Ibn Rashiq al-Qayrawani

Abu 'Ali al-Hasan ibn Rashiq, known as al-Qayrawani; author of famous sermons and astounding epistles, a cavalier of prose — al-Qadi al-Fadil said the bulk of his reliance was on memorising his words; 'Imad al-Din al-Isbahani mentions him in the Kharida and Ibn Bassam in the Dhakhira; his works include the Shudhud on language and more. ¹

His fine works include the 'Umda on the craft and criticism of poetry, the Anmudhaj, al-Sa'il al-Fatik and fine verse; his father was a Greek mamluk, a goldsmith at al-Muhammadiyya where he read adab and made verse; he moved to Qayrawan, became famous there, praised its lord and entered his service — and stayed until the Arabs stormed Qayrawan, killed its people and ruined it; he moved to Sicily and lived there until he died. ²