Armies feature in this volume, but the title points at what actually did the work.
It contains an account of the most important expeditions and delegations that took place in the lifetime and under the leadership of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — events with a decisive impact on the spread of Islam across Arabia and beyond.
The delegations are the more interesting half. Tribe after tribe sent representatives to Madinah, many of them from peoples who had been hostile, and what they encountered when they arrived changed their position more effectively than any campaign had.
Ibn Kathir gathers the authentic reports that show how this happened: the Prophet's ﷺ mercy, his patience under provocation, his generosity toward people who had fought him, and his ability to leave an opponent with his dignity intact. Men who had led armies against him accepted Islam and were treated as though nothing had passed between them.
For anyone doing da'wah, this is the volume of the series to read. It is a sustained demonstration that character convinces where argument does not.
About Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah
Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah — The Beginning and The End — by Abu Al-Fida 'Imad ad-Din Isma'il bin 'Umar Ibn Kathir is among the most authoritative sources on Islamic history ever written. Its distinctive feature is its range: it deals not only with past events but with the future events the Prophet ﷺ foretold, up to the Day of Judgment.
The Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah Volumes
Darussalam's abridged English translation of Ibn Kathir's history is issued as separate volumes, each covering one period or theme. Seven have been translated so far, and the complete 7-book set can be bought together at a discount. The others:
The Book of the End also draws on the same work, covering the trials and events still to come.
Related Reading
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