Ibn al-Sal'us restored the political influence of the office of wazir and accompanied al-Ashraf Khalil during military expeditions against the Crusaders and the Armenians.
In the months following al-Ashraf Khalil's murder, Ibn al-Sal'us was arrested and tortured to death on the orders of his rival, Emir Sanjar al-Shuja‘i.
[2] He gained an honorable reputation among other merchants in the city, and became a deputy muhtasib (market inspector) in the employment of the highest-ranking civilian Mamluk functionary in Syria.
[4] Following Qalawun's death in November 1290, al-Ashraf Khalil recalled Ibn al-Sal'us from the Hejaz and appointed him wazir (chief financial adviser) in place of Emir Alam al-Din Sanjar al-Shuja'i al-Mansuri in December.
[6] Ibn al-Sal'us played a commanding role in Mamluk military campaign against the Crusader states along the coast of Syria, including the conquest of Acre in June 1291.
[2] In 1292, he participated in the Mamluk campaign against Armenia alongside al-Ashraf Khalil,[2] who joined with Ibn al-Sal'us and his troops in Damascus on his way to the Armenian front.
[11] After al-Ashraf Khalil was murdered by emirs Baydara and al-Shuja‘i and their mamluks in December 1293, Ibn al-Sal'us lost his key backer.
Al-Ashraf Khalil's younger brother an-Nasir Muhammad was installed on the throne with strongman al-Adil Kitbugha appointed na'ib as-saltana.