al-Shamareekh fi Ilm al-Tarikh
- Author died
- 911 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Adab
al-Shamareekh fi Ilm al-Tarikh (Date Clusters in the Science of History) is a concise treatise on the origins, principles, and conventions of historiography and calendar dating by the Egyptian polymath al-Jalal al-Suyuti (849–911 AH / 1445–1505 CE) .
Background and Purpose
In his introduction, al-Suyuti states that he composed the work after coming across a treatise on the science of history written by one of his teachers, which he found devoid of both minor and major points of utility . He compiled this book to assemble essential historical and linguistic benefits, naming it al-Shamareekh (the plural of shimrakh, meaning a cluster of dates or fruit) . At the close of the book, he notes that these matters are indispensable because it is unbefitting for a scribe or historian to remain ignorant of them .
Structure and Content
The treatise is organized into three main chapters (abwab):
- Chapter One: The Origins of Dating (Fi Mubtada al-Tarikh): Surveys the earliest chronological epochs, beginning with the descent of Adam from Paradise, the era of Noah and the Flood, the fire of Abraham, the construction of the Ka'bah by Abraham and Ishmael, the dispersion of tribes from Tihamah, the death of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, and the Year of the Elephant . It also notes non-Islamic systems, including those of the Persians, the Christian and Greek era of Alexander, and pre-Islamic Arab battle days such as Yawm Jabalah and the two battles of al-Kulab . The chapter then details the establishment of the Islamic Hijri calendar under the caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab in consultation with the Companions, including proposals regarding whether to count from the Prophet's birth, mission, migration, or death, the decision to commence the year with the sacred month of Muharram proposed by Uthman ibn Affan, and reports discussing earlier dating practices during the Prophet's lifetime .
- Chapter Two: The Utilities of History (Fi Fawa'id al-Tarikh): Outlines the practical and religious benefits of recording dates, such as determining contractual deadlines, the expiration of legal waiting periods (iddah), and establishing the chronology of scholarly writings . In hadith scholarship, it serves to verify the birth and death years of teachers and transmitters, thereby assessing the accuracy of chains of transmission (isnad) and exposing fabricated narrations . Al-Suyuti cites statements by earlier scholars such as Sufyan al-Thawri—who observed, "When narrators resorted to lying, we used history against them"—as well as Hafs ibn Ghiyath and Hammad ibn Zayd .
- Chapter Three: Miscellaneous Points Connected to Dating (Fi Fawa'id Shatta Tata'allaqu Bih): Focuses heavily on linguistic, grammatical, and legal rules related to timekeeping . It addresses dating by lunar months rather than solar calculations, the convention of counting time by nights because the night precedes the day, standard phrasing for recording dates within a month (such as khalat, baqiyat, li-ghurratih, and li-insilakhih), and numerical gender agreements in dates . It concludes with an exposition of the names, etymologies, plurals, and pre-Islamic designations of the days of the week and the twelve Islamic months, alongside relevant legal rulings and historical reports .
Editions
The work was edited and published in Leiden in 1312 AH / 1894 CE by the German orientalist Christian Friedrich Seybold (1859–1921 CE), accompanied by an introduction in German . Manuscripts of the text are preserved in multiple collections, including Leiden, the British Museum, Princeton, the Chester Beatty Library, the Vatican Library, Dar al-Kutub in Cairo, and the Zahiriyya Library in Damascus .
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