Abu Shama dated the earthquake to Shaʿbān A.H. 598, corresponding to 26 April – 24 May 1202 CE. His account closely parallels that of fellow Damascene Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, suggesting that the two men either relied on a common source or that Sibt ibn al-Jawzi drew directly from Abu Shama—perhaps as his principal authority.

Abu Shama recorded that “there was a tremendous earthquake which came from Upper Egypt.” He wrote that “for an hour, the ground was like the sea,” undulating violently. He continued that “the towns of Baniyan in Egypt and Nabulus were destroyed, and many people perished in the ruins,” as “the earthquake reached Syria and its coast.” At Nabulus, he said, “not so much as a wall was left standing except in the Samra district,” estimating “30,000 victims.” He reported that “Acre and Sur [Tyre] were destroyed, as well as all the citadels along the coast.” In Damascus, “part of the east minaret of the Great Umayyad Mosque collapsed,” and “there was massive damage to the lime kilns (al-Kallāsa), the Nūr al-Dīn hospital, and nearly all the houses in the city.” He further observed that “sixteen balconies fell from the Umayyad Mosque, and the Nasr mausoleum split open.” Elsewhere, “Banyas was destroyed,” and “people from Baʿlabik who had gone out to pick wild fruit were crushed to death when two mountains collapsed on top of each other.” He added that “the citadel of Baʿlabik was destroyed,” and that “the earthquake reached Hims, Hamat, Aleppo, and other towns.” A tsunami followed: “the sea withdrew from the coast as far as Cyprus, and there were very high waves which smashed boats on the shore.” He concluded that “the earthquake spread toward Akhlaṭ and into Armenia, Adharbayjan, and Mesopotamia.” According to his report, “about 1,100,000 victims were counted,” and “the initial violence of the earthquake abated in the time it takes to read the sura of The Cave” (Surat al-Kahf, approximately 33 minutes), “but the shocks continued for days.”