They would eat from his food, and his original residence was in Qasiyun, so he would sometimes return to the mountain after Isha.
Al-Dhahabi mentioned that al-Muwaffaq continued for some time to sit after Friday prayers for debate, and the jurists would gather around him. He would teach until the day had risen high, and from after Dhuhr until Maghrib, without ever growing weary; they would listen to him, and he would also teach grammar. Scarcely did anyone see him without loving him. Ibn Rajab added: He might even read to them after Maghrib while he was having dinner.
Al-Safadi said: He was the unique scholar of his time, an Imam in the science of differences (khilaf), shares of inheritance (fara'id), principles of jurisprudence (usul), jurisprudence (fiqh), grammar, arithmetic, planetary motion, and the lunar mansions. People studied under him for a long time using 'al-Khiraqi' and 'al-Hidayah,' then the 'Mukhtasar al-Hidayah' which he authored later, and they studied his other compilations under him.
Shaykh al-Muwaffaq was extremely patient in the face of harm, and he would never debate anyone without smiling. It is said that he debated Ibn Fadlan al-Shafi'i, who was proverbial for his debating skills, and he silenced him.
Al-Dhahabi reported from al-Diya' al-Maqdisi: I heard the Mufti Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ma'ali ibn Ghunayma say: 'I do not know anyone in our time who reached the level of Ijtihad except for al-Muwaffaq.'
As for his physical characteristics, he was, may Allah have mercy on him, of perfect stature, fair-complexioned, with a radiant face, deep black eyes—as if light were emanating from his face due to its beauty—broad-foreheaded, long-bearded, straight-nosed, with joined eyebrows, a small head, delicate hands and feet, a slender body, and he enjoyed full use of his senses.
He was intelligent and handled matters well. It was narrated that he used to keep a small pouch in his turban containing sand, which he used to dry the ink of the fatwas, authorizations, and other documents he wrote for people. One night, it happened that his turban was snatched from him. He said to the snatcher: 'O brother, take the pouch from the turban and return the turban so I can cover my head, and you are fully pardoned for what is in the pouch.' The thief thought it was silver and perceived it to be heavy, so he took it and returned the turban, which was small and old. He found taking the pouch to be far better than the turban, so the Shaykh retrieved his turban through this clever approach.
Diya' al-Din al-Maqdisi said: I heard al-Baha' describing him as courageous, saying: 'He would advance toward the enemy, and he was wounded in his palm, and he would shoot at the enemy.'
يأكلون معه من طعامه، وكان منزله الأصلى بقاسيون، فينصرف بعض الليالى بعد العشاء إلى الجبل.
وذكر الذهبي أن الموفق بقى يجلس زمانا بعد الجمعة للمناظرة، ويجتمع إليه الفقهاء، وكان يُشْغِل إلى ارتفاع النهار، ومن بعد الظهر إلى المغرب، ولا يضجر، ويسمعون عليه، وكان يقرىء في النحو، وكان لا يكاد يراه أحد إلا أحبه. زاد ابن رجب: وربما قرأ عليه بعد المغرب وهو يتعشى.
قال الصفدى: وكان أوحد زمانه، إماما في علم الخلاف والفرائض والأصول والفقه والنحو والحساب والنجوم السيارة والمنازل، واشتغل عليه الناس مدة بـ "الخرقى"، و"الهداية"، ثم بـ "مختصر الهداية" الذي له بعد ذلك، واشتغلوا عليه بتصانيفه.
وكان الشيخ الموفق شديد الاحتمال للأذى، ولا يناظر أحدًا إلا وهو يتبسم، وقيل: إنه ناظر ابن فضلان الشافعي الذي كان يضرب به المثل في المناظرة، فقطعه.
ونقل الذهبي عن الضياء المقدسى: سمعت المفتى أبا بكر محمد بن معالى بن غنيمة يقول: ما أعرف أحدا في زماننا أدرك درجة الاجتهاد إلا الموفّق.
أما صفاته الخَلْقية فقد كان، رحمه اللَّه، تامّ القامة، أبيض، مشرق الوجه، أدْعج، كأن النور يخرج من وجهه لحسنه، واسع الجبين، طويل اللحية، قائم الأنف، مقْرون الحاجبين، صغير الرأس، لطيف اليدين والقدمين، نحيف الجسم، ممتعا بحواسِّه.
وكان ذكيًّا، حسن التصرُّف، حُكِىَ عنه أنه كان يجعل في عمامته ورقة مصرورة، فيها رمل، يُرَمِّل به ما يكتبه للناس من الفتاوى والإِجازات وغيرها، فاتفق ليلة خُطِفتْ عمامتُه، فقال لخاطفها: يا أخى، خُذْ من العمامة الورقة المصرورة بما فيها، ورُدَّ العمامة أغطِّى بها رأسى، وأنت في أوْسع الحِلِّ مما في الورقة. فظن الخاطف أنها فضة، ورآها ثقيلة، فأخذها، وردَّ العمامة، وكانت صغيرة عتيقة، فرأى أخْذَ الورقة خيرا منها بدرجات، فخلَّص الشيخ عمامته بهذا الوجه اللطيف.
قال ضياء الدين المقدسى: وسمعت البهاءَ يصفه بالشجاعة، وقال: كان يتقدَّم إلى العدو، وجُرِح في كفِّه، وكان يُرامِى العدو.
