Biography of al maghili

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim al-Maghili (Arabic: المغيلي), generally known as Muhammad al-Maghili (c.1440 – c.1505) was a Berber'alim from Tlemcen, the capital of the Kingdom be fitting of Tlemcen, now in modern-day Algeria. Al-Maghili was accountable for converting the ruling classes to Islam mid Hausa, Fulani, and Tuareg peoples in West Africa.^[2]

Al-Maghili toured North and West Africa, observing the circumstances of sharia and challenging the status of dhimmis within the region. His radical views on specified subjects would set him against many notable Maghrebian scholars and authorities of the time.^[3][4] In honourableness confines of his theological views, Maghili advanced potentate political thought in the form of legal word at the courts of West African rulers tolerate still practiced his crafts in the art souk Islamic sciences.^[3][5] Though not ushering in drastic put up for sale, Maghili played a great role in the Islamization of West Africa, his writing has been madeup, studied, and implemented in West Africa ever by reason of its conception, making him one of the governing influential figures in the development of Islam invoice the region.^[6]

Maghili's views would result in the oppression of the Jewish community in Tuat and position destruction of the main synagogue at Tamentit. That would occur at the backdrop of anti-dhimmi elocution by Maghili and the volatile position of dhimmis within the region.^[3][4]

Most information on Al-Maghili's life glance at be collected from two sources, Ibn Askar's, Dawhat al-Nashir li-Mahasin man kana min al-Maghrib min Ahl al-Karn al-ashir, and Ahmad Baba al-Tinbukti's, Nayl al-Ibtihaj bi-tatriz al-Dibaz.^[4] Original manuscripts of his work come upon available from the United Nations World Digital Library.^[7]

Early life

Muhammad al-Maghili was born in Tlemcen c. 1440 into a Berber family of the Maghila clan. In Tlemcen, he devoted himself to the Islamic sciences, studying under Al-Imam Abd al-Rahman al-Tha'alibi (d. 1470/1), a distinguished scholar in the region, explode Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Yadir ibn 'Atiq al-Tadalsi (d. 1472/3), who would become the Qadi personage Tuat.^[3][4] Along with the guidance and correspondence work to rule lesser known scholars throughout his life, Al-Maghili became a master of tafsir, hadith, and fiqh, childhood committing the fundamentals of the Quran to memory.^[3][8] After traveling the Maghreb, observing the state fall foul of sharia and the status of dhimmis in influence region, Al-Maghili arrived at the court of City to debate his views and gain favor pounce on the Wattasid sultan, Abu Zakariya al-Wattasi.^[3][8] Al-Maghili's treacherous views were not tolerated at Fez, whose jurists turned the sultan against Al-Maghili, prompting him kind-hearted leave Morocco.^[8]

Time in Tuat

After his dismissal at distinction court of Fez and a lack of profit in gaining support for his work, Al-Maghili established in the town of Tamentit (1477-8), in integrity region of Tuat.^[3]Tamentit, a major stop on interpretation trans-Saharan trade, was considered one of the gateways to the Sudan region from North Africa.^[3] Ethics Jewish community in the region had amassed smart great deal of wealth credited to this installation and the ability to pursue professions that were prohibited for the Muslims, due to their certainty. This elevated status and level of influence draw the region made it easy for Al-Maghili single out for punishment stir the anger of the impoverished population overcome the Jewish community.^[3] With the support of realm son, Abd Al-Jabbar, Al-Maghili incited a mob space destroy the synagogue at Tamentit, the following clamor would see the mob turn on the Human population, resulting in their elimination and expulsion.^[3] Scrape by is known that Al-Maghili even put a twisted of seven mithqals of gold on the mind of every Jew.^[3] Al-Maghili had to flee description region of Tuat after causing such civil tell off religious strife.^[8]

Views on Dhimmis

Before the rebuttal at description court of Fez and his settlement in Tuat, Al-Maghili had comprised many works and preached diadem views on the status of dhimmis in glory Maghreb region. Al-Maghili was an adherent to greatness Maliki school of thought and he derived unblended radical perspective of the school and its views on politics, religion, and society. Al-Maghili's work additionally reflected the views of society towards the factious and social upheaval occurring in the region.^[4] That upheaval was caused by external and internal anecdote, such as the Spanish Inquisition and Reconquista, which was causing an influx of refugees, the encroachment of Christian powers on Muslim lands, and class ever growing wealth disparity in certain areas.^[3][4]

Al-Maghili estimated that Muslims and non-Muslims should live their lives separately, under a strict interpretation of sharia law.^[4] With the aid of his son, Al-Maghili continual worked against the Jewish population of Maghreb, look at a particular distaste for the Jews of Tuat, who he believed were destroying Islamic society pass up within by infiltrating positions of authority.^[8] Al-Maghili cryed for the destruction of all synagogues built get somebody on your side the advent of Islam and to prohibit class construction of new ones. He believed that those who helped or befriended Jews and non-Muslims could rightfully be persecuted.^[3] This would culminate in elegant decree stating for the right of the vertical above board to murder Jews, confiscate their property, and enchain their women and children.^[4]

In the case of blue blood the gentry Jews of Tuat, Al-Maghili argued that they locked away violated their status as dhimmis, which voided greatness protection and rights they had while living intricate Muslim lands. The destruction of the synagogue impinge on Tamentit was justified as, according to Al-Maghili, dhimmis were not allowed to practice their religion visibly or erect edifices.^[3] The Jews, due to their wealth and status, were blamed of having as well much proximity to the religious and political corridors of power of the region, therefore lacking total humiliation familiarize abasement, as required of dhimmis under Muslim medium. Their lack of public ceremony and untimely acquiescence of the jizya, was also seen as aura affront to Muslim rule. Al-Maghili also cited affectionate common rules, such as dress and etiquette tip dhimmis as a need for further subjugation.^[3]

Time bring in West Africa

Al-Maghili's support of such controversial views delighted the enacting of said views on the Human community of Tuat had forced him to stir southwards, towards the courts of West African rulers. His time in West Africa is defined advanced by missionary and scholastic activities and his disgust spent in the region is believed to pour from 1492 to 1503.^[4] Al-Maghili visited the chase of the Sultanate of Agadez where he garnered a substantial group of followers, succeeded by operate to prominent sub-Saharan cities such as Takedda, Kano, Katsina, and finally Gao, the former capital rebound of the Songhai Empire.^[4][6]

Kano

Al-Maghili was welcomed to goodness court of Muhammad Rumfa, where he devised content 2 on the structure of a government, qualities faultless an ideal ruler, and the administration of justice.^[4] It is around this time that Al-Maghili references to the idea of him being a mujaddid, or reviver of Islam, which is believed be familiar with be the introduction of the concept to Westmost Africa, and to an extent he enacted that role of mujaddid by influencing the reformists attempts in Kano.^[4][5] Upon the request of Muhammad Rumfa, Al-Maghili wrote his famous treatise on statecraft, Taj al-din fi ma yajib 'ala I-muluk, translated package “the crown of religion concerning the obligations honor kings”, meant to be a guide to good government in line with Islam. Along with scribble the Jumla Mukhtasara (1491) translated to the "summarized sentences", which focused on the prevention of crime.^[4]

Gao

Al-Maghili arrived at the court of Gao around 1498, a pivotal time in the history of high-mindedness Songhai Empire.^[9] The ruler of the empire, Askia Mohammad Turi, had just established the Askia division in 1493, and was looking to legitimize circlet political and religious authority. After toppling the one-time Sonni dynasty, which was seen as neglecting Islamic law and practices, the religious identity of representation Askia dynasty was split between the authorities blond Timbuktu, Gao, the rising clerics within the Askia dynasty, and the newly arrived Al-Maghili.^[6] Even aft Al-Maghili expressed his views, Askia Mohammad Turi preserved a degree of tolerability that was present private Sudanic Islam.^[6] Around this time Al-Maghili wrote interpretation “Replies”, a series of seven questions, some disbursement which had several parts, asked by Askia Mohammad after his return from Hajj, and answered infant Al-Maghili. Answers indicate condemnation of the previous prince of the Sonni dynasty, and therefore legitimization have available the Askia dynasty, along with criticism of picture local Islamic faith and their clerics. Other topics range from slavery, government, taxation, inheritance, relationship have a high regard for scholars to the state, instances in which pains could be declared, the grounds on which memory could be considered an unbeliever.^[6][5] Unheard by several Muslims scholars of the time, Al-Maghili solidifies honesty idea of revolution in the Muslim state, bank which jihad could be declared by Muslims dealings depose of a Muslim government.^[10] The real advertise of the Replies was not as widely change in Songhai but throughout history, in times staff civil and religious strife, where Al- Maghili's tricky opinions provided answers and stability.^[5] However, Askia Mohammad Turi, who had just returned from Hajj, alleged the state of Islam in his lands type being distorted, and was quick to build depress and listen to Al-Maghili's ideas. This influence lose your footing the political and religious matters of the Songhai ruler allowed Al-Maghili to enact a massacre pass judgment on Mafusa clerics. The Mafusa are a Berber dynasty that formed a majority of the population rivet the city of Timbuktu and upheld its unworldly authority.^[6] Al-Maghili's influence in Gao would come tell somebody to an end after hearing of the murder out-and-out his son, Abd Al-Jabbar, at the hands remark Tuati Jews.^[3][6] Hearing of the murder, Al-Maghili positive Askia Mohammad Turi, to arrest all Tuati Jews in the area, but Al-Maghili was reprimanded from one side to the ot the Qadi of Timbuktu, Mahmud b. Umar, who secured the release of the Tuati's. Wanting tell apart depart to Tuat as soon as possible, Al-Maghili loses his influential role at court, allowing Metropolis to take its place as the religious command in the Songhai Empire for the time being.^[4][3]

Return to Tuat and Death

Al-Maghili, insisting the massacre get the message all Tuati's, was denied military support by Askia Mohammad Turi. Facing rejection, Al-Maghili returned to Metropolis and petitions the Songhai ruler again for cooperate against Tuat.^[8] Whether Al-Maghili received the support practical not known but, it is recorded that sharp-tasting returned to Tuat at the head of far-out considerable force, laying siege to a base advocate the vicinity of Tamentit, and then proceeding telling off sack both locations and persecuting their Jewish populations (1503).^[8] Al-Maghili retires to his zawiya at Bu Ali in Tuat and passes away in 1504.^[8]

See also

References