To understand who Muhammad Al-Idrisi was, and what is the importance of his contribution being the first great Muslim mapmaker, we need to ask basic questions like what is mapmaking, how can we draw a map, and why mapmaking is important for understanding the earth and the world dwelling on it? So, here are the answers:

Cartography
Mapmaking is known as ‘cartography’. It means: “using geographical information and transforming it into a map.” A cartographer is a person who draws or produces maps. 
How it Works?
Maps present information about the world in simple, visual way. Maps teach about the world by showing sizes and shapes of countries, locations of features, and distances between places. Maps also show distributions of things over the earth, such as settlement patterns, kinds of earth surface and climatic conditions as well. 
History of Mapmaking
The Babylonian Map is said to be the first map of the world that was discovered in southern Iraq. It was first published in 1899. The map was written in cuneiform script on a clay of tablet, of which only the major portions survive, measuring 12.2 x 8.2 cm. Who was the one who first discovered maps? The correct answer is Anaximander – the earliest Greek known to have made a map of the world. In the 6th century BC, he created a map of the then known world, assuming earth as a cylinder. It was Ptolemy who first drew maps of the world using latitudes and longitudes. In the Muslim world, Muhammad al-Idrisi was the first one who drew the world map that was near complete. 
How to Make a Map?
It is interesting for children to learn how to make a map. Mapmaking is an art. Children can learn the art of mapmaking or cartography by choosing a map template, and a map that fits their purpose. You must label important locations and areas, use text and graphics such as pushpins, arrows, and other symbols to label the map with key information. And then add a compass and include a legend too. 
How is the Map Drawn?
A map is a physical or digital image of a particular area such as a city, a country, or a continent, showing its main features as they would appear if you looked at them from above. The first maps were made by hand, by painting on parchment paper. As you can imagine, trying to draw the exact same map over and over was very difficult. This meant early maps varied in quality. The amount of time and energy it took to create just one map also meant there weren't many maps produced.
Tools to Make Maps?
Previously cartography tools included compasses mylar sheeting, planimeters and dividers. These are used to create analog maps. However, in today’s era, digital mapping is more popular, which is called ‘modern cartography’. This needs modern cartography tools, which are available in the apps available on the computer and mobile phones. 
The First Step in Mapmaking?
The first step an explorer takes in preparing a map is to determine his location. The location of any point or place on the earth’s surface can be understood only with reference to its distance and direction from another point or place. The easiest way to do this is to use familiar landmarks.
Other Steps of Mapmaking?
We will now go over each one of the five steps in the cartographic process in more detail: Step 1 defines the purpose and meaning of making a map; Step 2 invites you to choose scale; Step 3, try to know about the format, the process of printing, and its cost. Then design a layout as Step 4. While drawing and composing a map, make sure that there is harmony and clarity in the purpose of mapmaking. You can only keep in line with the above principles, if you are well aware of the map aesthetics. As Step 5, keep in mind ‘design principles’, which are legibility, visual contrast, figure-ground organization, hierarchical organization, and balance. Together these principles form a system for seeing and comprehending the relative importance of the content in the map and on the page. 
GIS for Mapping?
GIS (Geographic Information Software) is a technology that is used to create, manage, analyze, and map all types of data. GIS connects data to a map, integrating location data with all types of descriptive information. Data mapping is the process of matching fields from one database to another. It’s the first step to facilitate data migration, data integration, and other data management tasks. So, Geographic Information Software (GIS) is a type of computer software that helps users to analyze and visualize data. It can be used for tasks such as mapping out crime rates in neighborhoods, determining the best areas to build new homes or businesses, or tracking natural disasters.