At a glance
- Roles
- mystic · Scholar
- Era
- The Early Abbasid Caliphate
- Region
- Levant & Iraq
Life in time
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
Place in the story
Sunni (transmitted)
Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.
Summary
Ahmad ibn Abi al-Hawari, Abu al-Hasan — Abu al-Hawari's name was Maymun — was an ascetic who lived in Damascus; Ibn al-Jawzi gives his entry among the people of Syria in Sifat al-Safwa (no. 764). 1 He is the disciple through whom most of Abu Sulayman al-Darani's sayings in the book are transmitted. 2 3
A house of scrupulousness
He had a son named Abd Allah who was among the ascetics, and a brother named Muhammad who resembled him in scrupulousness and renunciation, and his father Abu al-Hawari was also among the scrupulous — theirs was a house of piety and renunciation. 1 His wife Rabi'a bint Isma'il was one of the women ascetics of Syria. 4 5
Praise from scholars
Al-Junayd used to say, "Ahmad ibn Abi al-Hawari is the sweet basil of Syria"; Yahya ibn Ma'in said, "I think God waters the people of Syria with rain for his sake"; and Mahmud ibn Khalid said, "I do not think there remains anyone like him on the face of the earth." 1
From his sayings
He is reported as saying that whoever loves to be known or mentioned for some good has associated others in his worship, and that one who worships out of love does not wish anyone but the Beloved to see his service; that when he read the Qur'an he would pause at verse after verse until his mind was bewildered, and wondered how those who know the Qur'an by heart could sleep peacefully while reciting the speech of the Merciful — if they understood what they recited and took delight in it, sleep would leave them for joy at what they had been given; and: "The higher the station of the heart, the swifter the punishment comes to it." 1
Transmission and death
He transmitted from Hafs ibn Ghiyath, Abu Mu'awiya, Waki' and their peers, and died in 230 AH. 1
For young visitors
Ahmad ibn Abi al-Hawari was a good man of Damascus who learned from the ascetic Abu Sulayman, and who would reflect on the verses of the Qur'an until he forgot to sleep.
Connections
- Lived in
- Damascus
- Studied under
- Abu Sulayman al-Darani· Hafs ibn Ghiyath· Waki' ibn al-Jarrah
- Spouse of
- Rabi'a bint Isma'il
People and things also explored
Damascus· Abda, sister of Abu Sulayman al-Darani· Abu Sulayman al-Darani· Rabi'a bint Isma'il· Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd· Abu Muslim al-Khawlani· Ibn al-A'rabi, Ahmad ibn Muhammad· Umm Harun of Damascus
Sources
- Sifat al-Safwa — Ibn al-Jawzi (ed. Khalid Mustafa Tartusi, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut 1433/2012) , p.824
- Sifat al-Safwa — Ibn al-Jawzi (ed. Khalid Mustafa Tartusi, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut 1433/2012) , p.816
- Sifat al-Safwa — Ibn al-Jawzi (ed. Khalid Mustafa Tartusi, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut 1433/2012) , p.817
- Sifat al-Safwa — Ibn al-Jawzi (ed. Khalid Mustafa Tartusi, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut 1433/2012) , p.858
- Sifat al-Safwa — Ibn al-Jawzi (ed. Khalid Mustafa Tartusi, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut 1433/2012) , p.859
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Ahmad ibn Abi al-Hawari”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/ahmad-ibn-abi-al-hawari/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-04.
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