Muẓaffar Qutuz ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Muʿizzi *
The martyr-sultan, al-Malik al-Muẓaffar, Sayf al-Din Qutuz ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Muʿizzi.

He was the noblest of al-Muʿizz’s mamluks and later served as regent for his son al-Mansur. A valiant horseman, an able statesman, a pious man, he was beloved by the populace. He routed the Tatars and cleansed Greater Syria of them on the day of ʿAyn Jalut. He had earlier slain al-Faris Aqṭāy, and was himself killed on that account; yet—God willing—his jihad will be accepted (1). It is also said that he was a nephew of Khwarazm-Shah Jalal al-Din, that he was freeborn, and that his given name was Maḥmud ibn Mamdud.