his lessons from Imam Abu al-Tayyib al-Suʿlūki (1), who organised and arranged his affairs. Abu Ishaq al-Isfarāyini and Abu Bakr ibn Furak themselves attended his circle, marvelling at the perfection of his intellect and the elegance of his delivery until he reached the lofty rank he eventually attained. He devoted himself to abundant worship and obedience, to the point that he became proverbial.

Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Kutubi said in his History: “Abu ʿUthman died in Muharram of the year 449 AH.”

Al-Salafi said in Muʿjam al-Safar: “I heard al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Har in Salamas (2) say: Abu ʿUthman al-Sabuni returned from Hajj accompanied by his brother Abu Yaʿla, with a retinue and mounts. He lodged with my grandfather Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Hilali, who covered all his expenses. Abu ʿUthman convened a session every day, and the people were enthralled by him. His brother had a playful streak. I heard Abu ʿUthman say when he was bidding the people farewell (3): ‘O people of Salamas! I have spent months among you, preaching while still expounding a single verse and what pertains to it. Had I stayed with you for a whole year, I would have addressed nothing else. All praise belongs to Allah.’”

ʿAbd al-Ghafir said in his History (4): “Reliable reporters relate that while Abu ʿUthman was preaching, a letter reached him from Bukhara describing a devastating plague there and asking him to supplicate for them. The letter mentioned that a man handed a dirham to a baker; while the baker was weighing, the workman was baking, and the buyer was standing by, all three of them died within the same hour.”