He never wearied of campaigning; he combined nobility, firmness, daring, and other praiseworthy traits. When the realm was struck by drought, a messenger from his qāḍī, Mundhir al-Ballūṭī (1), came urging him to go out. He thereupon donned a coarse robe, wept, sought forgiveness, humbled himself before his Lord, and said, “My forelock is in Your hand; do not punish the flock because of me—nothing of me can elude You.”

When this was reported to the judge, his face brightened and he said, “When the tyrant of the earth humbles himself, the Compeller of heaven shows mercy.” So they prayed for rain and were granted it.

He—may God have mercy on him—was inwardly devout, of fine character, and good-humoured. In his day his dais stood above that of all other Muslim kings.

Abū Marwān ibn Shuhayd (2) and others served as his viziers.

Some relate that one of his viziers once presented him with an imposing gift that included: 500,000 dinars; 400 ratls of gold bullion (3); two million dirhams; 180 ratls of agarwood; 100 uqiyyas of musk; 500 uqiyyas of ambergris; 300 uqiyyas of camphor; thirty bolts of raw cloth; six pavilion tents (4); ten qintars of sable fur (5); 4,000 ratls of silk; 1,000 shields; 800 suits of horse armour (6); fifteen stallions; twenty mules; forty male slaves; one hundred horses; and twenty