al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Dorar Saniyyah website (dorar.net)
al-Mawsua al-Tarikhiyya (The Historical Encyclopedia) is an eleven-volume digital reference work on Islamic history prepared by a team of researchers under the supervision of Alawi ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf and published online by the Dorar Foundation (dorar.net) in Rabi al-Awwal 1433 AH (February 2012 CE).
Scope and Content
The work provides a concise, chronological record of events across Islamic history from the pre-prophetic era and the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ up to contemporary times. It spans the early era of the prophetic mission and the Rightly Guided Caliphate, the Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, and regional Muslim dynasties, continuing through the Mamluk Sultanate and Ottoman Empire to modern events as late as 1432 AH (2011 CE). In addition to political, military, and administrative events, the chronicle records natural disasters, religious and intellectual developments, and obituaries of prominent scholars and historical figures.
Structure and Methodology
The encyclopedia arranges entries chronologically by year. Each entry is organized under a descriptive heading and presents standardized metadata comprising:
- The Hijri year (including pre-Hijri dates designated as Q.H. for events prior to the emigration).
- The lunar month, when identified.
- An approximate Gregorian year conversion, noted as approximate because single Gregorian years often overlap with multiple Hijri years.
- The narrative of the event (tafasil al-hadath).
Sources
The encyclopedia draws upon an extensive bibliography of classical chronicles and modern historical studies. Classical sources utilized include:
- Tarikh al-Rusul wa-l-Muluk by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari.
- al-Marifa wa-l-Tarikh by Yaqub ibn Sufyan al-Fasawi.
- al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Umam wa-l-Muluk by Ibn al-Jawzi.
- Tarikh al-Islam by Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi.
- al-Bidaya wa-l-Nihaya by Ibn Kathir.
- Works by Taqi al-Din al-Maqrizi, including al-Mawaiz wa-l-Itibar and al-Suluk li-Marifat Duwal al-Muluk.
- Local and regional histories, such as Akhbar Makka by al-Azraqi and by al-Fakihi, Bughyat al-Talab fi Tarikh Halab by Ibn al-Adim, and Ajaib al-Athar by Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti.
For modern and contemporary history, the compilers relied on works such as the multi-volume al-Tarikh al-Islami series by Mahmud Shakir, alongside specialized regional histories and biographies.
Answer updated