پژوهش های تاریخی (Mar 2021)
The Azafids, A Ruling Jurist Family in Ceuta: the Rise and Fall of Political Power and Scientific-Religious Authority
Abstract
AbstractThe Azafids were one of the most famous families of jurists and scholars in the city of Ceuta in the Islamic period. They were able to rule this city often semi-independently during the 7th to 8th centuries AH and also rule over several other cities in some other periods. Due to their scientific and religious statuses, they were respected by the people, while being influential in the social history of Maghrib and Andalusia. Abu al-Abbas Azafi, the great ancestor of this family, wrote the famous book, Al-ddur Al-Monazzam fi Mawlid Al-Nabi Al-Moazzam, which influenced on celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday in this area. Only 5 members of this family came to power and the other members became famous as scholars and poets in their times. In this article, the author intended to identify the members of this family based on a library research and via the description and analysis of the contents of the related sources, while answering the two questions of what factors were effective in bringing these jurists to power and finally losing power and what their scientific and social statuses were. It seemed that the scientific-religious position and influence of the Azafids in the political turmoil of that period in Morocco and Andalusia led to their ruling, but this turmoil also removed their authority, as well as their activities from the scene of power. IntroductionOne of the most important and influential periods in the history of Morocco and Andalusia was the defeat of Muhammad Nasser in1211 A.D. The battle of Las Navas de Tolosa” in Arab history was known as the battle of Al-Iqab against Alfonso VIII of Castile. After that, the Almohads did not regain their former power in Maghreb and Andalusia. In the meantime, some Maghreb cities like Ceuta, which served as a gateway between Maghreb and southern Andalusia, were exposed to Christian attacks and rivalry between the Maghreb and Andalusian rulers. Therefore, they decided to accept a better alternative to Almohad movement to maintain security. These new rulers made the Hafsid dynasty. The Hafsids chose a governor, whose name was Ibn Abi Khalid, for Ceuta. However, his cruel and unjust behavior towards the people of Ceuta caused them to rise up under the leadership of a famous jurist named Abul-Qâsem Azfi, who was able to form a government in 1249 A.D. Then, 5 members of this family, who were all jurists and scholars, came to power. During their sovereignties, they were associated with the great governments of Morocco and Andalusia, such as the Marinids and Nasrids, while being even forced to rule under their authorities. Finally, rivalry with the Seghellid family in Ceuta and lack of the Marinids’ support for the Azfi family caused them to lose their power forever. Materials and MethodsBy using a library method with a historical-analytical approach, this research tried to identify the Azafids family members and determine their scientific and social statuses. Discussion of Results and ConclusionsCeuta, which was the gateway to Morocco and Andalusia, attracted the attention of the powerful governments of the region, such as those of the Almohads, Marinids, and Nasrids, to be occupied by them. In the meantime, the Azafids used their scientific and religious influences and prestige among the people of Ceuta and seized power. The Azafids voluntarily or compulsorily joined one of these governments in each period in order to have a powerful supporter or maintain their power and sovereignty. Despite all the efforts of the Azafids’ rulers to maintain their sovereignty, the conflicts and family rivalries in Ceuta ended with Sultan Abu Saeed Marini’s support. However, their names remained in history because most of the members of this family were famous in poetry, jurisprudence, medicine, and even politics in Morocco and Andalusia for many years. They presented many works, the most important of which was the work of Abu al-Abbas Ahmad called the Al-ddur Al-Monazzam fi Mawlid Al-Nabi Al-Moazzam. In his book, he emphasized that holding religious celebrations, especially that of the Holy Prophet’s birthday, was very important and that Muslims were better to honor their Prophet’s status in this way. In fact, this book left a great celebration for the birthday of the Prophet of Islam after his death as a memorial, especially during the reign of the Marines in Maghreb and Andalusia, something that people did not care about until the writing of this book.
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