Ibn Khallikan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shams al-Dīn Abū Al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad Ibn Muḥammad Ibn Khallikān |
|
|---|---|
| ابن خلكان | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Personal | |
| Born | 22 September 1211 Erbil |
| Died | 30 October 1282 (aged 71) Damascus |
| Senior posting | |
| Title | Chief Judge |
| Religious career | |
| Works | Deaths of Eminent Men and History of the Sons of the Epoch |
Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin Ibrāhīm bin Abū Bakr ibn Khallikān, known to many as Ibn Khallikān, was an important Islamic historian. He lived from 1211 to 1282. He is famous for writing a huge book called Deaths of Eminent Men and the Sons of the Epoch. This book is like a giant encyclopedia of biographies. It tells the life stories of many famous Muslim scholars and important people from Islamic history. Because of this amazing work, Ibn Khallikān is seen as one of the best biography writers in all of Islamic history.
Life Story of Ibn Khallikān
Early Life and Education
Ibn Khallikān was born in a city called Erbil on September 22, 1211. His family was well-respected and believed they were related to the Barmakids. The Barmakids were an important Iranian family from a place called Balkh.
Ibn Khallikān traveled a lot for his studies. He started his learning journey in Arbil. Then, he moved to Aleppo and later to Damascus. He studied Fiqh, which means Islamic law, in Mosul. After that, he went to Cairo, where he decided to live.
Becoming a Scholar
In Cairo, Ibn Khallikān became very well-known. He was an expert in several fields. He was a great jurist, meaning he knew a lot about Islamic law. He was also a theologian, someone who studies religious beliefs. Plus, he was a grammarian, meaning he was an expert in the rules of language.
People who knew him described him as a good person. They said he was religious, kind, and very smart. He was pleasant to be around, and his conversations were always serious and taught you something new. He also had a very nice appearance and friendly manners.
Career as a Judge
Ibn Khallikān got married in 1252. He worked as an assistant to the chief judge in Egypt for several years. In 1261, he became the chief judge himself in Damascus. This was a very important job, like being the head of all the courts.
He held this position until 1271. After that, he went back to Egypt and taught there for some time. In 1278, he was asked to return to Damascus and became the chief judge again. He finally retired in 1281. Ibn Khallikān passed away in Damascus on October 30, 1282.
