History of the Caliphs

Author's Name: Al-Hafiz Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti

The importance of Al-Suyuti's book "History of the Caliphs" stems from its subject, which concerns every Muslim, Arab, and researcher. Therefore, it has seen numerous critical editions and scholarly attention; indeed, Westerners were among the first to recognize its significance. This book also gains importance from its author and his fame, as well as the multitude of works he produced across all sciences and arts, the writing of which would typically require institutions and research centers.

This edition before us is distinguished by presenting the text in the best possible condition, as intended by its author. This necessitated a comprehensive review of all manuscripts the editor could access. He also traced and rooted the narratives and reports, followed up on hadiths, narratives, and reports, criticizing them as needed. He also extracted reports that previous editors had not, either because they did not access their sources or because those sources were considered lost at the time.

The editor commented on reports cited by Al-Suyuti where his judgment was not accurate. He also provided a study on Al-Suyuti's methodology, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses, and offered constructive criticism of his book. Through this, he formulated a research paper on Imam Al-Suyuti's relationship with the Abbasids in Egypt and its reflection on his stance toward the Umayyad Caliphate—a problematic issue that previous researchers had not addressed.