—meaning that, in that single day, he cleared a profit of some ninety-odd thousand dinars.

When al-Muʿtaḍid biʾllāh married Qaṭr al-Nadā, the daughter of Khumarawayh, ruler of Egypt, her father dispatched her under the escort of Ibn al-Jaṣṣāṣ with an immense trousseau, gifts, and jewels beyond description. Ibn al-Jaṣṣāṣ advised her, saying, “This is an enormous amount, and times change; what if you were to set some of it aside for safekeeping?” She answered, “Yes, uncle,” and entrusted him with priceless treasures.

She was then admitted to al-Muʿtaḍid, found great favor with him, conceived, and died suddenly in childbirth. Ibn al-Jaṣṣāṣ’s wealth now reached extraordinary heights, and every eye turned toward him. In the year 302 AH al-Muqtadir arrested him, raided his house, and seized gold and jewels valued at four thousand thousand dinars (4,000,000).

Abū l-Faraj states in al-Muntaẓam (1): “They took from him the equivalent of sixteen thousand thousand dinars (16,000,000) in cash, silver, horses, and textiles. It was said that the bulk of his fortune had come from the daughter of Khumarawayh.”

One observer related: “I entered the house of Ibn al-Jaṣṣāṣ, and the weigh-master stood before him weighing the gold ingots.”

Al-Tanūkhī (2) said: “Abu’l-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAyyāsh told me that he heard several trustworthy scribes say they were present at the confiscation of Ibn al-Jaṣṣāṣ; the amount came to six thousand thousand dinars (6,000,000), apart from what was taken from his residence and in addition to what still remained with him.” He also said: “When his property was seized, there were seven hundred bamboo chests in his house.”

It is further reported that he was slow-witted and gullible. A friend once passed by and asked, “How are you?” He replied: