UCLA professor Michael Cooperson of Near Eastern languages and cultures has won the Sheikh Hamad Award for his Arabic-to-English translation of the “Virtues of the Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal" by Ibn al-Jawzī.
Published by NYU Press in two volumes, Cooperson's translation of the biography of Ibn Hanbal was penned by Ibn al-Jawzi, a Baghdad preacher, scholar.
The first volume offers insights into Ibn Hanbal’s childhood, education, and adult life, including his religious doctrines, his dealings with other scholars and his personal habits, according to NYU Press. Set against the background of fierce debates over the role of reason and the basis of legitimate government, "Virtues of the Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal" tells the formidable life tale of one of the most influential Muslims in history.
The second and final volume gives a vivid account of Ibn Hanbal’s legendary confrontation with the caliphal Inquisition, including his imprisonment, trial and flogging. Ultimately, it recounts how the people of Baghdad came to admire him as a symbol of Sunni Islam.
