Sayf ibn Umar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Unknown date Kufa, Iraq |
| Died | c. 786–809 |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Era | EarlyAbbasid period |
| Known for | Being a source foral-Tabari ({839–923) |
| Notable work | The Great book of Conquests and Apostasy Wars (Kitāb al-futūh al-kabīr wa-l-ridda) |
Sayf ibn Umar al-Usayyidi al-Tamimi (Arabic:سيف بن عمر) was an 8th-century Islamic historian and compiler of reports who lived inKufa. He wrote theKitāb al-futūh al-kabīr wa-l-ridda ('The Great book of Conquests and Apostasy Wars'),[1] which was the later historianal-Tabari's (839–923) main source for theRidda wars and theearly Islamic conquests. It also contains important information on the structure of early Muslim armies and government. According toal-Dhahabi, Sayf died during the reign ofHarun al-Rashid (786–809).[2]
Little is known about Sayf, except that he lived in Kufa and belonged to the tribe ofBanu Tamim.[2]
The reliability of hishadiths has long been contested.[2]
Since he was the sole transmitter of many of his historical narrations, especially pertaining to the conquest of Iraq, some historians have accused him of fabrication or exaggeration, most notablyJulius Wellhausen.[3] His narrations are said to be influenced by the tribal traditions of Banu Tamim.[2] However, he also collected accounts that highlight other tribes.[2]
Recent scholarship suggests that Sayf is more reliable than previously thought.[4][5] W. F. Tucker and Ella Landau-Tasseron note that although Sayf may have been an unscrupuloushadith collector, this should not detract from his general reliability as a transmitter of historical information (akhbārī).[5] Tucker adds that accusations of bias could equally be leveled at other akhbārīs contemporary to Sayf, including the Shi'a historianAbu Mikhnaf.[5]Fuat Sezgin,Albrecht Noth, andMartin Hinds have also challenged Wellhausen's views and placed Sayf on an equal footing with other traditionalists.[6]
Medieval and modern historians have suspected that he fabricated some of his accounts, but the most recent scholarship suggests that he is more reliable than previous authors had imagined.
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