Then the year 649 AH began.

In that year:
Al-Malik al-Nasir, lord of Aleppo, returned to Damascus. Egyptian forces advanced and imposed their rule over the coastal territories as far as al-Shariʿa, so al-Malik al-Nasir mustered an army against them, routed them, and drove them back to the Egyptian domains, confining them there.

That same year Umm Khalil Shajar al-Durr married al-Malik al-Muʿizz ʿIzz al-Din Aybak the Turkmen—formerly a mamluk of her husband al-Ṣalih Ayyub.

The coffin of al-Ṣalih Ayyub was transferred to the mausoleum in his madrasa; the Turks donned mourning garb, and Umm Khalil gave away large [many] sums in charity on his behalf.

The Turks also laid waste to Damietta, moved its inhabitants (1) to Egypt, and emptied the island as well for fear of the Franks’ return.

During this year the “Commentary on the Book entitled Nahj al-Balagha” was completed in twenty volumes by ʿAbd al-Hamid (2) ibn Hibat Allah ibn Abi al-Hadid al-Madaʾini, secretary to the vizier Muʾayyid al-Din ibn al-ʿAlqami (3). The vizier granted him one hundred dinars, a robe of honour, and a horse (4). ʿAbd al-Hamid praised him in an ode, for he was a Shiʿi Muʿtazili (5).

In Ramadan Shaykh Siraj al-Din ʿUmar ibn Baraka al-Nahruqalli (6), lecturer at the Niẓamiyya in Baghdad (7), was summoned and appointed Chief Judge of Baghdad while retaining his teaching post, and a robe of honour was bestowed upon him.

In Shawwal (8) Taj al-Din ʿAbd al-Karim ibn Shaykh Muḥyi al-Din Yusuf ibn Shaykh Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi assumed the office of ḥisba in Baghdad, succeeding his brother ʿAbd Allah (9), who had relinquished it out of ascetic devotion. He received a scarf of investiture; a ceremonial hood (10) was placed upon his head, and the chamberlains rode out in his service.