The book Philosophy of History in the Works of Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Maqrizi, authored in Persian by Zahra Rouhollahi Amiri, has been published by the Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy. This study contributes to understanding philosophy of history in Islamic historiography.
Over many centuries, Islamic historians have left behind a precious legacy that can assist researchers in the historical sciences in understanding past events and incidents. Utilizing the models of critical and speculative philosophy of history, this research examines the works of one of these prominent historians. Taqi al-Din al-Maqrizi is an eminent historian who is virtually unparalleled in terms of the volume and diversity of his historiography, as well as his methods and techniques of historical research. The primary concern of this study was to identify the philosophical and epistemological reflections of this historian, along with the methodologies he actively applied in his work.
The research methodology employed the conceptual frameworks embedded in critical and speculative philosophy. The principles of the science of history and the exploration of the author’s perspective on the subject, the definition and status of historical science, its conceptual tools, and the historian’s methods for attaining truth in history were addressed in the chapter analyzing al-Maqrizi’s works from the perspective of critical philosophy. Furthermore, the role of value judgments and selection in history, as well as historical research methods within al-Maqrizi’s works, were carefully examined.
Ultimately, in the discussion on the speculative philosophy of history, in addition to themes such as the driving force of history and its ultimate purpose (teleology), the regularity and lawfulness of historical transformations from al-Maqrizi’s viewpoint were investigated.
The findings of this research indicate that early Islamic historians endeavored to compose historical works utilizing a scientific approach. Even in the absence of contemporary standardized scientific frameworks, they paid close attention to the scientific validity of history, its utility, the outcomes derived from this discipline, and its associated epistemological reflections. They recognized the path to attaining historical truth through a variety of scientific methods and tools. This study contributes to understanding philosophy of history in Islamic historiography.
