Ibn al-Ahmar
- Died
- 807 AH
- Born in
- Al-Andalus
Abu al-Walid Ismail ibn al-Ahmar (d. 807 AH / 1404 CE) was an Andalusian-born historian, man of letters, and genealogist who belonged to the Nasrid ruling dynasty of Granada and lived in Fez under the Marinid Sultanate. He is known for historical and literary chronicles, including his dynastic history of the Marinid rulers, Rawdat al-Nasrin fi Dawlat Bani Marin.
Lineage and early life
He was Ismail ibn Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Faraj ibn Ismail ibn Yusuf al-Khazraji al-Ansari al-Nasri, holding the kunya Abu al-Walid and known as Ibn al-Ahmar and Ibn Nasr. As a prince of the Banu al-Ahmar (Nasrid dynasty), he traced his lineage to the companion Sa'd ibn 'Ubada al-Khazraji. Although of Granadan origin, he settled in the Maghrib, taking up residence in Fez.
Education and career
In North Africa, he entered the military and courtly service of the Marinid dynasty. He pursued studies under notable scholars of the region, recording them in his barnamaj (academic catalogue), including Abu al-Qasim ibn Ridwan, Abu Sa'id ibn 'Abd al-Muhaymin al-Hadrami, his son 'Abd al-Muhaymin, Mandil ibn Ajurrum, Abu al-Hasan ibn 'Atiyya, Abu Zayd al-Makudi, and al-Faqih Anqashabu.
Scholarly standing
Ibn al-Ahmar was recognized by contemporaries and biographers as a meticulous chronicler, poet, and genealogist dedicated to the documentation of historical records and literary works. He documented contemporary biographical and literary history in works such as Nathir al-Juman fi Shi'r man Nazamani wa-Iyyahu al-Zaman, an anthology of eighth-century AH poets and scholars from al-Andalus and the Maghrib, and Mustawda' al-'Alama, which chronicled the scribes entrusted with royal sign-manuals.
Death
Ibn al-Ahmar died in Fez in 807 AH (1404 CE). Other reports place his death in 810 AH or 818 AH.
Answer updated
List of Works
Originally titled Nathir al-Juman fi Shi'r man Nazamani wa-Iyyahu al-Zaman, this biographical and literary anthology is devoted to the poets and literati of al-Andalus and the Maghrib who lived during the eighth century AH. Composed in 776 AH, the work gathers poetry and prose while preserving historical, social, and cultural details of contemporary Muslim Iberia and North Africa.
This historical work in verse and prose chronicles the rulers and dynastic history of the Marinid Sultanate. Pairing a historical poem in rajaz metre with explanatory prose commentary, it surveys the Marinid rulers in chronological order to record their names, personal traits, military expeditions, and reign lengths from the dynasty's early tribal origins through the consolidation of its rule.