Muhammad al-Maghili

Who was Muhammad al-Maghili?

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim al-Maghili, commonly known as Muhammad al-Maghili was an Islamic scholar from Tlemcen, the capital of the Kingdom of Tlemcen, now in modern-day Algeria. Al-Maghili was responsible for converting to Islam the ruling classes among Hausa, Fulani, and Tuareg peoples in West Africa.

Maghili led a campaign to expel the city's Jewish community, which had migrated there after the Roman Sack of Jerusalem, and was successful. Many of the Jews were indeed expelled from Tlemcen and their synagogue was destroyed. He also served as an adviser for Muhammad Rumfa, Emir of the Hausa city-state Kano, and wrote a treatise on government, On The Obligations of Princes.

Original manuscripts of his work are available from the United Nations World Digital Library.