And by utilizing the descriptions and judgments he made, and analyzing his positions and actions.

Through these sayings, positions, and descriptions, a set of intellectual, moral, and psychological traits emerge that form the fundamental pillars of Ibn Tumart's personality.

These traits are as follows: Scientific attainment and intellectual liberation: Most biographers of the Mahdi described him as excelling in knowledge. The moderate ones, like Ibn Khaldun, who says: "And this Imam set off, returning to the Maghreb, a surging sea of knowledge." And those who were biased against him, like Ibn al-Athir, who says: "He was a virtuous jurist, knowledgeable in Sharia, a memorizer of Hadith, knowledgeable in the principles of religion and jurisprudence, accomplished in the Arabic language." And Ibn Abi Zar', who describes him as the unique figure of his time in the science of Kalam, the sciences of creed, and dialectics. A jurist, a narrator of Hadith, a memorizer of it, knowledgeable in principles, possessing eloquence and fluency.

The collection of works attributed to him that have reached us testifies to the truth of these descriptions of him. They reveal his mastery of a range of sciences and his attainment of a degree of possession and command in them, particularly in creed, Hadith, and jurisprudence and its principles, along with mastery of Arabic and eloquence. There is no doubt that the studies he undertook under the most famous scholars of Islam in his time, along with his scientific passion, enabled him to grasp the subtleties of these sciences and to comprehend and master them.

Ibn Tumart was able, during that long period he spent in Baghdad, the meeting point of tendencies and opinions, and the gathering place of religions and sects, to become acquainted with all the schools of thought in jurisprudence and the various intellectual and creedal inclinations.

Rejecting imitation, inclined towards establishing principles, capable of dialectics. Thus, he possessed a cultural personality.

Ibn Khaldun, Al-Ibar: (4) Ibn al-Athir, Al-Kamil: (5) 132