He is Abu Muhammad ‘Izz al-Din ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam ibn Abi al-Qasim al-Sulami. He was of Moroccan origin but born in Damascus. However, he later resided in Egypt and passed away there. He was Shafi’i in madhhab and is nicknamed “Sultan al-‘Ulama’”.
His Birth and Death
Historians have agreed that al-‘Izz passed away in Egypt in the year 660 AH (1260 CE). They are also in agreement that he was born in Damascus, Syria. However, they differed over whether the year of his passing was 577 AH (1181 CE) or 578 AH (1182 CE).
His Upbringing and His Seeking Knowledge
The books of history and hagiography do not record anything of note regarding the upbringing of al-‘Izz or his family, except what Ibn al-Subki narrates, that in the beginning of his life, he was extremely poor.