Akhbar Makka - al-Azraqi
- Author died
- 250 AH
- Editions
- t Malhas · t Ali Umar · +1
Akhbar Makka (full title: Akhbar Makka wa-ma ja'a fiha min al-athar, "Reports of Mecca and the Traditions Received Concerning It") is a 3rd-century AH / 9th-century CE historical and topographical work on the city of Mecca and its sacred sites by the Meccan historian Abu al-Walid al-Azraqi (d. c. 250 AH / 864 CE; other reports state 244 AH or 223 AH) . It is considered one of the earliest surviving monographs on the history and layout of the holy city and its sanctuary .
Composition and Transmission
The core framework and foundational material of the book were originally assembled by the author's grandfather, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Walid al-Azraqi (d. 217 AH; another report gives 212 AH) . Abu al-Walid al-Azraqi subsequently organized and chaptered the work, transmitting it from his grandfather alongside substantial additions of his own . The bibliographer Ibn al-Nadim listed it as Kitab Makka wa-akhbariha wa-jibaliha wa-awdiyatiha ("The Book of Mecca, Its Reports, Mountains, and Valleys"), describing it as a large work .
The work has reached posterity primarily through the transmission of the Meccan scholar Abu Muhammad Ishaq ibn Ahmad al-Khuza'i (d. 308 AH), who transmitted it directly from al-Azraqi and inserted several explanatory notes and topographical identifications into the text . It was also transmitted through Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Abd al-Samad al-Hashimi . In the catalogue of Ibn Khayr al-Ishbili, the text is recorded under the title Akhbar Makka, a'azzaha Allah, wa-fada'iluha and measured at thirteen parts (ajza') .
Scope and Contents
The book functions as a topographical survey (khitat) as much as a historical narrative, while remaining largely devoid of political and social analysis . It details the sacred geography and history of Mecca from its origins through early Islamic times :
- The origins, rebuilding, and architectural measurements of the Ka'ba, its interior columns, ceiling, doors, and cladding (kiswa) .
- Relics and sacred precincts, including the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad), Maqam Ibrahim, the well of Zamzam, and the Hijr of Ismail .
- The layout and successive architectural expansions of the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram), its columns, gates, and hanging lamps .
- Ritual stations associated with the pilgrimage, such as al-Safa and al-Marwa, the mas'a, Mina, Masjid al-Khayf, Muzdalifa, and Mount Arafat .
- The historic houses, quarters (arba'), valleys, and mountains surrounding Mecca, as well as places associated with early Islamic events and prophetic birthplaces (mawalid) .
Reception and Abridgments
The biographical scholar Abd al-Karim al-Sam'ani commended al-Azraqi's compilation, stating that he "excelled in composing that book to the utmost degree" . Subsequent chroniclers and topographers writing on the layout and history of Mecca relied heavily on al-Azraqi's work as a standard authority .
The text was later abridged by scholars, including:
- Abu Yazid al-Duray'i (Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad), who titled his abridgment Nukhbat al-akhbar min kalam al-abrar .
- Sa'd al-Din Umar ibn Muhammad al-Isfara'ini (8th century AH), who abridged it under the title Zubdat al-a'mal wa-khulasat al-af'al after hearing the text in the Meccan sanctuary in 762 AH .
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscripts of the text are preserved across various libraries, including the Topkapi Saray (Ahmad III collection), Ayasofya, Fatih, and other Turkish collections, the Zahiriyya Library in Damascus, the Qarawiyyin in Fez, as well as European libraries in Leiden, Paris, and Gotha .
The book was first printed in Göttingen in 1275 AH (1858 CE) . It was later published in Mecca in 1352 AH, and subsequently issued in two volumes edited by Rushdi al-Salih Malhas, which went through multiple printings in Mecca and Beirut .
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