Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad

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Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad (Arabic: المدرسة النظامية), one of the first nizamiyehs,[1] was established in 1065 in Baghdad. In July 1091, Nizam al-Mulk appointed the 33-year-old al-Ghazali as a professor of the school.[2] Offering free education,[3] it has been described as the "largest university of the Medieval world".[4] Ibn Tumart, founder of the Berber Almohad dynasty, reputedly attended the school and studied under al-Ghazali and Al-Kiya al-Harrasi.[5][6] Nizam al-Mulk's son-in-law Mughatil ibn Bakri was also employed by the school. In 1096, when al-Ghazali left the nezamiyeh, it housed 3,000 students.[7] In 1116, Muhammad al-Shahrastani taught at the nezamiyeh.[8] In the 1170s, statesman Beha ud-Din taught at the nezamiyeh, before he moved on to teach in Mosul, while Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani studied there in the late 12th century.

The Persian poet Saadi Shirazi studied at the nezamiyeh during the early 13th century, when he set out on a journey. He was also among those who witnessed first-hand accounts of its destruction by Mongol Ilkhanate invaders led by Hulagu during the Sack of Baghdad in 1258. He recalls clearly his days of studies at the al-Nizamiyya in Baghdad "A fellow-student at Nizamiah displayed malevolence towards me, and I informed my tutor, saying 'Whenever I give more proper answers than he the envious fellow becomes offended.' The professor replied 'The envy of thy friend is not agreeable to thee, but I know not who told thee that back-biting was commendable. If he seek perdition through the path of envy, thou wilt join him by the path of slander.'"[page needed]

The curriculum initially focused on religious studies, Islamic law, Arabic literature, and arithmetic, and later extended to history, mathematics, the physical sciences, and music.[9]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Al-Ahram Weekly | Baghdad Supplement | They came to Baghdad : Its famous names Archived 2007-04-17 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Ghazali
  3. ^ Black, A. A History of Islamic Political Thought – From the Prophet to the Present. Cambridge: Edinburgh University Press, 2001.
  4. ^ "Metapress | Discover More" (PDF). Metapress. 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2017-09-13.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Welcome | Religious Studies" (PDF).
  6. ^ Sharīf, Wilyam (2010). The Dearest Quest: A Biography of Ibn Tumart. Lulu Press. pp. 66–67. ISBN 9781445278254.
  7. ^ "Fastupdate sheet". www.ghazali.org. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
  8. ^ "Shahrastani". www.muslimphilosophy.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  9. ^ B.G. Massialas & S.A. Jarrar (1987), "Conflicts in education in the Arab world: The present challenge", Arab Studies Quarterly: "Subjects such as history, mathematics, physical sciences, and music were added to the curriculum of Al-Nizamiyah at a later time."

Bibliography[edit]

  • Makdisi, George: "Madrasa and University in the Middle Ages", Studia Islamica, No. 32 (1970), pp. 255–264