Why does Al-Dhahabi describe some prominent figures with contradictory descriptions, such as "the virtuous memorizing Imam" and then "a stray stumbling shaykh" for Ibn Abi Daram, or describe Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al-Juwayni as "a unique Imam" despite him being a Shiite?

The article summarizes Imam Al-Dhahabi's methodology in "Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'" and his other books as an objective and impartial approach that balances the virtues and flaws of the biographee. He mentions their merits, such as calling them a scholar or a hafiz, and points out their shortcomings, such as calling them an innovator or misguided. This is not a contradiction but rather fairness and a multiplicity of considerations.

It is believed that Al-Dhahabi takes into account different criteria when evaluating each category of biographees, as each has a different perspective based on their specialization or role (such as philosophers, kings, or poets). He relies on the biographee's scholarly fame in his own era, not in the modern era, when selecting biographies.