Sultan Al-'Ulama' Al-Izz ibn Abdussalam was one of the extraordinary individuals who left an indelible mark on their era. He emerged as a prominent religious reformer during the seventh century A.H. (13th A.D.). His unwavering commitment to righteousness and his remarkable moral courage in challenging and rebuffing the mighty Sultans and influential viziers of his time left scholars and admirers in awe.
Born as Abu Muhammad Izz al-Din 'Abd al-'Aziz bin 'Abd al-Salam bin Abi 'I-Qasim b. al-Hassan b. Muhammad b. al-Muhadhdhab Al-Sulami al-Shafi'i, he is more widely recognized as Imam 'Izz ibn 'Abd al-Salam. His reputation as the "Sultan of Scholars" is well-deserved. He was born in Damascus in 577 A.H. (1181 A.D.), and he had the privilege of studying under several eminent scholars of his time, including Fakhr ud-din ibn 'Asakir, Saif ud-din Amedi, and Hafiz Abu Mohammad al-Qasim.
While some accounts suggest that he began his education relatively late, he quickly attained such a mastery of the sciences of his time that his contemporaries heaped praise upon his deep learning and brilliance of mind. Ibn Daqiq al-Eid even referred to him as the "Sultan ul-Ulema" (the king of scholars) in some of his writings.
When Izz ud-din migrated to Egypt in 639 A.H., his influence was so profound that Hafiz Abdul Azim al-Munziri, the author of "al-Targhib wat-Tarhib," ceased to provide legal opinions. When asked about his decision, he explained, "It is not appropriate for any jurist to issue legal opinions when Izz ud-din is present." Another renowned scholar, Sheikh Jamal ud-din ibn al-Hajib, believed that Izz ud-din's expertise in Fiqh (jurisprudence) even surpassed that of al-Ghazali. As Al-Zahabi wrote in his book titled "al-Ebar," "In his knowledge of Fiqh, devotion to religion, and awe of God, he had achieved the level of perfection that enables one to engage in Ijtihad-interpreting God's revealed law and deducing new laws from it."
