Ibn al-Arabi al-Maliki

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn al-Arabi al-Maafiri (468-543 AH / 1076-1148 CE), known as Qadi Ibn al-Arabi, was a leading Maliki jurist, mufassir, and judge from Seville in al-Andalus. He should not be confused with the later Sufi philosopher Muhyi ad-Din ibn Arabi. Born into a distinguished scholarly family, he traveled east with his father at a young age, studying in Baghdad under the renowned scholar al-Ghazali, in Syria, the Hejaz, and Egypt under other leading authorities.

Ibn al-Arabi's most important work is Ahkam al-Quran (Legal Rulings of the Quran), a major tafsir from the Maliki perspective that systematically extracts the legal rulings embedded in the Quran's verses. It is considered one of the three great works of its kind, alongside the Ahkam al-Quran of al-Jassas (Hanafi) and al-Qurtubi's comprehensive al-Jami. He also authored al-Awasim min al-Qawasim (a defense of the Companions' conduct during the early fitna), Qanun at-Tawil (on the principles of Quranic interpretation), and Aridat al-Ahwadhi (a commentary on Jami at-Tirmidhi).

Ibn al-Arabi served as the chief Maliki judge of Seville and was deeply respected for his learning and integrity. His travels and studies in the Islamic East gave him a breadth of knowledge unusual among Andalusian scholars. He died near Fez in 543 AH (1148 CE). His works continue to be essential references in Maliki jurisprudence and Quranic legal exegesis.