Origins & Early Life

Ibn al-Farid or Ibn Farid; (Arabic: عمر بن علي بن الفارض, ʿUmar ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Fāriḍ) (22 March 1181 – 1234) was an Arab poet as well as a Sufi waliullah. His name is Arabic for "son of the obligator" (the one who divides the inheritance between the inheritors), as his father was well regarded for his work in the legal sphere. He was born in Cairo to parents from Hama in modern Syria, lived for some time in Mecca, and died in Cairo. His poetry is full of Sufi inspiration and imagery, and he was esteemed as the greatest mystic poet of the Arabs.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Some of his poems are said to have been written in ecstasies. Ibn al-Fāriḍ was arguably the most celebrated Sufi poet in the pre-modern Islamic world, with his poetry admired across both Arabic and Persian speaking regions. The Persian poet Jami is known to have written a commentary on Ibn al-Fāriḍ's poems, and Sa'id al-Din Farghani also authored a Persian commentary on his work Ibn al-Farid's father moved from his native town, Hama in Syria, to Cairo where Umar was born. Some sources say that his father was a respected farid (an advocate for women's causes) and others say that his profession was the allocation of shares (furūḍ...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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