Al-Qurtubi facts for kids

Imam Abu 'Abdullah Al-Qurtubi, whose full name was Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr al-Ansari al-Qurtubi (Arabic: أبو عبدالله القرطبي), was an important Islamic scholar. He lived in Al-Andalus (which is now part of Spain) and was a jurist (an expert in law), a scholar, and a muhaddith (someone who studies and teaches sayings of Prophet Muhammad).

He learned from many famous teachers in Córdoba. Al-Qurtubi is most famous for his detailed explanation of the Quran, which is called Tafsir al-Qurtubi.

His Life Story

Al-Qurtubi was born in Córdoba, Al-Andalus, in the 1200s. His father was a farmer who sadly died during a Spanish attack in 1230. When Al-Qurtubi was young, he helped his family by carrying clay for people who made pottery.

He finished his education in Cordoba. There, he studied with well-known scholars like ibn Ebu Hucce and Abdurrahman ibn Ahmet Al-Ashari. After the city of Cordoba was taken over by King Ferdinand III of Castile in 1236, Al-Qurtubi moved away.

He first went to Alexandria, where he continued to study hadith (sayings of the Prophet) and tafsir (Quran commentary). Later, he moved to Cairo and settled in a place called Munya Abi'l-Khusavb. He lived there for the rest of his life. Al-Qurtubi was known for being modest and living a simple life. He passed away in Munya Abi'l-Khusavb, Egypt, in 1273. His grave was later moved to a mosque, and a special building (mausoleum) was built for him in 1971. People can still visit it today.

His Ideas

Al-Qurtubi was very skilled in many areas of Islamic knowledge. These included commentary (explaining the Quran), narrative (telling stories and sayings), recitation (how to read the Quran correctly), and law (Islamic rules). The deep knowledge he had is clear in all his writings. Many other scholars have recognized how brilliant he was. In his books, Al-Qurtubi supported the Sunni way of thinking. He also disagreed with the ideas of the Mu'tazilah group.

What He Wrote

Al-Qurtubi wrote several important books.

1. Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī: This is his most important and famous work. It is a 20-volume commentary on the Quran. It has been very popular and published many times. People often call it al-Jamī' li-'Aḥkām, which means "All the Judgments." Even though it has this name, the book is not just about verses dealing with legal rules. It explains the entire Quran from a Maliki point of view. Any claims made about a Quranic verse are carefully looked at and explained in detail.
2. al-Tadhkirah fī Aḥwāl al-Mawtà wa-Umūr al-Ākhirah (A Reminder of the Conditions of the Dead and the Matters of the Hereafter): This book talks about death, what happens in the grave, the end of the world, and the Day of Judgment.
3. Al-Asnà fi Sharḥ al-Asmā' al-Ḥusnà
4. Kitāb ut-Tadhkār fi Afḍal il-Adhkār
5. Kitab Sharḥ it-Taqaṣṣi
6. Kitab Qam' il-Ḥirṣ biz-Zuhd wal-Qanā'ah
7. At-Takrāb li-Kitāb it-Tamhīd

See Also

In Spanish: Al-Qurtubi para niños