Fatima al-Fihri: Founder of world's earliest University

 

Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriya Al-Qurashiya was an Arab Muslim woman who is credited with establishing the world's oldest continuously functioning institution, the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco in 859 CE, however this is disputed. Al-Fihri was born in the modern Tunisian town of Kairouan in the year 800 AD. Her family was a part of a huge emigration from Kairouan to Fes. Her father, Mohammed al-Fihri, was a successful trader despite a modest upbringing.

During her lifetime, Fatima was known as the "mother of boys or Umm al-Banayn." According to historian Mohamed Yasser Hilali, "this moniker is likely a result of her generosity and the fact that she took youngsters under her wing."

Why Fatima al-Fihri built a mosque?

When her father and husband died, she used her inheritance to construct a big mosque for Fez's Muslim population.  Fatima began constructing the mosque in the Ramadan month of year 254 of Hegira, 859 A.D., after purchasing property from a "Hawaara" tribesman.

Several students and well-known scientists were drawn to it. Symposiums and discussions were held on a regular basis. According to the available records, teaching seats were created at the university and in other Fez annexations. The presence of several libraries is noted in these same documents.

Why is al-Qarawiyyin famous?

The University of al-Qarawyyin is the world's oldest running institution, predating the earliest European universities. Both Guinness World Records and UNESCO confirm this. As al-Qarawiyyin was established as a mosque in the year of reference, this suggests that its teaching purpose dates back to its inception. In this regard, it is almost a century older than the Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu (established in 989) and over two centuries older than the University of Bologna (1088).

Poets, astronomers, mathematicians, and Muslim jurists from all around the area are among its former students. The historian Abdurahman Ibn Khaldun, the physician and philosopher Abu Walid Ibn Rushd, the Andalusian physician Musa Ibn Maimonou, and Gerbert of Aurillac, who later became Pope Sylvester II, are well-known figures.

The Legacy of Fatima al-Fihri

Fatima al-Fihri is considered a saint and is highly regarded among Muslims, particularly in Fez. In Tunisia, an award was launched in her honour in 2017. It recognises actions that promote women's access to training and professional responsibilities. In addition, an academic programme and a grant for students from Europe and North Africa are named in Fatima al-honor.

Abdelhadi Tazi, a historian from Morocco, says that Al-Fihriya fasted until the project was finished. After completed, she walked inside and thanked God for his blessings.

According to narrative, Fatima's sister Mariam established a comparable mosque in the region across the river at the same period (859–60) with support from local Andalusian households, which became known as the Al-Andalusiyyin Mosque (Mosque of the Andalusians).