Sulayman bin Sulaym Allah al-Ruhayli
al-Tarikh inda Ibn Abi Shayba
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
al-Tarikh inda Ibn Abi Shayba (History According to Ibn Abi Shayba) is an academic historical study by Dr. Sulayman bin Sulaym Allah al-Ruhayli examining the historiographical methodology, sources, and narratives of the third-century hadith master Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba (d. 235 AH) .
Scope and Background
The study was prepared by al-Ruhayli, an associate professor in the Department of History and Civilization at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, and published in the journal of the Islamic University of Madinah . The work investigates how early hadith scholars in the first three Islamic centuries recorded history, focusing specifically on Ibn Abi Shayba's corpus—both within thematic sections of his al-Musannaf (such as the chapters on al-Maghazi, al-Jihad, and al-Fada'il) and through other historical treatises preserved alongside it, including al-Tarikh, al-Jamal, Siffin, and the lost al-Futuh .
Al-Ruhayli notes that despite Ibn Abi Shayba's high standing and extensive use by early classical historians such as al-Tabari, modern historical research has largely overlooked his historical material . The study aims to draw the attention of contemporary scholars to the value of hadith-based historical traditions and highlight unique accounts preserved by Ibn Abi Shayba whose original sources have otherwise perished or survived only incompletely .
Historiographical Method
The study analyzes Ibn Abi Shayba's approach within the traditionist (muhaddith) school of historiography, which adhered to rigorous isnad criticism at a time when independent historical writing increasingly relaxed isnad requirements . In structuring his historical material, Ibn Abi Shayba distinguished between history as narrative events (akhbar wa-hawadith) and history as chronology or calendar reckoning (tawqit wa-taqwim) .
He likewise separated the Prophetic military campaigns (al-maghazi) from subsequent Islamic history, placing the campaigns immediately after the legal chapter on jihad and beginning post-Prophetic history with the Battle of al-Yamama, followed by early conquests and battles such as al-Qadisiyyah, Tustar, and al-Yarmuk . Al-Ruhayli compares Ibn Abi Shayba's Maghazi coverage to that of his predecessor Abd al-Razzaq al-San'ani (d. 211 AH), noting that both covered early Prophetic events—such as the Prophet's marriage, the descent of revelation, and the earliest converts—though Ibn Abi Shayba provided a broader range of material than al-San'ani, while Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari confined his chapters more strictly to the military campaigns themselves .
Thematic Coverage and Branches
The study outlines the diverse branches of history documented in Ibn Abi Shayba's transmissions :
- Stories of the Prophets: Concise accounts covering figures such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Joseph, and David, emphasizing their attributes, miracles, and interactions with their peoples, which were later utilized by al-Tabari for Quranic exegesis .
- Prophetic Biography and Campaigns: Detailed traditions narrating the Prophet's life and military expeditions, with a total volume of material roughly comparable to that found in Ibn Sa'd .
- Conquests and Regional History: Accounts of early Islamic military engagements, conquests, and reports concerning various cities and provinces .
- Biographical and Legal History: Biographical sketches of prominent early figures, alongside narratives concerning the ethics of warfare and the legal treatment of non-Muslim subjects (ahl al-dhimmah) .
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