Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah Al-Azraqi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9th century |
| Died | 9th century Mecca, Abbasid Caliphate |
| Occupations | Historian, Islamic commentator |
| Academic work | |
| Era | Islamic Golden Age |
| Main interests | History of Mecca,Islamic history |
| Notable works | Kitab Akhbar Makka (Book of Reports aboutMecca) |
| Notable ideas | Detailed accounts of thepre-Islamic and early IslamicKa'aba |
Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah Al-Azraqi (Arabic:محمد بن عبد الله الأزرقي) was a 9th-century Islamic commentator and historian, and author of theBook of Reports about Mecca (Kitab Akhbar Makka).[1][2][3]
Al-Azraqi was from a family who lived inMecca for hundreds of years. He gave information on the design and layout of the pre-IslamicKa'aba at Mecca after its rebuilding following a fire in 603 AD until its possession byMuhammad in 630 AD. The contents included a statue ofHubal, the principal male deity of Mecca, and a number of other pagan items, which were destroyed in 630 as idolatrous. They also included a pair of ram’s horns said to have belonged to the ram sacrificed byAbraham in place of his son,Ismail, and a painting (probably a fresco) ofJesus andMary. According to one report in his work, Muhammad spared these items, which survived until the destruction by the Umayyads in 683. Al-Azraqi is silent on the fate of the images of trees that are known also to have decorated the interior of the Ka'aba, pictures of which formed part of the mosaic decoration on the walls ofal-Qalis Church, Sanaa, and were later to emerge in theUmayyad mosaics in theDome of the Rock, theProphet's Mosque inMedina, and theGreat Mosque of Damascus.[4]
The key manuscript ofAkhbar Makka is Leiden, University Library, Or.424.[3] The only printed edition is volume one ofDie Chroniken der Stadt Mekka, ed. by Ferdinand Wüstenfeld, 4 vols (Leipzig 1858-61),vol. 1,vol. 2,vol. 3,vol. 4.
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