He endowed the Grand Madrasa (1) to the north of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. He possessed a ready, eloquent tongue and a commanding appearance.

Al-S̱ilafī praised him and deemed him reliable; he had heard ḥadīth from his own father.

Abū Yaʿlā Ḥamzah ibn al-Qalansī (2) said: “He died after an acute illness. He followed the approved path, exhibited commendable qualities, enjoyed abundant knowledge, excelled at exhortation, and showed great religious strength. The day of his burial was an extraordinary scene because of the multitude who escorted his bier and wept for him. He passed away in Ṣafar, 536 AH.”

I say: He used to debate the doctrinal principles of the Hanbalis. Between him and the jurist al-Fandalāwī (3) there were discussions—and even mutual revilement. Al-Fandalāwī was an Ashʿarī—may Allah have mercy on them all (4).

64 – al-Māzarī, Abū ʿAbd Allah Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad*
The shaykh, the imām, the erudite scholar, the ocean of learning, the versatile polymath—Abū ʿAbd Allah Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn