Letter to His Brother, Abū l-Faraj

In the name of the Merciful.

Honored man, my master and sir, may God lengthen your life and prolong your strength.

May He not deprive you of success. May God unite us in happier circumstances in His grace and goodness, if God wills it. What you asked about, sir, is this [matter]: It was the tenth day of this month when they requested the head tax from the brother, and then he was put under house arrest for two days, and then Ibn al-Baysānī was angry at him and sent him to prison, and he spent a day and a night in prison, but he was unable to go free unless he paid. And if you accept it . . . two dinars. I had already written three letters to him, and all of them . . . and the shop dripped on him, and if it had happened in the winter . . . [it could have been] much worse [ . . . ]. And don’t even ask what happened to us at home—burglars came in and broke down the exterior door and entered the inner door in the judge’s house—they broke it, and when we heard the sound, we screamed at them. They left and God saved us from them. And all this happened because of your prayers for us. Please keep praying for us all the time. I took your letter from the teacher, and I gave it to your family. They are well, but I am upset at you because many people came [to me] from you, and you couldn’t just send me a letter with them? I would have done that! [ . . . ]

[Margin:] May God not forget you from His mercy and by God please, please send me the books in any event! I won’t be at ease until your letters arrive. I already sent you a number of letters, but no response arrived except for only one letter which came with the teacher [who brought them].

[Verso:] Sheikh Manṣūr already took . . . but he didn’t find any trustworthy person who could send it to you. By the lives of your children, because I left them . . . to you. Since I am worried about them and. . . . Your children are healthy. They are going to school every day and every Sabbath attend synagogue. May God protect them on your behalf and reconnect you with them and enable you to provide for them. Your brother healed the slave boy of Ibn al-Khawāṣṣ, and he traveled to Fustāt, seeking to travel to Aden. And I already advised him to be treated by you. If you meet him, treat him, and take his payment from him. I requested to send a letter to you through him, but he was in a hurry and didn’t bring you anything. [Hebrew:] Your well-being should increase and not decrease. I wish you the best. My father, mother, and my brothers wish you the best. And the judge and Qāsim . . .

[Margin:] Al-Ḥaṣrī sends you greetings. Your brother sends you greetings. Please send him your receipt anyway. Don’t stop writing letters to me. And don’t forget what I need. And greetings. And please tell me the price of the gallnuts in Fustāt.

Address

Your honor, my sir and master, Sheikh Abū ’l-Faraj son of Abū ’l-Barakāt the doctor who rests in Eden. From his son Joseph—may he have a long life. To the shop of Sheikh Abū ’l-Faraj al-Sharābī.

In Arabic Characters

To Fustāt, to the Great Market, to be given to Sheikh Abū ’l-Faraj the doctor, the brother of Sheikh Abū ’l-Ḥasan, from his son Yūsuf. Deliver this and then you will receive your payment.

Source: Oxford Bodleian Library MS Heb. d. 66/6.