User:Al-Andalusi/Al-Waqidi

Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Umar ibn Waqid al-Waqidi (أبو عبد الله محمد بن عمر بن واقد الواقدي; 130 AH/748 CE - 207 AH/823 CE) was an early Arab Muslim historian.

Early life and family
Al-Waqidi was so called after his grandfather al-Waqidi, who was a client (mawla) of 'Abd Allah ibn Buraida ibn al-Hasib who belonged to the Medinan family of Aslam.

He was born and educated in Medina.

Death
When Harun al-Rashid made his hajj in 186 AH, and intended to visit Medina, he sent his vizier Yahya ibn Khalid ibn Barmak ahead to locate a suitable guide, and Yahya chose al-Waqidi. Al-Waqidi then followed the caliph back to Baghdad where he lived thereafter. At the time of his death he was qadi of the western side of Baghdad.

Works
Al-Waqidi was a tireless collector of traditions and the author of many books. His secretary, Muhammad Ibn Sa`d was also a famous historian. He made use of the information collected by al-Waqidi. Both of them wrote biographies of the prophet Muhammad that are important supplements to the "Sirat Rasul Allah" of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, but al-Waqidi's has survived only in part.

Only one of al-Waqidi's works has survived - "Kitab al-Tarikh wa al-Maghazi" ("Book of History and Campaigns") which describes the campaigns (Arabic "Ghazw") made by Muhammad while he was ruling in Medina. Another work still often ascribed to al-Waqidi, "Futuh al-Sham" ("Conquests of Syria"), contains characters from the sixth Islamic century, long after the time al-Waqidi lived. al-Waqidi has been frequently criticized by Muslim writers, who claim that he is unreliable. Imam Shafi'i says that,"the books written by Al-Waqidi are nothing but heaps of lies".

Notes and references

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