Bulugh al-Qura fi Dhayl Ithaf al-Wara bi Akhbar Umm al-Qura
- Author died
- 920 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al-Qahira
Bulugh al-Qura fi Dhayl Ithaf al-Wara bi Akhbar Umm al-Qura (Attaining the Towns in the Supplement to Presenting Mankind with the Reports of the Mother of Towns) is a chronicle of Mecca written by the Meccan historian and hadith scholar al-Izz Ibn Fahd (850–922 AH / 1446–1516 CE; also reported as d. 920 or 921 AH) . It serves as a comprehensive daily and monthly record of historical, religious, social, and political events in Mecca across nearly thirty-seven years .
Composition and Scope
The work was conceived as a direct continuation (dhayl) to the annalistic history Ithaf al-Wara bi-Akhbar Umm al-Qura, authored by the writer's father, Najm al-Din Umar ibn Fahd (812–885 AH / 1409–1480 CE) . Najm al-Din had chronicled Meccan history from the Prophet's ﷺ birth down to the year of his own death in 885 AH . Following his father's demise, al-Izz Ibn Fahd began his continuation from Ramadan 885 AH and recorded Meccan affairs almost day by day throughout his life until 4 Jumada al-Ula 922 AH—ending roughly two weeks before his death on Friday, 18 Jumada al-Ula 922 AH . In total, the text covers thirty-seven years minus four months .
The author stated that his purpose in compiling the work was to follow his father's precedent in recording the occurrences and heritage of Mecca, reviving its landmarks and clarifying unknown aspects of its history without worldly ambitions .
Structure and Method
Bulugh al-Qura follows an annalistic journal system (mayawama), arranged by years, months, and days . While his father summarized obituaries collectively at the close of each annual entry, al-Izz integrated obituaries, births, and celebrations directly into the chronological flow of each month as they happened, occasionally appending chains of transmission (asanid) .
The chronicle provides detailed coverage of:
- Political, social, economic, cultural, and administrative developments in Mecca .
- The administration and functionaries of the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) .
- Annual pilgrimage (hajj) seasons, caravan arrivals, and pilgrimage commanders (umara' al-hajj) .
Continuations and Transmission
The book was subsequently continued by al-Izz's son, Jar Allah Ibn Fahd (d. 954 AH / 1547 CE), who authored a second continuation titled Nayl al-Muna bi-Dhayl Bulugh al-Qura li-Takmilat Ithaf al-Wara . Jar Allah resumed the day-to-day documentation of Mecca from Dhu al-Hijjah 923 AH through the month of Rajab 946 AH (with some copies extending into 949 AH) .
The title appears in historical and bibliographical literature with slight variations, including Bulugh al-Qura bi-Dhayl Ithaf al-Wara fi Akhbar Umm al-Qura by Isma'il Pasha al-Baghdadi and Bulugh al-Qura li-Dhayl Ithaf al-Wara by Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli and Abd al-Wahhab al-Dehlawi . Primary manuscript copies of the chronicle have been preserved in the Maktabat al-Haram al-Makki in Mecca within the Dehlawi collection .
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