The rock of Gibraltar

Back to Table of Contents 6
To next page

Lisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib: Nafhu-t-tib min
ghosni-l-Andalusi-r-rattib (d1374) (Analects on history and literature of the Arabs of Spain) Fez

-----------------------------------------------------

Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Said ibn Ali ibn Ahmad al-Salmani known as Lisan Al-Din Ibn Al-Khatib (1313, Loja – 1374, Fes) was an Andalusian polymath poet, writer, historian, philosopher, physician and politician from Granada. His historical work, al-Ihata fi akhbar Gharnata (The Complete Source on the History of Granada), written in 1369, includes his autobiography. He has little to say about East Africa.

 

Taken from: The history of the Mohammedan dynasties in Spain: extracted from ..., Volume 1 By Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad Maqqari, Ibn al-Khaṭib

 

Also called: Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Said ibn Ali ibn Ahmad al-Salmani

 

(The idol at the rock of Gibraltar) Masudi in his Golden Meadows attributes its construction
to Al Jabbar (1) the same who built the seven idols in the country of Zinj which are one in sight
of the other but the most probable opinion seems to be that it was built by some of the ancient
kings of Andalus (2) to serve as a guide to navigators from the fact of the idol having his left arm
extended towards the Bahru-z-zokak (straits) and pointing to the mouth as if he was showing the way

 

Lisan al-Din ibn al-Khatib: Al-Ihata fi ahbar Garnata

(The History of Granada) (d1374)

-----------------------------------------------------

Taken from: Der Neger in der Bildersprache der arabischen Dichter By Manfred Ullmann

Vol I p258

(citing: Abu Ga’far Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hatima al Amsati)

The gloss (the morning red) has drawn gold lettering on the azure (sky); now the horizon is partly striped, partly embroidered. It is believed that the stars that dawn breaks at daybreak are silver coins that fall out of a zanj's hand.

Vol I p504

(citing: Abul Qasim al Hidr ibn Ahmad ibn Abi l Afiya)

(resembling grey hair) the smile of a Zanj, but they make the eyes overflowing with tears.

Vol IV p505

The night is like a Zanj, so to speak, the walk of which is adorned with the pearls of the stars on the firmament.

Note: My reason for adding so much poetry is that it gives a less racist picture then the philosophers give.

(1) Al Jabbar: literally the omnipotent one.

(2) Andalus: Muslim Spain