Muhammad Bin Al-Qasim al-Qundusi


Muhammad Bin Al-Qāsim al-Qundūsi was a Sufi calligrapher and scholar who lived in Fes, Morocco.

Biography

al-Qundusi was born in Qanaadasa, a community in the desert of the Maghreb, and now within the borders of Algeria. In 1828, he migrated to Fes, where he lived and had a hanout in the herb market, in which he sold herbs.
He lived in relative obscurity, though those who knew him described him as gnostic, saintly, esoterically knowledgable, and spiritually insightful.
He wrote many books transcribed a number of dawawin, or collected works. He conferred upon the Moroccan Alawite Sultan Suleiman a degree in knowledge of Dala'il al-Khayrat, a seminal Sufi text composed by Muhammad al-Jazuli. al-Qundusi passed away in 1861.

Calligraphy

He was a talented calligrapher, specializing in a flamboyant style of the Maghrebi script that he innovated. He also wrote a copy of the Quran in 12 volumes which he finished in September 7–8, 1850, and which is kept in al-Khizāna al-Ḥassania.
He drew the name of Allah in the Zawiya of Idriss II in Fes.

Religious views

He was a Sufi associated with the Qadiri and Nasiri orders.

Works

His works include:
His works inspired a typeface called Qandus, which was designed by Kristyan Sarkis of TPTQ Arabic, and won the Type Directors Club's 2017 Typeface Design Award.