ÿÃÂþisha bint Aḥmad al-Qurá¹Âubiyya (d. 1009/1010 CE), sometimes spelled Aysha or al-Qurtubiyya, was a tenth-century poet who primarily wrote in Arabic.
It is assumed that ÿÃÂþisha was born in Córdoba, Spain. She is regarded as both a famed poet and calligrapher of Andalusia. Little is known about her life and background, though it does seem clear that she was the sister of Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. QÃÂdim (d. 990 CE). Other claims include that she was a princess of Cordova; that her father's full name was Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. QÃÂdim b. ZiyÃÂd; and that she was the niece of the Cordovan physician and poet Abà « ÿAbdallÃÂh b. QÃÂdim al-Ṭabëb. Apparently she was a virgin throughout her life, never marrying. Her death came at the beginning of the Fitna of al-Andalus in 1009. 'Ibn ḤayyÃÂn (d. 469/1076), quoted in Ibn BashkuwÃÂl's (d. 578/1183) á¹¢ila, praises, among other qualities, ÿÃÂþisha's intelligence, her knowledge of literature and poetry, and her eloquence. Her handwriting was beautiful, and she made a practice of copying in her own hand the QurþÃÂn (maá¹£ÃÂḥif) and secular books (dafÃÂtir). She showed a great interest in science (ÿilm), which led her to collect books in what became a large and beautiful library.'
Aisha's poetic works are included in writing on medieval Moorish women poets, noted for their surprising vitality, freshness, and aggressive boldness. Her poems were often received with applause in the Royal Academy at Cordova. One of her most famous works is a poem turning down a marriage proposal by a male poet. One example of Aisha bint Ahmad al-Qurtubiya's writing is:
Her works included panegyrics addressed to contemporary rulers. A surviving example is a panegyric to Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar (r. 1002âÂÂ8 CE).
Aisha is included in the list of Notable Muslims in the 2002 special edition of Saudi Aramco World.
Aisha is a featured figure in Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor.