An Ocean of Tears

Imam ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn ʿAlī al-Jawzī, widely known as Ibn al-Jawzī, stands out as a rare scholar who combined rigorous academic mastery with a profound concern for the spiritual well-being of the Muslim community. Renowned for his vast knowledge, he was also an extraordinary orator whose sermons moved hundreds of thousands to repentance over the course of his remarkable life. Born in 518 AH and passing away nearly eight decades later in 597 AH, he left behind a rich legacy of influential works in ḥadīth, tafsīr, and moral exhortation (waʿẓ) - one of which is the very work now before you.