Al-Waqidi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abu `Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Omar Ibn Waqid al Sahmi (Arabic ' أبو عبد الله محمد بن عمر بن واقد السهمي)(c. 130-207 AH) (c. 745 - 822 AD), commonly referred to as al-Waqidi (Arabic: الواقدي), was an early Arab Muslim historian.

He was born and educated in Madina. When Harun al-Rashid made his hajj in 186 he visited Madina. He sent his vizier Yahya ibn Khalid ibn Barmak ahead to locate a suitable guide and Yahya chose al-Waqidi. He followed the caliph back to Bagdad where he lived thereafter. At time of his death he was qadi of the western side of Bagdad.

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 Waqidi's has survived only in part.

Only one of al-Waqidi's works has survived - "Kitab alTarikh wa alMaghazi" ("Book of History and Campaigns") which describes the campaigns made by Muhammad while he was ruling in Madina. Another work still often ascribed to al-Waqidi, "Futuh alSham" ("Conquests of Syria"), contains characters from the sixth Islamic century, long after the time al-Waqidi lived.