823 AH, Su, 24/06:
It was announced to leave the next morning to the Desert outside Cairo. The next day, Monday, Shaykh al-ʾIslām Qāḍī al-quḍāt Jalāl al-Dīn al-Bulqīnī left until he took his seat at the mouth of the wadi near Qubbat al-Naṣr, where a minbar had been placed and read the Surat al-ʾAnʿām. The people came in large crowds until there was a large gathering. More or less two hours after sunrise the sultan approached alone, on a horse, he wore the dress of the Sufi, on his head he wore as turban a small piece of woolen cloth, on his body a simple garment of white wool, and on his neck a woolen scarf with the end hanging part way down his back. Nor on the saddle nor on the caparison of his horse was gold or silk. He dismounted and sat on the ground, without carpet or rug, at the left of the minbar. The qāḍī al-quḍāt prayed a prayer of two bowings, like the prayer of the ʿĪd and the people behind him prayed with him. Then he ascended to the minbar, and held two sermons, in which he urged the people to repent, to ask for forgiveness, and to do pious deeds, and he admonished them with warnings and prohibitions. Then he turned about on the minbar, faced the direction of Mecca and prayed a long prayer. During all this the sultan was crying and lamenting, he had in his prostrations touched the ground with his forehead. When the sermon was finished the sultan mounted on his horse, despite the fact that he was unable to stand up, but was carried on shoulder to make it possible for him to mount, and then he was helped to dismount. He went to the citadels, surrounded by the common people praying for him. This was a very glorious day. One of the best things told about him during that ride was this: One of the common people prayed for him that God might help him and al-Malik al-Muʾayyad said: “Ask God for what which we are now concerned. I am but one of you.” How admirable was his answer! On the next morning it was announced that the Nile had risen 12 12 fingers after the return of the decrease, which was almost 27 fingers. Men told one another joyfully that their prayers were answered.