Contents 

1. Introduction
2. Ibn Khaldun’s Full Name and Lineage
3.  Ibn Khaldun’s Education
4. Ibn Khaldun’s Career, Travels and Writings
5. Sources
   

Introduction

Ibn Khaldun left his autobiography and recorded the events of his life with his own pen. He narrates those events according to his own point of view. Yet his autobiography is not the only source to investigate his life, there are several other scholars of his contemporaries and from the later period who discuss his life. The autobiography of Ibn Khaldun is titled as al-Tarif bi Ibn Khaldun wa Rihlatuhu Gharban Wa Sharqan. 

The biographers of Ibn Khaldun, who were contemporaries to Ibn Khaldun, including his disciples such as Ibn Hajar al- Asqalani (1372-1449) and Maqrizi (1364-1442) have produced detailed biographies of Ibn Khaldun. Some early writers of Ibn Khaldun’s biography also include writings by the students of Ibn Khaldun’s disciples for instance al-Sakhawi, Ibn Taghribirdi, al- Maqarri, al-Suyuti. While there are many modern biographers of Ibn Khaldun include writings by Muslim and non-Muslims such as Muhammad Abdullah Enan’s (1898-1986) Ibn Khaldun Hayātuhu Wa Athāruhu wa Mazāhir Abqariyyātihi (1962), Walter. J. Fischel’s Ibn Khaldun’s Life (1987), Aziz Al- Azmeh’s Ibn Khaldun in the Modern Scholarship: A study of Orientalism (2005), Allen James Fomherz’s Ibn Khaldun: life and times (2010), and Sayed Farid Alatas’s Ibn Khaldun (2014).

There is also an Urdu version of Ibn Khaldun’s autobiography translated by Maulana Akhtar Fateh e Puri. This translated autobiography is located at the end of the 12th volume of Tarikh Ibn Khaldun Urdu version.

The autobiography is located in the last volume of his Tarikh al- ibar. Perhaps, the reason to present his autobiography was to ensure his deep knowledge of the science of history. And this biography of Ibn Khaldun also unveils the socio-political and intellectual climate of that time between 700-850 AH (1300-1450AD). During the time of Ibn Khaldun the Muslim Ummah was passing through a great upheaval of its time. He saw many rises and falls of dynasties throughout his life. His intellectual background, his political knowledge, and the radically changing circumstances of the region enabled him to develop a unique and new point of view in the field of many disciplines including the study of other religions. His unique approach to social and natural sciences made him a renowned personality even in the Western and Eastern academia of today’s world. Before any attempts of analysis are made on Ibn Khaldun’s work, it is important to describe his ancestral details. It is worth knowing about his family, his early life his education and his travels. Because these all were the basic factors which made him a scholar of that time.

Ibn Khaldun’s Full Name and Lineage

Ibn Khaldun’s full name is Wali al-Din Abu Zayd Abd al- Rahman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Khaldun. In his autobiography, the ancestry of Ibn Khaldun, Abd Al- Rahman bin Muhammad bin Hassan bin Muhammad bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abd Al-Rahman bin Khaldun.

Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunis on Ramadan 1, 732AH (May 27th 1332AD). He belonged to an Andalusian (Muslim Spain) family, which emigrated in the middle of the 7th century A.H. from Andalusia to Tunisia. Ibn Khaldun, on the report of an Andalusian genealogist Ibn Hazam ascribes his origin to the Yemenite Arabs of Hadramout and his genealogy goes to Wa ‘il Ibn Hujar R.A who was a companion of Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم and a well-known and respected man in Yemenite Arabs. Wa ‘il bin Hujar R.A went to Madinah as an envoy and Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم received him, presented him with a blanket and prayed for his family. Moreover, Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم sent Muawiya R.A son of Abu Sufyan R.A along with Wa ‘il bin Hujar to teach his tribe, Islam.

Ibn Hazam extends his genealogy to the famous Arab tribe of Qahtan. Khaldun Bin Usman was the first man of his family who entered Andalusia with other fellows of his tribe at the time of the Arab conquest. They were in the army of Arabs. They later migrated to Africa, to Tunis and Morocco. However, He was in doubt that many names are missing in his genealogy. For him, if Khaldun was his grandfather who entered Andalusia at the time of Arab conquest, then ten generations would not be enough to cover six and a half centuries from the Arab conquest of Spain to the year of his birth.

Many Muslim and non-Muslim biographers of Ibn Khaldun claim that Ibn Khaldun had a Berber or Ajam (non-Arab) origin. For instance, Muhammad Abdullah Enan has doubts about the Arabic origin of Ibn Khaldun, according to him, there was a rivalry between Arabs and Berbers of Andalusia. As a result of the fact that Arabs and Berbers both took part in the conquest of Andalusia, Berbers bore the greatest burden but Arabs alone were enjoying the authority and rule in Andalusia. This rivalry and antagonism lasted till the decline of Arab racial dominance when Berber dominance began in the region in the early part of the 5th century. For Abdullah Enan, the reason to wonder about the Arab origin of Ibn Khaldun is in his prolegomena or Muqadimmah. He shows strong prejudice and antagonism to Arabs in Muqadimmah while in his Al-Ibar or book of lessons he praises the character and qualities of Berbers.

However, this justification of Muhammad Abdullah Enan is based on mere speculation rather than solid proof for the refutation of the Arab origin of Ibn Khaldun. Furthermore, in his Muqadimmah, Ibn Khaldun’s prejudice and antagonism are mostly toward the badāwī Arabs not toward hadārī civilized or urban Arabs. But there are also some statements of Ibn Khaldun in his Muqadimmah where he praises some qualities of badāwi Arabs’ over-civilized urban population. Moreover, his critique of Badawi Arabs is the fruit of his observation and analysis of Arab society.

Many Western scholars had also shed light on Ibn Khaldun’s life. Franz Rosenthal, the famous translator of his Muqadimmah briefly discusses the biography of Ibn Khaldun. Rosenthal says that the Arab descent of Ibn Khaldun is not an important factor in his intellectual development. The Spanish origin is a pivotal factor in his intellectual outlook.

Allen James Fromherz in his work responded to this view of Rosenthal that while Ibn Khaldun acknowledged his ancestral affiliation to the region of Al Andalusia, he also had a much more affinity for his homeland “Tunis”.He further adds that Ibn Khaldun sees the boundary between Spain and North Africa as just a geographical hedge.

Franz Rosenthal adopts a Eurocentric approach, and he simply prefers the European over Arab genes in Ibn Khaldun. Abdullah Enan too builds his opinion on speculation that Ibn Khaldun’s antagonistic attitude towards Arabs indicates his Berber origin. Ibn Khaldun was neither antagonized nor prejudiced against Arabs. His views were based on the knowledge and political experiences of Arabs in Muqadimmah. The most important thing to note here is, Ibn Khaldun’s work is based on sound reasoning and unbiased judgement of facts. He never states the merits and demerits of people or places which he discusses in his Muqadimmah. 

Ibn Khaldun was proud of his ancient Arab ancestry but this does not mean that he had never a Spanish or Berber blood. Arab men married in the local communities where ever they entered as conquerors. Another important point is that even Ibn Khaldun was proud of his Arab lineage this never affected his observation of Arab society and he never gave biased judgments about Arabs.

Regardless, Ibn Khaldun belonged to an influential family in Andalusia. His great-grandfather Khalid known as Khaldun entered in Al-Andalusia with Yemenite armed forces in the age of Arab conquest. He settled with his family in the town of Carmona, and his descendants then moved to Saville. But Banu Khaldun gained prominence at the end of the 3rd century during the reign of Emir Abdullah Ibn Muhammad, the Umayyad ruler (274-300) AH in whose day’s revolution was extending to many parts of the state. Saville was the city where chiefs of great families raised the revolt; among those were Umaya Ibn Abd al-Ghaffir, Abdullah Ibn al-Hajjaj and Kuraib Ibn Khalid son of Khaldun. Umaya was the governor of Saville under Emir Muhammad, he rebelled against Emir and declared absolute power. He killed Ibn al- Hajjaj, but the families of al-Hajjaj and Khaldun opposed him and fought his rebellions till his death. Kuraib Ibn Khaldun declared his authority over the principality of Saville. But the family of Hajjaj rose against him and their leader Ibrahim became an ally of Ibn Hufsan, who was a great rebel in Andalusia. Kuraib was a cruel man and the inhabitants of Saville disliked him. They supported Ibrahim because of his kindness. Ibrahim approached Emir Abdullah and obtained an edict for him to become governor of Saville. He then started a war against Kuraib, the inhabitants of Saville helped him and he killed Kuraib. Ibrahim became the sole ruler of Saville and became powerful. Banu Khaldun then continued to live without any prominence during the whole Umayyad period in Andalusia.

When the time of petty kings mūlūk al-tawā’īf came and Banu Abbad conquered Saville, Banu Khaldun again rose and attained vizierate and many other high posts in the state. But petty kings shortly saw a speedy downfall of their reign. Almohad dynasty conquered Andalusia from Almoravids and their ally Ibn Abbad. Almohads appointed their own rulers but Banu Khaldun gained some of their old authority.

When the cities of Andalusia fell one after the other into the hands of the king of Castile, Banu Khaldun left Saville before it fell into the hands of Christians. They settled for some time in Ceuta then the head of the family Hasan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Khaldun decided to migrate to Tunis. In Tunisia, Banu Khaldun enjoyed authority under Banu Hafsa, but soon the rule of Banu Hafsa was shaken by a leader Ibn Abi Emara. He arrested Abu Bakar Ibn Khaldun and murdered him.

The son of Abu Bakar, Muhammad remained in politics during the Almohd’s reign in Tunisia. As for his son Muhammad (the father of Ibn Khaldun), he was not interested in politics and preferred a life for study jurisprudence, philology and poetry. He died in great plague of 749 AH, leaving several children, Wali al-Din was one of them, then a youth of eighteen.

 Ibn Khaldun’s Education

Ibn Khaldun was hence the descendent of a well-known and educated family. The first important factor which determined the articulation of Ibn Khaldun’s scholarship was the high level of education that he was able to receive during his childhood. Being a member of a noble family, related to various courts of Maghrib (North Africa) and Andalusia, Ibn Khaldun was able to receive great economic opportunities to spend on education. Another factor was, although Maghrib was passing through a great political and social disorder at that time it was the great centre of intellectual activities. Furthermore, the migration of great scholars from Andalusia to Maghrib after the Reconquista of Spain, who came as refugees, constituted an elite class that represented a much more advanced culture in Maghrib. In Muqadimmah, Ibn Khaldun himself praised the contribution of these Andalusian scholars to the intellectual and cultural activities of Maghrib. Most of the great scholars under whom Ibn Khaldun studied, belonged to Andalusia.

He received his traditional Islamic education from his father and from renowned teachers of his time. He was greatly influenced by his father Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Khaldun, who was his earliest teacher. In his autobiography, he states, “I received my early education under the influence of my father. May Allah almighty shower His blessings on my father.”

He read the Holy Quran, learned it by heart, and studied different modes of interpretation and recitation. He studied Hadith and jurisdiction, he learned grammar and rhetoric from the prominent teachers of North Africa.

Among his early teachers was Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Saad Ibn Burral al-Ansari, who was from Andalusia. Ibn Khaldun learned from Sa’ad Ibn Burral Al-Ansari basic and traditional Islamic knowledge such as Quranic Studies, Rasm Al-Quran, Qirat through Matan al-Lamiyyah and al-Rā’iyyah by al-Shatibi(538-590AH), Hadith studies from Muwatta by imam Malik Ibn Anas(93-179AH), Fiqh studies through al-Mukhtasar by Ibn al-Hajib (570- 646AH) and Arabic grammar through al-Tashil by Ibn Malik (600-672).

In his autobiography, Ibn Khaldun mentions some other names of his teachers such as Abu Abdullah Ibn al-Arabi al- Hasayiri, Abu Abdullah Ibn al- Shawwash al Zarzali, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn al-Bahr and Abu Al-Abbas Ahmed Ibn Al- Qassar. Ibn Khaldun learned Muwata, Sahih Muslim and some other treatises on Fiqh and Arabic language from a renowned scholar of Tunisia named Shams Al- din Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Jabir Ibn Sultan Al- Qaysi Al- Wadiyashi. He learned philosophy and logic during his public life. All of his teachers acknowledged his proficiencies and abilities and gave him their ijaza.

Ibn Khaldun was very fortunate, he was able to meet many renowned Islamic scholars of that time because his family had political relationships with high government officials. These scholars were experts in Hadith, jurisprudence, literature, history, medicine, logic, philosophy and much more. Ibn Khaldun never missed these opportunities, he always attended the meetings and scholarly discussions. He benefited from the books and writings of these renowned Muslim scholars.

In his Autobiography he states that it was Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim al-Abili who influenced his intellectual development very deeply. In his analysis, Allen James states about Al- Abili:

“Although Al-Abili was a rationalist like Ibn Khaldun. He had an immense breath of factual, doctrinal and encyclopedic knowledge, he was an expert in rational sciences such as logic, metaphysics and mathematics. He would have been aware of Andalusian and Maghribi rationalists like Ibn Rushd or Averroes (d.1198).”

Due to Ibn Khaldun’s learning passion, he had many intellectual journeys to different places. He learned from many teachers and they granted him their ijāza al-āmmah wa al-khāsa. Based on his Al-Tarīf, Ibn Khaldun had proficiency in both revealed (naqalī) and logical (aqalī) knowledge which could be perceived in his writings, especially Muqadimmah and al- ibar.

Moreover, he was an expert in an important branch of philosophy, namely epistemology which enables him to explain all disciplines of his time such as Quranic exegesis, Hadith sciences, logic, speculative theology, natural sciences, medicine and mathematics. These epistemological discussions are in the 6th chapter of his Muqadimmah namely “The various kinds of sciences. The method of instruction. The conditions obtain in these connections”

The significance of epistemology and education is stated by Ibn Khaldun in the preface of the 6th chapter of the Muqadimmah. He argues that man’s ability to think distinguishes human beings from other animals and enables them to cooperate with fellow men. Because of this ability men study their Master and his revelations transmitted from Him. That is the reason, God has given all animals in the grasp of men’s power and caused them to obey man. Due to this ability, God granted superiority to men over many of his creations.

 It could be understood that Ibn Khaldun has the ability to relate aqalī(logic) and naqalī(revelation) knowledge together. Man’s ability to think not only distinguishes him from animals and helps him to co-operate with other fellow humans but it is also an instrument to recognize his God. There are some scholars who label him as a secular or they have speculations on his ability and authority in revealed knowledge, in this chapter of Muqadimmah Ibn Khaldun asserted otherwise.

Ibn Khaldun’s Career, Travels and Writings

In light of his autobiography, Ibn Khaldun’s life can be divided into two phases, namely the political phase and the intellectual phase. As already mentioned in the previous discussion that he was from a noble family who was involved in the politics of Andalusia and Maghrib. Due to his family’s status in society, he was able to involve in politics and scholarly discussions. Both the political and intellectual phases of his life influenced his career and also his personal character. Through a systematic division of his life, one can easily understand the developments and changes that Ibn Khaldun underwent throughout his life. 

Because of his thirst for knowledge, he had different careers and travels throughout his life, which enriched his thoughts and writings. He spent his time in different states throughout his life and learned from many renowned scholars of his time. According to Ibn Khaldun travelling is very important for a scholar, to gain knowledge from a particular place or a teacher creates difficulties in understanding the problems. One cannot understand terminologies easily until he had firsthand knowledge of that particular matter. He describes it in the 6th chapter of Muqadimmah under the heading of “A scholar’s education is greatly improved by travelling in quest of knowledge and meeting the authoritative teachers”

Ibn Khaldun faced violent havoc between the age of fifteen and twenty- five that was man-made and natural. The middle of the 14th century was a time of political instability and natural calamity in the form of the black death. By the middle of that century, the Hafsid dynasty was subjected to its worst fate and overpowered by their rival Marinid sultan Abu Hasan in 1347 and then by his son Abu Enan in 1357.

In his al-Tarif, Ibn Khaldun says that his career started at the age of twenty in the office of kitabāh wa al- alāmāh (letter writing and stamp) to Sultan Abu Muhammad Ibn Tafrakin in Tunisia. After the great plague, Ibn Khaldun received an official appointment from Ibn Tafrakin which was the start of his political life, and it changed his life forever.

The Marinid conquest of Tunisia in 1347, brought great numbers of famous scholars. Ibn Khaldun received an official invitation from Sultan Abu Enan of the Marinid dynasty, to join his scientific council (al-majlis al-ilmī) at the castle. This was a golden chance for Ibn Khaldun and he participated and benefitted from the intellectual discourses by scholars. He interacted with new friends, teachers and ambassadors of Maghrib, Spain and many other places at the castle. This was a turning point in his life to become part of Marinid’s government. Ibn Khaldun became an outstanding personality of the Maghrib, actively participating in the politics of the states of North Africa.

But soon Ibn Khaldun conspired with the sultan by rivalries that he is working against the Marinids with dethroned ruler Abu- Abdullah Muhammad of Bougie. Abu Abdullah Muhammad was from Banu Hafs, who were patrons of Banu Khaldun. Ibn Khaldun was imprisoned with Abu- Abdullah Muhammad due to accusations of conspiring with Hafisids. Ibn Khaldun described these all events at length in his autobiography.

When Sultan Abu Enan passed away in 759AH, Sultan Abu Salim took the ruling position. Sultan Abu Salim released Ibn Khaldun and invited him to join majlīs e ulāma at the court of Fez. At that time Fez was the capital of Morocco. In Fez, he came into contact with famous scholars like Muhammad Ibn Suffar, Muhammad Ibn Ahmed Alvi Muhammad al-Maqari, Muhammad Ibn Yahya al- Barji, Ibrahim Ibn Zarzar, Muhammad Ibn Ahmed al-Sabti and Muhammad al-Balafiqi.

These chances of participating in international politics and scholarship throughout Maghrib enabled him to travel to different places, for instance, Andalusia, Arab and African regions. According to Sayed Farid Alatas, “Ibn Khaldun’s interaction with many luminaries and common people had formulated his unique and critical style of thinking which could be seen in Muqadimmah and Kitab al-Ibar.”

During his many travels and journeys to different important places, Ibn Khaldun was appointed to many important and high-ranked positions in government. He was also appointed as a political ambassador and was involved in many diplomatic missions, for instance, his meeting with Pedro at Granada and meeting with Tamerlane (temurlang) in Damascus. He also enjoyed the position of a vizier in Bougie (present-day Algeria) to Sultan Abdullah of the Hafisid dynasty.

When he migrated to Egypt in 784AH, he spent most of his time learning and teaching as a religious teacher in Al- Azhar University. Then he was appointed as a Chief Justice of the Maliki School of Islamic Law in Egypt until he passed away on 26th Ramadan 808AH /16TH March 1406AD.

There are eight writings which are attributed to Ibn Khaldun. Some of these writings are still in the form of manuscripts and rest are available in the form of books. These books are published all around the world and translated into English, Russian, French, Urdu, Malay, German and many other languages. These eight writings are as below:

• Lubāb al- Muhassal Fī Usūl al- Dīn: a book on Islamic creed.

• Muhassal Afkār al- Mutaqadimmīn wa al- Muta’ akhirīn Min al- ulmā wa al- hukamā wa
  
  al- Mutakalimīn: an abridged on Ibn Rushd’s writings on philosophy.

• Taqyīd Fī al Mantiq: a book on logic.

• Kitāb Fī al- Hisāb: a book on mathematics.

• Al- Hilal al-Marqūmmah Fī al-Lumἁ al- Manzūmmah: a book on principles of Islamic
  
  law. It is a commentary on Lisān al- Dīn al- Khatīb’s Rujaz Fī Usūl al-Fīqh.

• Commentary on “Qasīdah al- Burdah” by al-Busiri

• Shifā al-Sā’il Fī Tahdīb al- Masā ‘il: a book on Islamic spirituality (Sufiism).

• Diwān al- Mubtada wa al- khabar Fī Ayyām al- Ἁrab wa al Ἁjam wa al- Barbar wa man
  
  Āsaruhum Mīn Dhawī al-Sultān al-Akbar. Ibn Khaldun’s Magnum opus on the history of the world. Muqadimmah Ibn Khaldun and his autobiography Al-Tἁrīf Bī Ibn Khaldûn are included in his book of history.
  
  Ibn Khaldun’s magnum opus al-Muqadimmah and Al-Ibar are part of academia today. Muqadimmah is probably one of the books which is praised and published by many orientalists.
  
  

  Sources

• Al-Tarif Bi Ibn Khaldun Wa Rihlatuhu Gharban wa Sharqan 
• Tarikh Ibn Khaldun 
• Muqadimmah Ibn Khaldun
• The Muqadimmah an Introduction to History by Franz Rosenthal 
• Ibn Khaldun His Life and Work by Muhammad Abdullah Enan
• Ibn Khaldun;Life and Times by Allen James Fromherz