Pioneers of Islamic Scholarship

Darussalam is proud to present the abridged English translation of the classic work: Al-Bidayah wan Nihayah, focusing exclusively on the battles, expeditions and Peace Treaties undertaken in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). This volume contains a detailed account of the most momentous events from the Battle of Badr to the Battle of Mu’tah -that occurred to the Muslims under the leadership of the Messenger of Allah. Many of these events have become immortalized by the Noble Qur’an and continue to provide invaluable lessons to humanity, now and forever.

Al-Bidayah wan Nihayah (The Beginning and The End) by the renowned scholar Abu Al-Fida ‘Imad ad-Deen Isma’eel bin ‘Umar ibn Katheer/Kathir, is considered one of the most authoritative sources on Islamic history.

History stands as the most effective and valuable source of putting nation on the course of progress and prosperity and saving them from the path of disgrace and degradation.

At a time, when there is tough competition among the nations of the world to excel one another, the Muslim, despite having the most glorious history, appear to be detached and careless as regards their history.

This book presents the true Islamic events and their actual causes before the English readers because the other books in the English language found on the Islamic history have been written by such authors and compilers who did no justice in presenting the true picture of Islamic Era but their prejudice prevented them from doing so.

The extraordinary character and career of Saladin are the keys to understanding the Battle of Hattin, the fall of Jerusalem and the failure of the Third Crusade. He united warring Muslim lands, reconquered the bulk of Crusader states and faced Richard the Lion Heart, king of England, in one of the most famous confrontations in medieval. Geoffrey Hindley’s sympathetic and highly readable study of the life and times of this remarkable, many-sided man, who dominated the Middle East in his day, gives a fascinating insight into his achievements and into the Muslim world of his contemporaries.

The story of how Saladin rose swiftly to the heights of power in Egypt, Syria and Palestine through conquest, intrigue and opportunism makes compelling reading. As Geoffrey Hindley shows, Saladin’s exceptional gifts as a battlefields commander and a military organizer were allied to an intense singleness of purpose and a rare political skill. United under his leadership, the Muslims formed a force that the Crusaders couldn’t hope to resist. But the quality that makes Saladin stand out from the other leaders of his time is his reputation for chivalry and honourable dealing.

Greoffrey Hindley is a distinguished medieval historian who has written widely on many aspects of the period. He has made a special study of medieval warfare and of England in the Age of Caxton, Under Siege, Tourists, Travellers nd Pilgrims, The Book of Magna Carta and The Crusades. His most recent publication is A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons.