Ibn Naẓīf's World-History

Al-Tā'rīkh al-Manṣūrī

David Cook

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000286229
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Didattica
• Subtopic: Didattica nell'arte e nelle discipline umanistiche

This book is the first translated and annotated edition of Ibn Na??f's Al-T?'r?kh al-Man??r?. Totalling 227 folios, the manuscript is a unique and valuable source full of historical accounts and anecdotes. The documents include two letters by the Emperor Frederick II in Arabic, as well as the only mention of the Albigensian Crusade in the Arabic language. Other notable material includes Ibn Na??f's notes concerning the rivalries between the various Ayy?bids and the wars against Jal?l al-D?n Mangubirt?, descriptions of the Ayy?bids in Yemen, and notes on the destruction of the Sicilian Muslims and the defeats of the Spanish Muslims. Containing an extensive historical introduction, this book will appeal to scholars and students interested in the later Crusader and middle Ayy?bid periods.

Text of Ibn al-Naẓīf, al-Tā’rīkh al-Manṣūrī talkhīs al-kashf wa-l-bayān fī ḥawādith al-zamān

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate,

Praise be to God, the High, the Awe-inspiring, the Eternal (past), the Ancient, the One who shows through His eternality the passing of events, the Single, the One, the Unique, the Unchanging, the One who is devoid of a (female) companion, child, a second or a third, Reviver of the dead, One who causes the living to die.

He is the inheritor of all, “He created the heavens without any pillars you (can) see”,⁶³ standing, and holding them lest they fall to the earth, so by His power, they are eternal, staying, spreading the earth over the water,⁶⁴ parting it into lower and upper, rugged and soft.

63Q31:10 (all Qur’ānic translations are from Droge, The Qur’ān: A New Annotated Translation [Sheffield: Equinox, 2013]).64Paraphrase (para.) of Q79:30.

I praise Him for His enduring blessings, His repelling disastrous misfortunes, and I testify that there is no god other than God, alone, without any associate, and I testify that Muḥammad is His servant and His Messenger, the most meritorious of messengers sent.

Afterwards, [2a] Abū al-Jild said: The earth is 24,000 parsangs,⁶⁵ 12,000 for the Blacks, eight for the Byzantines, three for the Persians, and one for the Arabs. Yaḥyā b. Kathīr said: God created 1000 communities (umma), then caused 600 of them to inhabit the sea, while 400 inhabited the earth, but God knows best.

65A parsang is approximately three miles, or a little more.

So let us now mention the beginning of generation: generation in accord with what is cited for me in the annals and chronicles, telling of what they mentioned, and writing of what they wrote, but God knows best.

Among that, in the Torah the beginnings of generation [2b] to this year, which is the year 631 [1233–4] is 4765 years. As for the Byzantines, they tell on the authority of the Torah as well, that from the beginnings of generation to this year is 6695 according to solar (years).

As for the Persians, they tell on the authority of the book that Zoroaster brought, which is named Khudhāmāh,⁶⁶ that from the period of Gayhūmarth, the father of humanity, to this year is 4751 years. As for the astrologers, they claim that of the world’s duration what has passed from the time when the planets (kawākib) have gone from the first part of Aries to the first [3a] year is 4,631,300,421,031 years.

66Probably the same as the Khudānāmā cited in Ḥamza al-Iṣfahānī, Sinnī al-mulūk al-arḍ wal-anbiyā’ (Beirut: Manshūrāt Dār Maktabat al-Ḥayat, n.d.), p. 22.

As for the philosophers, they differ as well. Among them there are those who believe that it is ancient in its essence, and in its making. Some of them believe that it is ancient in its essence but recent in its making.

As for the majority of the people from those believing in the Laws [Muslims], they believe that it is recent in its essence, and in its making, and we will establish the truth of that.

I say that most of the chronicles are corrupt from [3b] the passing of time, and the differing of language.

The Turks had kings who were called Khaqans, the Daylamites had kings who were called kiyāniyya [Kayanians], the Nabateans [Syriac-speakers] had kings who were called Nimrods, the Byzantines had kings who were called Caesars, the Persians had kings who were called Chosroes, while the Copts had kings who were called Pharaohs.

All of them perished and were quickly cut off. Reports of them were forgotten, and their traces vanished. No story remained from them to relate, nor chronicle to recite. We will mention the chronicles of the prophets until the prophetic emigration (hijra), according to what Islamic custom necessitates, which was when Adam, upon whom be peace, was sent down from paradise, he lost Eve. [4a]

Adam went searching for her until they headed to a noted (mash`ar) place.<sup>67</sup> She drew near to him (izdalifat), so it was named al-Muzdalifa.<sup>68</sup> The two of them came to know each other (ta`rāfā) at [Mt.] `Arafāt, and met (ijtami`) at Jam`. It is said that he was descended at Maysān, and that paradise was at Ubulla.⁶⁹ It is said that Adam, may peace be upon him, was 60 cubits tall.

67Probably the future site of Mecca, note Q2:158 “Surely al-Ṣafā and al-Marwa are among the symbols (sha`ā’ir) of God”.68Just outside of Mecca.69The port of Baṣra, in southern Iraq.

It is said that 120 years after being descended two boys were born to him from one birthing: Cain and Abel. Abel killed Cain according to the correct version, because Cain’s name is derived from qabūl qurbānihi (“his sacrifice is accepted”) while Abel is from Hubal.⁷⁰ So Cain was one who was killed, and his was the first murder among the Sons of Adam. Adam stayed 40 years [4b] grieving over him. Adam lived 930 years in this world, according to what is said, and he was buried on Mt. Abū Qubays in guarded Mecca.

70Pre-Islamic idol associated with Mecca.

Seth—its interpretation is “God’s Gift” (hibat allāh)—and he is the father of all humanity, building the Ka`ba with clay and stones. Fifty codices (ṣaḥīfa) were revealed to him, and he was the first of the Sons of Adam. He was buried in a cave on Mt. Abū Qubays together with his mother and his father, and his age was 912 years.

Enosh, who was Seth’s son, was the one who took charge of the Sons of Adam after his father, and lived in this world for 920 years. Kenan son of Enosh arose after his father [5a] and lived 950 years in this world.

Mahalalel⁷¹ son of Kenan arose after his father, and lived 895 years. He was the first who built cities, extracted from mines, and built the cities of Babylon and Susa. Jared son of Mahalalel arose after his father, living 972 years,⁷² and during his time, idols were made, and they abandoned Seth’s religion (milla). These are the Progenitors, all of them were born during Adam’s lifetime. The first one who died was Adam.

71In the text mihlā’īl.72According to Genesis (Gen.) 5:20 962 years.

Idrīs is Enoch, and is named Hermes Trismegistus through wisdom,⁷³ and was born [5b] 100 years after the death of Adam. He was the first of the Sons of Adam to whom wisdom was given, and the first who wrote with a pen, and tailored clothing, as the people had been wearing skins. He was also the first who struggled (jāhada) in the path of God, and the first who took the Sons of Abel captive. Thirty codices were revealed to him, and he was lifted to the heavens when he was 360 years old.

73See Kevin Van Bladel, The Arabic Hermes: From Pagan Sage to Prophet of Science (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), pp. 183–4.

Methuselah son of Idrīs was born during the 65th year of Idrīs’ life, and lived 400 years.⁷⁴ Lamech son of Methuselah was born when 140 years had passed from his father’s life, and Lamech’s life was 400 [6a] 782 years.⁷⁵ Noah son of Lamech was born during the 187th year of Lamech’s life.⁷⁶

74Gen. 5:27, whe...