2020-11-07 Sat

Ibn Hazm was an Andalusian Muslim litterateur, historian, jurist, and theologian of Islamic Spain. He is famed for his literary productivity, breadth of learning, and mastery of the Arabic language. Described as one of the strictest hadith interpreters, Ibn Hazm was a leading proponent and codifier of the Zahiri School of Islamic thought and produced a reported 400 works, of which only 40 still survive.

Ibn Hazm was born on November 7, 994 during the Caliphate of Cordoba. He belongs to a notable family that claimed descent from a Persian client of Yazid, the son of Mu?awiyah, the first of the Umayyad dynasty rulers in Syria.

His appreciation of the resources of the Arabic language and his skillful use of poetry and prose are evident in all his works. One delightful example is The Ring of the Dove (?awq al-hamamah), on the art of love.

In all, his written works amounted to some 80 000 pages. The Encyclopaedia of Islam refers to him as having been one of the leading thinkers of the Muslim world, and he is widely acknowledged as the father of comparative religious studies alongside al-Biruni.

To honour Ibn Hazm Postal Department of Spain printed a commemorative stamp shows his portrait.

Image Source: colnect.com