791 AH, before 15/11
When finally the news of al-malik al-Ẓāhir’s departure from the prison of al-Karak had reached Ṣafad, al-Niẓāmī, gathering the armies of that city in order to lead them to the governor of Damascus as reinforcements against al-Ẓāhir, had left Yalbughā al-Sālimī in Ṣafad. The latter had now led a group of mamlūks whom he had won over, had released from the prison of Ṣafad amir ʾĪnāl al-Yūsufī, former governor of Aleppo, and Qajmās, nephew of al-malik al-Ẓāhir Barqūq, together with about two hundred mamlūks ẓāhirīya, and proclaiming his adherence to the cause of al-Ẓāhir (nādā bi-shiʿār al-malik al-Ẓāhir Barqūq) had planned to seize amir Quṭlūbak al-Niẓāmī, the governor. Though the latter had not waited long enough for him to do so but had escaped with two mamlūks, al-Sālimī with his followers had taken possession both of the city and of the citadel of Ṣafad. ʾĪnāl al-Yūsufī had then taken over control of the city, with al-Sālimī in service under him; and they had notified al-Ẓāhir of what had taken place. This report was one that weighed most seriously on Minṭāsh when it reached him; he was in great trepidation, while al-Ẓāhir’s progress was the subject of conversation everywhere.