and summoning him (1), urging him to hasten over so that he might be counted among those who humble themselves before him—both in accepting his reproaches and in fighting on his behalf (2). The letter was long, brimming with rebuke, menace, and harsh threats. Sultan Yaʿqūb, [Commander of the Muslims] (3), wrote at the very top (4) of his reply, above his own signature:

“Return to them. We shall come upon them with forces they can never withstand, and We shall drive them out of it in humiliation, utterly abased.” (Q 27:37)

He then rose at once with his troops and armies, crossed the Strait (5) to al-Andalus, and the two sides met in the aforementioned place (6). The first turn of battle favored the Muslims, and twenty thousand of them were killed. In the end, however, the advantage shifted (7) to the unbelievers: Allah routed them, crushed them, and abandoned them to the most disgraceful break and the worst, most appalling defeat. One hundred forty-three thousand of them were slain, and thirteen thousand were taken captive.

The Muslims gathered immense spoils: among them one hundred thousand tents and forty-three thousand more tents (8); forty-six thousand horses; one hundred thousand mules; an equal number of donkeys; seventy thousand complete sets of arms; and great quantities of other gear. They also captured many of their fortresses (9). The sultan then besieged their city of Toledo for a time; when it did not fall, he withdrew and returned to his own lands.

When Alfonso (10) suffered this calamity, he shaved his head and beard (11), inverted his cross, mounted a donkey, and swore that he would never ride a horse, relish food (12), or lie with a woman until Christianity granted him victory. He then went around to the Frankish kings and mustered (13) troops in numbers known only to Allah—exalted is He.

Sultan Yaʿqūb made ready for him, and the two forces met and fought (14) a battle the like of which had never been heard. The Franks were routed even more disgracefully than