he will surely have a momentous destiny, for nothing comparable to him has ever been seen,” or words to that effect. (1)

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Dhahabī (2) said: “He—meaning Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn, may Allah have mercy on him—was brought up in complete moral probity, chastity, and devoted worship, living with frugality in dress and food. While still a boy he would attend the madrasahs and scholarly gatherings ⦗q 3⦘, engage in debate (3), and silence the senior scholars, producing insights that left the leading figures of the city bewildered. He issued formal legal opinions when he was nineteen years old (4), indeed even earlier, and from that time began compiling and authoring works, devoting himself wholeheartedly to study.

“When his father—who was among the foremost Hanbalīs and their imams—died, he took over his father’s teaching posts at the age of twenty-one, whereupon his reputation spread far and wide. He commenced giving a commentary on the Noble Qur’an on Fridays (5), seated on a chair, entirely from memory; he would deliver the whole session without the slightest hesitation (6). Likewise, he would present (7) his lessons with deliberation and in a loud, clear, and eloquent voice (8).”