Background
Abdelwahid was born in Marrakech in 1185 during the reign of Yaqub al-Mansur, in 1194 he moved to Fes to pursue his studies, but continued traveling back and forth between the two cities for academic purposes.
Abdelwahid was born in Marrakech in 1185 during the reign of Yaqub al-Mansur, in 1194 he moved to Fes to pursue his studies, but continued traveling back and forth between the two cities for academic purposes.
In 1206 he left for al-Andalus where he stayed for nine years before returning to Morocco. The book was written in a lighthearted spirit with many anecdotes. Abdelwahid explained that his intention was to inform and entertain the students in a summarized way since academic history books tend to be overly lengthy which can sometimes bore the reader.
The book contains valuable information about Ibn Rushd (a contemporary of Abdelwahid) as well as information directly taken from the Almohad archives, various princes and accounts of events that the author witnessed. Another aspect of this is the account about the Almoravids, who were the rivals of the Almohads, but were properly credited with their good deeds. Additionally events of in-fighting between the Almohad princes were properly reported, contrary to Ibn Abi Zar, writing a century later under the Marinids, who omitted to report about significant plots and revolts that occurred during his lifetime.
Abdelwahid finished his life in Egypt, as he reported in his book that the later events of the Almohads did not reach him in great detail since he was away.