 Unlike his Hanbali grandfather, he was of the Hanafi madhhab, which was the judicial school common to those of Turkish descent and preferred by the Ayyubid Sultans.He has also been described as having Shia tendencies, most notably by al-Dhahabi.His historical writings, which include more critical accounts of Uthman compared to other sources, and Ibn Kathir's obituary of him have been given as evidence supporting this.