Abà « Bakr ÿAbdallÃÂh ibn Muḥammad ibn ÿAbdallÃÂh al-Qurashë al-QayrawÃÂnë al-MÃÂlikë ( 1036âÂÂ1057) was an Ifrëqiyan historian, MÃÂlikë jurist and Ashÿarë theologian and traditionist. He played a major role in spreading MÃÂlikism and Ashÿarism in Ifrëqiya.
Al-MÃÂlikë was born in Kairouan. His father, Muḥammad, was trained in sharëÿa (law) and ḥadëth (tradition) and wrote a biography of the jurist Abu 'l-Ḥasan al-QÃÂbiṣë. Al-MÃÂlikë studied in Kairouan under Abà « Bakr ibn ÿAbd al-RaḥmÃÂn and Muḥammad ibn ÿAbbÃÂs al-Aná¹£ÃÂrë, who died in 1036. After studying for a time in the emirate of Sicily, he taught in Kairouan, where al-MÃÂzarë was one of his students. According al-DabbÃÂgh, writing over two centuries later, al-MÃÂlikë remained in Kairouan after the HilÃÂlë sack of 1057, when most other scholars decamped to Mahdia. He died sometime after this date, perhaps in 1081 or 1097.
Only one work by al-MÃÂlikë has survived, RiyÃÂḠal-nufà «s ("Gardens of the Souls" or "Meadow of Souls"). It is a biographical dictionary of the MÃÂlikës of Ifrëqiya. It contains 275 biographies and is a valuable historical source. Later Muslim scholars who used it include al-QÃÂá¸Âë ÿIyÃÂḠand al-Ṭurá¹Âà «shë. Al-MÃÂlikë was probably inspired to write by the twin devastations of the HilÃÂlë invasion and the Norman conquest of Sicily.