Al-Khassāb said: “He was held in esteem by both the elite and the common people, by friends and opponents alike, by ruler and subjects, in his own homeland and throughout the Muslim world, and he returned to Allah in that condition. His writings were made beloved to people and were sold for the highest prices—I once sold a copy, despite my poor handwriting, for 20 dinars while he was still alive. Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Nasawī had heard his book Ḥaqāʾiq al-Tafsīr from him; when he reached Egypt it was read aloud to him there, and they presented him with 1,000 dinars even though the shaykh was still living in Baghdad.

I heard Abū Muslim Ghālib ibn ʿAlī al-Rāzī say: ‘When we read the book Tārīkh al-Ṣūfiyyah in the months of the year 384 AH in Rayy, a boy was killed in the crush, and a man in the gathering let out a loud scream and died. When we departed from Hamadhān, people followed us for an entire stage of the journey seeking an ijāzah.’

Al-Sulamī said: ‘When we entered Baghdad, Shaykh Abū Ḥāmid al-Isfarāyinī said to me, “I wish to look at Ḥaqāʾiq al-Tafsīr.” I sent it to him; he examined it and said, “I want to hear it read,” and they set up a pulpit for me.

‘On the road near Hamadhān we met an emir; I sat with him and he said, “Ḥaqāʾiq al-Tafsīr must be copied for me.” It was therefore transcribed for him in a single day, divided among 85 scribes, and they finished it by the ʿAṣr prayer. He ordered that I be given a fine horse, 100 dinars, and many garments.

‘I said, “You have distressed me, frightened me, and alarmed the pilgrims, and the Prophet ﷺ forbade terrifying a Muslim. If you want the book to be blessed for you, then grant me my request.”

‘He asked, “And what is it?”

‘I replied, “That you excuse me from this gift, for I will not accept it.” So he distributed it among the naqībs of the caravan and assigned men to escort us.

‘The emir Naṣr ibn Subuktakīn, commander of the army, was a scholar. When he saw that tafsīr he was impressed and ordered it to be copied in 10 volumes, with the Qur’ānic verses written in gold. Then they said, “You must come so that—”’