Alam al-Maghrib wa al-Andalus fi al-Qarn al-Thamin
- Author died
- 807 AH
- Editions
- مؤسسة الرسالة
Alam al-Maghrib wa al-Andalus fi al-Qarn al-Thamin ("Notable Figures of the Maghrib and al-Andalus in the Eighth Century") is a biographical and literary anthology compiled by the Nasrid prince, historian, and poet Ibn al-Ahmar (d. 807 AH / 1404 CE), originally titled Nathir al-Juman fi Shi'r man Nazamani wa-Iyyahu al-Zaman ("Scattered Pearls Concerning the Poetry of Those Bound with Me in Time").
Composition and Title
Ibn al-Ahmar composed the work in 776 AH. The secondary title, Alam al-Maghrib wa al-Andalus fi al-Qarn al-Thamin, was introduced by modern editor Muhammad Radwan al-Daya to describe its subject matter and to avoid confusion with another biographical dictionary by Ibn al-Ahmar titled Nathir Fara'id al-Juman fi Nazm Fuhul al-Zaman, which had been authored later in 799 AH.
Scope and Structure
The book is devoted specifically to the poets and literati of al-Andalus and the Maghrib who lived during the author's lifetime in the 8th century AH, intentionally excluding biographical entries for contemporaries from the Islamic East. It is arranged into eleven chapters (abwab). These include:
- A third chapter devoted to the poetry of the Nasrid ruling house and their descendants.
- A seventh chapter gathering the transmitted verse of the ministers serving the Banu al-Ahmar kings of al-Andalus.
Throughout the text, the author frequently introduces his own entries and observations with the phrase "Isma'il, the author of this book, said" (qala Isma'il mu'allif hadha al-kitab). Stylistically, Ibn al-Ahmar relies heavily on rhymed prose (saj') and embellished language, though he occasionally shifts into unadorned prose. Alongside its poetry and prose anthologies, the work preserves historical, social, and cultural details of 8th-century Muslim Iberia and North Africa, as well as autobiographical material regarding the author's own life, connections, and dealings with contemporary rulers.
Manuscripts and Publication
The work survived in two primary manuscripts: one housed in the Egyptian National Library in Cairo (shelfmark: Adab 1863) and another preserved in the Royal Library (al-Khizana al-Malakiyya) in Rabat. It was edited by Muhammad Radwan al-Daya and published by Mu'assasat al-Risala in Beirut in 1396 AH / 1976 CE.
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