Al-Nasir Faraj or Nasir-ad-Din Faraj also Faraj ibn Barquq was born in 1386 and succeeded his father Sayf-ad-Din Barquq as the second Sultan of the Burji dynasty of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt in July 1399 with the title Al-Nasir. He was only thirteen years old when he became Sultan on the sudden death of his father. His reign was marked by anarchy, pandemonium and chaos with invasions of Tamerlane, including the sack of Damascus in 1400, incessant rebellions in Cairo, endless conflicts with the Emirs of Syria, along with plague and famine which reduced the population of the kingdom to one-third.

Al-Malik Az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Barquq was the first Sultan of the Circassian Mamluk Burji dynasty of Egypt ruling from 1382 to 1389 and 1390 to 1399. Born to a Christian father in Circassia, Barquq was enslaved and later arrived in Egypt. He deposed sultan al-Salih Hajji to claim the throne for himself. Once in power, he placed many of his family members in positions of power. Rebelling governors in 1389 restored Hajji to the throne but Barquq was able to reclaim the throne shortly after and ruled until his death in 1399 and was succeeded by his son. The name Barquq is of Circassian origin and is his birth name.