Egypt, its news, wonders, marvels, kings

It was said that Egypt was given to the descendants of Ham ibn Noah.

A wise man described Egypt, saying: “Its Nile is its adornment, its women are its delight, and its fruits are its abundance.”

Another said: “Egypt is a garden of delights, guarded by the Nile, adorned by its women, and prosperous through its rulers.”

“…the green one is like an emerald, and as for the red bullion, it is in the month of Barsood, which is Nisan, and Bitins, which is Iyar, and Butuna, which is Haziran, the crops turn white and the grapes turn red, like gold bullion in appearance and benefit.

Since we have mentioned these months in Syriac, Arabic, and Persian, we will mention every month from them after this section of this book, even though we have covered all of that in the Middle Book.

Another description of Egypt said:

• its Nile is wondrous
• its land is gold
• in it milk is sweet
• its king is plundered
• its wealth is coveted
• its bread is delicious
• among its people are lovers
• their obedience is awe
• their peace is peace
• their war is war.
• its river, the Nile, is one of the masters of the great rivers.

The rivers of the region come out of paradise according to what was mentioned in the tradition that the Nile and the Sihān, which is the river of Adana, from the Syria.”

“…of Syria and it flows into the Roman Sea [Mediterranean Sea] and emerges 3 days from Malatya.

It flows in the lands of Rome, and the Muslims have no city on it except the city of Adana, between Tarsus and al-Masisah and Jīhān.

It comes out from the springs of Tahrūnh from the springs of Jīhān, three miles from the city of Mar’ash, and it flows into the Roman Sea. The Muslims have no cities on it except al-Masisah and Karbariya.

Its course is between them, and the Euphrates.

The Arabs said that when the Nile:

• rises, the rivers, springs, and wells will be depleted.
• falls, they will rise, so its rise is from its decline.

“…and its decline from its rise.

The Indians said its rise and decline are from floods. We know that from the succession of atmospheric conditions, the abundance of rain, and the stagnation of clouds.

The Romans said it never rises or falls. As for its rise from the new moon, if it is abundant and continuous.

The Copts said its rise and fall are from springs on its banks, which are seen by whoever travels to it and descends into its depths.

We have mentioned the disagreement of people about the Nile and its rise from those who came before and after us for explanation and clarification, as well as about other great rivers, seas, and small lakes in the book Akhbar al-Zaman in the second volume.

That suffices to dispense with repeating it in this book.

Egypt is one of the masters of the villages and the leaders of the cities.

Allah narrates about Joseph: ‘Appoint me over the treasuries of the land.’

And that is Egypt.

There is no river in the world called a sea. As for other than the Nile of Egypt for the tides, we have previously…”

“…in what has passed in our book for the news about the Mountain of the Moon from which the Nile originates, and what appears from the effect of the two moons on its rise and fall, and from it comes the light and darkness in the full moon and the thin crescents.

It has been narrated from Zaid ibn Aslam regarding the saying of the Glorious One: ‘If no rain falls on it, then a light dew will be sufficient.’ He said about Egypt: ‘If it doesn’t receive rain, it will purify itself, and if it receives rain, it will weaken.’

Some poets said: ‘Egypt and its state are wondrous, and the south winds carry it.’

In Egypt, its name is as is its custom, and on its name the cities were named.

From it, this name was derived according to the scholars of Basra.

Amr ibn Ma’dīkarib said: ‘So the Nile has become abundant with its floods, and the waters of al-Sima have come forth for it, so it flowed.’

Al-Masudi said: ‘The Nile of Egypt begins with a small rise and the increase is on the rest of its day.’”

“…which is Haziran and Abīb and who are Tammuz and Masra, and when the water begins to rise, it increases every month of Tut until Iblul.

When it falls, it decreases. And the increase reaches eighteen cubits.

And in it is a useful thing for the people, and it is the abundance of the land and the goodness of the crop, and the harvest of the Sultan is complete.

And when the abundance is too much, it harms the land and the people because the planting is not possible. And what is fitting are the increases that make the land 7 cubits, and if it increases and exceeds the 7 cubits, it is a decrease.

And it reaches its abundance from Egypt, which is eight cubits. That is a decrease due to the damage it causes, as we mentioned before, and other than that is a cause for rejoicing.

When the abundance of eight cubits was complete, the Nile was flowing. And the greatest of all increases that occurred in Egypt was in the year nine hundred and fifty-nine, and the Nile reached a rise of nineteen cubits…”

“99 in the reign of the dear Abd al-Aziz, and the extent of its space reached 18 cubits and 24 fingers.

From it is the height of the cubit that is measured, 24 fingers or less.

What remains in the measure of the water is three cubits of the year, and that is what is called the small increase and the arms that are placed on it, which are 2 cubits.

They are named a cubit and an arm. And with the increase of the third and fourth cubits, the water becomes high.

When the water reaches the arm which means three cubits and a quarter and a half of a cubit, it is considered a good harvest, and the scholars would celebrate the good harvest, by the will of God, if the increase was complete.

When it reached fifteen cubits and entered the sixth cubit, there was no benefit in it for some of the people, and there was a decrease in the harvest of the Sultan and cultivation in his lands, and the four streams of the Nile were filled.”