09. October 2011

Key Figures of Islamic Tradition, According to Marshall Hodgon (5)

Now I am on to Volume 2 (p.169, p.14-21)

925, al-Razi

930, (fourished) Rudaqi

950, al-Farabi, Faylasuf-metaphysician holding for elitist attitudes, well grounded in Hellenistic traditions

956, al-Masudi, well-travelled and erudite writer, "philosophical" historian

965, al-Mutanabbi, last great poet in older Arabic style, paragon of subtlety in poetic allusion

967, al-Isfahani, literary historian

c. 970, collection of the Rasail of the Ikhwan al-Safa, comprehensive compilation of "scientific" and metaphysical knowledge

983, (flourished) Ikhwan al-Safa, also the poet al-Maarri

994, al-Tanukhi, adib, historian in the adab style, courtier

1000, al-Muqaddasi, well-travelled and literary geographer

1008, Badi Zaman al-Hamadhani, called the "Wonder of the Age"; founder of maqamah style of rhymed prose and genius of it

1013, al-Baqillani, jurisprudent and Ashari mutakallim, systematizer of Ashari kalam

1018, al-Tawhidi, popularizing Faylasuf, courtier, adib

c. 1020, Firdawsi, Persian epic poet

1030, Ibn-Miskawayhi, adib, "philosophical" moralist and moralizing historian, Faylasuf

1037, Ibn-Sina, Faylasuf synthesizing Hellenistic and Prophetic sources for knowledge, casting Falsafah positions into Islamic terms, vizier

c. 1039, Ibn-al-Haytham, astronomer, optician, mathematician

1048, al-Biruni, historian and mathematician, makes a sophisticated study of Indian culture

1046-1049, Visit to Egypt of the Shii writer Nasir-e Khusraw

1058, Abul-Alaal-Maarri, sophisticated ascetic poet of Syria, last great figure of classical Arabic tradition

1064, Ibn-Hazm, poet, vizier, theologian

1069 Yusuf of Balasaghun writes allegorical poem in Turkish; first example of belles-lettrist literature

1092, Nizamulmulk, vizier

1074, al-Qushayri, who led in reconciling the Sunni ulama with Sufism

1166, Abdulqadir Gilani, Sunni Sufi teacher in Baghdad, around whose followers was built the Qadiriyyah tariqah

1111, al-Ghazali

1122 al-Hariri, perfected intricate prose and verse form of the maqamat

1130, Muhammad b. Tumart, proclaimed Mahdi, preacher to Berbers who become al-Muwahhids (Almohads)