ABSTRACT
The biographical dictionaries of Andalusi personages can be divided into two large groups. First, there are those written by Andalusi authors, among which stand out the three great masterpieces of the genre: the works of Ibn al-Fara<F (tenth-eleventh centuries), Ibn Bashkuwal (twelfth century), and Ibn al-Abbar (thirteenth century). On the other hand, there are the works penned by North African biographers, such as Ibn l:larith al-Khushani (tenth century), a native of Qayrawan, and 'Iya<;l (twelfth century), who was from Ceuta. While the biographies that are to be found in works by Andalusi authors all follow a clear precise pattern, as if following the same census questionnaire format (dates, places, masters and disciples, disciplines which they pursued), the North Africans, though not omitting such details, address them through a multitude of anecdotes related to the lives of the personages who are the subjects of their accounts. Although these anecdotes refer almost entirely to aspects of the intellectual activities of their subjects, they often allow us to glean scenes of daily life in the cities of al-Andalus with a vividness, realism, and above all verisimilitude that is not to be found in any other kind of source.
