Fatima al-Fihriya
Fatima al-Fihriya | |
---|---|
فاطمة الفهرية | |
Born | c. 800 CE |
Died | c. 880 CE |
Known for | Financing of the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque |
Fatima bint Muhammad al-Fihriya al-Qurashiyya (
Life
Story according to traditional accounts
Little is known about her personal life, except for what was recorded by 14th century historian
Historicity
The historicity of this story has been questioned by some modern historians who see the symmetry of two sisters founding the two most famous mosques of Fes as too convenient and likely originating from legend.
One of the biggest challenges to the traditional story is a foundation inscription that was rediscovered during renovations to the mosque in the 20th century, previously hidden under layers of plaster for centuries. This inscription, carved onto cedar wood panels and written in a
According to the widely circulated narrative, the school linked with al-Qarawiyyin ultimately became the focal point of the present-day University of al-Qarawiyyin. The assertion that the university was founded by Fatima al-Fihri alongside the mosque is shrouded in myth rather than reality.[14] The university library, linked to Fatima's story, was restored and reopened in 2016, gaining attention from influential sources such as The Guardian, Smithsonian, TED, and Quartz that claimed that the library was the world's oldest continuously operating library, and that it was founded by Fatima herself. According to Ian D. Morris, a historian of early Islamic societies, there is no empirical evidence to support claims that Fatima founded the library.[15] The lack of historical sources and consultation with historians by commentators, including think-tanks, NGOs, social scientists, journalists, and bloggers, has resulted in numerous "sourceless, baseless" iterations of the Fatima story. As the story is useful to present-day discourses about women and sciences in Islamic history, Morris concludes that the speculation repeated by modern writers "says more about the current value of Fatima as a political symbol than about the historical person herself."[15]
Founding of Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque
According to Ibn Abi Zar', Fatima used the money inherited from her father to construct the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, named for the immigrants from her city. When Fatima's community outgrew the mosque, she purchased a mosque built around 845 AD under the supervision of King Yahya ibn Muhammad and rebuilt it, doubling its size.
The construction project was supervised by Fatima herself. As Tunisian historian Hassan Hosni Abdelwahab noted in his book Famous Tunisian Women: "She committed to only using the land she had purchased. She dug deep into the land, unearthing yellow sand, plaster, and stone to use, so as not to draw suspicion from others [for using too many resources]".[16]
The mosque took 18 years to construct.[12] According to Moroccan historian Abdelhadi Tazi, Al-Fihriya fasted until the project's completion. When it was finished, she went inside and prayed to God, thanking him for his blessings.[17] She named it after the immigrants from her hometown of Kairouan.
According to tradition, Fatima's sister, Mariam, also founded a similar mosque in the district across the river around the same time (859–60), with help from local Andalusian families, which became known as the Al-Andalusiyyin Mosque (Mosque of the Andalusians).[18][10]
References
- ISBN 978-981-10-1056-9.
- ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
Fatima, al-Fihri (d. 880), founder of the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, the oldest operating university in the world, was also known as "Fatima al-Fihriya" and oum al-banine ("the mother of the children").
See also usage in e.g.:- Talhami, Ghada Hashem (2013). Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-8108-6858-8.
- Martin, Keith W.; Martin Erickson, Deborah A. (2020). "The Mosaic Culture: Elements of Family, Education, Religion, and Hospitality, with their Contributions to Peace in Morocco". In Ennaji, Moha (ed.). Managing Cultural Diversity in the Mediterranean Region. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-5275-4997-5.
- Talhami, Ghada Hashem (2013). Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 106.
- ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
Fatima, al-Fihri (d. 880), founder of the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, the oldest operating university in the world, was also known as "Fatima al-Fihriya" and oum al-banine ("the mother of the children").
See also usage in e.g.:- Kenney, Jeffrey T.; Moosa, Ebrahim (August 15, 2013). Islam in the Modern World. Routledge. p. 128. ISBN 9781135007959.
- Lai, Yew Meng; Ahmad, Abdul Razak; Wan, Chang Da (2016). Higher Education in the Middle East and North Africa: Exploring Regional and Country Specific Potentials. Springer. pp. vii. ISBN 978-981-10-1056-9.
- Kenney, Jeffrey T.; Moosa, Ebrahim (August 15, 2013). Islam in the Modern World. Routledge. p. 128.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
Fatima, al-Fihri (d. 880), founder of the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, the oldest operating university in the world, was also known as "Fatima al-Fihriya" and oum al-banine ("the mother of the children").
- ^ a b c "Meet Fatima al-Fihri: The founder of the world's first Library". January 26, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9781135007959.
- ^ ʻAlī ibn ʻAbd Allāh Ibn Abī Zarʻ al-Fāsī (1964). Rawd Al-Qirtas (in Spanish). Valencia: J. Nácher.
- ^ "Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fes: Brainchild of a Muslim Woman". Inside Arabia. September 15, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ S2CID 161308864.
- ^ a b c d Le Tourneau, Roger (1949). Fès avant le protectorat: étude économique et sociale d'une ville de l'occident musulman (in French). Casablanca: Société Marocaine de Librairie et d'Édition. pp. 48–49.
La tradition, à ce sujet, est édifiante mais un peu incertaine. Les uns rapportent qu'une femme originaire de Kairouan, Fatima, fille de Mohammed el-Fihri, vint s'installer à Fès. Coup sur coup, son mari et sa sœur moururent, lui laissant une fortune considérable. Fatima ne chercha pas à la faire fructifier, mais à la dépenser en des œuvres pies; c'est pourquoi elle décida d'acheter un terrain boisé qui se trouvait encore libre de constructions et d'y faire élever la mosquée qui reçut par la suite le nom de Mosquée des Kairouanais (Jama' el-Karawiyin). Selon d'autres auteurs, Mohammed el-Fihri avait deux filles, Fatima et Mariam, auxquelles il laissa en mourant une grande fortune. Prises d'une sainte émulation, les deux sœurs firent bâtir chacune une mosquée, Fatima la Mosquée des Kairouanais, Mariam la Mosquée des Andalous; cette dernière fut d'ailleurs aidée dans son entreprise par les Andalous établis dans ce quartier. Nous n'avons aucune raison valable de nous prononcer en faveur de l'un de ces récits plutôt que de l'autre. Tout au plus pourrait-on dire que le second, avec son parallélisme si parfait entre les deux sœurs et les deux mosquées, paraît trop beau pour être vrai.
- ^ ISBN 9780300218701.
- ^ ISBN 9781136441271.
- ^ a b Deverdun, Gaston (1957). "Une nouvelle inscription idrisite (265 H = 877 J.C.)". Mélanges d'histoire et d'archéologie de l'occident musulman - Tome II - Hommage à Georges Marçais (in French). Imprimerie officielle du Gouvernement Général de l'Algérie. pp. 129–146.
- ISBN 978-1-4408-6825-2.
- ^ a b "Fatima al-Fihri: modern legends, medieval sources – Ian D. Morris". August 4, 2021. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "كتاب - شهيرات التونسيات" [Famous-Tunisian]. k-tb.com (in Arabic). Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ التحرير, هيئة (April 9, 2019). "فاطمة الفهرية أم البنين مؤسسة أول جامعة في العالم". Ejadidanews.com - الجديدة نيوز (in Arabic). Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ Terrasse, Henri; Colin, Georges Séraphin (1942). La mosquée des Andalous à Fès (in French). Paris: Les Éditions d'art et d'histoire. pp. 7–8.
Further reading
- "Kairaouine Mosque, Fes". Sacred Destinations.
- "The Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque". Morocco.com.