Ahmad al-Wansharisi

1430 or 1431 in Ouarsenis, d. 1508 in Fez[1]) was a Berber Muslim theologian and jurist of the Maliki school around the time of the fall of Granada.

[5] His most notable work is al-Mi`yār al-Mughrib ("The Clear Measure and the extraordinary Collection of the Judicial Opinions of the Scholars of Ifrīqiyā, al-Andalus, and the Maghrib"), a multivolume collection of legal opinions (fatwas) and cases (nawāzil) in North Africa and Islamic Spain.

[2] He also wrote Asna al-matajir fi bayan ahkam man ghalaba 'ala watanihi al-nasara wa lam yuhajir wa ma yatarattabu 'alayhi min al-'uqubat wa al-zawajir ("The Most Noble Commerce, Setting Forth the Legal Rulings Regarding One Whose Lands Have been Conquered by the Christians and Stern Threats That Apply to Him as a Consequence", shortened Asna al-matajir or "The Most Noble Commerce"),[9] an extensive fatwa arguing that it was compulsory for Muslims in Christian-conquered Spain to emigrate to Muslim lands.

[12] In addition to citing the Qur'an, hadith and previous consensus of jurists, he also supported his case with a detailed demonstration of why the mudéjars were unable to properly fulfill a Muslim's ritual obligation.

[13] In addition to The Most Noble Commerce, he also wrote a shorter companion fatwa, sometimes called the "Marbella fatwa", responding to a question about a man from Marbella in Southern Spain who wished to stay in Christian Spain in order to assist those unable to migrate.