Ibn al-Khatib
Encyclopedia
Lisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib (or Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Said ibn Ali ibn Ahmad al-Salmani) (1313–1374) was a poet
, writer
, historian, philosopher
, physician and politician
from Emirate of Granada
. Some of his poems decorate the walls of the Alhambra
in Granada
.
He was born at Loja
, near Granada
. al-Khatib spent most of his life as vizir at the court of Muhammed V
, but was exiled from Granada
twice and lived for some time in the Marinid
empire in Morocco
(the first time 1360-62 and the second time 1371-74 in Ceuta
and Tlemcen
and Fes
). He was murdered in 1374, at Fes, in revenge of a private feud.
He excelled as a historian and he wrote excellent poetry some of which was put to music as muwashshah
at.
His autobiography, written in 1369, is to be found in part of his 'al-Ihata fi akhbar Gharnata' (The Complete Source on the History of Granada) ed. Muhammad Abd Allah Inan (Cairo: Maktabat al-Khanji, 1978).
bubonic plague
reached al-Andalus
in the 14th century, Ibn al-Khatib wrote a treatise called On the Plague, in which he stated:
Arabic poetry
Arabic poetry is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that. Arabic poetry is categorized into two main types, rhymed, or measured, and prose, with the former greatly preceding the latter...
, writer
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
, historian, philosopher
Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies. It is the continuous search for Hekma in the light of Islamic view of life, universe, ethics, society, and so on...
, physician and politician
Political aspects of Islam
Political aspects of Islam are derived from the Qur'an, the Sunna , Muslim history, and elements of political movements outside Islam....
from Emirate of Granada
Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...
. Some of his poems decorate the walls of the Alhambra
Alhambra
The Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
in Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
.
He was born at Loja
Loja, Granada
Loja is a town in southern Spain, situated at the western limit of the province of Granada. It is surrounded by the so-called Sierras de Loja, of which the highest peak, Sierra Gorda, stands 1,671 metres above sea-level....
, near Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
. al-Khatib spent most of his life as vizir at the court of Muhammed V
Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada
Muhammed V was the eighth Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula.Muhammad V was the eldest son and heir of Yusuf I by his slave Butayna, born in 1338. He also had a younger full-blood sister, A'isha, two half brothers and five half-sisters...
, but was exiled from Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
twice and lived for some time in the Marinid
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
empire in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
(the first time 1360-62 and the second time 1371-74 in Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
and Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
and Fes
Fes, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
). He was murdered in 1374, at Fes, in revenge of a private feud.
He excelled as a historian and he wrote excellent poetry some of which was put to music as muwashshah
Muwashshah
Muwashshah or muwaššaḥ can mean:...
at.
His autobiography, written in 1369, is to be found in part of his 'al-Ihata fi akhbar Gharnata' (The Complete Source on the History of Granada) ed. Muhammad Abd Allah Inan (Cairo: Maktabat al-Khanji, 1978).
On the Plague
When the Black DeathBlack Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
reached al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
in the 14th century, Ibn al-Khatib wrote a treatise called On the Plague, in which he stated:
External links
- Poem by Ibn al-Khatib sung by Fairuz http://www.awzan.com/3aroodh/jadakal.html (click on the oval above the poem)
- Ibn al-Jatib (second part of the page is in English) http://www.revistaair.net/cieleicwel3AlfredoLeyva.htm
- Website Ibn Kahldun: Ibn al-Khatib, retrieved on feb. 2, 2008 http://www.ibnjaldun.com/index.php?id=68&L=7
- Encyclopedia of medieval Iberia, Ibn al-Khatib, retrieved on feb. 2, 2008 http://users.ipfw.edu/JEHLE/deisenbe/Enc_of_Medieval_Iberia/ibnalkhatib.pdf