The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 39

Biographies of the Prophet's Companions and Their Successors: al-Ṭabarī's Supplement to His History

Translated by Ella Landau-Tasseron

Subjects: Islam
Series: SUNY series in Near Eastern Studies
Paperback : 9780791428207, 406 pages, January 1998
Hardcover : 9780791428191, 406 pages, January 1998

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Table of contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Translator's Foreword

Tables
1. Genealogy of Quraysh
2. Genealogy of the Hashimites

Excerpts from the Book Entitled the Supplement to the Supplemented: Biographies of Companions and Their Successors

[Women Who Died before the Emigration (Hijrah)]

[Those Who Died in the Year 8 (629/630)]

[The Year 9 (630/631)]

[The Year 11 (632/633)]

[Those Who Died in the Year 14 (635/636)]

[Those Who Were Killed in the Year 16 (637/638)]

[Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 16 (638/638)]

[Those Who Died in the Year 32 (652/653)]

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 33 (653/654)

[Those Who Were Killed in the Year 36 (656/657)]

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 37 (657/658)

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 40 (660/661)

Those Who Died in the Year 50 (670/671)

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 52 (672)

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 54 (673/674)

[Those Who Died in the Year 64 (683/684)]

Those Who Died in the Year 65 (684/685)

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 68 (687/688)

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 74 (693/694)

Those Who Died in the Year 78 (697/698)

Those Who Died or Were Killed in the Year 80 (699/700)

The Names of Those Companions Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions and Knowledge

The Clients (Mawali) of the Banu Hashim

The Allies (Hulafa') of the Banu Hashim

Those of the Banu al-Muttalib b. 'Abd Manaf b. Qus|ayy Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet

The Allies of the Banu Nawfal b. 'Abd Manaf b. Qusayy

The Names of the Campanions Who Outlived the Prophet and from Whom Knowledge Was Transmitted, of the Banu Asad b. 'Abd al-Uzza b. Qusayy b. Kilab

The Names of Those Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet, of the Banu 'Abd al-Dar b. Qusayy b. Kilab

The Names of Those Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet, of the Banu Zuhrah b. Kilab, Brother of Qusayy b. Kilab

Those Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet, of the Allies of the Banu Zuhrah

The Names of Those Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet, of the Banu Taym B. Murrah

[Those Who Transmitted Traditions], of the Banu Makhzum b. Yaqazah b. Murrah b. Ka'b

The Allies of the Banu Makhzum Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted [Traditions] from Him

Those of the Banu 'Abd b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted [Traditions] from Him

[Those of the Banu Jumah Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

[The Companions] of the Banu 'Amir b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib [Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

[Those of the Kinanah Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

[Those of the Tamim Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

Those of the Banu Dabbah b. Udd b. Tabikhah b. al-Yas b. Mudar [Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

Those of the Banu Ja'dah b. Ka'b b. Rabi'ah b. Amir b. Sa'sa'ah [Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

Those of the Banu Numayr b. Amir b. Sa'sa'ah [Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

[Those of the Banu Taghlib Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted Traditions from Him]

The Names of Those Who Believed in the Prophet and Followed Him during His Lifetime, Then Outlived Him and Transmitted [Traditions] from Him, of Yemeni Tribes

The Names of Some of Those Belonging to Other Yemeni Tribes Who Believed in the Prophet and Followed Him during His Lifetime, Outlived Him, and Transmitted Traditions from Him

The Names of the Ash'aris Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet

The Names of [the People of] Hadramawt Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet

Of the Kindah

Those Who Transmitted [Traditions] from the Prophet, of the Rest of the Azd

Of the Hamdan

The Biographies of the Women Who Embraced Islam during the Prophet's Lifetime: Those of Them Who Passed away during the Prophet's Lifetime: Those of Them Who Passed away before the Emigration

Those of Them Who Died during the Prophet's Lifetime after the Emigration

The Prophet's Wives Who Died during His Lifetime

The [Death] Dates of the Prophet's Daughters, Paternal Aunts, and Wives Who Died after Him

The Death Dates of the Prophet's Wives Who Died after Him

Biographies of the Women Whose Death Dates Are Known, of the Emigrants, Ansar, and Others Who Were the Prophet's Contemporaries, Believed in Him, and Followed Him

Names of the Hashimi Women Believers Who Outlived the Prophet, Transmitted Traditions from Him, and Had [Their] Knowledge Transmitted from Them

Clients [of the Banu Hashim]

Arab Women [Married into the Quraysh] Who Outlived the Prophet and Transmitted [Traditions] from Him, Having Given the Oath of Allegiance and Embraced Islam during His Lifetime

The Death Dates of Successors and People of the Following Generations, of [Our] Deceased Forefathers Who Had Been Scholars and Transmitters of Traditions

Successors Who Died in the Year 32 (652/653)

Those Who Died in the Year 81 (700/701)

Those Who Died in the Year 83 (702/703)

Those Who Died in the Year 105 (723/724)

Those Who Died in the Year 111 (729/730)

Those Who Died in the Year 112 (730/731)

Those Who Died in the Year 150 (767/768)

Those Who Died in the Year 161 (777/778)

Qurashi [Women], [Younger] Contemporaries of Companions of the Prophet, from Whom Knowledge Was Transmitted

The Following are Names and Kunyahs Mentioned in the History

The Women Contemporary with the Prophet Who Gave Him the Oath of Allegiance and Are Known by Their Kunyahs

The Kunyahs of People Who Outlived the Prophet and Were Known by Their Names, Not by Their Kunyahs

Those of the Prophet's Companions Who Were Known by [the Names of] Their Patrons of Brothers or by Their [Own] Nicknames or by Their Grandfathers, Instead of Their Actual Fathers

The Names of the Successors Who Were Known by Their Kunyahs

The Kunyahs of the Successors Who Were Known by Their Names, Rather than by Their Kunyahs

The Kunyahs of People of Subsequent Generations Who Were Known by Their Names, Rather than by Their Kunyahs

Bibliography of Cited Works

Index

This is biographical material that al-T'abari appended to his History, bringing together biographies of Companions and successors of the Prophet. Many chapters are devoted to women who played a role in the transmission of knowledge.

Description

The present volume is a collection of excerpts from al-Ṭabarī's biographical work entitled The Supplement to the Supplemented (Dhayl al-mudhayyal).

In the introduction to his History, al-Ṭabarī declared his intention to append to it a biographical work for the reader's convenience. Only a collection of excerpts has survived, however. It was first published as part of the Leiden edition of the History and is now presented as a volume in the Ṭabarī Translation Project. It brings together biographies of Companions, successors, and scholars of subsequent generations; many chapters are devoted to women related to the Prophet who played a role in the transmission of knowledge. The biographies vary in length and style, ranging from a mere identification of a person to long accounts and anecdotes.

This volume represents a long tradition characteristic of Muslim culture. Muslim scholars developed biographical literature into a rich and complex genre. It was intended to be an auxiliary branch of religious study, aimed at determining the reliability of chains of transmission through which traditions were handed down. More often than not, however, works in this genre contain valuable historical information of the kind often ignored by the authors of mainstream history books. Even though not a complete work, this volume is thus not merely a supplement to al-Ṭabarī's History but also a source in its own right, often supplying new and rare insights into events and social conditions.