Ibn Marwan Marvão اش ص ؤ اث

Ibn Marwan


Ibn Marwân (‘Abd al Rahmân Ibn Marwân ibn Yūnus, also known as Ibn al-Djillīqui or "Son of a Galician") (d. c. 889), was a Iberian Sufi Muladi whose family had come from northern Portugal and settled near Merida.



In 868, leading a host of Muladin and Mozarabs, he rebelled against Emir Muhammad I of Córdoba and after a heroic resistance he got honourable surrendering terms from the Emir and was given Badajoz whom he started to fortify.

Knowing of an incoming attack by the Emirate forces, he fled northwards settling in the castle of Karkar (now Carquere, near Lamego, Portugal). Afterwards, at Ibn Marwân’s request, king Alfonso III of León sent him auxiliary troops and the combined army defeated the Emirate forces. Returning to Badajoz, now a well fortified city, he established his rule throughout the whole of the Al'Garb Al'Andalus.

Between 876 and 877 he also erected the Castle of Marvão, in Portugal, a place already known in the 10th century as Amaia de Ibn Maruán or Fortaleza de Amaia.
His dynasty lasted until 930.

References:

VELOZO, Francisco José (1969), Um Muçulmano Precursor da Independência Portuguesa: Bem Marvão, o Galego in O Islão, n.º 5, Agosto.
CAMPOS, José A. Correia de, Monumentos da antiguidade árabe em Portugal, pp. 111-112.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Marwan"


The Council of Marvão (Marwan) publishes the excellent magazine Ibn Marwan dealing with social, archeological, popular and religious aspects of the village of Marwan. Another Portuguese village proudly moorish!

Portuguese:

Abd'Al Rahman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Marwan Ibn Yunus Al Djillîqî (algo como Abderramão filho de Maomé filho de Marvão filho de João o Galego), de seu nome completíssimo, conhecido por Ibn Marwan (ou Ibn Maruán), o Galego, foi um muladi sufista que, no último quartel do século IX, se rebelou contra o emir de Córdova, tendo criado o seu próprio reino, com capital em Badajoz. Reza a história que a Fortaleza de Amaia, também conhecida, no século X, como Amaia de Ibn Maruán (e, posteriormente, como Marvão, apenas), lhe servia de refúgio estratégico, sempre que não se sentia seguro na sua capital.

A fundação (Al Mossassa) das duas localidades foi celebrada em dois momentos distintos, em Badajoz e Marvão, com eventos vários, como conferências, animação de rua, comércio tradicional medieval das culturas co-existentes ("Mercado das 3 Culturas"), exibições e workshop de dança do ventre, espectáculos de serpentes e de falcoaria, actividades para crianças, passeios de burro, animais exóticos e da quinta, artesanato de cariz islâmico, comidas, bebidas e música

Until now of they have published around 14 numbers of this magazine with older issues avaiable online (portuguese only) .

The Village or Marvão organizes with the Spanish City of Badajoz (Batalyaws) the yearly festival AlMossassa where both communities celebrate their glourious arabic and muslim past: below there are some posters of previous editions...

The Moorish Castle of Ibn Marwan (Marvão):

and Ibn Marwan (Abd al Rahmân Ibn Marwân ibn Yūnus Ibn al-Djillīqui )...the man himself...May Allah (swt) be pleased with him!

these photos were taken from his statue in Badajoz (Spain):

Sintara(Sintra)

Just a quick note to show some very beautiful aspects of Sintara (Sintra) which was an important and strategic town for the moors of Andaluzia. It is still possible to find some gems of this noble heritage in the area.

Although some of this architectural curiosities date from later periods they nevertheless reflect the deep impact of the moorish presence in the arts and in the psyche of the christian conquerors. The Village's coat of arms is a quite clear example of that.

"The Village Palace"-Palácio da Vila:

Fonte dos Passarinhos: The bird's fountain erected in the year1835 in a moorish style and with arabic inscriptions:

Palácio da Pena:The Palace

The Moorish Castle:

Something tottaly different: The Map of Hish Turr (Torrão)'see previous blog:

And another small historical village where there was a masjid (mosque) - Sortelha:

قصر أبي دانس Al Qasr Abu Danis/Alcácer do Sal

قصر أبي دانس


(Al Qasr Abu Danis/Alcácer do Sal)

Check on the links section the islamic heritage of Alcácer do sal ' Al Qasr Abu Danis.

and check this amazing video on this website, it is about the village of Torrão (Hisn Turrus) close to Al'Qasr in Southern Portugal.
A place that had one of the most important mussalas (open air mosques) of all Portugal and perhaps iberia.

http://tv1.rtp.pt/multimedia/index.php?pagURL=arquivo&tvprog=1115&idpod=17609&formato=flv&pag=arquivo&pagina=0&data_inicio=&data_fim=&prog=1115&quantos=10&escolha=

Adalberto Alves and Shanta Maryam Harun

As Salaam Aleikum!

Just some more posting on the importance of Adalberto Alves for the rediscovery of our blood.one of his great books on Islamic Mysticism in the Al-Gharb is the "Portugal e o Islão Iniciático" which again revolve around 2 paramount figures of Islamic Portugal Al'Muttamid the King of Baja (Beja) and Ibn Qasi (ar) the Sufi Master. Again there won't be an english translation of this text...well probably it should be something for the new generations rediscovering their golden past to do. volunteers???

Another interesting book by Adalberto Alves which the theme is not Portugal but through its shia links has more to do with us that what we think - Iran. The country of Rose Gardens.

I just got this one from one of the links in this blog, it is a photo from a street in Shanta Maryam Harun (modern Faro), one of the last cities of the south to be lost to the christians...good to know that it still preserves some pride in its Islamic heritage!

IBN QASI (ar) part 1

Few Figures in the islamic History of Portugal seem so intriguing as Ibn Qasi(ar), the Sufi Master from Al'Rihanna (Arrifana). The man who led a Sufi revolt against the Almoravid central Power. A man who clearly shows the Shia influence in the AlGharbian Sufi themes.

Together with a group of Muridin this Master took The South of Portugal by assault in a mix of Theology, Poetry, Mystical experiences and Holy war.

Branded as an herectic by many, as a traitor by others, Ibn Qasi (ar)was probably all this but much more, His Magistral Treatsie -"the removal of the sandals" an allusion of Allah's command to Musa (Moses) (as) granted him the admiration of the Sheik Al akbar (Ibn Arabi)(ar) who saw in him a Master of High Maqama (station). Ibn Arabi (ar) devoted some of his writtings to Ibn Qasi(ar) in the form of commentaries.

I intend to develop this theme in here, as he his an unmissable piece in the Islamic Portuguese Puzzle.

For now I am showing on the left the cover page of a thesis wrote some decades ago in aUS University on his History and his Revolt against Central Power which would have repercurssions in the formation of Portugal separating the AlGharb from the Central AlAndaluz, therefore paving the way in the south to the separation of what would become Portugal to what would become Spain. A similar Job was being done in the northern Christian Lands where Afonso Henriques (mentioned by arabic sources as the Ibn Al Riques) was fighting against the Castillian Kings for the Independence of Portugal.



Just some years ago the Council of Mertola (Martula) city conquered by Ibn Qasi(ar) who ruled it at least for 2 years built a statue in commemoration of this huge figure in the history of Southern Portugal.


There is worth mentioning as well a beautiful book written by Adalberto alves (see mention to him in this blog) on Ibn Qasis' Philosophy. (ar)

The translation of the book title would be something like "The Sandals of the Master" a clear reference to Ibn Qasi's(ar) treatsie "the Removal of the Sandals", this book revolves around Ibn Qasi's Philosophy, Sufism and History.

Once again we are all in debt towards Adalberto alves who also included some excerpts of The Masters book which some copies still exist in Turkish Museums. "Khal al- Na 'layn" is the arabic original for "the removal of the sandals" which is a metaphor for the removal of material goods and desires, for the removal of the dunya's veil from our eyes. Some scholars point out the possibility of also mentioning the idea of removing duality (a pair of sandals) therefore of affirming Tawid the Unity of Allah and the Unity of Being (Wadhat al Wujud)-One of the most basic Sufi tenets in most of the Sufi silsilas or branches.



Ibn Qasi had according to many premonitive powers, one of his earlier texts seems like a chilling vision of what was to come, it is a chronological description of his uprise (which was devoid of material inetrests-nor seet or bitter), of his consagration and in the month of Jumada his death in the year 546 A.H....

"From the Safar's Moon a power came to me
which wasn't sweet or bitter
In the months of Rabi i had the Position
from where I got my fame
And in Jumada at least will end
this pain that time will erase"

Fatima (As), Shia Gnosis and Portugal

Fatima (as) besides the name of the daughter of the Prophet (saw) and the wife of the gate to the Prophet-Ali (as) is the name of a small Portuguese town close to Ourem and Tomar. Since early christian times (or even before) the area was recognized as "spiritually special", this fact being proven by the presence of the Templar Knigths in the area (Tomar) as well as other religious-militar orders.

But it seems that these were not the first to recognize the spirituality of the Place. Centuries before the Fatimid Moors who were the main part of the algharb moors (shia-ismaili) recognized this energy in those places and therefore the name of the town. What to Shia Moors looked like Fatima probably to Christian Knights looked like Mother Mary. The possibilities and speculations about what phenomena appears or appeared in that area are inumerous, but probably no one like the Professor Moisés Espírito Santo studied the issue in such depth.

In his book "As aparições de Fátima e os mouros Fatimidas"(the Fatima Apparitions and Fatimid Moors) - Moisés establishes links that no one ever dared to pronounce or write.

The initial theme of Moise's book were the islamic minorities (shia and ismaili) that advanced through the mediterranean and the iberian peninsula during the middle ages. Along the way the author sarted to understand the existence of elements of shia gnosis (irfan) of the IX-XII centuries in the reports of the modern visions (1917) of Mother Mary of Fatima in Cova da Iria.

A strange crossroad. The author decided therefore to research those elements. Using historical documents, Ethnology, ethnolinguistics and theological elements, the author breaks down the Shia (Fatimid) theological concepts of the IX-XII centuries along with the visions of 1917 at Fatima.

The author discovers a common identity at a historical, toponimical and other levels. We are therefore facing an incredible enigma taking in account the little we know about these Mother Mary/Fatima apparitions.

This is an incredible book which i don't believe there is a translation to english.

In Portuguese:

O projecto inicial deste livro eram as minorias islâmicas (xiitas ou fatimidas) que o Mediterrâneo e a Península Ibérica conheceram na Idade Média. Pelo caminho, o autor apercebeu-se da existência de elementos da gnose xiita dos séculos IX-XII nos relatos das visões da Cova da Iria (1917). Uma estranha encruzilhada. Não abandonou esses elementos imprevistos e abriu uma pista nova… para Fátima. Apesar desta ampliação, as investigações são autónomas: os leitores tanto poderão descobrir os berberes que invadiram a Península em 711 e entraram em conflito com o Islão, como redescobrir Fátima…Segundo o modelo de análise transdisciplinar que é o do autor, associa-se neste estudo a História documental, a Etnologia histórica, a Etnolinguística e a Teologia. O autor procede, como num laboratório, à decomposição da teologia xiita (ou fatimida) dos séculos IX-XII por um lado, e das visões da Cova da Iria (1917) por outro. Descobre-se que há uma identidade comum: a toponímia da freguesia de Fátima e elementos etno-históricos referentes a Ourém e a Tomar demonstram que as aparições de 1917 foram uma repetição, porque houve, no espaço da actual freguesia, outras aparições de Fátima, no tempo dos Mouros que eram fatimidas. Deparamo-nos assim com um enigma insolúvel face aos nossos actuais conhecimentos.

Shukran Eduardo!

A Blog about the arabic/islamic/muslim heritage in Portugal wouldn't be complete without a reference to the arts and to a a great name. A contemporary artist who fell in love with this rich heritage.

Eduardo Ramos is the name in terms of Portuguese Traditional music with a Arabic influence and a master of the "Alaude". He is an important presence every 2 years in the Islamic Festival of Mertola (Al-Martula). Eduardo is a Singer a Poet and a lover of the warm lands of the south of Portugal where the Islamic presence was felt stronger. A poet who incarnates the responsibility of carrying the legacy of Poetry of the Algharb-Alndaluz. A poet who loves other poets like Al-Muttamid who lived in Xelb (Silves) the exact place where Eduardo Lives.

Those who had the priviledge of being present in one of his shows know what i am talking about, his powerful voice entermingles with the Alaude overtones very often accompanied by his Son Tiago and his daughter Carolina who especialized in eastern dances.

A great man that must be known to the world.

A great man kindly transporting in his heart an amazing history of 1300 years of love, mysticism, poetry and courage.

May Allah grant him all his wishes!

Shukran Eduardo!