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Ibn Marzuq

Type Figure Region Maghreb Time c. 1310–1379 Also known as Ibn Marzuq al-Khatib、Shams al-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Marzuq、al-Khatib、al-Rais

Ibn Marzuq (c. 1310–1379) was a prominent fourteenth-century Maghrebi Maliki jurist, preacher, and diplomat from Tlemcen who served the Marinids and …

Timeline

  1. c. 1310–1340Tlemcen · TlemcenIbn Marzuq was born into a scholarly family in Tlemcen; in his youth he traveled east to study for about fifteen years under many scholars. After returning to the Maghreb he was appointed by Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan as preacher (khatib) at the Ubad mosque in his hometown and took part in courtly scholarly and diplomatic affairs.
  2. c. 1341–1352Fez · FezHe was recalled to Fez to hold high office, continuing to advise Sultan Abu al-Hasan on religious and political matters. During this period he was sent on a mission to the Iberian Peninsula; after a diplomatic failure he was imprisoned for about six years, an experience that deeply shaped his later reflections on power and loyalty.
  3. 1358–1372Tunis · TunisAfter his release in 1358, Ibn Marzuq responded to an invitation from Hafsid sultan Abu Salim Ibrahim and went to Tunis, holding high office and continuing to teach and write. During this time he completed his historical biography of Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan while taking part in the religious and political life of Ifriqiya.
  4. 1372–1379Cairo · CairoIn 1372 Ibn Marzuq retired to Cairo, serving as chief qadi until his death in 1379. In his later years he continued to write prolifically; his works of jurisprudence, history, and preaching circulated widely in the scholarly circles of the Maghreb and Egypt, making him an important representative of the fourteenth-century Maliki scholarly tradition.

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