Letter to ‘Allān ibn Hassūn

This letter was dictated by a woman to her son, Zayn al-Dār (“ornament of the house”). The letter, preserved in the Cairo Geniza, was intended for Zayn’s father, the successful trader ‘Allān ibn Hassūn. This version was never sent and may have represented a first draft. The letter explains how the wife and children are struggling at home in the absence of the breadwinning head of the household, who was away on business. To raise needed funds, the wife rented out the top floor of their house.