His book Kitāb Sirāj al-Mulūk (The Lamp of Kings) was one of the most important works of political theory to be produced in the medieval Islamic world.
He first traveled to Zaragoza, where he became a student under Abu al-Walid al-Baji, a famous scholar and poet.
While in Spain, he also familiarised himself with the philosophical and political treatises of the Andalusian polymath Ibn Hazm.
He travelled for knowledge, seeking to educate himself from various scholars in different part of the Muslim world and went as far east as Baghdad.
His most famous work was Siraj al-Muluk (سراج الملوك) (The Lamp of Kings) an important treatise on political theory.