their failure to abide by what they do not acknowledge, that applies to them all. Indeed, we have an established report from the Messenger of Allah—the truthful one whose truthfulness is confirmed, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, will descend here among us at the white minaret in Damascus, resting his hands on the shoulders of two angels. He will break the cross, kill swine, abolish the jizya, and accept nothing from anyone but Islam. He will kill the messiah of misguidance, the one-eyed Dajjāl, whom the Jews will follow. The Muslims will gain power over the Jews, until trees and stones say: ‘O Muslim, there is a Jew behind me; kill him.’ Allah will exact retribution from the Jews on behalf of the Messiah son of Mary, the messiah of guidance, for harming him and rejecting him when he was sent to them.”

As for what has been related to us concerning the Christians, and what Allah will do to them by granting the Muslims victory and power over them, this is something I will not tell the king, lest it distress him. My sincere counsel to him, however, is that whoever has previously shown kindness to the Muslims and been favourably disposed towards them will fare well with them, in proportion to the good he has done. For Allah says:

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.”

“And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”

I conclude this letter by urging that Shaykh Abū al-ʿAbbās and the other captives be treated well and assisted, that the followers of the Quran in their custody be treated gently, and that no attempt be made to change the religion of any one of them. The king will see the outcome of all this. We shall repay the king for it many times beyond what he has in mind. Allah knows that I intend good for the king, for Allah Most High has commanded us to do so and has prescribed that we desire good for every