A week earlier (1) the congregational mosque of Isfahan had likewise gone up in flames. It was an enormous building whose timber alone was valued at one million dinars (2). Among the items destroyed were five hundred Qur’an codices (3), one of them written in the hand of Ubayy ibn Kaʿb—may Allah be pleased with him—and indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him we return (4).

In Shaʿbān the caliph al-Mustarshid Billah sat in the Palace of the Caliphate in full regal splendor, the Prophet’s mantle draped over his shoulders and the ceremonial staff set before him. The two royal brothers (5) Maḥmūd and Masʿūd entered, stood (6) before him, and kissed the ground. The caliph conferred upon Maḥmūd seven robes of honor, a collar, two armlets, and a crown, seated him upon a throne, exhorted him, and recited to him the verse:

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it” (7) [al-Zalzalah: 7–8],

then instructed him to show kindness to the subjects. The caliph thereupon unfurled the banner for him (7), invested him with kingship, and the two brothers withdrew from his presence honored and obeyed, the army preceding them to their residence in very great pomp.

That year the people’s pilgrimage was led by Naẓar al-Khādim.

Among those who died this year was Ibn al-Qaṭṭāʿ the philologist (8), Abū’l-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn Jaʿfar ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ziyādat Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Aghlab al-Saʿdī (9), a Sicilian-born, later Egyptian linguist and author of the book al-Afʿāl (The Verbs), in which he surpassed Ibn al-Qūṭiyyah. He produced many other works. He came to Egypt around the year 500 AH, when the Franks were about to seize Sicily, and the Egyptians received him with great honor and showed him exceptional favor (10). He was