A unique Mamlk manuscript tells the story of a Damascene jurist. Ibn al-Zamlakn's story revolves around a dramatic episode in the life of his master, the great judge Tj al-Dn al-Subk, who is the central figure (hero) of the tale. The composer justly names his document maqmah. In rhyming prose, it narrates several episodes. Transmitted by a narrator (or at least his voice), who distances himself from the event, it is a story about an escape from hardship of a hero who is supported by good characters and face some evil enemies. Yet, it is not a biography, but a dramatic plot that transmits a moral lesson. The maqmah illuminates the relations between the Mamlk ruling military aristocracy and the religious establishment, as well as the competition that divided the Damascene urban elite.

Yehoshua Frenkel is Professor of Middle Eastern History at the University of Haifa. His research interests embrace popular culture, Islamic etiquette, communal practices, social history, and legal discourse in Middle and Late Caliphate Egypt and Syria (10551517).