Ibn 'Abd al-Barr facts for kids

Yūsuf ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, often called Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (Arabic: ابن عبد البر), was a very important Islamic scholar. He lived in the 11th century. He was a judge, known as a Qadi, in the city of Lisbon. He followed the Maliki school of Islamic law. He was also a Traditionalist theologian.

About Ibn Abd al-Barr's Life

Ibn 'Abd al-Barr was born in the year 978 CE. His birthplace was Córdoba, which is in modern-day Spain. At that time, this area was part of a Muslim-ruled land called Al-Andalus.

He passed away in 1071 CE in a city called Xàtiva. This city is also located in Al-Andalus. According to a famous historian named Ibn Khallikan, Ibn Abd al-Barr came from an old Arabian tribe.

His Journey in Islamic Law

When he was younger, Ibn Abd al-Barr first followed a different school of Islamic law. This school was called the Zahirite school. Later, he changed his views and became a follower of the Maliki school.

The Maliki school was the official legal system. It was used by the Umayyad Caliphate, which was the ruling power where he lived. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr did not like the idea of Taqlid. This means blindly following someone else's opinion without understanding the reasons.

He was known as a "traditionalist" within the Maliki school. People sometimes called him the "Bukhari of the West." This shows how respected he was for his knowledge.

Important Books and Writings

Ibn Abd al-Barr wrote many books. These books covered different topics in Islamic studies. One of his most famous works is:

• The Comprehensive Compilation of the Names of the Prophet's Companions (Arabic: الإستيعاب في معرفة الأصحاب, romanized: Al-Isti'ab fi ma'rifat al-ashab). In this book, he tried to list every person who met the Prophet Muhammad at least once in their life.

See also

• Islamic scholars