Ibn al-Jawzi
Talqih Fuhum Ahl al-Athar
- Author died
- 597 AH
- Editions
- Sharikat Dar al-Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam
Talqih Fuhum Ahl al-Athar fi Uyun al-Tawarikh wa-l-Siyar (Impregnation of the Understandings of the People of Tradition regarding the Essentials of Histories and Biographies) is a single-volume historical and biographical handbook composed by the Baghdadi polymath Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH / 1201 CE) .
Method and Structure
The work was conceived as a concise manual of historical, biographical, and prophetic traditions (sirah and tarikh) . Ibn al-Jawzi modeled the arrangement and design of the book directly on the framework of Kitab al-Maarif by Ibn Qutayba (d. 276 AH / 889 CE) . In standard biographical bibliographies, it is registered under the full title Talqih Fuhum Ahl al-Athar fi Uyun al-Tawarikh wa-l-Siyar as a single-volume text , though Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli records the variant title Talqih Fuhum Ahl al-Athar fi Mukhtasar al-Siyar wa-l-Akhbar .
Contents and Scope
The compendium organizes a broad range of historical data into easily accessible reference lists and summarized entries:
- Prophetic Biography and Companions: Summaries of the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the Companions, genealogies, and major historical milestones .
- Historical Firsts (Awwaliyyat): Accounts of early Islamic milestones; for example, Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi cites the work for its identification of Ammar ibn Yasir as the first person to erect a mosque in Islam .
- Biographical and Social Data: Compact records on the lifespans, lineage, roles, and occupations or crafts associated with early historical figures .
Transmission and Publication
Manuscript copies of the work are preserved across various libraries, including the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya) in Cairo and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh .
The work has been published in multiple printings, notably the Cairo edition issued by Maktabat al-Adab (1975 CE), comprising approximately 742 pages .
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