He neither feared kings nor hankered after the favors they dispense.
He stood alone—peerless in virtue(1); all others came in pairs and in twos.
He was open-handed, while in comparison time itself is grudging(2) through all its nights and days.
He was a line inscribed upon the brow of time, read by all creation, and a beauty-mark upon al-Sham.
He was a boon to anyone who dreaded harm, whether on the path of what is lawful or what is forbidden.
He never sought refinement in furniture, clothing, drink, or food.
He feared illness yet hoped(3) for a remedy—a cure for every stubborn disease.
For Allah’s sake he would take retribution, but never once sought revenge for himself.
He was a light(4) by which the lost found guidance; he was an ocean from which every thirsty one could drink.
In calamities he struck like a lion(5); in generosity he poured like life-giving rain.
Within his hands and in his breast surged every sea, brimming with bounty and swelling with knowledge.
What a leader—stalwart, fearless, magnanimous, awe-inspiring(6), noble, high-born, and heroic!
He rose to protect the people when they were shaken, shielding them after every defender had failed(7).