Ibn Juzayy al-Gharnati

Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi al-Gharnati (693-741 AH / 1294-1340 CE) was an Andalusian Maliki scholar from Granada who made important contributions to Quranic exegesis and comparative jurisprudence. Born in Granada to a scholarly family, he received his education in the Islamic sciences there and in North Africa.

Ibn Juzayy is best known for two major works. His tafsir at-Tashil li-Ulum at-Tanzil (The Facilitation for the Sciences of Revelation) is a medium-length Quran commentary that presents the meanings of Quranic verses concisely and clearly, drawing on the major earlier tafsir works and the Arabic linguistic tradition. It became popular for its accessibility and is still studied in traditional Maghrebi circles.

His al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyyah fi Talkhis Madhhab al-Malikiyyah wa at-Tanbih ala Madhhab ash-Shafi'iyyah wal-Hanafiyyah wal-Hanbaliyyah (The Legal Principles: A Summary of the Maliki Madhhab with Notes on the Shafi'i, Hanafi, and Hanbali Schools) is a work of comparative jurisprudence that presents Maliki positions alongside those of the other three schools. This comparative approach made it a valuable reference for scholars interested in understanding differences across the legal schools.

Ibn Juzayy is also remembered as the scholar whom the famous traveler Ibn Battuta dictated his travelogue (Rihla) to in the 14th century, with Ibn Juzayy serving as the literary editor of that classic work. He passed away in the Battle of Rio Salado (Tarifa) in 741 AH, dying in defense of al-Andalus.