, and killed multitudes of their men, took many of their women and children captive, and seized a vast amount of their wealth. May Allah reward him on behalf of Islam with the best of rewards. Then, in the month of Jumada al-Akhirah, Nur al-Din marched against al-Karak (1); he besieged it, for it was one of the most impregnable strongholds, and was on the verge (2) of taking it. News then reached him that two leading Frankish commanders were advancing toward Damascus, so he feared that the Franks might outflank him (3). He therefore lifted the siege and hastened (4) to Damascus, where he strengthened its defences.
When the Franks evacuated Damietta, Nur al-Din and the Muslims rejoiced greatly. Each (5) of the poets composed (6) an ode in celebration of the event. King Nur al-Din had been extremely concerned and deeply grieved by the affair; it is related that while a student of hadith was reading to him a section (7) containing the musalsal hadith that ends with a smile, the student asked him to smile (8) so that the pattern of the chain might remain uninterrupted (9). He refused, saying, “I would be ashamed before Allah if He saw me smiling while the Muslims are besieged by the Franks at the frontier of Damietta.”
Shaykh (10) Shihab al-Din (11) relates that the imam of the Mosque (12) of Abu al-Dardaʾ in the Citadel of al-Manṣūrah saw, on the very night the Franks withdrew from Damietta, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a dream. The Prophet said to him: “Convey my greetings to Nur al-Din and give him the glad tidings that the Franks have departed from Damietta.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, by what sign?” He replied, “By the sign that on the day of Tall Ḥārim he did not prostrate; in his sujud he said: ‘O Allah, support Your religion, [and do not support Maḥmūd] (13); and who is Maḥmūd—the dog?’”
When Nur al-Din performed the dawn prayer, the imam conveyed the glad tidings to him [and told him the sign. When he reached the words “who is Maḥmūd—the dog,” he hesitated to utter them, but Nur al-Din said, “Say exactly what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded you.” So he did. Nur al-Din replied, “You have spoken the truth,” and he wept out of affirmation and joy. They then investigated, and the matter proved to be exactly as had been reported in the dream] (14).