that this [*Muammad b. Ibrāh*]{}*ī*[*m*]{} as well as a doctor were members of the group around the caliph who saw the celestial event. According to the line of sources given by [*al-abar*]{}*ī* (from [*$^{\rm c}$Umar b. Shabbah*]{}), it seems that the father of governor [*Muammad b. Ibrāh*]{}*ī*[*m*]{} was also a member of the group, and he saw and reported about the celestial event.\
The quotation from the doctor may indicate blood in the excrement of the caliph, possibly an indication of fatal cancer. Then, the sighting of the celestial event is reported, afterwards further details about his illness and death. It is not clear nor explicitly mentioned, whether the celestial event is brought into (astrological) context with the illness and death of the caliph. We will discuss the celestial event, its circumstances, and its interpretation by the caliph in more detail below.

This particular observation was given in Cook (1999) as meteor using the translation by Kennedy (1990) as [*falling star*]{}; Cook (1999) gave AD 774 Aug 29 as date, i.e. wrong by about one year. Cook (1999) also did not mention the second report in [*al-abar*]{}*ī*, see below. Furthermore, since Cook (1999) did not discuss the possible meanings of 