Abu Salim al-Ayyashi

Abu Salim 'Abd Allah ibn Mohammed ibn Abu Bakr al-'Ayyashi () (May 4, 1628December 13 or 18, 1679) was a well-known travel writer, poet, lawyer, and Sufi scholar from Morocco.

Biography

Abu Salim al-'Ayyashi was born on 4 May 1628 in the Berber tribe of Ait Ayyash living in the Middle Moroccan Atlas. His father was the head of a zawiyya. Al-Ayyashi lived and studied in Fez and joined the Sufi order of the Nasiriyya in Tamegroute. He travelled three times to the Hejaz in 1649, 1653 and 1661 and stayed for long periods in Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem and Cairo.

Works

He wrote a two volume rihla about his journeys: Ma’ al-Mawa’id (Table Water). Al-'Ayyashi is, moreover, the author of several further works:

• Manẓuma fi ’l-BuyuÊ», a treatise in verse on sales, with a commentary;
• TanbÄ«h DhawÄ« al-Himam ’l-Ê»AlÄ«ya Ê»ala al-Zuhd fÄ« ’l-Dunyā al-FānÄ«ya, treatise on Sufism;
• a study on the particle law,
• al-Ḥukm bi-’l-Ê»adl wa-al-inṣāf ’l-DāfiÊ» li ’l-khilāf fÄ«-mā waqaÊ»a bayn baʻḍ Fuqahāʼ Sijlimāsa min al-ikhtilāf
• Iqtifa’ al-Athar ba’d Dhahab Ahl al-Athar, biographical collection;
• Tuḥfat (Itḥāf) al-akhillāʼ bi-ijāzāt al-mashāyikh al-ajillāʼ, biographies of his masters (these last two works probably forming his Fahrasa).

References

Further reading

• Abu Salim Abd Allah ibn Muhammad Ayyashi, Iqtifa al-athar bada dhihab ahl al-athar: Fihris Abi Salim al-Ayyashi, 11 H/17 M (Manshurat Kulliyat al-Adab wa-al-Ulum al-Insaniyah bi-al-Rabat. Silsilat Rasail wa-utruhat), ed. 1996 by al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah, Jamiat Muhammad al-Khamis, Kulliyat al-Adab wa-al-Ulum al-Insaniyah bi-al-Rabat,
• Arrihla Al Ayachiia, Abou Salim Abdellah Ben Mohamed El Ayachi. Vol. 2. Edition révisé par Saïd El Fadhili et Solaiman El Korachi. Dar Essouaidi Linachr Wa Attawzie, Abou Dabie, EAU. 2006.