Abu Marwan Ibn Hayyan al-Qurtubi
- Died
- 469 AH
- Born in
- Cordoba
Abu Marwan Ibn Hayyan al-Qurtubi (377–469 AH / 987–1076 CE) was an Andalusian historian, traditionist, and man of letters from Cordoba, best known for his historical chronicle al-Muqtabis fi Tarikh al-Andalus .
Lineage and education
His full genealogy is recorded as Hayyan ibn Khalaf ibn Husayn ibn Hayyan ibn Muhammad ibn Hayyan ibn Wahb ibn Hayyan, a client (mawla) of the Umayyad emir Abd al-Rahman I (Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya) and the Umayyad dynasty . He was born in Cordoba in 377 AH (987–988 CE) .
Ibn Hayyan studied Arabic grammar under Abu 'Umar ibn Abi al-Hubab al-Nahwi, a disciple of Abu Ali al-Qali, and studied literature under Abu al-Ala Sa'id ibn al-Hasan al-Rab'i, transmitting from him his work al-Fusus . He also studied Hadith under Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn Husayn ibn Nabil and other scholars .
Scholarly career and standing
Ibn Hayyan emerged as the leading chronicler of Islamic Spain, authoring comprehensive historical records that included the ten-volume chronicle al-Muqtabis fi Tarikh al-Andalus and the expansive sixty-volume historical work al-Matin fi Tarikh al-Andalus (also transmitted as al-Mubin) .
Scholars widely commended his literary style and historical accuracy. Abu Ali al-Ghassani described him as deeply learned, exceptionally versed in belles-lettres, the standard-bearer of history in al-Andalus, and the most eloquent writer in that field, while emphasizing his truthfulness . Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn 'Awn noted that Ibn Hayyan was remarkably eloquent in speech and writing, and that he never deliberately introduced untruths into the historical narratives he recorded . He was also praised for his scholarship and truthful reporting by Ibn Hazm .
Among those who transmitted from him and studied under his tutelage were Abu Ali al-Ghassani, Abu Muhammad Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Attab, and Abu al-Walid Malik ibn Abd Allah al-Suhayli .
Death
Ibn Hayyan died in Cordoba on Sunday, with three nights remaining in Rabi' al-Awwal 469 AH (October 1076 CE), at the age of ninety-two, though another report records his death in 467 AH . He was buried on the same day after the late afternoon prayer (asr) in the cemetery of al-Rabad (Maqbarat al-Rabad) . Following his death, Ibn 'Awn reported seeing him in a dream, in which Ibn Hayyan stated that God had forgiven him, and that although he had felt regret over writing history, God had pardoned him through His grace .
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List of Works
al-Muqtabis min Anba Ahl al-Andalus (The Adaptor on the Reports of the People of al-Andalus), commonly known as al-Muqtabis, is a chronicle of Andalusian history. Arranged originally in ten volumes, it provides an account of Andalusian history through the Umayyad era and toward the period of the Party Kingdoms (Muluk al-Tawa'if), organizing events annalistically under the reign of each Umayyad ruler alongside biographical accounts and social, cultural, and political observations.