Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Subti
- Died
- 826 AH
- Born in
- -
Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Subti (d. after 825 AH / 1422 CE) was an Andalusian-Maghrebi historian from Ceuta, best known for his historical and topographical record of the city, Ikhtisar al-Akhbar 'amma Kana bi-Thaghr Sabta min Sani al-Athar .
Lineage and Life
He was Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Ansari al-Subti . He was born and raised in Ceuta, where he lived and pursued his scholarly activity . Following the Portuguese invasion and occupation of Ceuta during his lifetime, he relocated from the city to a village in the rural district of Anjra, where he remained until his death .
Scholarly Contribution
Al-Subti dedicated his scholarship to preserving the memory of Ceuta's Islamic heritage and urban history . In 825 AH (1422 CE), he finished compiling his primary historical text, Ikhtisar al-Akhbar 'amma Kana bi-Thaghr Sabta min Sani al-Athar (Abridgment of Reports on the Splendid Monuments That Existed in the Frontier City of Ceuta), which he condensed from two of his larger compilations titled al-Kawakib al-Waqqadah (The Shining Stars) and al-A'lam (The Landmarks) .
His historical survey detailed the cemeteries, shrines, and burial places of Ceuta's notable scholars, jurists, ascetics, and poets, while also recording the city's civic and religious infrastructure, including its grand mosques, libraries, madrasas, and frontier outposts, as well as the topography and amenities of the nearby settlement of Balyunash .
Answer updated
List of Works
Ikhtisar al-Akhbar Amma Kana bi-Thaghr Sabta min Sini al-Athar (Abridgment of News Regarding the Ancient Monuments That Existed in the Frontier City of Ceuta) is a historical and topographical work on Ceuta (Sabta). Completed in 825 AH (1422 CE), it was composed as an accessible abridgment of material extracted from two larger works, al-Kawakib al-Waqqadah and al-A'lam, providing a survey of the religious landmarks, civic institutions, burial sites, and topography of Ceuta during its Islamic era.