Part 3

Ibn al-Najjar said: ‘He was very much inclined towards amusement and dissipation, so he left preaching, became involved in impermissible affairs and kept corrupt company.”

> Siyar al-A Tam al-Nubula’, 22/353.

The Biography of the Son

The reader can perceive this as the text goes on and also see how the author forbids his son from doing these things.

We are now speaking of the life of a son with a father who was praised by al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi in his words: ‘Ido not think time will allow another one like him to appear.’ Therefore, it is especially sad to know how this son mistreated his father who in his advice obviously fears that his son will be cast into the Fire and the punishment of Hell. You see him fearing for his son lest he abandons something that is virtuous and good and yet still he continued to disrespect and mistreat him. So far he went that during the trial of his father, the times of trial in general and other times, he was harboring enmity towards him. Then, having got a hold of his books in Wasit he soid them for a pathetic price. This was related by Ibn al-Jawzi’s grandson Abii al-Muzafir from his grandfather: ‘Of sons he left behind ‘Ali, and he is the one who took his father's books and sold them for a slave-price unless somebody wanted to pay more. When his father was coming to Wasit he made his way to the books at night, took what he wanted and sold them for cheaper than the ink they were written in. His father had abandoned him years ago, so when he was tried he only showed enmity towards him.”

Ibn al-Najjar said: ‘I heard his father say: ‘Truly, I make dw‘@ against him every night before Fajr.”

Al-Dhahabi pointed this out as well, saying: ‘He would disre-

spect his father and has also been told to have profited from his books.””

Later on, Allah compensated al-Hafiz ibn al-Jawzi with a dear companion and a dutiful son, the great scholar and teacher in the Caliph’s region, Yasuf Muhyi al-Din.

Ibn al-Sibai said of him, “He is a virtuous scholar and a great, exemplary person. One of the great personalities in the field of Sacred Knowledge and famous for his virtues. The divine providence appeared on him from the very beginning of his childhood, so his father took care of him, teaching him Hadith and training him to deliver sermons ever since he was a child. He was given much good in the field and received complete acceptance from the people and the signs of grace in him were evident.’”*

This dutiful son, who from his young age worked in preaching, was also the reason why ibn al-Jawzi was saved when a calamity befell him in the late part of his life when some people slandered him before the Caliph al-Nasir. His loyal student, though still a youth, pleaded the Caliph’s mother to help his teacher and spiritual father so she interceded with the Caliph who then released the Shaikh. His loyal student; Yisuf then came and took him away.”

When al-Hafiz ibn al-Jawzi was 80 yeats old he would study Sacred Knowledge together with him and did not return from

” Siyar al-A Yim al-Nubuld’, 22/352. 8 Thail Tabagat al-Hanabila, 2/258, 259.

The Biography of the Son

Wasit until he and his student completed reciting the Qur’an in the ten ways in the presence of Ibn al-Baqillani.*”

The Shaikh loved his loyal student Yisuf very much to the level it is said that he has said: “When I was in Wasit 1 completed the Qur’An every day, but I did not read seerah Yusuf due to my sadness of us being apart.’*' He also authored a book of his sermons called al-Majalis al-Yisufiyya.”

At this point, it is fitting to mention some of the good sides of ibn al-Jawzi’s undutiful son as well even though he did not take heed of the advice while his brother Yisuf benefitted from it.

Al-Dhahabi said in his biography of Aba’l-Qasim ‘Ali: ‘The virtuous and reliable shaikh...He was extraordinarily eloquent and knew the art of jesting...He was abstinent, serving his own self.’

Ibn Kathir said: ‘He was a gentle and fine shaikh.’*

Ibn al-Najjar said he used to write ten fascicles every day.

It is agreed that he prayed the funeral prayer for his father, as mentioned by ibn al-Jawzi’s grandson.

So we ask Allah All-Mighty to have guided this son to repent ” Thail Tabagat al-Hanabila, 1/427. Tha Shatti: Mukbtasar Tabagat al-Hanabila, p.46. % al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah, 13/136.

before his death from that which occurred between him and his father, the Imam, the scholar, the preacher of horizons, Shaikh al-Islam and pride of ‘Iraq, Jamal al-Din Abu’l-Faraj ‘Abdu’lRahman ibn al-Jawzi. May Allah have mercy on him, be pleased with his deeds and make him settled next to Him.

Aba’l-Qasim ‘Afi died in the last days of Ramadan in 630 AH.

% Thail Tabagat al-Hanabila, 2/260.

The following is written on the cover of the a/-Sunna alMuhammadiyya print which is included in the Min Défai’in al-Kuniiz, collection and edited by Shaikh Muhammad Hamid al-Faqi as well as the cover of the al-Matba‘a al-Salafiyya, Cairo print, which was printed with the work of Shaikh Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib:

‘He gave this advice to his son whose kunya was Abi’l-Qasim, born in 580 A.H. and killed in the battle of the Tatar in Baghdad

It preceded, however, that the one killed in the battle of the Tatar along with his three sons was Yusuf Muhyi al-Din. Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab says: ‘His happiness was sealed with martyrdom, may Allah be pleased with him. Shaikh ‘Abd al-Samad ibn Abd al-Jaysh said: ‘It was conveyed to me that Shaikh Muhammad ibn Sakrin, the famous abandoner of vanities, said: ‘I saw the teacher of the regime Ibn al-Jawzi in my dream and said to him: “What did Allah do with you?” to which he replied: ‘Their swords compensated for our sins.’ May Allah be pleased with him.”** Abi’l-Qasim ‘Ali died

%5 For more detail on the biography of Abd’l-Qasim ‘Ali, the son of the Shaikh and Imam Abi’l-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi, refer to: Sibe ibn al-Jawzk: Mir'at alZaman,

in 630 A.H. in Ramadan and the one who was really killed in the battle of the Tatar was his brother Yiisuf Mubhyi al-Din, and this error should be noted.

8/678, 679. al-Munthiri: a/-Takmilah, 3/Biography 2489, al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi: al-Tbar, 5/120, Siyar al-A‘lam al-Nubula’, 22/352, al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah, 13/ 136, Shatharat al-Thahab, 5/137.

The Reason Behind Writing this Exhortation

N THE NAME OF ALLAH, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful. Jt is His aid that we seek.

All praise be to Allah who produced our forefather from dirt and brought out his offspring from between the ribs and the backbone. Praise be to Him who made kinship and lineage a support for kinsfolk, blessed me with knowledge and the understanding of what is correct, cultivated me well as a child, protected me in my youth and gave me offspring who will hopefully be a reason for abundant rewards.

Bk see er Nee ae ve tees om Prom GA Lar Otic My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my sup-

plication. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established. [Stirab Ibrabim : 40-41]

% In Siyar al-sA lam al-Nubula’ , 21/375, al-Dhahabi mentions a book by Ibn alJawai called al-Hatth ‘ala Talab al-Walad, May Allah give us a pious progeny.

¥ Know, may Allah have mercy on us, chat invocation after completing the Quran is something our pious predecessors used to do. It was related about Anas that, “Whenever he would complete the whole Quran he would gather his children and household and invoke Atiah for them.” This was related by alDarimi (3474), It was related by Ibn Abi Dawiid with two sahih chains as mentioned by the God fearing Imam al-Nawawi (a/-Ashkar, p. 191). Al-Hafiz Ibn Haje said (A/-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyya, 3/344): “This is a mauquf Sahih narration,”

1. Al-Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi left two sons behind him: Yasuf Muhyi al-Din (580-656) who was killed by Hulaki when he entered Baghdad and destroyed it and Abu’l-Qasim ‘Ali (551-630) who Ibn al-Jawzi is addressing in this book.

2. Ibn al-Jawzi had more than five daughters as his grandson Abi al-Muzafir mentioned a sixth one as preceded.

The issue can be solved by looking at the times of death in this case. It seems that this was the situation at the time of his writing this book which was before his son Yusuf Muhyi al-Din was born in 580 and after his oldest son Abi Bakr ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz, died in 554. It might also be that he had other children in addition to this Yusuf of his. This also clarifies the second problem as we can assume that he had one more daughter after writing this book.

The Reason Behind Writing this Exhortation

Allah to make him a pious successor and an ideal son who shal} achieve success. However, I found him somewhat careless in his pursuit of Sacred Knowledge and so I decided to write him these words encouraging him to take my path in studying, and to direct him towards recoursing to the granter of accord, the Glorious and Most High. I acknowledge that none can abandon the one He gives success to and none can guide the one He leads astray, but Allah, Most High, has also said:

And advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

[Sarah al-‘Asr: 3] and

So remind if reminding is of benefit. [Sarah al-A Va: 9

All power and strength is in Allah’s hands alone, High and Mighty is He.

Encouragement and Intimidation Prior to This Beneficial Exhortation