Anselm Turmeda facts for kids
Anselm Turmeda, later known as Abd Allah at-Tarjuman, was a fascinating person from the island of Mallorca. He was born a Christian priest but later chose to become a Muslim. He then moved to Tunis, a city in North Africa. He is special because he wrote books in two different languages: Arabic and Catalan. He even became an important advisor, called a vizier, in Tunis. He passed away in 1423.
Contents
A New Life in Tunis
Anselm Turmeda wrote about his life, saying he studied in a city called Lleida. When he was about 35 years old, he traveled to Sicily and stayed there for five months. After that, he sailed to Tunis. This was during the time when a ruler named Abu al-Abbas Ahmad II was in charge (from 1370 to 1394).
When he arrived in Tunis, Anselm stayed with some Christian priests and traders for about four months. During this time, he asked to meet a Muslim who understood "the language of the Christians." He was then introduced to a doctor named Yusuf, who worked for the ruler.
Anselm told Yusuf that he had come to Tunis because he wanted to become a Muslim. Yusuf then introduced him to the ruler of Tunis. The ruler asked Anselm why he wanted to change his religion. After hearing his reasons, the ruler allowed him to convert to Islam and even offered him a job with a salary.
His Writings
Anselm Turmeda wrote several important books in both Catalan and Arabic. Here are some of his well-known works:
Llibre dels bons amonestaments
This book means "Book of Good Advice." Anselm Turmeda finished writing it in April 1398. This was eleven years after he had settled in Tunis. The book has 428 poems. It was very popular in Catalonia. People often called it franselm, which came from "fra Anselm," meaning "friar Anselm."
Disputa de l'ase
This title means "Dispute of the Donkey." Anselm wrote this book in Catalan in 1417. Sadly, no part of the original Catalan version has survived. Today, we have Catalan versions that are based on an old French translation.
The Inquisition, which was a powerful religious court, banned this book in 1583. This ban helped make the original book disappear. It didn't fit with the strict religious and political ideas of Catholic Spain at that time.
The book tells a story about a debate between a donkey and a friar. They argue about whether humans or animals are better. Each one tries to prove their side. In the end, humans win because the story says that Christ was born as a man. However, the book is also very critical of people. It points out many flaws in human behavior, religion, and politics.
Llibre de tres
This book means "Book of Three." Anselm wrote it to teach lessons in a fun and entertaining way.
Tuhfat al-Arib fi al-Radd 'ala ahl al-Salib
This long Arabic title means "The Gift to the Intelligent for Refuting the Arguments of the Christians." This is his most famous Arabic book. It was written in 1420. In this book, Anselm discusses Christianity and explains why he believed in the prophethood of Muhammad, the messenger of Allah. This book was very popular. It was printed three times in Arabic, three times in Turkish, and once in Persian between 1873 and 1971.
See Also
In Spanish: Anselm Turmeda para niños
