Musa ibn ‘Uqba is the author of the Kitab al-Maghazi (Book of the Military Expeditions)—the earliest and most authentic seerah book in existence. As well as being a renowned historian, he was also an outstanding jurist and hadith scholar.
Background
His full name is Musa ibn ‘Uqba ibn Abi al-‘Ayyash al-Asadi (born approx. 55H). He was a mawla of the Asad b. Khuzaymah tribe, having been freed by the famous Companion Zubayr b. al-Awwam. Musa ibn Uqba met a group of the noble Companions, including Anas ibn Malik, Abdullah ibn Umar, Sahl ibn Saad, and Jabir ibn Abdullah. He also participated in jihad. He said, “I fought the Romans during the caliphate of Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, along with Salim ibn Abdullah.” Due to his close association with Zubayr b. al-Awwam. He passed away in Medina in 141 AH.
A scholar of Hadith
Musa ibn ‘Uqba’s Kitab al-Maghazi is distinguished by its adherence to the methodologies of hadith scholars, particularly the emphasis on isnad. He meticulously recorded the chains of transmission for his reports, aiming to ensure their reliability. A number of his narrations can be found within the six canonical hadith collections (Kutub al-Sittah). He compiled one of the earliest lists of participants in the battles of Badr and Uhud, as well as a list of the early converts to Islam.
His Teacher and Students
He was a prominent student of Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, from whom he took many reports. His close association with al-Zuhri allowed him access to valuable early historical accounts. His reports from al-Zuhri are considered particularly significant due to al-Zuhri’s own standing as a key figure in the transmission of early Islamic knowledge. He took knowledge from Umm Khalid (wife of Zubayr b. al-Awwam), Salim ibn ʿAbdillah ibn ʿUmar, Nafiʿ the mawla of Ibn ʿUmar, ʿAtaa’ ibn Abi Rabah (mufti of Makkah), and Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr.
Musa ibn ‘Uqba utilized a “camel load” of documents from Ibn Abbas, transmitted through Kurayb, Ibn Abbas’s mawla.1 In addition to the works of Ibn Abbas, Musa had access to other original documents and early written records that were available in Medina during his time. For example, he refers to the letter sent by the Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa sallam) to al-Mundhir b. Saawa.2 This access to early written records, and his use of the Isnad system, is what makes his work so very important.
His students included
- Yaḥya ibn Saʿid al-Anṣari
- Malik ibn Anas
- Sufyan al-Thawri
- Sufyan ibn ʿUyaynah
- ʿAbdullah ibn al-Mubarak
- Shuʿbah ibn al-Ḥajjaj
- Muḥammad ibn Isḥaq
- Maʿmar ibn Rashid.
Al-Tabari relied heavily on Musa ibn ‘Uqba’s work in his own monumental “History of the Prophets and Kings” (Tarikh al-Rusul wal-Muluk). Ibn Sa’d, in his Kitab al-Ṭabaqat al-Kubra, and al-Waqidi, in his own Maghazi, also drew upon Musa ibn ‘Uqba’s accounts`
Kitab al-Maghazi and its Significance
This book is the earliest surviving work on the maghazi. It focuses on the Prophet Muhammad’s military campaigns. Its significance lies in its early date, relatively concise style, and focus on reliable chains of narration (isnad).
Scholarly Acclaim for Kitab al-Maghazi
Imam Malik ibn Anas said, “Seek the Maghazi of Musa ibn ‘Uqba, for it is the most authentic of the maghazi.”3
Yaḥya ibn Maʿin said, “Musa ibn ʿUqbah’s work on the authority of Zuhri is amongst the most authentic of these works.”4
Shafiʿi said, “There is nothing in the field of the maghazi that is more authentic than his work, in spite of its small size and being free from most of that which is mentioned in other works.”5
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said, “Hold firm to the Maghazi of Ibn ʿUqbah, as he was reliable.”6
Dhahabi said, “He had insight into the Prophetic maghazi and compiled them in one volume. He was the first to write on the topic.”7
Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalani said, “It is the most authentic work written on the topic according to the majority.”8
Recent Discovery of Kitab al-Maghazi
Until recently, the Kitab al-Maghazi was considered all but lost, with only 18 reports in existence. However, in September 2021, two important manuscripts (MS 14032, MS 14033) of Kitab al-Maghazi were discovered in the National Library of Tunisia9. Following this exciting discovery, Muhammad Ṭabarani published Kitab al-Maghazi in three volumes. 10 The translation is also available for free download here.
- Ibn Sa’d Tabaqat vol V 216 ↩︎
- al-Baladhuri; Futuh III: 8) ↩︎
- Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubala’, vol. 6, p. 115. ↩︎
- Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubala’, vol. 6, p. 116. ↩︎
- Al-Risalah al-Mustaṭrafah, p. 82 ↩︎
- Tadhkirah al-Ḥuffaẓ, vol. 1, p. 148. ↩︎
- Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubala’, vol. 6, p. 114. ↩︎
- Fatḥ al-Bari, vol. 8, p. 12. ↩︎
- https://x.com/OknDA1osdQmhBQJ/status/1441356589747769350 ↩︎
- Bashir Binʿatiyyah Publications (Fez, Morocco). ↩︎
References
The Rise of Historical Writing Among the Arabs. A. A. Duri
The Origins and Development of Muslim Historiography. M. G Rasul
Early Muslim historiography. Nisar Ahmed Faruqi
