al-Diyar Bakri
- Died
- 966 AH
- Born in
- Diyarbakir
Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Diyar Bakri (d. c. 966 AH / 1559 CE) was an Ottoman-era historian, jurist, and judge of Mecca, best known for his biographical chronicle Tarikh al-khamis fi ahwal anfas al-nafis .
Life and Career
Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Diyar Bakri was born in Diyar Bakr, from which he derived his primary nisba . He subsequently moved to Mecca and settled there permanently . In Mecca, he was appointed to the judiciary, serving as the city's judge (qadi) . Biographical sources describe him as a Maliki jurist, while some records indicate that he may have followed the Hanbali madhhab .
Scholarly Contributions
Al-Diyar Bakri's scholarly output encompassed historical chronicles, jurisprudence, and local sacred topography. In legal matters, he authored Uhabat al-nasik wa-al-hajj, a manual expounding the pilgrimage rites according to the four Sunni legal schools . He also compiled a specialized architectural treatise, Risalah fi misahat al-Ka'bah wa-al-Masjid al-Haram, detailing the dimensions of the Kaaba and the Sacred Mosque .
His primary historical work, Tarikh al-khamis fi ahwal anfas al-nafis (The Chronicle of the Quintet on the Circumstances of the Most Precious Soul), was completed on 8 Sha'ban 940 AH (23 February 1534 CE) . The book provides an exhaustive study of the prophetic biography (sirah), drawing upon classical exegesis, hadith, and historical compendia, and concludes with a concise historical overview of the caliphs and subsequent Muslim rulers .
Death
Al-Diyar Bakri died in Mecca . The standard date given for his death by biographers is circa 966 AH (1558 or 1559 CE) . Another report places his death after 982 AH (1574 CE), as several surviving manuscript copies of his chronicle extend their narrative to record the accession of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III in that year, though this continuation has also been attributed to later copyists .
Answer updated
List of Works
Tarikh al-Khamis fi Ahwal Anfas al-Nafis (The Chronicle of the Quintet on the Circumstances of the Most Precious Soul) is a comprehensive historical work focused on the prophetic biography (Sirah) and early Islamic history. Completed on 8 Sha'ban 940 AH (23 February 1534 CE), the text details the life and mission of the Prophet alongside subsequent historical eras through an expansive narrative drawing upon classical references in Quranic exegesis, hadith, history, and theology.