He enjoyed enormous favor and far-reaching renown as a preacher: kings, viziers, a number of caliphs, leading scholars, and other dignitaries would attend his gatherings. Seldom did the audience number fewer than several thousand, and it was even said of one of his sessions that the crowd was estimated at 100,000. There is, however, no doubt that this never actually occurred; and had it occurred, he would not have been able to make them all hear him, nor would the venue have contained them.

His grandson Abū al-Muẓaffar (1) relates: “I heard my grandfather say from the pulpit:

‘With these two fingers I have written 2,000 volumes; 100,000 people have repented at my hands, and 20,000 have embraced Islam through me (2). I complete a full recitation of the Quran once every week, and I do not leave my house except for the Friday Prayer or the preaching session.’

I remark: What, then, became of the congregational prayers?!

The grandson then listed his writings, mentioning among them (3): al-Mukhtār fī al-Ashʿār (The Choice Collection of Poetry), ten volumes; Durrat al-Iklīl fī al-Tārīkh (The Pearl of the Crown, on History), four volumes; al-Amthāl (Proverbs), one volume; al-Manfaʿa fī al-Madhāhib al-Arbaʿa (Benefit Concerning the Four Schools), two volumes; al-Tabsira fī al-Waʿẓ (The Admonition on Preaching), three volumes; Ruʾūs al-Qawārīr (The Heads of Crystal Bottles), two volumes… He then said, “The total of his compositions is two hundred and a little over fifty books.”

I add: It was likewise found in his own handwriting, shortly before his death, that his authored works had reached 250.

Among his most brilliant sayings are: