al-Nabahi
- Died
- 792 AH
- Born in
- Malaga
Abu al-Hasan al-Nabahi (713–after 792 AH / 1313–after 1390 CE) was an Andalusian Maliki jurist, chief judge, and historian from Malaga, best known for his biographical history of Andalusian judiciary, al-Muraqaba al-Ulya fi-man Yastahiqq al-Qada wa-al-Futya .
Lineage and Early Life
His full name was 'Ali ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Judhami al-Malaqi al-Nabahi, also known simply as Ibn al-Hasan . He was born in Malaga in 713 AH into a prominent family with a long tradition of judicial service dating back to the era of al-Mansur ibn Abi Amir . Following his father's death, his education and guardianship were supervised by his relative, the preacher Abu Bakr al-Tanjali .
During his formative years, al-Nabahi studied hadith, jurisprudence, and Quranic recitation under prominent Andalusian scholars . Among his principal teachers were Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ghassani (known as Ibn Hafid al-Amin), the Quran reciters Abu Muhammad ibn Ayyub and Abu al-Qasim ibn Dirham, his relative the judge Abu Bakr 'Abd Allah ibn Bakr al-Ash'ari, and his father-in-law the judge Abu 'Amr ibn Manzur . He also transmitted hadith and legal texts from Abu Muhammad 'Abd Allah ibn Ahmad al-Tujibi and the vizier Abu Bakr ibn al-Hakim .
Judicial Career and Diplomacy
Al-Nabahi relocated to Granada, the capital of the Nasrid dynasty, where he rose to prominence in public and religious office . He was appointed chief judge (qadi al-jama'a) of Granada and preacher (khatib) at the royal mosque during the reign of the Nasrid ruler Sultan Muhammad V al-Ghani Billah .
In addition to his judicial responsibilities, the Nasrid court dispatched him on diplomatic missions across the Mediterranean to Fez on two recorded occasions, first in 767 AH and again in 788 AH .
Conflict with Ibn al-Khatib and Historical Writings
Al-Nabahi was initially an intimate friend and political ally of the prominent Nasrid vizier and historian Lisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib, who praised his learning and composed the decree for his judicial appointment . Their relationship later deteriorated into open hostility . Ibn al-Khatib attacked al-Nabahi in satirical writings, dubbing him al-Ja'sus ("the dwarf") and dedicating a polemical epistle to mocking him titled Khal' al-Rasan fi Wasf al-Qadi Ibn al-Hasan ("Shedding the Reins in Describing Judge Ibn al-Hasan") . Al-Nabahi, in turn, took an active part in the political and judicial moves against Ibn al-Khatib that culminated in the vizier's imprisonment and death in Fez .
As a scholar, al-Nabahi made lasting contributions to Andalusian legal and political history . His primary legal-historical compendium, al-Muraqaba al-Ulya fi-man Yastahiqq al-Qada wa-al-Futya (later published under the title Tarikh Qudat al-Andalus), detailed the norms, procedures, and historical biographies of judges across al-Andalus . He also authored Nuzhat al-Basa'ir wa-al-Absar, which incorporated historical material on the Nasrid dynasty .
Later Life and Death
Al-Nabahi is documented to have been alive in 792 AH (1390 CE), outliving Ibn al-Khatib by nearly two decades . Biographical references generally place his death around 792 or 793 AH (c. 1390–1391 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Muraqaba al-Ulya fiman yastahiqq al-Qada wa al-Futya, also published as Tarikh Qudat al-Andalus, is a biographical and legal-historical work. It combines theoretical jurisprudence on the rules, qualifications, and ethics of judicial appointment and fatwa issuance with historical biographies and rulings of judges across al-Andalus.