Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Abd al-Rahman al-Majdoub

Role / Field:

Influential Moroccan poet, Sufi mystic, and source of wisdom literature.

Born:

1504

Died:

1568-05-26

Century / Era:

1504s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Sidi Abderrahman el Majdoub (Arabic: عبد الرحمان المجدوب, romanized: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Majdhūb, March 1506 – 26 May 1568), also transcribed as Mejdub, full name al-Shaykh Abu Zayd Abderrahman al-Majdoub ibn Ayyad ibn Yaacub ibn Salama ibn Khashan al-Sanhaji al-Dukkali, was a Moroccan poet, Sufi and mystic. Many lines of his poems are known throughout the Maghreb, and his work is the source of many proverbs (e.g. "doubt is the beginning of wisdom"). Abderrahman was born in March 1506 in the Tit village near Azemmour, Morocco.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1508, he moved with his father to Irgan near the town of Meknes. He was brought up in a Sufi environment, his father studied under Ibrahim Afham al-Zarhuni, a student of Ahmad Zarruq. Abderrahman studied first in Meknes, then he went to Fez to continue his studies. He studied in Meknes under teachers such as Abu Ruwayin, Ahmad al-Shabih, Said ibn Abi Bakr al-Mishnaza'i, Abd al-Haqq al-Zalliji, Ja'ran as-Sfyani and the qutb Umar al-Khattab al-Zarhuni. It was Umar al-Khattab al-Zarhuni who told him to settle in the habt region.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He studied in Fez under teachers such as Ali ibn Ahmad al-Sanhaji. He memorised the entire Quran and the 10 different ways...

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Frequently Asked Questions about Abd al-Rahman al-Majdoub