Al-Tabari’s History: A History of Nations and Kings Six Parts

Al-Tabari’s History: A History of the Prophets and Kings (or “Nations and Kings”) is one of the most important source books in the field of history. It is considered the most comprehensive historical work among Arab works. Its author based it on a well-defined methodology and presented it in a comprehensive inductive manner, with the narrative reaching the highest level of trustworthiness and integrity. It completed what historians before him had done, such as al-Ya’qubi, al-Baladhuri, and al-Waqidi, and paved the way for those who came after him, such as al-Mas’udi, Ibn Maskawayh, Ibn al-Athir, and Ibn Khaldun. It did not limit itself to the history of Islam, but also chronicled the period before the Hijra (migration to Mecca). It even began with the discussion of the beginning of creation, its beginning.