Abd al-Rahman al-Majdoub
Moroccan poet and Sufi whose verses became proverbs.
His full name was al-Shaykh Abu Zayd Abderrahman al-Majdoub ibn Ayyad ibn Yaacub ibn Salama ibn Khashan al-Sanhaji al-Dukkali. Many lines of his poems are known throughout the Maghreb, and his work is the source of many proverbs, such as 'doubt is the beginning of wisdom.'
- field
- Poetry, Sufism, mysticism
- nationality
- Moroccan
- known_for
- His Diwan of poems that became sources of daily proverbs in Moroccan society
Lore & Background
He was raised in a Sufi environment; his father studied under Ibrahim Afham al-Zarhuni, a student of Ahmad Zarruq. Abderrahman studied first in Meknes, then in Fez, under teachers including Abu Ruwayin, Ahmad al-Shabih, Said ibn Abi Bakr al-Mishnaza'i, Abd al-Haqq al-Zalliji, Ja'ran as-Sfyani, Umar al-Khattab al-Zarhuni, and Ali ibn Ahmad al-Sanhaji. He memorized the entire Quran and the ten different ways of recitation. He lived during the rise of the Saadi dynasty under Mohammed ash-Sheikh and Abdallah al-Ghalib, and also during the rise of the Ottoman Empire in Algeria and Tunisia. His poetry addressed political, moral, and social issues. All his poems were collected in a Diwan that provided his mystical views on love, death, emotions, woman, science, education, religion, and more. His poetry became the source of many daily proverbs used in Moroccan society. The dome above his tomb was built by his student Abu l-Mahasin Yusuf al-Fasi, and the tomb attracts many visitors every day.
Reader's Guide
Abd al-Rahman al-Majdoub is significant as a Moroccan poet and Sufi whose Diwan of poems has permeated everyday language in the Maghreb, providing many common proverbs. His work reflects the political, moral, and social issues of his time, including the rise of the Saadi dynasty and the Ottoman Empire. His legacy endures through the continued use of his verses in daily speech and the ongoing visitation of his tomb in Meknes, which remains a site of popular devotion. The collection of his poems offers insight into mystical views on love, death, emotions, woman, science, education, and religion, making him a key figure in Moroccan cultural and religious history.
Did You Know?
- He memorized the entire Quran and the ten different ways of recitation.
- His tomb in Meknes is near the Aissa gate, where the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail was later built.
- The dome above his tomb was built by his student Abu l-Mahasin Yusuf al-Fasi.
- His poetry is the source of the proverb 'doubt is the beginning of wisdom.'
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