He was a preacher. His kunyah was Abū al-Ḥawān. He became famous under the name Ibn Iqrāt. He was known for his karāmāt (saintly wonders) and good dealings. He was from al-Jazīrah but settled in Damascus. He used to give sermons to the public in the Rufadat al-Qāliyah district, where the storytellers gathered. Ibn ʿAsākir said this. Ibn ʿAsākir also said: “Ahmed b. ʿAbdullah compiled many books of sermons. He narrated many stories and I heard from him that he composed the following couplets:
“I was occupied with sins. What use are their pleasures now? The one who meets his beloved celebrates a festival. Others cannot. People rejoiced with joy, delight, and pleasant scents among basil. But I remained in lamentation, sorrow, and grief. They were happy when they saw their moons reborn after setting. But my crescent is hidden behind the veils of the unseen. Therefore, I said to pleasures, vanish, then vanish again.
In this world, I have destined sorrow and grief for myself.
O my life and my death,
O my misfortune and my physician!
Strive for a nafs (self) burning with your love in spaciousness.”
Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-Ḥālīʾ
He was a poet and has a beautiful divan of poetry. He lived a long life and died this year.