He had also forbidden women to leave their houses, ordered the grape-vines to be cut down so that people could not make wine from them, and even banned the cooking of mulūkhiyya (jute-leaf stew)—together with a host of other senseless whims that defy tally or description, [the best of which, in fact, were keeping women indoors and his hatred of wine].
The common people nursed a blood-feud against him; they detested him intensely. They would write sheets filled with the most biting insults against him, his forefathers, and his womenfolk, couching them in the form of “tales.” Whenever he read one of these sheets his rage and spite only grew. The citizens of Misr even made a life-size effigy of a woman out of paper, complete with her slippers and wrap, and placed in her hand a “story” that contained abundant reviling, [cursing, and open defiance] of him. When he saw the figure he thought it a real woman, approached her, took the paper from her hand, and read it. Enraged by what it contained, he ordered that the woman be put to death. When he discovered she was made of paper his anger redoubled.
After reaching Cairo he commanded his Sudanese slaves to go to Misr, burn it down, and plunder whatever wealth, [goods], and women were in it. The slaves obeyed, and the people of Misr fought them fiercely for three days while fire consumed houses and female quarters. Each day he himself—may Allah disfigure him—would ride out, stand at a distance, weep, and say, “Who ordered these slaves to do this?”
The people then gathered in the mosques, held up their copies of the Qur’an, and cried out to Allah Most High for help. The Turks and Easterners felt compassion for them, joined their side, and fought to defend their households and homes. Matters grew extremely grave. At length al-Ḥākim rode out to separate the two sides, whereupon the slaves ceased their attack. Outwardly he disclaimed the incident, alleging that the slaves had acted without his knowledge or permission, yet in secret he was sending them arms and urging them on—may Allah curse him. The affair did not end until roughly one-third of Misr had been burned, nearly half of it looted, and the womenfolk of a great many households—[many young girls as well]—were taken captive. They were subjected to shameful and abominable acts; some of them even killed themselves for fear of disgrace. Men later bought back their captive wives and daughters from the hands of those slaves.
Ibn al-Jawzī (1) said: Al-Ḥākim’s oppression then escalated, and he took it into his head to claim divinity. Some ignorant folk, whenever they saw him, would cry out, “O One! O Unique! O Giver of Life! O Giver of Death!”—may Allah disgrace them all.
The manner of his killing—may Allah curse him
His evil reached the people—and even his own sister. [He] accused her of adultery and addressed her with the coarsest words. She became disgusted with him and resolved to have him killed. She corresponded with the greatest of the emirs, [an emir] named Ibn Dawwās; the two of them agreed upon his murder [and destruction] and conspired together. The emir provided two brave black slaves from among his servants. She said to them, “On such-and-such a night be at Jabal al-Muqaṭṭam. On that night al-Ḥākim will be there to study the stars, accompanied only by a groom and a page. Kill him, and kill them with him.” So the plan was agreed upon and duly arranged.
When the appointed night arrived al-Ḥākim said to his mother, “Tonight I face a tremendous danger; if I escape it I shall live on for nearly eighty years.”