Ibn Idhari al-Marrakushi
- Died
- 695 AH
- Born in
- -
Ibn Idhari al-Marrakushi (d. c. 695 AH / 1295 CE) was a Maghrebi historian from Marrakesh best known for his comprehensive historical chronicle, al-Bayan al-Mughrib fi Akhbar al-Andalus wa al-Maghrib (The Extraordinary Exposition of the History of al-Andalus and the Maghrib) .
Identity and Life
His full name is recorded as Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Marrakushi, or alternately as Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad . He was a resident of Marrakesh, described in biographical sources as being of Andalusian descent, while other accounts note his Moroccan origin . Standard biographical compendia preserved scarce detail regarding his personal life, education, or career .
Sources differ on his dates: several references report that he died around 695 AH (1295 CE) , whereas historical records within his own writing indicate that he lived into the early 8th century AH and was still alive in 712 AH (1312 CE), likely dying shortly after that date .
Historical Scholarship and Standing
Ibn Idhari is regarded as one of the primary historical authorities on North Africa and al-Andalus . His principal historical compilation, al-Bayan al-Mughrib, provides an extensive chronological and thematic record spanning from the early Islamic conquests through 667 AH (1268 CE) . A key significance of his historiographical method lies in his transmission from earlier chronicles that have since been lost, including works by al-Raqiq al-Qayrawani and al-Warraq . In the introduction to his western chronicle, Ibn Idhari also referenced a separate work dedicated to the history of the Islamic East (Tarikh al-Mashriq), though its text has not survived .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Bayan al-Mughrib fi Akhbar al-Andalus wa al-Maghrib is a historical work chronicling the history of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula from the early Islamic conquests through the 7th century AH / 13th century CE. Organized into three self-contained parts covering events up to 667 AH / 1268 CE, the text combines thematic chapters with annalistic chronicles to record political, administrative, and regional developments across Ifriqiyya, the Maghrib, and al-Andalus.