Al-Hasan al-Yusi

The most eminent Maghrebi scholar of the early modern period

Among the prominent and prolific scholars of seventeenth-century Morocco still read today, none has enjoyed a greater reputation than al-Hasan al-Yusi (1631–1691). A polymath, he wrote on theology, jurisprudence, logic and literature, and is also known for two famous public letters to the powerful ‘Alawite sultan Moulay Isma‘il, in which he criticised the excesses of the ruler’s policies.

This engrossing study of al-Yusi’s life and career offers a fascinating window onto the far western reaches of the Muslim World, introducing readers to the intellectual, cultural and social life of early modern Morocco through its most important writer.