: Dedicated sections cover the Rashidun Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) followed by other prominent companions famous for their asceticism and devotion.

While Hilyat al-Awliya was massive and filled with various narrations, Ibn al-Jawzi aimed to:

“Ibn al-Jawzī’s Ṣifat al-ṣafwa: The Author’s Voice and the Construction of a Sunni Hagiography” Author: Merlin Swartz (Boston University) Published in: Oriens , Vol. 35 (1996), pp. 312–329. Why interesting: Swartz analyzes how Ibn al-Jawzī deliberately edited Abū Nuʿaym’s earlier Sufi-leaning work to promote a more legalistic, anti-Sufi, Hanbali orthodoxy . It shows how Ṣifat al-Ṣafwah was a polemical tool. Where to find: JSTOR (free with account) or your university library.

Sifat al-Safwah (The Characteristics of the Chosen) is a seminal work of Islamic biographical and spiritual literature written by the 12th-century scholar Imam Ibn al-Jawzi

: A dedicated Sifat al-Safwa PDF App is available on the Google Play Store, though the text interface is primarily in Arabic.

No discussion of this text is complete without mentioning its prolific author, (circa 1116–1201 CE). Ibn al-Jawzi was a Hanbali jurist, a historian, a preacher, and one of the most prolific writers in Islamic history.

Until a verified publisher releases the full digital edition, the most responsible action for a seeker is to acquire the physical Arabic/English bilingual edition (if printed) or study the summaries provided by contemporary scholars online.