Tarikh Makka al-Musharrafa wa al-Masjid al-Haram wa al-Madina al-Sharifa wa al-Qabr al-Sharif
- Author died
- 854 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmīyah
Tarikh Makka al-Musharrafa wa al-Masjid al-Haram wa al-Madina al-Sharifa wa al-Qabr al-Sharif (The History of Honored Mecca, the Sacred Mosque, Noble Medina, and the Noble Tomb) is a 9th-century AH historical and topographical treatise by the Hanafi jurist and judge Ibn al-Diya (789–854 AH / 1387–1450 CE), chronicling the histories, virtues, and monuments of the Two Holy Sanctuaries .
Authorship and Background
The book was composed by Abu al-Baqa Baha al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Diya al-Din Muhammad al-Qurashi al-Umari al-Saghani al-Makki, commonly known as Ibn al-Diya . Born in Mecca in 789 AH (1387 CE), he served as its Hanafi chief judge and died there in Dhu al-Qi'dah 854 AH (1450 CE) . In certain bibliographic notices, the book is recorded under slightly variant forms of the author's pedigree and dates, including an attribution to his namesake or son who died in 885 AH .
In classical bibliographies and manuscript catalogs, the work is cited under several related titles, such as Tarikh Makka wa al-Madina wa Fadlihima (The History of Mecca and Medina and Their Virtues), Ahwal Makka al-Musharrafa wa al-Masjid al-Haram wa al-Madina al-Munawwara wa al-Qabr al-Sharif, and simply Ahwal Makka wa al-Madina .
Scope and Content
The work belongs to the genre of urban history and sacred topography of the Hijaz (fadail al-amakin wa al-buldan) . It gathers historical narratives, legal rulings, and topographical surveys dedicated to both sanctuaries:
- Mecca and the Sacred Mosque: The religious excellence and merits of Mecca, the architectural history and measurements of the Kaaba, the surrounding sacred precinct (al-Masjid al-Haram), its expansions, historic landmarks, and associated rites .
- Medina and the Prophet's Mosque: The history and religious status of Medina, the architectural phases of the Prophet's Mosque, and matters concerning the visitation of the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ tomb and surrounding sanctuaries .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscript copies of the work are preserved across various international repositories, including an early copy in Istanbul's Ayasofya collection (MS 3090, dated 836 AH during the author's lifetime), the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya, MS 1570 Ta'rikh), the Central Library of Umm al-Qura University in Mecca (MS 1910), the Islamic University of Madinah, and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh .
The treatise has been edited and published in modern times, including:
- An edition edited by Adil Abd al-Hamid al-Adawi, published by al-Maktaba al-Tijariyya in Mecca (1416 AH / 1996 CE) .
- An edition edited by Ala Ibrahim and Ayman Nasr al-Azhari, published by Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya in Beirut (1418 AH / 1997 CE; 2nd ed. 1424 AH / 2004 CE) .
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