Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 1200 CE) was a famous scholar of religion, history, and law, as well as a prominent preacher in the mosques of Baghdad. He was an adherent to the Hanbali school and teacher and director of several madrasas, supported in his work by the viziers of several successive caliphs. He was also a prolific writer on many subjects; his Book of Stupid People was designed not only to entertain but to educate the reader about Ibn al-Jawzī’s comparatively strict views on correct behavior.