''Qadi'' al-Aqib ibn Mahmud ibn Umar ibn Muhammad Aqit (; 1507/15081583) was a
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja ( ber, Aẓnag, pl. Iẓnagen, and also Aẓnaj, pl. Iẓnajen; ar, صنهاجة, ''Ṣanhaja'' or زناگة ''Znaga'') were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Ma ...
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
''qadi'' (supreme Judge) of
Timbuktu
Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou;
Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...
and ''Imam'' of
Sankore mosque.
Life
al-Aqib ibn Mahmud was born in 1507/1508 to the Sanhaja Berber Aqit family. He studied under his father and uncle, then went to make the ''
hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
'', where he studied under leading scholars like al-Nasir al-Laqani, who certified him to teach a number of books.
Ahmad Baba, who was his cousin once removed, studied under him, and got an ''
ijaza
An ''ijazah'' ( ar, الإِجازَة, "permission", "authorization", "license"; plural: ''ijazahs'' or ''ijazat'') is a license authorizing its holder to transmit a certain text or subject, which is issued by someone already possessing such au ...
''. In 1565, al-Aqib succeeded his brother, Qāḍī Muḥammad, as the ''Qadi'' of Timbuktu.
In 1569, he began rebuilding
Sidi Yahya Mosque
The Sidi Yahya Mosque (), also known as the Mosque of Muhammad-n-Allah, is a mosque and madrasa of Timbuktu in Mali. The construction of the mosque began in 1400 under the leadership of Sheikh el-Mokhtar Hamalla of Timbuktu and was finished in ...
, and in 1570 renovating
Djinguereber Mosque
The Djinguereber Mosque ( ar, مسجد دجينجيربر) in Timbuktu, Mali is a famous learning center of Mali built in 1327, and cited as Djingareyber or Djingarey Ber in various languages. Its design is accredited to Abu Ishaq Al Sahili ...
, followed by the sūq mosque in 1577/1578. He rebuilt the
Sankore mosque the following year, for which he precisely adopted the ''
Qibla
The qibla ( ar, قِبْلَة, links=no, lit=direction, translit=qiblah) is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the s ...
''.
He died on 10 August 1583 and was succeeded as ''Qadi'' by his brother Abu Hafs Umar.
See also
*
Sankore Madrasah
Sankoré Madrasa (also called the University of Sankoré, or Sankore Masjid) is one of three ancient centers of learning located in Timbuktu, Mali. It is believed to be established by Mansa Musa, who was the ruler of the Mali Empire, though the S ...
*
Djinguereber Mosque
The Djinguereber Mosque ( ar, مسجد دجينجيربر) in Timbuktu, Mali is a famous learning center of Mali built in 1327, and cited as Djingareyber or Djingarey Ber in various languages. Its design is accredited to Abu Ishaq Al Sahili ...
*
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...
Notes
References
*
1507 births
1583 deaths
16th-century Berber people
Malian scholars
Malian imams
Malian judges
People from Timbuktu
Massufa
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