"

EA'RLY
MUSLIM . HISTORIOGRAPHY

A S tudy of EarJy Transmittei:s of Arab History<from the

· ! Rise of Islam up to the end of Umayyad Period~
( 612 - 750. A.D. )

by
NISAR AH MED FARUQI, Pb. D.
Reader in Modern Arabic,
Un iversity of D elhi

IDARAH·I ADABIYAT-1 DELLI

2009, Qasimjan Street. Delhi-6. (India)
IAD ORIENTAL (Original) Series-No. 7

A Tl1esis submitted to the University of Delhi for th e

degree of Ph. D. under the supervision of Professor
K. A. Fariq, University of Delhi, 1977.

© Nisar A.l;lmed Faruqi

Published by Mohammad Ahmad for l darah-i Adabiyat-i

Delli and printed at Jagowal Printing Press, 7/ J 5, Kirti Nagar,
New Delbi-110015.
 Contents

Preface xv
CHAPTER: I
Introduction : l
'Tlir'ikh' or History 2
What is History 2
Concept of History 5
History-Consciousness of the Muslims 7
Methodical Treatment 9

CHAPTER: II
Historical Material in Pre-Islamic Arabia : 15
Inscriptions and E:eigraphs 16
Dam of Marib 19
Other Old Monuments 20
Calendar System of the Ancient Arab 22
Calendar System of the Quraish 24

The Jewish Sources of Pre-Islamic Arab History : 26

(a) The Torah 26
(b) The Talmud 27
(c} The Mis/mah 28
{d) Classical Greek Works 31
(e} The Christian Sources 34
(i) The New Testament 34
(ii) Other Christian Sources 35
viii BARLY MUSLIM HISTORlOORAPHV

Pre-Islamic Historical Material of Arab Origin : 37

(i) Battle-day Narratives
(Ayyiim al-'Arab) 37
Structure of the Ayyl'lm-tales 39
Style of the Ayyam-ta!es 41
Impact of the Ayyam-tales on Futub 41
(ii) Arabic Poetry as a Source of
Historical Material 42
D'iwiin al-'Arab 42
I;Iammad a!-Rawiya 44

CHAPTER: III

Genealogy as a Source of Arab His toriography : 49

Daghfal al-Nassaba 54
Historians' View of Genealogy 55
Abfl al-Yaq=?ao a!-Nassiiba 57
Mol;laromad b. al-Sa'ib al-K.albi 58
An Examination of his Reports 60
The Prophet at Mecca 62
Wives of the Prophet 63
Riddah 63
Abu Bakr's Biography 64
Caliphate of' Umar 64
Murder of 'Uthman 65
The Martyrdom of al-l:lusain 65
Murder of al-Mukhtar 66
Dair al-Jamajim 66
Hisham b. Mol;lammad b. al-Sa'ib al-Kalbi 67
His Disciples 70
A Catalogue of his Works 70
Books on Treaties (Ablaf) 70
Books on Monuments and Settlements 71
His Books on Ancient H istory 72
Works Dealing with the Period of the
Jalziliyya on the Eve of the Advent of Islam 74
His Works on the Anecdotes of the
Islamic Period 74
CONTENTS ix

His Works on Cities 74

His Works on the Akhb<ir of Arab Poets
and o u the Ayyiim al-'Arab 75
His Works on Anecdotes a nd Tales 7~

CHAPTER: IV

Philology as a Source of Historical Material : 78

Philology and lfaduh 79
Abu 'Ubaida Ma' mar b. al-Muthanna 80
Qatada b. Di'ama a l-Sadusi 82

CHAPTER: V

The Yemenite Element in Arab Historical

Literature : 84
'Abid b. Sbarya al-Jurhumi 87
Ka'b al-Al;tbar 88
Wahb b. Munabbih 92
G enealogical Tree 94
H is Works: 96

1. Kitab al-Qadar 96
2. Kitab al-Muliik al-Mutawwaja min l;Iimyar
wa Akhbaruhum wa Qi ~a~uhum wa
Qubiiruhum wa.'1Ash'aruhum 96
3. Kitab Maghazi Rasulillah 97
4. Kitab al-Mubtada 97
5. Tra nslation of the Psalms 98
6. Mawa'iz Wahb b. Munabbih 98
7. l;Iikmat-e-Wahb b. Munabbih 98
8. l;Iikmate Al-e- D a'iid 98
9. al-Israeliyyat 98
10. Futul;t 99
I I. AJ;iadith al-Anbia 99
x EARLY MUS LIM. HISTORIOGRAPHY

Wahb on the H istory of Yemen 99

Nature and Style of his R eports 100
An Examination of the Reports from
Wahb b. Munabbih 101
Age of the World 101
Creation and Fall of Adam 102
Sources of Wahb 108
The Bible 108

CHA PTER: VI

The Qor'an as the Source of History : 112

H istory of the Qur'iin 112
Raison d'etre or the Occasion of Descent l lS
Conformjties to the Companions 116
The Qur'iin Revealed at Mecca 117
The Qur'an Revealed at Medina 118
The Composition of the Qur'an 119
The Collection of the Qur'iin 120
The Compilation of the Qur'an 122
The Compilation Board 123
The Qur'ao in the Light of New
Archaeological Excavations 127
The New Historical Knowledge and the Old
R eligious Concepts 130
History in the Qur'an 132
Creation of the H eavens and the Earth 134
Creation of Man 134
Sirah of the Prophet 135
Battle of TJ.Qud 136
Banu al-NaQ.ir 137
Battle of the Trench 138
Truce of I;Iudaibiya 139
The Conquest of Mecca 139

The Tafsir Literature : 141

Foreign Influence on Israeliyyat 142

The Element of Isriieliyyat 1n Tafsir 144
CONTENTS xi

Mob.ammad b. Ka'b al-Qura~i 146

An Examination of his Reports 147
Sirah : Meccan Period 151
'Abdullah b. Salam 155
His Reports 160
'Abdullah b. al-' Abbas 164
Table of his Transmissions 170

CHAPTER: VII
l;Iadith Literature ~nd its H istorical Value : 171
Practice of Writing in Early Period 171
The Practice of Writing and Compilation
Work during the Caliphate 176
Compilation of IfadUh Literature 178
A Catalogue of the Early Compilations 180
l;lad'ith as a Branch of History 185
Writing Down of Historical Material
during the Umayyad Period 186
Mu'awiya I 187
Al-Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik 190
'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan 189
' Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz 191
Practice of the Tabi't4n 19.5
Scrutiny of the Transmission Chains 196
Scope of Investigations 196
Status of the Companions as Transmitters 199
Followers of the Companions 200
Status of the Followers as Transmitters 201
Chains Made Obligatory 201
Grand Chains of Authority 203
Accusation and Appraisal of Authorities 204

CHAPTER: VIII

The Age of Preservation 207

(a) The Early Historical Monuments and Remains 207
(b) Preservation of Documents 211
xii EARLY MUSLIM HlSTORlOGRAPHY

CHAPTER: IX

Sirah Literature : 214

Plan of Sirafz Literature 216
1. Abiin b. 'Uthman 217
An Examination of his Reports 222
2. ' Urwa b. al-Zubair 224
Family Connections of ' Urwa b. al-Zubair 228
An Examination of his Reports 23 I
A 1-Maba' th 231
Beginning of Walz• 231
The First Allegiance at 'Aqaba 233
3. Shur'l.iabil b. Sa'd 234
4. Mo})ammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri 235
H is Teachers 240
His Disciples 241
An Examination of his Reports 242
al-Mubtadli 242
History of Prophethood 242
History of Persia 243
Ancestors of the Prophet 244
The Prophet at Mecca 244
The Prophet at Medina 245
The Maghtiz'i Reports 251
Wives of the Prophet 252
Other Biographical Details of the Prophet 252
The Prophet's Illness and Death 253
Election of Abii Bakr 254
Abu Bakr :. H is Life and Practices 256
The Caliphate of 'Umar and the Conquests 256
The Murder of 'Uthman 257
Pledge of Allegiance to 'Ali 257
The Battle of ~iffin 258
Al-I:lasan b. 'Ali 259
Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan 259
Yezid b. Mu'awiya 259
CONTENTS xiii

5. Musa b. 'Uqba: 261

His Works on Maghaz'i 269
Styl'e and Attitude of Musa 270
His Disciples 270
6. Ma'mar b. Rashid : 271
His Sources 271
His Disciples 272
$abifa Hammam b. Munabbih 272
An Examination of his Reports 273
Genesis 273
History of the Prophets 273
The Sirah : Family of the Prophet 276
Beginning of Revelation 277
The Prophet at Medina 277
Biographical Details 278
Election of Abu Bakr 278
The Caliphate of 'Umar 278
The Period of Mu'iiwiya 279
CHAPTER: X

Towards the Age of Chronicles (I:!auliyyat): 281

1. 'Awana b. al-I:Iakam 285
2. Saif b. 'Umar 286
3. Abu Mikhuaf 287
His Works 288
An Examination of his R eports 290
·Reports on the Murder of al-Mustaurid
b. 'Ullafa 296
Maqtal I:Jujr b. 'Adi 296
Deposition of al-Pal;lhiik from Kufa 297
The Episode of Karbalii 297
Episode of I:Iarra 298
Ivfarj Rahit 299
'Abdullah b. a l-Zubair 299
Sulaimiin b. $urad 300
Conclusion 300
Bibliography 303
Index 317