Sermons, Wit, and Sorrow

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كَانَ اِبْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ أَنِيقًا فِي مَظْهَرِهِ نَزِيهًا نَظِيفًا،

Ibn al-Jawzi was elegant in his appearance, upright and clean,

مُتَنَعِّمًا فِي مَعِيشَتِهِ

living in comfort,

كَمًّا كَانَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ متحدثًا بارعًا

He was also, may God have mercy on him, an accomplished speaker,

إِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَضْحَكَ

If he wanted to make people laugh

أَضْحَكَ الثَّكْلَى بِمَا يَسْرُدُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِ البُخَلَاءِ وَالْحَمْقَى

He made the bereaved laugh with the stories he recounted about the misers and the fools.

وَالْمَغْفِلِينَ وَالْمُتَمَاجِنِينَ وَالظُّرَافِ

and the gullible, the banterers, and the witty ones.

وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُبْكِيَ أَبْكَى الصَّخْرُ الأصم

And when he wanted to make people weep, he made even the unresponsive rock weep.

بِمَا يُقَصُّ مِنْ وَصْفِ الْآخِرَةِ وَأَهْوَالُ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

by what is recounted of the description of the Hereafter and the terrors of the Day of Resurrection

وَسَيْرَ الصَّالِحَيْنِ الزَّاهِدَيْنِ

and the conduct of the two righteous ascetics,

وَ خَوْفُهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

and their fear of Allah the Exalted,

فَكَانَ يَمْزِجُ بَيْنَ هَذَا وَذَاكَ لِيَجْذِبَ الْقُلُوبَ

So he would blend this with that to win hearts.

يُرَوِّحُ عَنْ النُّفُوسِ لِتَسْتَعِدَّ لِسَمَاعِ مَواعِظِهِ

He refreshes the souls so that they are ready to hear his admonitions.

فَهُوَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْلُحُ النُفُوسَ وَيَتَأَلَّفُهَا

He was well acquainted with what reforms the hearts and wins them over.

كَمًّا تَمَيَّزَ اِبْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى

Likewise, Ibn al-Jawzi, may God, the Exalted, have mercy on him, was distinguished.

إِضَافَةً إِلَى فَصَاحَتِهِ وَغَزَارَةٍ مَحْفُوْظَةٍ بِسُرْعَةِ البَدِيهَةِ وَالجَوَابِ الحَاضِرِ،

In addition to his eloquence, his abundant memory, quick perception, and prompt replies,

وَقَدْ ذَكَرُوا عَنْهُ قِصَصًا طَرِيفَةً

They also related amusing stories about him.

مِنْهَا أَنْ رَجُلًا سَأَلَهُ مَنْ أَفْضَلُ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

One of them was that a man asked him who the best of the people was after the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace.

وَكَانَتْ الْأَجْوَاءَ بَيْنَ الشِّيْعَةِ وَالسُّنَّةِ المَشْحُونَةَ

And the atmosphere between the Shi'a and the Sunnis was tense.

فَقَالَ عَلَى الْبَدِيهَةِ أَفْضَلُ الْنَاسِ مَنْ كَانَتْ بِنْتِهِ تَحْتَهُ

He said on the spur of the moment: the best of people is the one whose daughter was under him.

فَقَالَ أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ يَقْصِدُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ

The Sunnis said that he meant Abu Bakr.

لِأَنَّ اِبْنَتَهُ عَائِشَةَ كَانَتْ تَحْتَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Because his daughter Aisha was in the household of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,

قَالَتْ الشِّيعَةُ بَلُّ يَقْصِدُ عَلِيًّا

The Shiites said, "No, he meant Ali."

لِأَنَّ بِنْتُهُ فَاطِمَةُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا كَانَتْ تَحْتَهُ

Because his daughter Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, was married to him.

تَزَوُّجُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ

He married twice; may God have mercy on him.

فَأَنْجَبَ مِنْ زَوْجَتِهِ الْأُولَى عَشَرَةً أَوْلَادٍ

He had ten children by his first wife.

خَمْسَةُ ذُكُورٍ وَ خَمْسُ إناث

Five sons and five daughters.

مَاتَ مِنْ الذُّكُورِ أَرْبَعَةٌ

Four of the males died.

مِنْهُمْ إِبْنُهُ عَبْدُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلَّذِي مَاتَ مَسْمُومًا بِالْمَوْصِلِ

Among them was his son Abd al-Aziz, who died after being poisoned in Mosul,

وَبَقِيَ عَلَى أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ،

And he remained with Abu al-Qasim,

وَقَدْ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ رِسَالَةُ لَفْتَةِ الْكَبِدِ إِلَى نَصِيحَةِ الْوَلَدِ

A letter was written to him, a heartfelt plea urging him to advise the son.

إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ بِنَصِيحَةِ وَالِدِهِ

However, he did not benefit from his father's advice.

وَكَانَ عَاقًّا سَيِّئًا الطِّبَاعِ

He was disobedient and of bad character.

فَإِسْتَغَلَّ مِحْنَةَ أَبِيهِ

So he took advantage of his father's hardship,

فَأَخْذُ كُتُبِهِ وَبَاعَهَا بِأَبْخَسِ الأَثْمَانِ

So he took his books and sold them at the lowest prices.

وَأُمًّا ابْنَتُهُ رَابِعَةُ فَتَزَوَّجَتْ مِنْ ابْنِ رَشِيدِ الطَبَرِيِّ

As for his daughter Rabaa, she married the son of Rashid al-Tabari.

فَاشْتَغَلَ هَذَا بِكُتُبِ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ

This man busied himself with the books of the philosophers.