MUSLIM HISTORIOGRAPHY

HIST 3750DR ELMIRA AKHMETOVA

DEPT OF HISTORY AND CIVILISATIONIIUM

What is Historiography?

What is Historiography? ???

What is Historiography? The field of study

of the methodology of historians in developing history as an academic discipline

Covers how historians have studied that particular topic using particular sources, techniques, and theoretical approaches

‘HISTORIOGRAPHY’ –

Technical meaning?

Historiography covers …SOURCE

METHODOLOGYTECHNIQUE

Historiography is… “The writing of history” The writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particulars from the authentic materials, and the synthesis of particulars into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods

“The principles, theory, and history of historical writing”  “Study of the discipline and practice of history” “History of history” Critical approach is demanded”

History of Historiography

“Islam is the only major religion of the history of mankind which was born and flourished under the light of history, and Muslims are a people with a strong sense of history, yet, ironically enough, the Islamic history is perhaps the most confused, much-discussed and less-understood among the histories of world religious communities.”

Nisar Ahmed Faruqi, Early Muslim Historiography, p. xix

Muslim or Islamic Historiographyالتأريخ علم 1. Arab historians compiled more historical works than were collectively compiled in any other languages at that time.

Margoliouth – 590 books in the 1st millennium 2. These works are of various types (tribal history, city history, universal) 3. date-mark and chronology practice 4. historical consciousness 5. Isnad system (law of witness)

Tarikh … From the root ‘arkh’,

Means recording according to time of an event

Event was used to differentiate time in pre-Islamic Arabia

Tarikh is “knowledge pertaining to a country, customs and manners of a people, remains of the people of yore, as well as account of the actions of those alive.”

Al-Kafiji (d. 879 H): “branch of knowledge dealing with the chronology of events”

In modern scholarship:

MAN + TIME + SPACE = HISTORY

Why Arabs paid so much attention to History?

1. being proud of their ancestors –oral tradition, genealogy to prove their nobility

2. The Qur’an

3. Muhammad SAW was an ideal person, an example

4. Muslim rulers wanted to be the best, so they wanted to learn from other great rulers who lived in history

Ayyam al-Arab (battle-days narrations, tribal military tales) – poetry

Qisas – folklore literature, tribal legends

Israiliyat – Biblical Myths

Rawi – later.. Professional rawis

The Concept of History Purpose of writing – ibadah

The will of Allah, Sunnah of Allah

History is the history of tawhid – continuity of Prophethood

Islam is a history-conscious religion

History-consciousness of Muslims was a part of their faith,

No interest in jahiliyyah period

Arab historiography continued flourishing in its own native spirit and form, free from foreign influence, until the end of 2nd century

Hisham al-Kalbi was the 1st person who used Christian archives

Last days of Ummayad rule, scholars began translating Persian historical books (Khudai Nama) – far reaching effect – full of mythology, exaggerations

Need for methodology …

Methodology Need for methodology – emerged

Was introduced: khabar with isnad – a report authenticated through a unbroken chain of authority (of transmitters) - to identify false

Taqi al-din Maqrizi (766-845) in Kitab al-Mawariz wa I’tibar bi Dhikr al-Khitat wal-Athar” said,

“knowledge is of two categories: ma’qul (rational) and manqul (traditional or revealed). A man ought to acquire a fair amount of both of them; then he should devote his time exclusively to the study of history and should ponder over its exhortations.. How shameful it would be if a man claims to have knowledge and wisdom but on being asked about those Prophets of Allah, faith in whom is obligatory, he should simply repeat their names without knowing details of their lives and personalities. Similarly, how disgraceful it is that one should teach in a Madrasah or issue religious decrees in settling legal disputes without knowing the sublime character of the Holy Prophet (SAW), his intrinsic qualities and virtues…”

Methodology .. Reasons for main interest in critical history:

1. Importance of history, sirah, early Islam – should be authentic

2. fiqh issues with spread of Islam

Ahl Hadith (who did not want to use qiyas as a source of fiqh), continued searching for hadith to interpret new happenings – great service to historiography

- made distinction between hadith, sirah and maghazi

So, early hadith and historical literature used same methodology, the same sources – khabar and isnad

Later, they developed separately

Akhbar became secular in approach and wider in scope, chronological in order

From local to universal outlook –ummah concept

Political aims in history – tribal, genealogy (Umayyads)

Historical Material During Jahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic Arabia)

These sources were neglected by Arab historiography

Orientalists paid attention

“Most reliable contemporary source of history coming down to us from that period directly.” (Faruqi, 16)

2 types:

1. Non-Arab inscriptions like Babylonian or Assyrian writings ( pre-Islamic life, conditions)

2. Arab

NON-ARAB SOURCES Personal events and achievements of a tribal chief

Like accounts about building of Dam in Marib by Sabaeans of Southern Arabia between two mountains in 800 BC.

Wall 150 feet high and 50 feet wide – took long time and covered time of several rulers

- Sabaeans built huge buildings, dams and roads, luxurious gardens –mentioned by Al-Hamdani

Pre-Islamic Sources Calendar Systems were based on events, year of elephants for example

-battle-days (ayyam) as their calendar

Dating is an important

The present hijri calendar was adopted in 17 or 18 Hijri Years during the time of Umar RA

JEWISH SOURCES The Torah – to fill gap

Torah is the collection of various scriptures related to Hebrew Prophets

To Musa AS, five books revealed and known as Pentateuch (Genesis (creation), Exodus (Musa and Pharaoh stories), Leviticus (Jewish Shari’ah), Numbers (wars, events), and Deuteronomy (discourses of Musa AS)

Nebhiim (The Prophets): Former Prophets and Later Prophets

Kethubim (Books) of Solomon, Daniel and others

Targhum – Aramaic translation and interpretation of Torah and Nebhiim

Pre-Islamic Sources The Talmud

Talmud Palestinian – written and compiled in Palestine

Two parts: 1. Mishnah- knowledge

(second law) – oral law; has carry chains of

Authority

Was collected by Judah Hanasi (190-200BC)

2. Gemara (completion) its exegesis:

Palestinian and Babylonian

Was used for tafsir and historical accounts

Pre-Islamic Sources Greek Works Many information about pre-Islamic Arab history, names of tribes, their territories

Herodotus (480-425 BC) – visited Egypt

Strabo (64BC-19CE) – 17 volume book – 16th contains chapters about Arabs

But early Arab historians did not know these sources

Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and Persia

Some travellers also visited

CAN WE RELY ON THESE SOURCES??

Pre-Islamic Sources Christian Sources The New Testament – to Isa AS

Altered and compiled much later

Exegesis of these stories

Seerah and Qisas Anbiyah writers used

these sources

Other Christian Sources like stories

Pre-Islamic Sources of Arab Origin Battle-Day Narratives (Ayyam Al-Arab)

Orally circulated narratives of the battle of the Arabs

Deal with wars, deities, religious and social conditions; rich in genealogical information, tribal issues, morality, glorious deeds

Collective property of a tribe

Deep impact on tribal society

Written in prose and poetry; some parts were used in Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham

Critique: one-sided, no historical-consciousness, exaggerations; it is just a folk-tales

Impact of Ayyam Tales on Futuh, maghazi

Maghazi also use poetry, same style and topics, and minute detail of wars but many differences in methodology, intention and critical evaluation

Pre-Islamic Arab Sources Arabic poetry - Diwan al-’Arab

‘Poetry is the Archives of the Arab’ – saying (Ibn Abbas)

Significant position in the field of historiography

Important source of cultural and intellectual activities

Early narrators of hadith were good in poetry as well

Hammad al-Rawiya

Every important poet had his own rawi who memorize verses and transmit it to others

Hammad al-Rawiya was the first man who devoted himself to the collection of the Jahiliyyah poetry (during the time of Yazid ibn Abd Malik)

He was patronized by Umayyad rulers

He recited 2900 long odes of Jahiliyyah and al-Walid awarded him one lakh dirhams