Born in Palma around 1355 Anselm Turmeda lived a life of profound transformation. He journeyed from a Franciscan friar to a celebrated Muslim scholar.
Anselm Turmeda initially studied grammar and logic here in Mallorca. He later moved to Lleida to study physics and astronomy. By 1375, he had joined the Franciscan order. Imagine young Anselm walking these very streets questioning his faith.
At 25 Anselm Turmeda ventured to Bologna. Perhaps even Paris beckoned. He encountered a teacher named Nicolau Martel. Martel revealed that Paraclit the prophet was the prophet of the Muslims and their religion was the true one.
Later, Turmeda traveled to Sicily. He then sailed to Tunis around 1385. He was welcomed by Christian merchants and soldiers. Four months later, he met a European doctor who had converted to Islam. This doctor facilitated Turmeda’s introduction to Sultan Abu-l-Abbas Ahmad.
Inspired by a passage in the Quran Turmeda converted to Islam. The sultan embraced and protected him. Anselm Turmeda married the daughter of Hadji Mohammad Assaffar and they had a son. The sultan appointed him translator and head of customs. In Tunis, he became known as “el torsimany” because of his interpreting work.
Various figures attempted to persuade Anselm Turmeda to return to Christianity. These included civil and religious authorities. They promised him absolution. Yet Turmeda never abandoned Tunis nor renounced Islam.
Anselm Turmeda wrote extensively. His works include “Llibre de bons amonestaments”. It is also known as Franselm. He wrote it in Tunis in April 1398. It is a manual of good conduct in verse for Catalan-speaking Christians. Some deemed him cynical. Others believed he felt nostalgia for his preaching days.
“Disputa de l’ase” is another notable work written around 1417. It is a dialogue between Turmeda and a donkey. They debate the superiority of humans over animals. The original Catalan version is lost. The Spanish Inquisition banned it in 1583. This led to its disappearance. We know of it through a French translation from 1544.
Anselm Turmeda also penned “Tuhfat al-Arib fi al-Radd ‘ala ahl al-Salib” in Arabic in 1420. It argues against Christianity and affirms Muhammad’s prophethood.
Anselm Turmeda died in Tunis around 1423. He remains a unique figure a medieval writer who excelled in both Catalan and Arabic literature. His life a testament to faith transformation and intellectual pursuit. He is one of the earliest writers to have written in both Arabic and a Latin language.