—the glad tidings arrived of the Muslims’ victory over the Tatars at ʿAyn Jalut—praise be to Allah. This came about because al-Malik al-Muzaffar Sayf al-Din Qutuz, ruler of Egypt (1), once it reached him that the Tatars had done in Syria what we have already described—plundering the whole land until they reached Gaza, where they captured its ruler al-Nasir ibn al-ʿAziz, who had fled before them as far as Gaza (2)—and that they intended to enter Egypt (3), while al-Malik al-Nasir, the ruler of Damascus, had likewise resolved (4) to march to Egypt—would that he had done so! He was accompanied by al-Malik al-Mansur, ruler of Hama, together with a host of emirs and princes. They reached Qatya (5), where al-Malik al-Muzaffar was awaiting them. Qutuz sent urgent messages to him and to al-Mansur, saying, “Advance, so that we may stand shoulder to shoulder against the Tatars.” Al-Nasir imagined that Qutuz meant to overpower him and grew afraid. Al-Malik al-Muzaffar Qutuz honoured the ruler of Hama, promised to restore his realm to him, and kept his word. Al-Nasir, however, did not enter Egypt; instead he turned back toward the Wilderness of the Children of Israel, while the greater part of those with him continued on into Egypt. Had he entered, it would have been easier for him than what eventually befell, but he feared Qutuz because of their mutual hostility (6). He therefore diverted to the region of al-Karak and fortified himself there—would that he had remained! Restless, he rode out into the desert—would that he had gone deeper—and sought protection from certain Bedouin chieftains. The Tatars pursued him, plundered and carried off the wealth that was there, laid waste to the dwellings (7), and slew both old and young. They attacked the Bedouin of those regions, killed great numbers of them, and took captive their children and women. The Arabs later took revenge (8), raiding the Tatars’ horse-herds in mid-Shaʿban and driving them off completely. The Tatars chased after them but failed to overtake even their rearguard, nor did they recover a single horse or mule (9). The Tatars kept after al-Nasir until they seized him at Birkat Zizi (10) and sent him, together with his young son al-ʿAziz and his brother, to their king Hulagu Khan, who was then encamped before Aleppo. They remained in captivity until he killed them the following year, as we shall relate.

In short, when al-Muzaffar Qutuz learned of what the Tatars had done in guarded Syria (11) and that they were determined to—