At the beginning of this year, the caliph of the Muslims was Mustakfī b. Ḥākim bi-l-Amrillāh al-ʿAbbāsī, the sultan of the country was Malik Muzaffar Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Jashnigir, the deputy in Egypt was Emir Sayf al-Dīn Sālar, and the deputy in Damascus was Emir Akkuş al-Afram. As for the judges (qāḍīs) of Egypt and Damascus, they were the same individuals mentioned in the previous year.
On the last night of the month of Ṣafar, Shaykh Taqīyy al-Dīn b. Taymiyya set out with Emir Muqaddam to travel from Cairo to Alexandria. Emir Muqaddam placed him in a spacious tower in the sultan's palace. The place where he stayed was indeed comfortable and spacious. People came to visit him. They tried to acquire various sciences from him. Afterwards, he attended the Friday prayers. Continuing his custom, he held gatherings in mosques and delivered sermons. He had arrived in Alexandria on Sunday. Ten days later, news of his arrival in Alexandria reached Damascus. The people were saddened for him. They feared a trap set by the Jashnigir and Shaykh al-Mambiji against him. They prayed much for him. Because the Jashnigir and Shaykh al-Mambiji had not allowed any of Ibn Taymiyya's companions to accompany him on his journey to Alexandria. His friends were distressed on his behalf.
This was because his enemy, Nāṣir al-Mambiji, had seized the opportunity to harm him. The reason for his enmity was that Ibn Taymiyya spoke against the Jashnigir and the Jashnigir's Shaykh Nāṣir al-Mambiji, saying, "The Jashnigir's power has now ended. His leadership has ceased. His death is near." He also criticized Ibn ʿArabī and his murīds. They wanted to send him into exile by sending him to Alexandria. They said, "Perhaps someone from the people of Alexandria will dare to assassinate him." But sending him to Alexandria increased the people's love and closeness to him. The people benefited from him. They studied knowledge. They showed more inclination towards him and honored him. Meanwhile, a letter written by Shaykh Taqīyy al-Dīn Ibn Taymiyya's brother reached Damascus. The letter contained the following:
"My esteemed brother has come to the protected port of Alexandria as if intending to keep vigil for jihād. The enemies of Allah sent him here to set a trap for him, Islam, and the Muslims; but this turned out well for us. They thought Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya would perish this way. But their evil intentions backfired. In every respect, they encountered the opposite of what they expected. Their faces darkened before Allah and the gnostic people. They began to suffer longing, repent, and regret their deeds. All the people of Alexandria turned to my brother Ibn Taymiyya. They showed him respect. He always spreads Allah's Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger to a degree that satisfies the eyes and enlightens the believers' eyes; this chokes the enemies like a knot in their throats. In Alexandria, an Iblīs was found who hatched, bred, and misled the sects and the Arabs.
But because Allah brought my brother the Shaykh there, their order was disrupted. Their men were destroyed. Secrets were revealed. The veil was lifted. They became disgraced and humiliated. Most of them were asked to repent. One of their leaders repented. In the presence of the common and elite believers, the judges, fuqahāʾ, muftīs, shuyūkh, and the community of mujtahids—except for the ignorant, lowly, and base—the love and respect for Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya settled like an irresistible decree. His word was accepted, and his commands and prohibitions were obeyed. Thus, the Word of Allah was exalted against the enemies of Allah and His Messenger. The enemies of Allah and His Messenger were cursed openly and secretly, everywhere and by name. This also happened to Nāṣir al-Mambiji, who remained stuck in his place. He was seized by an indescribable fear.
He was humbled and subjected to disgrace......"
Many more words and descriptions of the situation were contained in this letter.
In brief, what we want to say is this: Shaykh Taqīyy al-Dīn Ibn Taymiyya resided in the port city of Alexandria for eight months. His residence was a spacious, beautiful, and clean fortress tower. It had two windows: one facing the sea and the other facing the city. Anyone who wished visited him; state dignitaries, fuqahāʾ, and members of the notable class came and went. They studied knowledge from him, read books in his presence, and benefited. He also lived comfortably, spending his days in ease and peace.
At the end of the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, upon the recommendation of al-Mambiji, Shaykh Kamāl al-Dīn b. Zumlakānī—accused of supporting Ibn Taymiyya—was dismissed from the office of the director of the Maristan. In his place, Shams al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Qādir b. Ḥaṭīrī was appointed.
On the third of Rabīʿ al-Ākhir, on a Saturday, in Egypt, the Hanbalī judgeship was assigned to the Egyptian Shaykh of Hadith, Shaykh Imānī, Ḥāfiẓ Ṣadaddīn Abū Maḥmūd Maṣʿūd b. Aḥmad b. Maṣʿūd b. Zayn al-Dīn al-Ḥārisī. The previous holder of this office, Qāḍī Sharaf al-Dīn Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Ghanī b. Yaḥyā b. Muḥammad b. ʿAbdallāh b. Naṣr b. Abū Bakr al-Ḥarrānī, had passed away. In the month of Jamādī al-Awwal, the order and decree of Sultan Muzaffar were sent to the coastal regions. This decree commanded the prohibition of drinking alcohol, the demolition of taverns, and the exile of tavern keepers and drinkers, instructing the authorities to enforce it. The emir carried it out. The Muslims rejoiced greatly.
At the beginning of Jamādī al-Ākhir, a decree arrived by post appointing Shaykh Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad b. Sharaf al-Dīn Ḥasan b. Ḥāfiẓ Jamāl al-Dīn Abū Mūsā ʿAbdallāh b. Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Maqdisī as the Hanbalī judge in Damascus. Previously, this office was held by Taqī Sulaymān b. Ḥamza. This man was dismissed because he repeatedly spoke of the deposition of Malik Nāṣir, claiming that he was removed from the throne not by force but by his own will—which was true.
On the twentieth of Jamādī al-Ākhir, a decree arrived by post appointing Emir Sayf al-Dīn Baktimūr al-Ḥājibī as the head of the divan, replacing Rustamī, in Damascus. However, Emir Sayf al-Dīn did not accept this office. By the same post, a decree also arrived appointing Emir ʿIzz al-Dīn Aḥmad b. Zayn al-Dīn Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. Maḥmūd Ibn Kalānīsī as the treasurer. This man began his duties. The previous city muḥtasib, Basrāwī, was dismissed.
Also in this month, Qāḍī al-Quḍāt Badr al-Dīn b. Jamāʿa began the office of Shaykh of Saʿīd al-Suʿadā in Cairo at the request of the Sufis. They liked him because he attended with them once on Friday. The previous holder of this office, Shaykh Karīm al-Dīn al-ʿAykī, was dismissed because he had removed the witnesses from the Saʿīd al-Suʿadā khānqah. For this reason, they took action against him. They reported to the relevant authority by petition that he had committed some offenses incompatible with religion. They complained. Because of this, he was also removed from this office. What he did was in accordance with the path. For this person had taken action against Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyya and slandered him. Yet he himself was ignorant and had little taqwā. Because of this slander, Allah disgraced him through his own friends and companions. This was the punishment fitting for his deeds.
In the month of Rajab, fears increased in Damascus, and people flocked from outside the city towards the interior. The reason was this: Sultan Malik al-Nāṣir Muḥammad b. Qalāwūn had set out from Karak to come to Damascus. He wanted to regain the throne. A group of the ʿumara had allied with him and secretly wrote letters declaring their sincere support. A group of Egyptian ʿumara had also sided with him. People became uneasy because the deputy of Damascus, Afram, had gone to Cairo and a large crowd was with him. The city gates were not opened until the time of dusk. Things became chaotic. Most of the judges and ʿumara gathered in the palace and renewed their allegiance to Malik Muzaffar. On Saturday evening, the city gates were locked. People in front of Bab al-Nāṣir caused a crush, resulting in great fatigue and exhaustion.
The city became crowded due to people coming from the villages. News that Malik Nāṣir had reached Humān arrived by post in Damascus. The deputy of Damascus was disturbed by this. He declared that he would fight Malik Nāṣir and prevent him from entering the city. Emir Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Majnūn and Baybars al-ʿAlamī went to him and joined him. The chief ḥājib Emir Sayf al-Dīn Baktimūr also went to him and advised him to return, saying he did not have the strength to fight the Egyptians. Emir Sayf al-Dīn Bahādur also went to him and made the same suggestion. Then, on Tuesday the fifth of Rajab, he returned to Damascus. He informed the people that Sultan Malik Nāṣir had returned to Karak. People calmed down. The deputy of the sultan returned to the palace. Some people returned to their homes. Order was restored.