Ibn al-Qadi, al-Maknasi

Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qadi (960–1025 AH / 1553–1616 CE) was a Moroccan Maliki jurist, historian, biographer, and mathematician, renowned for his biographical works on Moroccan scholars and notable figures Mujam al-Shuara al-Arab+1.

Lineage and early life

His full lineage is Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Afiyya al-Miknasi al-Zanati Fihris al-Faharis+1. He belonged to the prominent Ibn al-Qadi family of Fez, whose lineage traced back through the Zenata Berber ruler Musa ibn Abi al-Afiyya to Miknas ibn Wastif; Ibn al-Qadi explicitly affirmed this descent in his writings while disassociating himself from Musa ibn Abi al-Afiyya's historical hostility toward the Idrisids and the Prophet's household Ithaf Alam al-Nas bi-Jama…+1. The family's cognomen Ibn al-Qadi derived from his grandfather, Abu al-Abbas Ahmad, who had served as the judge of Meknes Ithaf Alam al-Nas bi-Jama….

Ibn al-Qadi was born in Meknes in 960 AH (1553 CE) and was raised in a scholarly household, memorizing the Quran and studying foundational Islamic sciences in his early youth Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi l…+1.

Education and teachers

Ibn al-Qadi pursued an extensive education across Morocco, studying jurisprudence, hadith, mathematics, inheritance laws (fara'id), Arabic language, and history Ithaf Alam al-Nas bi-Jama…+1. In Morocco, his teachers included Abu al-Qasim al-Manjur, the mufti of Marrakesh Abd al-Wahid al-Sijilmasi, Yahya al-Sarraj, Abu Abd Allah ibn Jalal, Ibn Mujbar al-Masari, al-Qassar, and the West African scholar Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti, and he frequently attended the scholarly gatherings of Abu al-Mahasin al-Fasi Ithaf Alam al-Nas bi-Jama…+1.

He traveled to the East to perform the Hajj pilgrimage and study under prominent scholars in Egypt and the Hijaz Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi l…+1. There he received licenses to transmit (ijazat) from scholars including Yahya al-Khattab al-Makki, Najm al-Din al-Ghayti, Ahmad ibn Ahmad al-Sunbati, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Bahnasi, Abd al-Rahman ibn Fahd al-Alqami of Mecca, and Nur al-Din Ali ibn Ahmad al-Qarafi Fihris al-Faharis.

Captivity and career

After returning to Morocco, Ibn al-Qadi gained favor at the court of the Sa'di Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi l…. In 994 AH, intending to travel east by sea from Tetouan, his ship was ambushed by Spanish pirates Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi l…+1. He was taken captive to Malta, where he endured harsh conditions for eleven months until Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur ransomed him with a substantial sum of money Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi l…+1.

Following his release, Ibn al-Qadi was appointed judge (qadi) of Salé, where his judicial conduct was widely praised Ithaf Alam al-Nas bi-Jama…+1. He later settled permanently in Fez, dedicating the remainder of his life to teaching and writing al-Nubugh al-Maghribi fi …. He was exceptionally devoted to the transmission of hadith; when teaching Sahih al-Bukhari, he routinely granted general certification at the conclusion of every session to ensure that all attendees attained a chain of transmission Fihris al-Faharis.

Standing

Ibn al-Qadi was regarded as one of the preeminent transmitters and chroniclers of Morocco in his era Fihris al-Faharis+1. He made lasting contributions to Maghrebi historiography through major biographical compilations, notably Jadhwat al-Iqtibas fi dhikr man halla min al-a'lam madinat Fas, which documented the scholars and notables associated with Fez, and Durrat al-Hijal fi asma' al-rijal, composed as an extensive chronological supplement (dhayl) to Ibn Khallikan's biographical dictionary Fihris al-Faharis+1. He also chronicled the reign and accomplishments of the Sa'di ruler in his historical work al-Muntaqa al-maqsur 'ala ma'athir al-khalifa Abi al-Abbas al-Mansur Hadiyat al-Arifin Asma al…+1.

Death

Ibn al-Qadi died in Fez in the month of Sha'ban 1025 AH (1616 CE) Mujam al-Muallifin+1. Another report places his death in the year 1026 AH Fihris al-Faharis.