He never feared, for Allah’s sake, the reproach of a reproacher—never once; nor could any sputtering detractor drive him back.

A master-scholar whom Allah, exalted is He, has adorned with august qualities whose glory will abide for ever.

He is an ocean of knowledge, a towering mountain of patient forbearance, firmly rooted; in the cause of truth he is neither slothful nor reluctant.

His heart overflows with affection and concord for the believers—compassion and warm solicitude.

And yet, toward the hypocrite he is stern: reserved, formidable, unbending, uncompromising.

He stands for Allah, ever guiding His creatures to the paths of salvation and showing them the way.

Thus he has become a model for humankind in his time; in this age he is its lone, commanding pole.

To you, O Abū al-‘Abbās, a faction has now submitted—people who once denied the right that was yours.

The very breadth of the sky felt narrow to them when they beheld how each day you rose to a fresh elevation.

They saw you singled out by noble merits that in your era are found in no one else.

So misleading envy seized them, and they were left with a settled, crippling malady.

If they envy you, it is nothing new from such folk—one abundant in virtues is bound to be envied.

They strove to reach your lofty station, unaware that in the realm of eminence you stand unmatched.

Then a herald of their own inadequacy called out: “Stay where you are, and remain with the laggards for as long as you live!” (1)

When their ambitions fell far short of your lofty rank (2), and they were barred from its precincts and driven far away,

they embarked on a venture from which they gained none of what they sought; indeed, they went astray and have yet to be guided.

They pelted you with monstrous calumny, and waxed prolix in speech about what they had forged and taken upon themselves.