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655 AH in the Hijaz. It would burn rock yet not roast meat, and the people of Busra could see the necks of their camels by its light. The blaze was a warning of what was to follow, for in 656 AH Hulagu, king of the unbelievers, marched into Baghdad and carried out a vast and notorious slaughter. (God willing, we shall later cite some eyewitness reports of these events, as we mentioned when discussing his miracles.)
خَمْسٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَسِتِّمِائَةٍ بِأَرْضِ الْحِجَازِ، فَكَانَتْ تَحْرِقُ الْحَجَرَ وَلَا تُنْضِجُ اللَّحْمَ، وَرَأَى أَهْلُ بُصْرَى أَعْنَاقَ الْجِمَالِ مِنْ ضَوْءِ تِلْكَ النَّارِ، وَكَانَتْ مُنْذِرَةً بِمَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَهَا، فَفِي سَنَةِ سِتٍّ وَخَمْسِينَ وَسِتِّمِائَةٍ دَخَلَ هُولَاكُو مَلِكُ الْكُفَّارِ بَغْدَادَ، وَقَتَلَ فِيهَا مَقْتَلَةً عَظِيمَةً مَشْهُورَةً
(وَسَيَأْتِي - إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ - بَعْضُ أَخْبَارٍ أَنَّهُ شَاهَدَ النَّاسُ وُقُوعَهَا كَمَا أَخْبَرْنَا عِنْدَ ذِكْرِنَا مُعْجِزَاتِهِ)
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