Sibt Ibn Al-djawzi’s Life and the Value of His Work Titled “mir’ât Al-zamân Fî Ta’rîkh Al-a’yân” in Terms of Ayyûbîd History1

Abstract

Sibt Ibn al-Djawzî, was a renowned scholar of religious sciences who left his mark as preacher and historian in the first half of the 13th century. Being the grandson of the famous scholar Ibn al-Djawzî contributed to his advanced education in Baghdad, where he was born. It is understood that Sibt, a famous preacher who had a reputation in his 20s when he came to Damascus, spent his subsequent life in Damascus with unforgettable sermons that took place in the minds of the people to unite the Islamic world.Another feature that makes him essential is his closeness with the members of the Ayyûbîd dynasty. Because of this closeness, it is understood that he was even privy to the secrets of the dynasty’s members. This situation also reflected his writing of “Mir’ât al-zamân fî ta’rîkh al-a’yân”, and the author included original information not found in other sources during his time. Sibt reflected on his observations, memories, or what he heard from the dynasty members during his period by writing in his work. In this study, Sibt’s life, education, his closeness to the members of the Ayyûbîd dynasty, the ruler of Damascus, al-Malik al-Mu’azzam, and the value of his work “Mir’ât al-zamân”, in terms ofAyyûbîd history are discussed. © 2025, Sabit Dokuyan. All rights reserved.