تاریخ اسلام (May 2009)
An Internal and External Critique of Ibn Kathir's Historiography in Al-Bidayah Wa An-Nihayah
Abstract
To find out about the truth of an incident is a major topic of "Knowledge" on which there have been different opinions so far. Although it seems difficult to find out the real truth about a historical event, by applying criterions called "internal and external critique of the relator and the relation" in history, it is possible to reduce the level of error and reach the fact of the matter in a more certain way. In their writing of history, historians have largely recorded historical events using specific criterions that shape their historiographical style. The primary question of this paper is: "what are the main elements of historiography in the viewpoint of Ibn Kathir of Demascus in his Al-Bidaya wa An-Nihayeh?" Based on Laclau and Mouffe and Ferklaf's theory of critical discourse analysis, the hypothesis of this article is that the Qur'an, the Prophet's Tradition, and the intellect with an emphasis on the Shafi'ite school of law are the main elements shaping Ibn Kathier's historiographical methodology. While proving the hypothesis, the writer through a critical approach analyzes the percentage of Ibn Kathir's deviation from his own principles in "the Tradition of the Twelve Imams".
