| Era: | Islamic golden age |
| Abu 'Abdullah al-Qurtubi | |
| Birth Date: | 1214 Qurtuba, Emirate of Taifa, Andalus |
| Death Date: | 29 April 1273 Egypt |
| Religion: | Islam |
| Jurisprudence: | Maliki |
| Creed: | Ash'ari[1] [2] [3] |
| Main Interests: | Tafsir, fiqh and hadith |
Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Bakr al-Anṣārī al-Qurṭubī (ar|أبو عبدالله القرطبي) (121429 April 1273)[4] was an Andalusian Sunni Muslim polymath, Maliki jurisconsult, mufassir, muhaddith and an expert in the Arabic language.[5] He was taught by prominent scholars of Córdoba, Spain and he is well known for his classical commentary of the Quran named Tafsir al-Qurtubi.
He was born in Qurtubah (modern-day Córdoba), Al-Andalus in the 13th century. His father was a farmer and died during a Spanish attack in 1230. During his youth, he contributed to his family by carrying clay for use in potteries. He finished his education in Qurtubah (Córdoba), studying from renowned scholars ibn Abu Hujja and Abdurrahman ibn Ahmed Al-Ashari. After the fall of Cordoba in 1236, he left for Alexandria, where he studied hadith and tafsir. He then passed to Cairo and settled in Munya Abi'l-Khusavb where he spent the rest of his life. Known for his modesty and humble lifestyle, he was buried in Munya Abi'l-Khusavb, Egypt in 1273. His grave was carried to a mosque where a mausoleum was built under his name in 1971,[6] still open for visiting today.
He was very skilled in commentary, narrative, recitation and law; clearly evident in his writings, and the depth of his scholarship has been recognized by many scholars.[7] In his works, Qurtubi defended the Sunni point of view and criticised the Mu'tazilah.
The hadith scholar Dhahabi said of him, "..he was an imam versed in numerous branches of scholarship, an ocean of learning whose works testify to the wealth of his knowledge, the width of his intelligence and his superior worth."
Islamic scholar Nuh Ha Mim Keller said of him:
the most important and famous of his works, this 20 volume commentary has raised great interest, and has had many editions.[8] It is often referred to as al-Jamī' li-'Aḥkām, meaning "All the Judgements". Contrary to what this name implies, the commentary is not limited to verses dealing with legal issues, but is a general interpretation of the whole of Quran with a Maliki point of view. Any claims made about a verse are stated and thoroughly investigated.
. Bennett. Clinton. Clinton Bennett. The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies. Bloomsbury Academic. 15 January 2015. 9781472586902. 128. There are many followers of the Ash'ariyyah among the great Muslim scholars, such as al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, al-Sauiti, al-Mazari, Ibn Hajer al Askalani, and al Nawawi.