Muḥammad b. ‛Umar al-Wāqidī (130–207 AH): A Prolific, Scholarly, and Critical Narrator

Anyone engaged with the historical traditions of early Islam is familiar with al-Wāqidī. There is little doubt regarding the extraordinary scope of his scholarly activity and productivity. More significant, however, is his “scholarly” character in a particular sense, which forms the focus of the present study. While maintaining his own doctrinal commitments and expressing clear views on matters of religious instruction and belief, al-Wāqidī nevertheless sought to remain faithful to scholarly methods in the collection and evaluation of historical reports. Among the transmitters of historical traditions, he occupies a distinguished position for his critical approach, both in comparison with other narrators and in his application of distinctive analytical methods. His critical method is evident in his selection and assessment of reports according to scholarly criteria, as well as in his use of research techniques current in his time, some of which appear to have been his own innovations. At the same time, adherence to scholarly procedure did not prevent him from remaining a committed Muslim historian whose historical writings were shaped by his religious convictions and intellectual framework. Like many Muslim historians, he narrated history with the aim of demonstrating the merits and superiority of Islam. This article seeks to substantiate these observations by presenting clear and representative examples drawn from the historical sources.