Page 18 - Pakistan Link -June 7, 2024

P18 - PAKISTAN LINK - JUNE 7, 2024 COMMENTARY
n By Dr Ahmed S. Khan the 5th century AH, Morocco again fol-
Chicago, IL Book & Author lowed the policy of “independence”, and
by that time Fas became the destination
“I had never seen like it [al-Qarawiyyin of learned men and poets who praised
University] nor like its learned men nei- the mir of the city. The capital of Mo-
ther in Telmsan nor in Bjaya or even in Abd Al-Hadi At-Tazi: Eleven Centuries rocco enjoyed prosperous days, but the
the region of esh-Sham, Hidjaz or Egypt.” dispute of leaders disturbed its life. It
— Shaykh Ali Ben Maymoun (1450 was then that the Murabits under You-
-1511) in the University of Al-Qarawiyyin suf Ben Tashfin established power over
both Spain and Morocco. But their dy-
l-Qarawiyyin is the oldest uni- nasty was soon overwhelmed by that of
versity in the world. For the gious leaders (Ulema) and jurisconsults Muahhids under Abdul Mu’min who in
Apast twelve hundred and sixty- (fuqaha) decided to assign the Qadi Ab- 540 besieged Fas, revenging upon “Al-
three years Al-Qarawiyyin— also writ- dul Haqq Ben Maecha to supervise the Mulatamin” destroying their traces and
ten as Al-Karaouine or Al Quaraouiy- repair and modification of the mosque, surrounding, at the same time, Qadi
ine — has been the premier religious after receiving permission from the Mu- Ayyad in Ceuta. Marrakech became
and educational institution of the Is- rabited Sultan Ali Ben Yousuf Ben Tash- the capital of this immense empire; to it
lamic world. It was established in 859 fin. The said Qadi bought neighboring came philosophers, poets, mystics, and
AD by Fatima Al-Fihri, who migrated lands and properties in the south, east, great religious leaders. Yet Fas remained
with her father Mohammed Al-Fihiri, and west of the mosque. Further ad- an important center of intellectual life
a businessman, from Qayrawan, Tuni- dition was 1,850 square meters. Thus since it was centrally located.”
sia to Fes, Morocco. The family settled al-Qarawiyyin’s present aspect became Commenting on al-Qarawiyyin’s
in the western district of Fes which was composed of sixteen “ Ascopes” and legacy as the oldest university, the au-
inhabited by other migrants from Qa- twenty “Blatas,” and a surface of 5,846 thor observes: “The Arab conquest was
yrawan. Fatima and her sister Maryam square meters. By this time, the ‘univer- distinguished by the fact that it came to
were well educated and had the passion sity’ acquired its pulpit which replaced Morocco with “a Book.” And since the
to serve the community. They inher- over the centuries the center of light and one, the Andalusian: the former was pa- the Fatimid Umayyad one, and its cen- natural place for the meeting of believers
ited a large amount of wealth — each guidance for thousands of learned men, tronized by Fatima, the latter by Mary- tral “Blatas” were decorated with the was the mosque, where they could dis-
decided to build a mosque for the com- who taught others, of hundreds of lead- am. It was because of its situation that most beautiful arts and designs.” cuss the Qur’an and its contents. It was
munity. The mosque built by Fatima ers, scores of kings and chiefs whose the mosque-university got its name.” Reflecting on — The Present Qa- only natural that it should become a sort
came to be known as Al-Qarawiyyin, own lives adorn the pages of history Describing the establishment of the rawiyyin [1960] — the author states: of school. Qaba’a mosque in Makkah
which eventually evolved into a univer- with their examples. Each particular as- mosque — The First Qarawiyyin 245 “Although al-Qarawiyyin was branded, was the first such school in the East; the
sity offering various programs in areas pect of this great mosque would need a AH (859 AD) — the author notes: “Fati- either in the first or the second enlarge- first one built in North Africa was in
of natural sciences, Qur’an and Fiqh, great deal of research in itself; but here, ma chose a field in the eastern part of the ments, by the nature of enlarging the al-Qayrawan. Many mosques were pat-
medicine, mathematics, astronomy, we have presented a general perspective Qarawiyyin city that had been inherited building, it was distinguished at the terned after the latter in many respects,
chemistry, history, and geography. of events in the history of this university by a young nobleman of the Haouara time of Muahhid, Marinid, Outasid and as for example, the az-Zaituna in Tunis,
Over the past twelve hundred years relying strictly on historical facts and tribe; she paid for it with some of her Sa’did dynasties by equipment such as al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco and al-Azhar
Al-Qarawiyyin has produced many leaving aside the “golden legend” attach- own pure fortune. Under the directions the great luster, Spanish bells, the ‘Beau- in Egypt, and so on. But these mosques
great scholars including Abu Abullah ing to this stream of existence. It is to be of the Sultan and some learned men, she tiful fountain’, water clocks and new did not always remain educational in-
Al-Sati, Abu Al-Abbas al-Zwawi, Ibn hoped that the reader will find in these began preparations for the construc- public utilities for the men of al-Qarawi- stitutions besides being mosques, since
Rashid Al-Sabti (d.1321 AD), Ibn Al- lines something of interest concerning tion on part of the ground, deciding yyin. Under the Alawids, its public utili- now one place thrived, while another
Haj Al-Fasi (d.1336 AD), Abu Madhab the history of this university which has to extract building materials from the ties were repaired. The names of Moulay declined, and vice versa. But the one in
Al-Fasi, Ibn Maymun (Maimonides, played such an important role in the dif- site itself. She was pleased to discover a Ismail, Mohamed Ben Abdullah. and Fas stands out because Fas was built not
1135-1204), Al-Idrissi (d.1166 AD), Ibn fusion of Islam as a creed and the Arabic quarry, sand and at the same time, she Mohamed V were added to the names of to be a commercial or industrial center
Al- Arabi (1165-1240 AD), Ibn Khaldun language as a tongue. ABD AL-HADI dug a well close to the mosque which the sultans engraved there.” but rather to be a religious and teach-
(1332-1395 AD), Ibn Al-Khatib, Alpe- AT-TAZI, VI. 25.1960.” used it during its first years. By way of Reflecting on the Cultural History ing center. Moreover, religious leaders
tragius, Al-Bitruji, Ibn Harazim, and Ibn Reflecting on the origin of the name dedicating the work to a religious end, of Al-Qarawiyyin, the author observes: and jurisconsults controlled the growth
Wazzan. of Al-Qarawiyyin, the author states: Fatima fasted for a while after the con- “…For the sake of clarity we can divide of the city from the very first day. Reli-
During medieval times, Al-Qarawi- “In its early history Morocco experi- struction of the mosque was begun on these eleven centuries into three periods. gious education had never stopped even
yyin played a key role in promoting enced an influx of people who adopted the 1st of Ramadan, 245 AH (November The first period begins from the middle during periods of repair and even when
cultural exchange and transfer of knowl- it as second homeland, having come in 30, 859 AD). Like the first mosque, al- of the third century to the middle of the Marrakech became the capital of the
edge between Muslims and Europeans. thousands from Andalus at the time of Qarawiyyin was square-shaped, but not seventh century AH (859-1250 AD), country at the time of the Murabits; the
Among prominent European scholars El Hakam Ibn Hisham, and in hundreds perfectly square in as much as its length that is to say: the last days of Idrisids, learned people of Marrakech and else-
who studied at Al-Qarawiyyin were Ger- from Qayrawan at the time of Aghlabids. from east to west was 39 meters while its Zanatids and Murabitids up to the time where in Morocco sent their sons to al-
bert of Aurillac (930-1003 AD aka Pope The Imam Idris II, then reigning, took width was 32 meters. This means that of Muahhids. The second period begins Qarawiyyin to be educated. If the Uni-
Sylvester II, the Belgian Nichola Lou- care of the new elements in the follow- the mosque was 1,248 square meters. from the middle of the seventh century versity of Bologna in Italy was founded
vain, and the Deutch Golius. Unfortu- ing manner: He designated the eastern Thus it was formed of 4 “Ascopes”, from to the middle of the 11th century (1259- in 1088, Oxford in 1096, the Sorbonne
nately, some Europeans, like the French part of Fas in the month of Rabia 1, 192 west to east, and 12 ‘Blatas’ from north 1665 AD), that is to say: at the time of in 1257, then it is not difficult to see that
Empire builder, General Louis Lyautely AH (January 808 AD) for Andalusian to south.” the Murabitids, Outasids and the Sa’dids. the Qarawiyyin is among the oldest uni-
(1854-1934) — who led the French “Civ- nobles, and this part became known Explaining the evolution — The Sec- The third and last period begins from versities in the world; and one can per-
ilizing Mission” in Morocco via creating as “the Andalusian quarter”; and in ond Qarawiyyin 322 A.H. (934 AD) — the middle of the 11th century to the haps add that the oldest university in the
a protectorate — have shown bias and the month of Rabia IL 193 AH (Janu- the author observes: “After a century’s year 1380 AH (1665-1960 AD), that is to world is not in Europe but in Africa.”
disrespect for this premier seat of learn- ary 809 AD), he chose the western part use, the mosque began to suffer from say: from the rising of the Alawid period Describing the subjects of studies,
ing by calling it “the Dark House.” for himself and a group of Qayrawanis. narrow-ness and need for reformation. to the present day.” the author notes: “Since its appearance
Eleven Centuries in the University Thus Fas became two-cities-in-one: the He who adopted reformation this time Discussing the First Period (859 al-Qarawiyyin acquiesced in Imam Ma-
of Al- Qarawiyyin (245-1380 AH/859- Andalusian city and the one inhabited was Emir Ahmed Ben Abi Bakr Az- - 1250 AD) — viz a viz a historical re- lik’s creed which came into Morocco
1960 AD) by Abd Al-Hadi At-Tazi by the Qayrawanien (a name which was Zanati, who wished to crown his period view of Idrisids, Zanatids, Murabits, with Idrisids, in support of Cordoba and
chronicles the growth and emergence simplified by the people into Qarawiyy- by the decision to enlarge the mosque. and Muahhids — the author notes: “… al-Qayrawan. Thus Malik’s creed and
of the world’s oldest university. The au- in). Among the African emigrants who He wrote to Emir Al Mouminin Abdur- the first Islamic dynasty appearing in opinions and the books written by his
thor was a professor and an attaché — in settled in Fas at the beginning of the Rahraan III, asking him to participate Morocco was called the Idrisids, who pupils were the main subjects studied in
the Moroccan Ministry of Education — third century AH was Mohamed Ben in the project of this enlargement. The planned and adopted Fas as their capital. addition to other sciences. It was during
charged with cultural relations with the Abdullah al-Fahri al-Qayrawani, who Omayyad Khalipha considered this sug- In foreign affairs, it sought to maintain the Murabitid period that the creed of
Arab countries. The book was translated died soon after his arrival, leaving a large gestion as an honor to him from his ally. a certain neutrality between the Aghla- al-Ghazali was repressed and his book
into English by Daoud Handiya and fortune to his two daughters: Fatima and Thus he sent an important amount of bids in Africa and the Ommayads in al-Ahia’a burnt at the beginning of the
published by the Moroccan Ministry of Maryam. Their nobility of nature was money, designated for construction, for Andalus. Upon the rise of the Fatimids sixth century A.H. But with the coming
Education in 1960. such that they conceived a project which the enlargement of the mosque. By this in 305 AH the above dynasty could not of the Muahhid Dynasty, the Muahhids
The author, in the foreword, reflect- was not only to redound to the glory of time, the mosque had been enlarged on keep such a policy as it had lent hand to laid down a new program aim[ed] at the
ing on the history of Al-Qarawiyyin ob- Muslim women to this day, but which three sides: west, east and north, a total the latter and invoke blessing to them on study of old books of “Hadith” written
serves: “This paper is a short summary has been a source of pride to all Muslims of 2,748 square meters. Thus following the mosques’ pulpits. Facing this fact, by: al-Boukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmazi,
of the history of al-Qarawiyyin Mosque; forever. Since many emigrants had gone this enlargement which had changed Cordoba began to present promises to Malik and Abou Daoud. It was an appeal
however, no historian could pretend to to Fas, it was soon clear that the Shorafa the first aspect of the Qarawiyyin, the the Zanatids’ leaders who took power to pave the way for “Ijtihad,” so that the
digest eleven centuries of history in a few Mosque in the western quarter and Al- mosque was composed of thirteen in the country following the withdrawal name of al-Ghazali appeared again. The
pages; and this is particularly true of a Ashiakh Mosque in the eastern quarter, “Ascopes” and eighteen “Blatas”, while of the Idrisids. For a while, the pulpit Muahhids also paid attention to differ-
mosque whose history is bound up with both founded by Idris II, were not suffi- the surface became 3,996 square meters.” of Al-Qarawiyyin remained subject of ent sciences and arts with the help of the
not only that of Morocco itself but also cient for the needs of the people. There- Expounding further on evolu- competition between Cordoba and al- teachers who came from Andalus.”
with that of the North African commu- fore, Fatima and Maryam volunteered to tion — The Third Qaramyyin 531 AH Qayrawan.” Reflecting on the teachers’ income,
nities, Andalus, and the Islamic world in build mosques in the western part, the (1137 AD) — the author notes: “In the Continuing with the First period, the author states: “Since the beginning
general, Moreover, this mosque has been Qayrawani section, and in the eastern 12th century AD, a conference of reli- the author states: “At the beginning of of the 6th century AH the budget of al-
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