Muhammad al-Khushani facts for kids

Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad b. al-Ḥārith al-Khushanī, also known as Al-Khushanī of Qayrawān, was an important Arab historian, judge, and expert in Islamic law. He was born in Kairouan, Tunisia, in the early 900s CE and later passed away in Córdoba, Spain, around 981 CE.

His Life Story

Al-Khushanī was born in Khushan, a town in Kairouan, Tunisia. At that time, Tunisia was under the rule of the Umayyad dynasty. He began his studies in his hometown and in Tunis.

However, in 923, the Fatimid dynasty took control of Tunisia. Like many other scholars who followed the Maliki school of thought, Al-Khushanī left his home. He first went to Ceuta, where he taught. Later, he traveled to Córdoba, which was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate in Spain.

In Spain, Al-Khushanī continued his legal studies, especially with a scholar named Ḳāsim ibn Aṣbagh. He became very skilled in law and gained the support of Prince al-Ḥakam II, who later became the Caliph (ruler) of Cordoba.

Al-Khushanī served as a qāḍī (judge) for inheritance cases in Pechina. He also worked as a shūrā (advisor) in Cordoba. Besides his legal work, he also practiced alchemy and medicine. He might have used these skills to support himself after Caliph al-Ḥakam died in 976.

The exact year of Al-Khushanī's death is not fully known. Some historians believe he died in 981, but others suggest different dates. Not much is known about the last years of his life.

His Important Books

It is believed that Al-Khushanī wrote about a hundred books while he was supported by Caliph al-Ḥakam. Many of these books have not survived to our time.

However, some of his most famous works, especially his biographical studies (books about people's lives), are still available today:

• Taʾrīkh Quḍāt al-Andalus: This book is also known as Kitāb al-qudā bi-Qurtuba. It is full of information from old documents, stories passed down by word of mouth, and details about the lives of judges (qadis) in Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain), especially in Córdoba, up to the year 968. A scholar named Charles Pellat said that Al-Khushanī wrote in a lively and informative way. Even if he sometimes included old stories that weren't completely true, he still shared important details, even those that might not have been favorable to the Umayyad rulers.

• Ṭabaḳāt ʿulamāʾ Ifrīḳiya: This book is a detailed study of different schools of thought (madhabs) in his time, including the Hanafi and Ismaili schools. This work was a very important source for other historians. Al-Khushanī's book also included scholars who were not part of the Mālikī school, even those who had converted to S̲h̲īʿism in Ifrīḳiya (North Africa) under the Fāṭimids. Charles Pellat suggested that Al-Khushanī, who was in exile and disagreed with the new rulers in his homeland, might have written this book for Caliph al-Ḥakam. The Caliph wanted to know what was happening there. The book gives interesting information about the Fāṭimids, but Al-Khushanī was not completely neutral. He described the scholars who stayed in Ifrīḳiya in a negative way, suggesting they were forced to support the new rulers out of greed or fear.

According to Charles Pellat, Al-Khushanī was also a bit of a poet, though some people said his poetry had mistakes.

See also

In Spanish: Muhammad al-Jusaní para niños