which he spent in the East. This journey took him fifteen years, which is what Ibn al-Qattan mentioned. It seems he relied on the account he himself narrated from Ibn Tumart's sister, following his telling his family before his death that he was departing from them. His sister said to him: "Where will you disappear to from us? Has it not been enough for you to disappear from us for fifteen years?" This statement from the sister, in particular, increases confidence in the accuracy of the determination, as her longing for her brother makes her precisely measure the days of absence, like one who feels the time of longing and awaits reunion. The second point is what was mentioned regarding the year Ibn Tumart arrived at his village upon his return from the journey. Most sources confirm that this was in the year 1125 CE (514 AH). If we combine the first point with the second, the result is that the most likely year for the beginning of Ibn Tumart's journey to the East is the year 1105 CE (500 AH) or 1105 AH (499 CE), if we consider the possibility of monthly fractions.

The Route of the Journey: The route that Ibn Tumart took on his journey, and the points he passed through or stayed at for some time, are not entirely clear. Rather, they are a subject of disagreement among historians, inviting discussion and investigation. We do not find news related to the Moroccan cities he passed through after leaving his village, but we do find a number of accounts related to cities outside this region that he passed through or settled in for some time. When we combine these, we get a picture of the route he took towards the East. The most important elements of that route are the following: A. In Al-Andalus: Some sources indicated that Ibn Tumart, after setting off from the Marrakech region, passed through Al-Andalus. The phrase is: "and he was absent on his journey in search of knowledge for fifteen years." Ibn al-Qattan, Nazm al-Juman: (10) The same source: (11) See page 103 of this research. (12) 66