Thread by @khawar_achakzai

The world’s first university was founded in 9th century C.E by a Muslim woman Fatima al-Fihri (also called “Umm-ul-Banayn). Established in the year 859, the University of al-Qarawiyyin was the first degree-granting educational institute in the world (as recognised by UNESCO (1/n)

and Guinness World Records). Fatima was born in Tunisia and later migrated to Morocco. Upon the death of her father she inherited a large fortune. She invested the money in funding a local mosque and educational institution which took shape of a huge university named after her (2

birthplace – Qayrawan – in Tunisia.
Al-Qarawiyyin University was the first university to grant a degree in medicine and the first scientific hub to grant academic degrees in various types of Islamic sciences, literature, mathematics and astronomy. (3/n)

The university had some top names as faculty like: Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Al-Khatib, Ibn Harzihim, Avempace etc. It is also believed that Maimonides and African historian Hasan Ibn Al-Wazzan "Leo Africanus" were among the students of al Qarawiyyin. (4/n)

Rumour has it that even Gerbert of Aurillac – better known as Pope Sylvester II – studied at al-Qarawiyyin, and it is he who is given the credit of introducing Arabic numerals (that we use to this day) to the rest of Europe. (5/n)

Apart from that the university established one the oldest known libraries in the world which had books from across the world and throughout the subject of medicine, astronomy, philosophy, religion and Hadith. (6/n)

The University of al-Qarawiyyin along with the library is still in operation today. The library contains over 4000 manuscripts, including the famous historian Ibn Khaldun’s 14th-century text Muqaddimah. (7/n)

Ibn Khaldun describing Umm
al-Banayn said: "She is a woman
who inspired the spirit of the
kings following her. This is a
blessing and an honor granted to
her by God. If He (God) wanted a
nation to become eloquent, He
would awaken men, women,
(8/n)

youths and elderly among them.
An awakening that pushes them
to partake in good deeds in this
world and the hereafter." Umm al-Banayn died 19 years after the university was built in the year 265 AH / 878 C.E. (9/n)

Some notable alumini:

Sahnun ibn Sa'id ibn Habib at-Tanukhi ( 777 – 855), Muslim Maliki Scholar

Muhammad al-Idrisi (1100–1165), geographer

Maimonides (1135/1138–1204), Jewish philosopher

Ibn Arabi (1165–1240), Sufi philosopher

(10/n)

Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406), historian and philosopher

Nicolas Cleynaerts (1495–1542), Flemish grammarian and traveler

Leo Africanus (1494–1554), author

Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari (1632-1577), historian and theologian, appointed imam and mufti by the Saadi Sultan Zaydan
(11/n)

Imam al-Bannani (1727–1780), faqīh (Muslim jurist)

Ahmad ibn Idris (1760–1837), Moroccan Sufi scholar

Muhammad al-Kattani (1873–1909), writer and political leader

Abd el-Krim el-Khattabi (1882–1963), Moroccan political and military leader (12/n)

Allal al-Fassi (1910–1974), Moroccan politician

Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali (1893–1987), translator

Abdullah al-Ghumari (1910–1993), faqīh (Muslim jurist)

Fatima al-Kabbaj (1932) Member of High Council of Knowledge. (13/n)

Source:

UNESCO

Al-Taqweem Media

Manchester University Press

(n/n)