He granted his brother the fortress of al-Karak in exchange for Ascalon and told him to depart, so that he might assist his son al-ʿAzīz in facing the trials of the age. The Sultan then returned and remained in Acre until the end of the year.

[In this same year] (1) a faction (2) of the Rāfiḍī Shiʿites in Egypt attempted to revive the Fatimid state. They took advantage of al-ʿĀdil’s absence from the country and belittled the authority of al-ʿAzīz ʿUthmān ibn Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn. Accordingly, they sent out twelve men who roamed the streets at night crying, “O family of ʿAlī, (3) O for ʿAlī!” expecting the common people to rally to their plan. Yet (4) no one paid them any heed, and not a single person followed them. When they saw this, they fled, but they were caught, shackled, and imprisoned. News of the affair reached Sultan Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn, and it distressed him. Al-Qāḍī al-Fāḍil, who was still at his side, said to him, “O King, you should rejoice, not grieve. None of your subjects has listened to the call of these ignorant men or turned toward them. Had you yourself sent spies to test your subjects’ loyalty, (5) you would have been pleased with what you learned about them. (6)” The Sultan’s anxiety was thus dispelled; he accepted al-Qāḍī al-Fāḍil’s counsel and therefore dispatched him to Egypt to serve as his eyes, his helper, and his supporter.

[Among the notable figures who died this year] (7):

The great amir, scion of kings and sultans [of the fortress of Shayzar] (8), Muʾayyad al-Dawlah Abū al-Ḥārith, also known as Abū al-Muẓaffar Usāmah ibn Murshid ibn ʿAlī ibn Muqallad ibn Naṣr ibn Munqidh (9). He was one of the celebrated poets and esteemed commanders. Having reached the age of ninety-six, his very lifespan was a history unto itself. His house in Damascus—[on the site of the ʿAzīziyyah] (10)—was a refuge for men of letters and a lodging for scholars. He left behind a wealth of polished verse and superlative ideas, (11) possessed abundant knowledge, and was distinguished for his generosity and virtue.