and he acceded to that. (1)
Qāḍī Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn al-Jawzī then set out to meet al-Malik al-Kāmil in Egypt; it was his first journey to Syria and Egypt. The kings showered him with generous gifts, one of which financed the construction of his Jawziyyah Madrasah (2) in the Archers’ Quarter of Damascus.
In the same year: by decree of al-Malik al-Muʿaẓẓam, Shams al-Dīn [Muḥammad ibn] (3) Qazghalī, the grandson of Ibn al-Jawzī, was appointed to teach at the Shabliyya school on the lower slope. The judges and notables attended his inaugural session.
The Death of the Caliph al-Ẓāhir [and the accession of his son al-Mustanṣir] (4)
The caliph (5) (may Allah have mercy on him) died on Friday mid-morning, the thirteenth of Rajab of this year, 623 AH. The public did not hear of his death until after the prayer, whereupon the preachers prayed for him from their pulpits, as was customary. (6) His caliphate lasted nine months and fourteen days, and he was fifty-two years old. He was one of the finest of the Banū al-ʿAbbās in conduct and inward character, (7) the most liberal in giving, and the most comely in appearance and presence. Had his reign been longer, the community would have been greatly reformed through him; yet Allah willed to draw him near, grant him closeness, and choose for him what is with Him, lavishing upon him His bounty (8) and aid. We have already noted what he undertook at the start of his rule: releasing treasury funds, restoring confiscated property, abolishing tolls, reducing the land tax, paying the debts of those unable to pay, (9) showing kindness to scholars and the poor, and appointing men of piety and trustworthiness to office. (10)
He composed a circular for the provincial governors that read:
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Know that our forbearance is not neglect, nor is our overlooking heedlessness; rather, it is so that We may test you as to which of you excels in deeds. We have pardoned what has passed of the devastation of lands, the dispersal of subjects, the tarnishing of reputations, and the public display (11) of