Most western history scholars, particularly those who are concerned with the necessity and primacy of accurate and factual empirical evidence, are looking into medieval Arabic historical documents with a very doubtful eye (Robinson 2003). This is mainly due to the extensive connection between Islam and these ancient narratives. Unfortunately, this situation has not only lead to the misunderstanding of Arabic history, and the writing of it for that matter. The sad case here is that the importance of early Arabic historical narratives to reconstructing medieval Arab history is overlooked as an after effect. Without considering the Islamic historiography, it is difficult to fully understand Arabic historiography. Hence, this paper would try to dig out the importance of early Arabic histories as reliable sources for reconstructing Arabic history.
This paper would also try to contextualize the writing of early Arabic histories, and how Islamic concepts mingle around it, comparing it with western contemporaries and its Christian tradition. This includes paying attention to how early Arab histories have been able to adhere to verisimilitude despite its association with the Islamic tradition by focusing on the works of Ibn Khaldun in the context of the Arab narrative tradition. In addition, this paper will also try to discuss how Arabic historical documents can become reliable sources despite its Islamic heritage (Badawi 1993).
Historiography is all about the writing of history. Specifically, historiography is all about the methodology used in writing history (Historiography n.d.). This definition of history has in fact always been tied to verisimilitudethat is, the closeness of a certain historical account to reality, to the truth (Breisach 1983). Up to the present, a large portion of historians still adhere to verisimilitude as the primary criteria for the truthfulness and the reliability of a historical work, and as sources for history in that matter. Looking at the dominant historical themes, you are actually going to witness that most historians regard their methodology as based on facts and on empirical evidence, because of the fact that for many historians this is the only way to establish credibility, accuracy, and being factual which is the ultimate guide for establishing verisimilitude in a historical work (Breisach 1983) This is what most historians constitute the scientific-ness of history, wherein other historical works which is deemed not objective, and does not pass the standard of empiricism, as not scientific. Unfortunately, this includes early Arabic historical works, due to its closeness to Islam (Robinson 2003).
These the reasons why many western scholars who are so accustomed to the western historiographical tradition centered on empiricism, rationalism, and positivism casts a doubt on early Arabic histories as accurate reconstruction of the past, and on early Arabic histories being able to establish verisimilitude, given its Islamic inspiration (Robinson 2003). In these circumstances, this paper will then try to establish how early Arabic historical histories actually adhere to verisimilitude, even through empirical and positivist methodologies, which are much similar with modern positivist historians, despite its associations with the Islamic Religion.
It is true that early Arabic historiography is actually centered upon a theocentric ideological framework (Robinson 2003). In this case, it is then true that Islamic teaching actually plays a large part in the writing of early Arabic histories. In this case, the dominant perspective, according to a study done by Chase F. Robinson, is that society and government must actually always be in line with the aegis of God, and that all of involved traditional roles were actually ordained by God. However, it is important that this view must not necessarily mean that uncritical historians are a sure end result for such historiographical orientation (Robinson 2003). This is because of the fact that there actually are some elements in this theologically-centered orientation of historiography into verisimilitude. Here are some important concepts from the Quran that early historians have incorporated into their historiography, and may be deemed as an early variety of the scientific method (Ahmad 2002)
Respect for observation
Universality
The absence of a priesthood caste
According to the lecture by Imad-ad Dean Ahmad, the Quran has actually valued the respect for observation. Remember that having a keen observation on the things around is one of the basic tenets of the scientific methods, in which early thirteenth and fourteenth European sciences have not yet adopted at that time (Ahmad 2002). Further, according to Ahmad, this respect for observation have been in fact one of the key reason why early Arab historians and scientists have been able to put an emphasis into empirical evidence, which is then another tenet of the scientific method, which is always have been admired by the west. In fact, when Europe was still under the dark ages, Islamic Arab scientists have been putting a high value upon the importance of empirical evidence and observation, in which the Quran taught was bringing people to think and contemplate (Ahmad, 2002).
How have these concepts specifically influence early Arabic histories Remember that one of the major concepts that have fostered the writing of Arabic histories is the concept of hadith (Robinson 2003). In this case, such Quranic principles have always guided historians in their quest for truthful historical accounts (Badawi 1993). Hadith actually refers to the tracing of the true prophetic line (Robinson 2003). In this case, many historians may actually dismiss the fact that this theological orientation may deem early Arabic histories unreliable. However, it is also true that the Arabic narrative tradition actually gives a high emphasis upon the truth if tracing the true prophet line in this case, it has already made Arabic chroniclers a glimpse of verisimilitude (Robinson 2003). Furthermore, it may actually be seen that history is one of the major sciences present in the Arab world by the Thirteenth and Fourteenth century, in which historians likewise followed Quranic principles in the importance of empiricism to establish a true hadith (Robinson 2003).
In addition, another of the most important qualities of Islamic Arab scholarship at that time was the emphasis on universality (Ahmad 2002). Quran teaches people that all good comes from God, and that this principle was in fact important in forwarding a open minded approach to the different scientific ideas and principles that may have come from non Arab peoples such as the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Indians, and even the Chinese, among others (Ahmad 2002). And in this case, the establishment of universality is in fact one of the main features in establishing factual observations (Breisach 1983).
In relation to the propagation of knowledge, the study of Ahmad also pointed out that the abolition of the priesthood at that time, in addition to the banning of secrecy among Islamic communities, paved way for the absence of the monopolization of knowledge through a theologically-oriented caste. This was in contrary to the situation in Europe, wherein at the Middle Ages, the monks where actually in virtual monopoly of scientific knowledge (Ahmad 2002). Although it may be true that often times, scientific inquiry is guided by a theocentric orientation however, at that time, Moslems did go to the mosque not only to worship, but in fact also to learn about history, mathematics, and other sciences (Ahmad 2002). In this case, because of the encouragement of the Quran in seeking knowledge to contemplate, although it may have a say in scientific inquiries, it may be argues that Arabic scholarly work, including histories, may be done with the presence of academic freedom (Ahmad 2002).
Given such scientific circumstances, what were the actual practices that were made by early Arabic historians The study of Robinson argued that although in the midst of a theocentric orientation, early Arabic historians was also preoccupied in writing a history with a rational spirit, for it was along the spirit of the Quran to expound truth by the way of the value of evidence, consulting original documents, reconciling and analysing contradictions, and inferring proper verisimilitude judgement from these processes. Remember that this is one of the key tenets of establishing factuality and accuracy even in modern positivist historiography (Robinson 2003). In this case, we are actually to see that early Arab historians, in the spirit of truthfulness as taught by the Quran, was actually used as an advantage to train early Arab historians in the importance of weighing evidence and consulting primary, original documents.
One of the key tenets of modern historiography is the use of original, primary sources, specifically eyewitness accounts (Breisach 1983). This is because of the fact that such accounts usually has the least bias in it, especially when compared to secondary and unoriginal sources, to where secondary interpretation has already taken place, and to where personal bias has been likely to inform such interpretation (Breisach 1983). In this case, most historians who want to establish objectivity and accuracy in each historical work will surely have a high value in primary documents, to where early Arab historians already have been trained.
In addition to this, it is also true that early Arab historians may have considered in their narratives legends and miraculous accounts, which may surely be eschewed in present historiography (Robinson, 2003). However, Robinson also argued that despite this situation, most early Arab historians were still concerned with the traditional method of establishing verisimilitude. Given that legends and miraculous events where commonly incorporated into historical narratives in that time and that they are always indicated as such, it is still easy to infer where the true accounts from early Arabic histories is (Robinson 2003).
To better understand the tradition of early Arabic historiography, it is important to have a glance at the contributions of the great Arab philosopher and sociologists Ibn Khaldun. Ibn Khaldun actually forwarded to a philosophy of history, to which modern historian Arnold Toynbee called the greatest work of its kind (Hassan n.d.). What is the specific contribution of Khaldun to historiography In fact, he actually said that it is only through sustained application combined with attentive examination can historians arrive at the truth (Historiography n.d.). In this case, Kahldun actually emphasized that in order to analyze history, it is actually important for historians to have a particular detail in attention, as well as its application to analyze present events. This notion has not only gone through the rigors of traditional positivist history, but also in the development of a philosophy of history that was later witnessed in European history circles (Hassan n.d.).
In fact, Khaldun also argued that it is important not to be limited only by reproducing historical facts as they are on the contrary, it is important to know the fundamental principles of the art of Government, the Nature, and even of the particular civilization (Historiography n.d.). This assertion is one of the earliest in his time, which is surely a ground breaking analysis and method in historiography. This is due to the fact that Khaldun does not simply cal for the verification of facts, but also in analysing facts better in its effect on the present, especially by raking into consideration knowing the different forces that may actually shaped history itself (Historiography n.d.). In this case, there is actually a debate up to this time on the importance of interpretation of history and merely be retelling facts. But the fact is, Khaldun has even made a stand in this before it was actually conceived in western history circles (Hassan n.d.).
Ibn Khaldun also forwarded his grand historical work, which was called the Universal History (Historiography n.d.). This may be inferred to as a precursor to the total history of the Annales School of the French. This great historical work was divided into three different parts the first dealt with an extensive discussion of society and its origin, including the birth of towns and villages, trades, means of livelihood and sciences the second part dealt with an extensive discussion on state and sovereignty, while the third part actually dealt with the history of the Berbers and other neighbouring tribes, as well as incorporating a ground breaking systematic autobiography (Historiography n.d.).
Given such arguments, this paper then argues that early Arab histories can be used as an accurate and reliable source of reconstructing the past due to the following observations
Arabic historiography have developed into its own culture of writing history comparative to, and even beyond western contemporaries
Arabic historiography have been developed under the rigors of verisimilitude and empirical evidence amidst its theocentric approach, including stressing key concepts in writing accurate history (Robinson 2003)
The primacy of original, primacy sources
The tradition of chronology and narration
The reconciliation of contradiction among accounts
The importance of establishing truth and verisimilitude
The culture of Arabic scholarship has been guided by some elements of the scientific method, and that one of its leading thinkers has been able to make a groundbreaking philosophy of writing history (Ahmad 2002).
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