History of Islam (3 Vol. Set)

History of Islam (3 Vol. Set) by Akbar Shah Najeebabadi is a thorough, hardback trilogy spanning roughly 1,647 pages, published by Dar-us-Salam.  This work offers an authenticated narrative of Islamic history, carefully tracing its development from the Age of Ignorance (Jāhiliyyah) through the advent of Islam, the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the Umayyads and Abbasids, and onward through Muslim Spain, the dynasties of Persia, Egypt, Syria, up to the rise of the Ottoman Empire. 

What sets this set apart is its attempt to present “true Islamic events and their actual causes” for English readers, correcting distortions found in many English histories written with external biases. The original work was composed in Urdu in 1922 (1343 AH) and draws from classical Muslim historians—Tabari, Ibn Athir, Mas‘udi, al-Suyūṭī, Ibn Khaldūn, and others—plus authenticated hadith literature to deepen its historical insight. 

Volume by volume, readers travel from Arabia before Islam, the life of the Prophet ﷺ, migration (Hijrah), and the era of the Four Caliphs in Volume 1; then the expansion under Umayyads and Abbasids and internal challenges in Volume 2; climaxing with Muslim Spain, the Mongol invasions, dynasties in Persia, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans in Volume 3. The translation by Dar-us-Salam’s translation department was carefully revised—Safi-ur-Rahman Mubārakpūrī reviewed the Urdu edition before translation to ensure authenticity and fidelity.  searchers, dawāh workers, and Muslim families who wish to preserve a correct understanding of Islamic history free from distortion. It offers both breadth and depth—narrative clarity, scholarly sourcing, and the spiritual lens recommended by Ahlus Sunnah (i.e., honoring authentic tradition and avoiding extremes).

History stands as the most effective and valuable source of putting a nation on the course of progress and prosperity, and saving it 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 Muslims, 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 English readers because the other books in the English language found on Islamic history have been written by such authors and compilers who did no justice in presenting the true picture of the Islamic Era, but their prejudice prevented them from doing so.

Publishers Note

We are presenting before you the third volume of the book, History of Islam. This book was originally written in the Urdu language in 1922 (1343 AH) by Akbar Shah Khan Najeebabadi. This was the time about 25 years before the partition of the Indian Subcontinent into Pakistan and India. For brevity, the compiler has presented the authentic events in concise form from the famous histories of Islam written in the Arabic and Persian languages by the great Muslim historians like Tabari, Ibn Athir, Mas'udi, Abul-Fida', Ibn Khaldun and Suyuti, apart from getting benefited from the authentic books of Ahadith for the compilation of the part about the biography of the Prophet Muhammad. So, this compilation is actually an extract of the works of the famous Muslim historians.

In the first volume, starting with the introduction of the history as a subject, the country, people and conditions of Arabia before the advent of Islam were discussed, and an account of the life of Prophet Muhammad was presented including the hardships and opposition he faced while propagating the message of Islam, and the details of migration and the period after it until his death. After that, the description of the Rightly Guided Caliphate was also discussed in its full perspective.

In this second volume, starting with the Caliphate of Banu Umayyah, the martyrdom of Imam Husain (R), and the Caliphate of the Abbasids, all areas have been covered as far as the expansion of Islam was.

This third volume begins with the description of the conditions of Spain before and after the rule of Muslims and the role played by Umayyad, Abbasid, Almoravid, and Almohad Caliphs there and their encounters with the Christian Armies. Then, some mention of the conquest of Morocco and North Africa has been given along with the details of Idrisia and Aghlab's rule there. After that, detailed accounts of Genghisid Mongols, Turks, and Tartar Mongols have been produced. After that Islamic history of Persia is described, giving the accounts of Saffariah, Samanid, Delmid, Gharnavid, Seljuk, Ghourid, and Muluk Dynasties with the periods of Khwarizm Shah, Atabeks, and Sistan Kings' rule there. Then the Islamic history of Egypt and Syria is covered, describing the Umayyad, Ayyubid, and Mamluk Dynasties, and the rule of Atabek and Abbasid Caliphs. In the end, something about the Ottoman Dynasty and its Empire is discussed, including the description of the conquest of Constantinople.

We hope that the readers will find this volume also of great help in the study of Islamic history. The famous scholar Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri has revised the Urdu edition before its translation to check the authenticity aspect.

The translation was done by the Translation Department of Darussalam, and every care has been taken to reproduce the events and the names of the persons and places as accurately as possible. We thank all the people who have cooperated with us to complete this task and produce it before you in a presentable form. May Allah accept our humble efforts in this regard and send His peace and blessings on our Prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and his followers.-Amin!

Abdul Malik Mujahid
General Manager, Darussalam

Volume 1: includes the history from pre-Islamic Arabia to Hasan bin Ali's Caliphate. Pages: 520 - ISBN: 9960-892-87-5 (9960892875)

Volume 2: includes history from the Caliphate of Banu Umayyah to the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates. Pages: 639 - ISBN: 9960-892-88-3 (9960892883)

Volume 3: includes history from Islamic rule in Spain to the Ottoman Empire. Pages: 480 - ISBN: 9960-892-93-X (996089293X)

Set ISBN: 9960-892-86-7 (Old #1-59144-034-3 / 1591440343)