The Methodology of Studying History among Muslims: Political Historiography as a Model

Abstract

This study aims to highlight the methodology of historical inquiry in Islamic civilization, with a particular focus on political historiography as a model. It seeks to uncover the values and methodological features that distinguished Muslim historical writing. The research begins by emphasizing the significance of history as the oldest of the human sciences and the one most closely tied to human existence, while also addressing the problem of objectivity in historical writing, which inevitably reflects the historian’s own historical context. Interest in history among the Arabs predates Islam, as seen in their concern with genealogy and the preservation of ancestral narratives. The Qur’an then provided a powerful impetus for this orientation through its accounts of prophets and past nations, highlighting the role of history in moral reflection, drawing lessons, and identifying the laws governing social and political transformations. With the emergence of the Islamic state in Medina, history acquired a new dimension, evolving from oral reports into a written discipline with a clear methodology. The adoption of the Hijri calendar during the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb marked a decisive turning point in recording and organizing the events of the Muslim community. History was not merely a means of documentation, but also a political tool for consolidating the unity of the ummah and legitimizing the caliphate.

Islamic historical writing passed through three major stages: the early stage of biography and military campaigns represented by Ibn Isḥāq and al-Wāqidī; the stage of expansion in themes and the emergence of the idea of "universal history," exemplified by al-Ṭabarī; and finally, the stage of theorization and critique with Ibn Khaldūn. The latter called for moving beyond the narrative method based solely on chains of transmission, distinguishing between religious reports, which rely on isnād, and historical reports, which must rest on reason and empirical reality. He also introduced the concept of ʿilm al-ʿumrān (the science of civilization) as a means to understand the social and economic laws that shape historical development, criticizing a merely descriptive approach to events without analysis. Central themes such as the caliphate, embodying the unity of the ummah; jihād, as a means of defending the abode of Islam; and the Great Fitna, which left a profound imprint on the collective consciousness, occupied pivotal positions in Islamic historiography. Together, they illustrate the ongoing interrelation between the religious and the political in the making of history