al-Iktifa bima Tadammanahu min Maghazi Rasul Allah wa al-Thalatha al-Khulafa
- Author died
- 634 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmīyah
al-Iktifa bima Tadammanahu min Maghazi Rasul Allah wa al-Thalatha al-Khulafa (The Sufficiency in the Military Expeditions of the Messenger of God and the Three Caliphs) is a biographical and historical work by the Andalusian hadith scholar Abu al-Rabi al-Kalai (d. 634 AH / 1237 CE), detailing the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the campaigns of the early caliphs .
Purpose and Scope
In his introduction, al-Kala'i defined his primary motivation as seeking God's pleasure, followed by the desire to acquaint and delight people with the traditions and history of their Prophet ﷺ .
The work is divided into two main parts :
- The Prophetic Biography (Sira): Covers the lineage, birth, upbringing, prophetic signs, and character of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, followed by the Hijra to Medina, the dispatch of raiding parties (saraya), and major military expeditions (maghazi) up to his death .
- The Expeditions of the Three Caliphs: Details the military campaigns and territorial conquests (futuh) conducted under the first three Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr (beginning with the Ridda Wars), Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Uthman ibn Affan .
In the book's epilogue, al-Kala'i explained why the reign of the fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, was omitted: while acknowledging the equal virtue and status of all four Caliphs, external conquests did not occur during Ali's caliphate because his tenure was occupied with internal discord (fitan) and fighting rebellious factions .
Sources and Methodology
The work functions as a structured compilation drawn from early authorities on maghazi and history, including Ibn Ishaq, Musa ibn Uqba, al-Waqidi, al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, and Ibn Abi Khaythama . Al-Kala'i relied heavily on Ibn Ishaq's historical framework, abridging it by stripping away lengthy philological discussions, complex lineages, and extensive poetry .
Rather than reproducing full chains of transmission (isnads), al-Kala'i integrated and sequenced reports into a streamlined narrative, emphasizing chronological accuracy and detailed coverage of military and administrative events .
Commentary and Editions
The Moroccan scholar Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd al-Salam al-Bannani al-Fasi (d. 1163 AH) composed a comprehensive commentary on al-Iktifa spanning five or six volumes .
Modern printed editions include:
- An edition edited by Mustafa Abd al-Wahid, published by Maktabat al-Khanji in Cairo (1387 AH / 1968 CE) .
- An edition edited by Muhammad Kamal al-Din Izz al-Din Ali, published by Alam al-Kutub in Beirut (1417 AH / 1997 CE) .
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