عمل أهل قرطبة
عمل أهل قرطبة
Cordoban ʿamal as proof: so great was the city that Maghrebi law cited 'the practice of Cordoba', including the ruler's power to bind a qadi to one madhhab — valid per al-Baji, Cordoban practice and Sahnun's condition; void per al-Turtushi ('a great ignorance'); or the appointment valid and the condition void per al-Mazari. The custom then passed to the Maghreb, where the author's grandfather, qadi al-qudat of Fes, mourned: 'Cordoba is gone with its people, yet its people's ignorance has not departed' 1.
At a glance
- Region
- al-Andalus & Europe · Maghreb
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Overview
The practice of the people of Cordoba was a proof in the Maghrib because of its weight, so that in rulings they would say: this is something on which the practice of Cordoba has run. Al-Maqqari reports this in Nafh al-tib. 2
Requiring a school of law of the judge
One example is the ruler's stipulation that the judge must rule according to a specific school of law. Ibn Arafa lists three opinions on its validity:
- It is valid, according to al-Baji, the practice of the people of Cordoba, and the apparent wording of Sahnun's stipulation.
- It is void, according to al-Turtushi, who said of the stipulation of the people of Cordoba: this is a great ignorance.
- The appointment is valid but the stipulation is void, according to al-Mazari.
On this stipulation was built the obligation of judges in al-Andalus to follow a school, and from there it passed to the Maghrib. 2
Al-Maqqari's comment
Abu Abd Allah al-Maqqari, chief judge of Fez and grandson of the author, commented that Cordoba and its people have passed away, but its ignorance has not left the people. 2
Sources
- Nafh al-Tib min Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib — al-Maqqari, p. 592-593
- Nafh al-Tib min Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib — al-Maqqari, p.592-593
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “عمل أهل قرطبة”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/amal-ahl-qurtuba/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.