So when it was established; by the fact that what He promised - glorified and exalted is He - would occur at its times as He informed; His might and His forbearance; His power and knowledge were established; He indicated that one of the reasons for humiliating those whom He intends good is disobedience; and the reason for honoring them is obedience; He said (the Most High): ﴿If you do good﴾; meaning: by performing obedience according to the command in the Book that calls for justice and goodness; ﴿you do good for yourselves﴾; for that necessitates My being with you; and I will grant you honor in this world; or in the Hereafter; or in both; ﴿And if you do evil﴾; meaning: by committing prohibitions; and causing corruption; ﴿then it is﴾; the evil; and He mentioned it with the letter 'lam'; as a warning that it is deserving of increased aversion; for everyone is repulsed by its association with him in any expression; so if he is repulsed by the beloved expression; how will his state be with others?! And when the opportunity for encouraging obedience and warning against disobedience was seized; the second warning was introduced with 'fa'; indicating that after the victory of the Children of Israel over the people of the first time; and perhaps it also indicates the proximity of its duration from the duration of the humiliation; He said (the Most High): ﴿So when the time comes﴾; meaning: it comes in a way that is like a compulsion towards it; contrary to what the one coming to it desires; ﴿the promise of the Hereafter﴾; meaning: its time; you have deserved the calamity for what you have corrupted; and the calamities you have caused; the greatest of which is the killing of Zakariya and Yahya - peace be upon them -; and the determination to kill Isa - peace be upon him -; ﴿to disgrace﴾; meaning: We sent against you servants of Ours; to disgrace ﴿your faces﴾; meaning: by making the effects of disgrace apparent in them; and He omitted the connection of the 'lam' to indicate the first; ﴿and to enter the mosque﴾; meaning: the farthest; which We brought you to from Egypt; in those long durations; and We gradually gave you its lands; and made it a place of your safety; and your honor; then We made it a place for honoring the noblest of Our creation; by the night journey to it; and gathering the souls of all the prophets in it; and praying with them there; and this is a hint of a threat to Quraysh; that if they do not return, He will replace their safety in the sanctuary with fear; and their honor with humiliation; so He will bring upon them armies they cannot withstand; and He did that in the year of the conquest; but it is an act of honor; not humiliation; by the blessing of this noble prophet - blessings and peace be upon him and his family; and may he be honored; and respected; and revered; and magnified forever -; ﴿as they entered it﴾; meaning: the enemies; ﴿the first time﴾; with the sword; and they conquer all your armies in one blow; ﴿and to destroy﴾; meaning: to annihilate; and to demolish with cutting; and dividing; ﴿what they have risen above﴾; meaning: above it from that; and it was said: 'what' is a source; meaning: the duration of their dominance; so 'to destroy' would be limited; and its meaning would be great; and He confirmed the action; and fulfilled the promise; so He said: ﴿destruction﴾.

And he said - in the Torah; indicating this last time - and Allah knows best - after the reference to the first time, the same: "And if you do not preserve; and act upon all the commandments; and the Sunnahs that I have written in this book to be conscious of Allah, your Lord; and to revere His praised and feared name; your Lord will afflict you with painful strikes; and He will test you with them; and He will test your offspring after you; and He will bring upon you all the strikes that He brought upon the people of Egypt that will last upon you; and every pain; and every strike not written in this book; Allah will test you with it until you perish and a small number of your offspring will remain after their multitude which had become like the stars of the sky; because you did not heed the words of Allah, your Lord; it will be as the Lord has made you rejoice; and bestowed upon you; and multiplied you; He will eradicate you with punishment; and retribution; and will destroy you; and ruin you; and you will be expelled from the land which you enter to inherit; and the Lord will separate you among all the nations; from the corners of the heavens to its corners; and you will worship there the other deities which were made of stone; and wood; which you and your forefathers did not know; nor will you dwell among those nations; nor will there be rest for your feet; but Allah will make your hearts terrified and trembling; and He will test you with the darkness of sight; and the flow of souls; and your lives will be suspended before you from afar; and you will be terrified night and day; and you will not believe that you are living; in the morning you will say: When will we reach evening? And in the evening you will say: When will we reach morning? And that is from the terror of your hearts; and your fear; and from the darkness of your sight; and your lack of means; and Allah will return you to the land of Egypt in ships; in the condition that I told you; you will never return to see it again; and you will be sold there as slaves and maidservants; and there will be no one to buy you; these are the words of the covenant which Allah commanded Musa to covenant with the Children of Israel in the land of Moab; except for the covenant which he covenanted with them at Horeb." It has ended.

And I only said: This is an indication of the second time; because it is a repetition of that which I presented in the first; so it is more appropriate to take it as indicating something other than what the first indicated; rather, it may be necessary. Then some of the distinguished Jews informed me that their scholars said the same; and the destruction in this instance was at the hands of Titus; after his father Vespasian had taken control over the Romans; and he returned from the Holy Land; after the death of their king Tiberius, who had sent him to fight the Jews; when they had departed from his obedience; and with him was Joseph son of Cabiros; one of the prominent Jews; and he was one of those whom the Jews appointed to fight Vespasian and those with him; so they captured him; and treated him well; so he remained with them; and when Tiberius died; and his companions took over; he returned to Rome; and sent his son to finish matters in Jerusalem; and he sent Joseph with him; after the house had remained inhabited for four hundred and twenty years; and the Jews did not regain control after this destruction; and this lasted for three hundred and eighty years from the rule of Alexander; and their historian said, in explaining this destruction: that Titus was in Caesarea; so he traveled from there until he reached Yalo; and he took from the purity of his army six hundred men; and he marched to the Temple; to observe the conditions of the city; and to see the fortress; and to know what he needed to know; and to manage affairs accordingly; and he worked to correspond with the people of the Temple with kindness; and to invite them to peace; and to offer them safety; so when he approached the city, he found the gates closed; and no one was going out of the city nor entering it; due to the ongoing wars among the rebels; so he did not find anyone to address among the people; and he turned back to his army.

He said: There were a group of the companions of the Khawarij. When they learned of the arrival of Titus, they left the city. They lay in ambush for him on part of the road. When he passed by them while returning, they surrounded him. They placed themselves between him and his companions. He fought them fiercely until he escaped after he was close to destruction. He realized what the people had in terms of strength and evil. So he prepared for that what Allah intended of the destruction of Jerusalem. And Allah, glorified and exalted is He, had shown the Children of Israel matters that indicated to them the downfall of their affair, if only they had reflected. Among them was a resemblance of a great star, which had a strong light and intense brightness. Jerusalem illuminated the entire city with it throughout the night, close to the light of day. It remained like that for seven days, the duration of the Passover festival. The ignorant rejoiced at it, while the scholars were distressed. Among them was that they brought a cow for this festival to offer it. It gave birth to a lamb, and the people found that strange. Among them was that the eastern gate of Jerusalem was great and heavy, which could only be handled by a group. Yet in those days, they found it open every day without anyone opening it. The usual men would gather to close it, then they would return to find it open again. The ignorant would rejoice, while the scholars would be distressed. Among them was that a face of a very handsome man, of great beauty and light, appeared in the air over the Holy House. Among them was that there also appeared in the atmosphere images of riders of fire, flying in the air, close to the ground, over the Holy House and over all the land of the Jews. Among them was that the priests heard on the night of the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem the sound of a large group coming and going in the temple, without seeing them. Rather, they only heard their footsteps. Then they heard a great voice saying: 'Let us go until we depart from this house.' Among them was that four years prior to this, a man walked in the city like a madman, shouting at the top of his voice, saying: 'A voice from the east! A voice from the west! A voice from the four corners of the earth! A voice upon Jerusalem! A voice upon the temple! A voice upon the fortress! A voice upon all the people! Woe to Jerusalem! Woe to Jerusalem!' He did not cease from this saying. The people hated him, rebuked him, and thought of him as mad. He continued like that until the enemy surrounded the city. Then, on some days, he began to speak as usual. A stone struck his head and he died. A stone was found in the wall of the Holy of Holies, inscribed with: 'When the building of the temple becomes square, a great king will be established over the land of the Children of Israel, and he will dominate all the land.' Some said: 'He is the king of the Children of Israel.' The scholars and priests said: 'Rather, it is the Romans.' A stone was also found inscribed with: 'When the building of the Holy becomes complete and square, then it will be destroyed.' When the siege occurred and Antonius fell, they sealed the wall. The temple became square as will come. The greatest signs were what their Khawarij had in terms of fighting, the shedding of the blood of the private and public, the burning, and the hunger, to the extent that calamity surrounded them and all the people, and they found no escape until they hated life.

And when Titus was free from the Khawarij, he spent the night in his camp. Then he marched at night from Yalo. He became in the morning at the House of the Holy. He descended at the top of the Mount of Olives, which is to the east of the city of Jerusalem, to block the valley between him and it. It was not hidden from him who would come out to him from it. Then he arranged his army and advised them to cooperate, support one another, be vigilant, and be cautious. He said: You are fighting a people whom you have not fought like them in strength, bravery, patience in battle, and insight in war. When the Jews saw him, the leaders of the Khawarij, Yohanan, Shimon, and Elazar, agreed not to fight one another and to unite against the Romans. They gathered and opened the gate of the city. They encountered those who were near the Romans and fought them. The war intensified, and the Romans were defeated. Titus repelled them and encouraged them, so they returned. There was a great war between them in which many were killed, and the Jews were defeated. They stood at the wall and sent a large number of their companions from another direction. They circled behind the Roman army, and those advanced from in front of them. The Romans were between the two armies, and many of them were killed. They were defeated, and Titus stood firm with a group of his companions. The situation became severe until he was almost killed. His companions said: Go to the mountain. He chose death over defeat and continued to fight them until he escaped after the Jews had overpowered him three times. When the Jews returned to the city, they broke their covenants and some fought one another as they had before, because Yohanan wanted leadership, while Shimon and Elazar refused that. The Feast of Passover, which is the unleavened bread, arrived, and Yohanan entered with his companions into Jerusalem on the first day. The people greeted them warmly and were pleased with them. They stripped off what was visible of their garments, and underneath them was armor. They took control of the gates from the people and killed many of the priests and others, showing no mercy to the small or the great. Elazar and Shimon killed those who were outside Jerusalem from Yohanan's group. They came out to them, and the situation intensified, and the war connected. When Titus learned of this, he marched to the city. Some Jews who were on the wall said to him: We will open the gate for you on the condition that you secure us and relieve us from these Khawarij. He did not trust them due to the evil and treachery they had shown. The voices rose in the city because some wanted to open for Titus while others prevented it. They rushed to guard the gates and the wall. A group of Romans advanced to the city, hoping that the gate would be opened for them. The Khawarij threw stones and arrows at them, and those who had called the Romans for entry aided them. Then a group of Jews came out and defeated the Romans, inflicting harm upon them, and they pursued them close to their camp, beginning to mock them and taunt them with defeat. Those in the camp wanted to confront them, but Titus prevented them and his anger intensified against his companions. He said: I am not surprised by the Jews in their treachery, but I am surprised by you, despite your insight in war and your many experiences. How did they deceive you? You went to the city without my command and opposed my advice? That is why you were defeated, for it is not permissible for the subjects to oppose the command of the king. You know that some of our kings killed their sons because they went to war without their command. You deserve to be killed for your disobedience and are deserving of what has befallen you from defeat. The companions of Titus prostrated to him and acknowledged their error, saying: We will not do it again. He commanded them to rectify what was around the city of the obstacles and barriers and to fill the wells so that fighting would be easier for them and the wall would be demolished. They did that and cut down everything around the city from trees and vegetation. There were many gardens around it from all directions, with various trees and fruits, a journey of miles from every direction. When a person approached it, he would see the most beautiful sight. The Romans left nothing of that. Those who knew those gardens, when they saw them after their destruction, would weep and feel desolate. The Jews busied themselves with their Khawarij, and Shimon and Elazar agreed on Yohanan, who had taken control of Jerusalem with eight thousand and four hundred brave men. Shimon had ten thousand Jews and five thousand from Edom, meaning the Christians. The priests and a group of the people of the city were with Elazar. The people were in the worst condition between these. Whenever the Romans overpowered the city, they united and fought them. When they repelled them, they returned to evil among themselves. Then Titus brought the battering ram and other siege equipment to demolish the wall. He made great wooden towers that matched the wall of the city, and under them were oxen to push them by men, and the fighters would climb upon them. He sent a man from his companions to invite them to peace, but some on the wall killed him. The Khawarij reconciled and went out to the Romans, fought them, burned the ram and all those machines, and drove them away. They returned to the city, fighting among themselves. When Titus learned of this, he pushed the ram against the wall, demolishing a large piece of it. Those behind it fled to the second wall. The Romans removed what had fallen from the stones of the wall to make room for them. The Khawarij reconciled and dispersed their companions to the sides of the city. The fighting intensified between them and the Romans, and both sides were sincere. Titus himself took charge of the war, encouraging his companions and promising them money and rewards. The Khawarij encouraged their companions, and Shimon called out: Whoever is defeated is killed, and his house is destroyed.

When Titus saw the steadfastness of the companions of Shimon, he leaned towards the direction of Yohanan; because it was moderate and easy to access; and he wanted to charge the second wall; then a man named Qastur called out to him from above the wall: I ask you, my lord, to have mercy on this city; and the matter proceeds as you wish; so Titus thought he was sincere and stopped; and he began to speak to him; and he prolonged the discussion as a trick from him; so that his companions could burn the ram; then he asked him to send someone from his companions to agree with him; so he sent to him a person from the notable ones of the Romans; and he said to him: Come closer so I can convey to you what I have, then descend; and he threw a stone at him but it missed him; and it killed a man who was with him; so Titus became angry and pushed the ram against the second wall; a large piece collapsed from it; so Qastur's sorrow intensified and he killed himself; and the Jews rushed; and they prevented the Romans from entering through the breached place; and they fought them until they drove them away from the first wall; and they killed a group of them; and the war continued between the two factions for four days; and on the fourth day, a large army from different nations arrived to assist Titus against the Jews; so the Jews went out as was their custom; and they fought them; and they had no strength against them, so they were defeated; and they entered the third fortress; so Titus ordered the cessation of hostilities; and he ceased for five days; and on the fifth day, he mounted and advanced towards the wall; and he found Yohanan, Shimon, and their companions had come out of the city to burn the ram; so Titus began with them with peace; and he addressed them kindly and gently; and he said: You have seen what has happened from the destruction of these two walls; and it is not impossible to destroy the third wall; and you have known that you have not benefited during this period from what you have done; and likewise, you will not benefit by continuing in your obstinacy against us; so return from that; before I demolish this remaining wall; and I invade the city; and I destroy the temple; and I do not choose that; nor do I want it; if you return to our obedience, we will be for you in the best of what you have been accustomed to from us; and safety will remain for you; and what you are in of the disliked will be removed from you.

And Yusuf ibn Kiryun commanded that he should approach them; and reach the utmost in speech with them; and invite them to peace; and offer them security and covenants that they would trust; and they would settle with him. So he stood in front of the city gate; and said: 'Listen to me, O assembly of the Children of Israel, what I am addressing you with; for I am only addressing you with what benefits you; and returns to your righteousness if you accept it. And know that fighting the enemies; and resisting them; was good for you when your lands were flourishing; and your armies were plentiful; and your conditions were upright. But after you have reached this state; of the destruction of the lands; and the demise of the men; and the loss of blessings; and the disruption of conditions; how do you hope to resist this great and powerful nation; which has conquered kingdoms; and nations; and has dominated them? So on what do you rely? If you say: 'We rely on Allah - the Mighty and Majestic -; and hope that He will grant us victory; as was His custom with our forefathers;' then you must know that He is the One who has empowered this nation over you due to your evil deeds; and the abundance of your sins; for you have committed prohibitions; and shed blood; and defiled the sacred sanctuary of Allah; and killed its priests; and the righteous of its community unjustly. So how do you hope for victory and assistance from Allah with these vile actions? And Allah does not support those who disobey Him; and if you rely on fortresses; and weapons; and armies; then you know that most of that has gone; and nothing remains of it except a little; and this city has had two of its walls demolished; and only one remains; and they are striving to demolish it; and you are every day in decline; and weakness; and your enemy is in increase and strength. If you continue in what you are upon, you will perish; and there will be no remnant of you left. If you say: 'We choose death over humiliation for the nations and their obedience;' then you know that our forefathers and ancestors - who are the leaders we must follow - did not refrain from making peace with the nations that bordered them; and dealing with them; even if it was something disliked, they were more deserving of disliking it than you. And those who preceded us obeyed the Egyptians for many times; and the kings of Mosul; and the Kasyaniyyin; and the Persians; then the Greeks; who wronged them; and mistreated them; and they endured their oppression until Allah permitted their deliverance from them by the hands of our priestly lineage. Then they obeyed after that the kings of Rome to this extent; and they did not see that there was any deficiency in their obedience to them. And likewise, you, if you obey them, that is more deserving for you than to expose yourselves to destruction; and your blessings to extinction; and your land to ruin; and you end up afterwards in the worst of what you disliked of humiliation; and no wise person will excuse you in that; nor will your opinion be praised; for the Romans have continued to be good to you; as they have taken care of your enemies from the Greeks; and removed their authority from you; and aided you against many of the nations that oppose you until you overcame them; and dominated them. So you are more deserving of obeying them than of disobeying them; and you have known that Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - has made for every nation a state and a dominion that He has empowered them in; so when that time passes, their state and dominion will vanish; and they will be humbled to others; and submit to whoever used to submit to them. And Allah has extended your hands for a time; and empowered you over others for a duration; then He has given the state and dominion to others; and intended to humiliate you before them. So when you oppose the will of Allah and do not accept His judgment, you will perish; and there is no doubt that Allah intended in this time to elevate the Romans; and extend their hands; for He has humiliated the kings for them; and granted them victory over nations; until those in all corners of the world obeyed them; who are stronger than you in might; and greater in number; and stronger in dominion. And how do you hope to overcome them while you witness their advance; and the strength of their command; and Allah's assistance for them; and you see yourselves contrary to that? And it does not diminish a person nor does it lessen him to obey one who is stronger than him; and more powerful; for Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - has made the matter of creation in this world based on some being subordinate to others; and some being conquerors over others; and some being in need of others; and every type submits to whoever is stronger than it; and is humbled to him; and obeys him; and that is evident and present among people; according to their ranks; and among animals; according to their differences; and no one can do without that; nor does a wise person criticize it. And if the matter is thus, then your obedience to the Romans does not diminish you; nor are the Romans the first whom you have obeyed; for your obedience to them has preceded for many years; and they have initiated kindness to you at this time; and invited you to peace; and offered you security; and guaranteed you kindness; and shown compassion for your city; and your sanctuary; so fear Allah; and take care of your affairs; and be good in your consideration for those who remain from you; so return to what you were upon of their obedience so that you may remain; and your conditions may stabilize; and this city may be saved; and this revered sanctuary; before this remaining fortress is demolished and you perish.

So the Khawarij shouted insults at Yusuf; and accused him; and they threw arrows and stones at him; so he moved away a little; and he spoke harshly to them; and said: O assembly of sinners; tell me what has led you to fight the Romans? If you intend by that to protect Al-Quds from the enemies, then you have already degraded it with sins; and you have defiled it with the many bloods you have shed in it unjustly; and if you want to support the Ummah; and honor it; then you are killing it with your own hands; and you are exceeding in your oppression of it; and your wrongdoing towards it; and do the enemies do more to you than what you have done to yourselves? Tell me when has anyone from our Ummah, whether they were from the early or later generations, ever defeated those who fought against them; and supported themselves against their enemies with armies and numbers without righteousness and piety? And has anyone ever escaped from hardships except by obeying Allah; and praying to Him? And did they ever gain victory except by Allah's support for them; and His assistance to them? And did He ever support them except when they obeyed Him; and feared Him? So when they disobeyed Him, He unleashed the enemies upon them; and allowed them to overpower them until they conquered them; and humiliated them; and they did not benefit from their numbers and weapons; nor could they resist the enemies with their strength and might; and you have known that Allah - glorified and exalted is He - has sufficed the righteous in every time against their enemies; for among them is he who called upon Allah - glorified and exalted is He - in times of hardship and He answered him without war; and He manifested great signs in His support for them and sufficiency for them; so they achieved through that what they could not have achieved by their own strength and might; and among them is he who fought the enemies; and sought help from Allah - glorified and exalted is He -; so He aided him against his enemy; and granted him victory over him; and Allah did not do the same with the sinners; to manifest the virtue of the righteous; take heed from your father Ibrahim - peace be upon him -; when Fir'aun took his wife; did not Allah strike Fir'aun and his people with great calamity; until he submitted; and was humbled; and returned Ibrahim's wife - peace be upon him - while she was safe; then He treated him well and honored him; so could Ibrahim - peace be upon him - achieve that with the sword and fighting; or with righteousness; and calling to Allah - glorified and exalted is He? And likewise Allah did with Ishaq - peace be upon him -; when Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, took his wife; and you have known that Musa - peace be upon him - did not gain victory over Fir'aun and the armies of the Egyptians until they perished; and the nation of Bani Isra'il was saved from them - without war; and without numbers; but by prayer and Allah's sufficiency for him; and when the 'Amaliqah fought Bani Isra'il; did they defeat them except by the prayer of Musa - peace be upon him - and his supplication? And Yusha' ibn Nun - peace be upon him - when he crossed the Jordan with Bani Isra'il, he was in a great gathering; and strength; did he conquer Jericho by war; or by the miraculous sign in the fall of the fortress? And when Achan erred by taking from Jericho the spoils that Allah had forbidden Bani Isra'il; did not Allah become angry with the nation because of him; until the people of the city of Ai overpowered them while they were few? So Bani Isra'il could not resist them; despite their numbers; until Yusha' ibn Nun - peace be upon him - prayed; and called upon Allah - glorified and exalted is He -; so Allah answered his supplication; and supported Bani Isra'il against Ai and Gideon; when he defeated the army of Midian; and the 'Amaliqah; despite their numbers; did they defeat them except by Allah's assistance for them? And remember how the great army of the Armenians was defeated from Sebastia by the prayer of the prophet Elisha - peace be upon him -; and his supplication; and the people of the city were on the verge of destruction from hunger; so Allah cast fear into the hearts of the Armenians; and they fled without war or fighting; and the people of the city went out and seized their army; and their hunger was lifted; and remember what Allah did with the wives of the king; and He supported Jehoshaphat when He granted them victory over their enemies by prayer; and supplication; and you have known that Samson before he erred was a mighty victor; so when he erred, his enemies captured him; and he became humiliated in their hands; like the least of people; and the weakest of them; and they ground him at the mill; like the maidservants; and likewise Saul - and in one version: Talut - the king; when he was obedient to Allah (the Most High) Allah would support him; so when he disobeyed Him, Allah abandoned him to his enemies; so they captured him; and he did not benefit from his armies and numbers; and Amaziah when he fought Edom, he defeated them; and was victorious over them; but when he took their idols and set them up in the House of the Sanctuary; Allah became angry with him; so when he fought Joash, the king of Bani Isra'il after that, he suffered the worst defeat due to Allah's abandonment of him; and His withholding of His assistance; and remember the destruction of the army of Sennacherib, the king of Nineveh; the great army; without war; and without fighting; but by the prayer of Hezekiah the king; and the prophets - peace be upon them -; and their supplication; and take heed from King Zedekiah when he disobeyed the Chaldeans; and thought that he would defeat them with his armies; and his numbers; and he opposed the prophets - peace be upon them - in their peacefulness; did he benefit from that? And was his end and the end of the nation anything but destruction? So this and other than it; from what I have not mentioned to you; indicates to you Allah's care for the righteous; and His abandonment of the wicked sinners.

And he brought to them from similar words much eloquent speech. Then he encouraged them to obey Isfisyānūs specifically, by what was well-known of his good conduct. And he said: And if you did not know that except by what he has treated me with of kindness; and I had deserved more than that from him; it would have sufficed you; for I was the first to strive in fighting him; and I killed many of his companions. And I certainly knew that I had opposed the truth; but when I saw that you all had agreed on fighting them; and you sent me; I did not oppose you; and I exerted myself in advising you; and I remained in the fortress of Yūdānāt until my companions perished; and the matter overcame me; and I had no means left. Then I ended up with the Romans; and they did not do me any harm; rather, they treated me well; and were gracious; and pardoned me; and I am with them to this extent as I love; and I had strived before my arrival with them to escape to you; but that did not come to pass for me; and now I praise Allah, the Most High, for not making that easy for me; for if I had been with you, I would either have participated with you in these actions; and I would be in error; or I would oppose you and you would kill me unjustly. So reflect on what I addressed you with; and do not think that Allah will support you; for you do not deserve that; because you have made Him angry; and you can find evidence for that in the verse of 'Ayn Sulwān; for it was very close to drought before these armies descended upon you; so when they descended, it became abundant; and it became like a river; so that you may know that Allah, the Most High, intends to assist your enemies against you; and I know that my words do not affect you; for what Allah has decreed of the destruction of this city; and the ruin of this glorious sanctuary; and for that, your hearts have hardened; and they have become like stones; rather, they are harder and more solid than stones; for a stone may be affected by water if its pouring continues upon it; and you are not affected by the many admonitions; nor do your hearts soften; nor do they break; but I have reached the limit of what is required of me in advising you; so accept my advice; and have compassion for this glorious sanctuary which was built by the sacred prophets; and the great kings; for the continuation of your honor; and the stability of your affair is linked to its preservation; and its construction; and if it is ruined, there will remain for you no honor; nor prosperity; nor state; so accept what the son of the king has offered you of safety; and trust in his covenant and what he has guaranteed of kindness; and I am the guarantor for you on his behalf; and if you accuse me of deceiving you; and wanting to assist the Romans against you; then you know that my father; and my mother; and my honorable wife; and my children are with you; so if there appears to you from Tītūs after your peace with him what you dislike, kill them; and kill me; for I have granted you their blood; and my blood; for that.

Then Yusuf cried a severe cry. And Titus was hearing his words; he felt compassion for him. He ordered the release of those who were among the captives in his army. He allowed them to go wherever they wished. Most of the people of the city inclined towards the obedience of Titus; but the Khawarij prevented them. They stationed guards at the gates of the city to protect it. They commanded the guards to kill anyone who wanted to leave. When the siege prolonged, hunger intensified. The Khawarij were searching the houses of the people; they were looting food; and they were killing anyone who resisted them. Thus, the people were dying in the city from hunger. Whoever wanted to go out to the outskirts of the city to take something from the vegetation of the land was killed by the Khawarij; and if he managed to go out, he was killed by the Romans. This exterminated them. Whenever Titus heard this, he felt compassion for them and pleaded with them; but his pleading only increased the hardness of the Khawarij. They addressed him with harsh words to make him stop, so that the people would not lean towards him. When he saw this, he intensified the demolition of the third wall to save the people from the Khawarij. He divided his army into four divisions; and he set up rams at the four directions. The Khawarij came out to them and fought them fiercely; they killed many of the Romans. They had appointed four of their strongest men to burn the rams when they became engaged in battle. They continued to fight them until they achieved what they wanted; they burned the rams and all their equipment. The Romans saw from the bravery of the Jews and their valor what terrified them; thus, they fled. Titus repelled them and began to encourage them, saying: 'Do you not feel ashamed that the Jews have overpowered you after we had the upper hand over them? We have demolished two walls of the city; and there remains only one wall; and most of them have perished; and they have no one to support them; while our armies are abundant; and we have many nations assisting us against them.' Then he commanded them to cease fighting until they perish from hunger. They blocked all the routes of the city; thus, the situation became very tight for them, and hunger intensified. No one was able to grind wheat for fear of being looted; nor could anyone cook for fear of being exposed by the smoke. Those who had anything were grinding the wheat and the flour in secret. Many people died; and the living were preoccupied with themselves; they did not bury their dead. The living sometimes took their dead and threw them into a well; then they would throw themselves after them to die. Some of them would dig a grave for their dead and then lie down in it until they died. The streets became filled with corpses; and the Khawarij would throw them from the wall into the eastern valley. When Titus saw them, he was distressed and felt compassion for them. There was a woman from the people of luxury in Bayt al-Maqdis; her origin was from a city in the Hira of Jordan. When the tribulations increased there, she migrated with a group who migrated to Bayt al-Maqdis, with all her servants and all her wealth. She had only one small son, whom she loved dearly. When the famine became severe, and the Khawarij looted all that she had, the situation became dire for her. Her son was starving. When hunger increased upon her, and the pain in her heart from her son's starvation intensified, she wanted to kill her son to eat him. She remained in confusion, not knowing which of the two matters to choose: to kill her beloved son with her own hands, which is one of the gravest and most abhorrent matters; or to endure what she was seeing him suffer, along with herself, from the calamity. Patience had departed from her, and she had lost her endurance. Then hunger increased upon her, and her discernment faded. She said: 'O my son, my only one, I had hoped that you would live until you could be dutiful to me; and I feared that you would die before me, and I would be devastated by your death. I wish I had buried you and buried you, and I had hoped for you with Allah. And now, my son, we have been surrounded by calamity, and we are certain of destruction. The living have no hope for life, and the dead are not buried. You and I are both perishing; and if you die, my son, no one will bury you, and you will be like others whom the dogs and birds of the sky have eaten. I have seen that I should kill you so that you may be relieved from what you are in; then I will eat you, and I will make the belly that carried you a grave for you; and I will satisfy my hunger with you. This will be a compensation for your dutifulness to me that I had hoped for; and you will attain the great reward with that; and this will be a disgrace upon those Khawarij who have brought us into this calamity; and an increase in the wrath of Allah upon them; and this will be remembered throughout the ages; and future generations will speak of it; and the wise will take heed from it.' Then she seized her son with one hand; and took the iron rod with the other; and she was like a madwoman; and she turned her face away from him so that she would not see him; and she struck him with the iron rod, and he died. Then she took from him, roasted him, and ate him. When the Khawarij smelled the scent of that meat, they rushed upon her; and they said to her: 'From where did you get this meat? And why have you kept it to yourself?' She said: 'I was not the one to prefer myself over you; so sit down.' Then she brought forth the table and took out what remained of her son's body; and she said: 'This is my son, and the most beloved of people to me; I killed him with my own hands due to excessive hunger; and I ate from his flesh; and this is the remainder of his body; I have separated it for you; so eat and be satisfied; and do not be more merciful to my son than I am; and let not your hearts weaken from that; for it is disgraceful for brave men like you to have a woman stronger in heart than you; and you are more deserving to be pleased with this than I am; for you are the ones who caused us this calamity until we reached this extent.' Then she raised her voice, weeping and wailing for her son. When they saw that, it terrified them, and they fled in fear. Her news became famous; and the people became greatly alarmed; and they confirmed the truth of the warning that had preceded from Allah. The Khawarij were broken by that; and they were astonished by it; and they allowed the people to leave. At that time, many people left. When this reached Titus, he was astonished by it; and his fear of Allah intensified. He raised his hands to the sky and said: 'O Allah, You are the Knower of the hidden; and the Observer of the secrets and intentions; You know that I did not come to this city to harm its people; and I was saddened by the matter of this woman; so do not hold me accountable for it; and demand from these Khawarij and take revenge on them; and grant me victory over them; and do not delay them.' He commanded kindness towards those who came out to him from the Jews; many of them were unable to open their mouths; and many of them died when they ate food. The children and others would snatch the bread when they saw it; and they would devour it without sense; and when they ate, they died. Titus said to Yusuf ibn Kiryun: 'What is the solution for these so that they do not die?' He said: 'They should be given milk and thin broth for a few days until their intestines soften; then food after that.' So he did that, and a group of them survived. The Romans advanced to the third wall to demolish it; and Yuhanan and Sham'un and their companions came out to them, despite the distress they were in; and they fought them fiercely; and they killed a group of them. Titus ordered that the ram be pushed against the wall; and it was pushed against it at night; and it was demolished. The Romans proclaimed a great takbir; and the Jews inside the city also proclaimed takbir. The Romans did not dare to enter the city. When morning came, there was a new wall opposite the demolition, which the Jews had built that night; and they were standing upon it. The Romans were astonished by that; and they despaired of conquest. Titus said: 'This is moist and has not settled; and if the ram strikes it, it will collapse quickly.' The Romans climbed onto the wall they had demolished; and the Jews stood upon the new wall, and the fighting intensified. The Jews defeated them after killing many of them. The Romans became frustrated and resolved to retreat. Titus gathered his companions and said: 'Know that whoever does an action, his intention is towards the goal; and for that reason, he endures fatigue to reach what he desires; and perhaps the end of the action is more difficult than the beginning; so if he leaves it, his effort will be wasted; and his work will remain incomplete and of no benefit to him.

And He set forth examples for them in that; then He said: And you have endured the fighting of these people; and you have prevailed against them to this extent; until their leaders and tyrants perished; and their fortresses were destroyed; and they were expelled by hunger and the sword; and there remained from them only a small remnant, like the dead; for if you turn away, you would have wasted your efforts; and you would have aided against yourselves; and you would have humiliated yourselves in the sight of everyone who hears your news; and if you had turned away from them before this, it would have been better for you; but now there is no excuse for you in your inability to fight a people who have reached this extent of hardship and hunger; for if you return from them, everyone will become greedy for you; and everyone who fears you will become bold against you; and why do you not take the Jews as an example in patience and courage; despite the annihilation of their men; and the gathering of hardships upon them; and the cutting off of their hopes? For their patience is either out of hope for victory; or out of pride against defeat; or a desire for their memory to remain; and you are more deserving of that than they are to defend yourselves against disgrace; since you have endured in the days of Tiberius Caesar against the fighting of these people; and you worked so that you would not turn back from them except after victory; but when Isfisyānūs, who is braver than Tiberius; and of greater might, took control, you wanted to turn back from them before you achieved victory; so what excuse do you have? So when they heard this, they remained steadfast.

Then a group of them went out at night; they climbed from that breach; and entered the city; they proclaimed the takbir; and the Jews awoke; for they had been sleeping due to their long fatigue; and each of them remained in his place; and Titus went to his companions and stood by the wall until they became morning; and the Jews fled to Jerusalem; and the Romans pursued them; and they fought in the outer courtyard; and there were only swords due to the narrowness of the place; so there was a battle between them that had not occurred before; due to the gathering of everyone; for they found themselves in a place where there was no hope for safety except through sincerity in fighting; and everyone was a man; so the war intensified between them; and their voices and clamor rose; until they were heard from afar; and the casualties increased in both groups; and the Jews ultimately prevailed; and they expelled the Romans close to the fourth hour of the day; and Titus ordered the demolition of a wall connected to Jerusalem; called Antonya; so that the area would be expanded for his companions; and when he demolished that, the wall of Jerusalem was breached and the way to it became easy; so the Jews hastened and rebuilt it; and included it in the entirety of Jerusalem; so it became square; and this was a confirmation of what they had seen before written on the ancient stone mentioned: 'When the construction of Jerusalem is completed and it becomes square; then at that time the Temple will be destroyed'; and the Jews had forgotten that; so when they saw it, they remembered; and they knew that the period had been completed; and that it would be destroyed.

And it was on the day of this great war, the Feast of Pentecost. Titus approached Jerusalem and spoke to them. He encouraged them to seek peace so that they could worship on this feast. He promised them kindness and said: 'You have known that your king, Jehoiakim, when besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, went out to him seeking safety. He benefited from that and benefited his people and his land, so they were safe. And that Zedekiah, the king, when he persisted in fighting Nebuchadnezzar and did not seek peace with him as the prophets commanded him, destroyed the city and the nation and harmed himself and them. So your way is to take heed from both of them and to be guided by the better of their actions and the more praiseworthy of their outcomes. So accept my advice and suffice with what has occurred.' He promised them that he would pardon all that had passed and be kind to them, and he spoke at length.

And Yusuf ibn Kiryun was praying for them; and he cried a severe cry; then Yusuf said to them: "I am not surprised by the destruction of this city; for I know that its duration has ended; but I am astonished by you; while you read the book of Daniel the Prophet - peace be upon him -; and you know what he mentioned about the invalidity of the sacrifices; and the absence of the Messiah the soothsayer; yet you do not humble yourselves; nor submit to Allah; nor surrender to the one whom Allah has empowered over you; so the Khawarij did not accept; nor did they return; except that a group of the soothsayers and leaders managed to go out to the Romans; so they believed them; and treated them well; so the Khawarij prevented those who remained; and controlled the roads; and the Jews cried; and complained about the Khawarij preventing them from leaving; so the Khawarij intended to kill them; so the Romans rushed to rescue them; they attacked towards Jerusalem; and fought them fiercely; so the Romans were defeated; and the defeat led them into the interior of the greatest Jerusalem; the holy of holies; so the Jews killed them therein; and Titus selected thirty thousand from his army; and ordered them to enter the courtyard of the temple to fight them; and he wanted to enter with them; but his companions prevented him; and said: "Stand at a high place; so that the hearts of your companions may be strengthened; and they may exert themselves in fighting; and do not risk your life and ours;" and they agreed on an ambush; so the Jews knew of this and did not sleep that night; so when they became morning, the Jews spread out at the gates of the courtyard of the temple; and they remained fighting the Romans for seven days; they killed many of them; and drove them away from the temple; so Titus ordered his companions to refrain from them so that hunger might destroy them; and near the temple was a great palace built by Solomon ibn David - peace be upon them -; then the kings of the second temple added a high layer of fine wood to it; and they covered all the walls with wood; and they coated all that wood with oil; and sulfur; and pitch; then they hid a man among them to ignite the fire in places of that wood when the Romans entered it; and there was a hidden door in it that led to another place that only those who knew it could detect; then they went to the camp of the Romans at night while they were in Jerusalem and skirmished with them; a large number of Romans gathered against them; they fought them for an hour; then they were defeated; so they entered this palace; and the Romans entered behind them; but they found no one among them; so they ascended to the upper level; then the Jew who had hidden came out; and mingled with them; and set fire in those places; so the fire blazed in all its sides; so the Romans rushed to the door; but they found the Jews had blocked it with their swords and they perished; and there were among them a group of the leaders of the Romans; so the Romans feared the Jews; and they did not feel safe that they might plot against them in another matter; so they exited from Jerusalem and the city; and returned to their camp; so Titus ordered the roads to be secured; and to tighten the siege on them; so that hunger might destroy them; and most of them died; and many of the Khawarij went out to Titus; so he killed them; then the Romans entered the House of Allah; and they found no one to oppose them; and Titus had instructed his companions not to burn the temple; so his leaders said to him: "If you do not burn it, you will not be able to subdue the Jews; for they will continue to fight for what remains; and if it is burned, their honor will be lost; their hearts will be broken; and they will have nothing left to fight for;" so he said: "Do not burn it unless I command you;" and there was in his way a door covered with silver plates; and it was closed; so some of the Romans burned it to take the silver; and when it burned, they found the way to the most sacred Jerusalem; so they entered it; and carried their idols and set them up therein; then a group of those who remained from the Jews at night went to those in the temple; and they killed them; so when this reached Titus, he came to the temple and killed most of those he found therein from the Jews; and those who remained fled to Mount Zion; so when the next day came, the Romans burned the doors of the holy of holies; and they were covered with gold; so when they fell, they glorified and cried out with a great cry; so Titus hurried to prevent its burning; but he could not achieve that; and it is said that he shouted until his voice was cut off; so when he realized that the matter had gone beyond his control, he entered to see it before it burned; and when he saw its beauty and splendor, he was bewildered; and he was astonished; and said: "Truly, this glorious house should be the House of Allah; the God of the heavens; and the abode of His majesty and light; and it is right for the Jews to fight for it and be independent of it; and indeed, the nations have been affected; and they have done well in what they have done in honoring this house and respecting it; and bringing gifts to it; and indeed, it is greater than the Roman temple; and all the temples of the nations that we have witnessed; and we have heard of their news; and I did not intend to burn it; but they did that with their evil; and their stubbornness; and those who remained from the priests when they saw the fire fought the Romans for it; and when they realized that they were incapable of repelling them, they said: "We do not want to remain after it;" so they threw themselves into the fire; and they perished; and at that time, those who remained from the Jews went to all that was in the city of the magnificent palaces; and the beautiful homes; and they burned them with all that was in them of treasures and tools; and the burning of the temple was on the tenth day of the fifth month; which is Ab; and that is similar to the day on which the Chaldeans burned the first house.

And when the day after this day arrived, a man claiming prophethood appeared among the Jews. He said to them: "Know that this holy place will soon return to being built as it was, without it being built by human beings, but by the power of Allah, glorified and exalted is He. So, continue in what you are doing of fighting the Romans and refraining from obeying them." A group gathered around him and fought, but the Romans defeated them. They killed them along with their families and killed many of the common Jews and their weak ones, who had previously shown them mercy. Yohanan and Shimon wrote to Titus, asking him for safety. He said: "I had previously asked you for that; but now you are in my grasp, and I have no excuse before Allah, nor before anyone among the people for keeping you alive."

So they descended at night to the holy place with their companions. They killed two leaders from the Romans. Titus ordered the killing of those Jews who remained in the city, whom he had previously shown mercy. When the companions of Shimon saw that, they feared for themselves. They sent to Titus asking for safety. Shimon killed their leaders, and the remaining ones fled to Titus, who granted them safety and restrained his companions from those Jews who remained in the city. Then Shimon and Yohanan fled from the Mount of Zion to a place where they could hide. Thus, Titus took control of the entire city and destroyed the wall of Mount Zion. When their hiding lasted long and hunger intensified upon them, they went out to Titus, who killed them. Then he departed, heading towards Rome, with the captives and the spoils. Whenever he camped at a place, he would send a group of those he had defeated from the Khawarij to the beasts with him, until he annihilated them. When Elazar saw the corruption of Shimon and his killing of those Jews who had no sin, he knew that there was no savior for them from the calamity. So he left him before the Romans took control of the city and settled in some places. When Titus departed, he went to the village of Masira and fortified its fortress. Titus heard of him while he was in Antioch and sent back to him a commander from his leaders. He besieged him, and when he witnessed destruction, he called his companions to kill those behind them from the families and to fight fiercely, so that they might die in honor. They responded to him in that, and they fought until they were all killed. Glorified is the Strong, the Mighty, the Doer of what He wills.