– The book is full of wide-ranging excursuses rich in benefit. His digressions when interpreting noble verses and reflecting on their meanings are particularly beautiful, as are those in which he ponders the creation of Allah, Exalted is He.

– Although the discussions appear extensive, Ibn al-Qayyim states in several places that he actually wrote the work in abridged form and wishes he had been able to expand it. Among such remarks are:
His words (p. 473): “This is but a single drop from an ocean, offered only as a sign whereby the discerning reader can grasp what lies beyond. Had we given this topic its full due—and our knowledge and ability are far from attaining that—we would have produced several volumes. The same applies to each of these aspects: if it were unfolded and detailed it would fill a volume or more. Allah’s help is sought, and with Him lies success.”
And his words (p. 642): “For every objection the rationalists have raised against revelation we possess more refutations than the ones with which we have already invalidated the argument of their leading scholar. If Allah grants us a longer life, we shall devote a large book to that.”
See further (pp. 783, 825).

– The book also reveals Ibn al-Qayyim’s fairness. He documents statements by tracing them to their sources, saying (p. 904): “We are not sending you off to look for what is nonexistent; rather, we reproduce their own words verbatim, complete with their references.” He distinguishes between a statement and what necessarily follows from it, saying (p. 777): “These people who set their opinions against revelation have relegated the speech of Allah and His Messenger to weak and counterfeit means that cannot be relied upon for knowledge or certainty. You may say that we have attributed this to them only as a necessary implication of their words; so listen to their very wording.” He then quoted it.
Among his manifestations of fairness is that he censures anyone who reports the schools of thought of others merely on the basis of what he imagines to be the logical consequence of their words; thus he said (p. 826): “Perhaps an ignorant person will say: We have attributed to them what they did not…"