Theologian, jurist, historian and a spokesman of traditionalist Islam. Ibn Al Jawzi was an ardent Hanbali and supported the religious policies of the Baghdad caliphs. He was critical of the Sufi and Shias. He became very powerful during 1170-80, but the arrest of Ibn Yunus, his patron and friend, in 1194, led to his exile, however, he was allowed to come back to Baghdad on the eve of his death. Ibn Al Jawzi authored Sifat as Safwah which stressed that true mystics were those who modelled their lives on the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) He wrote many other books including Tarikh-ul-Muluk wa al-umam, Kitab-ul-Yaqut and al-Nutq-al-Mafhum. Ibn Al Jawzi was born at Baghdad