The Muslim Conquest And Settlement Of North Africa And Spain

In the seventh and eighth centuries, the Muslim Arabs conquered large areas of North Africa and then, with the help of their former adversaries in North Africa, the Berbers, gained a decisive victory over the Visigoths in Spain. This book, first published in 1989 and based on Arabic and other sources, describes the process of conquest and settlement, first depicting the lack of unity in North Africa and the corruption and insolvency in Spain that made the advance possible. It provides an invaluable classification of the Arab and Berber settlers in Spain by tribal origin, area of settlement and time of entry. The book emphasises throughout the importance of the economic and administrative relationship between North Africa and Spain. It charts the growing resentment of the early settlers in Spain with the restrictions on their autonomy imposed by the Governor-General of North Africa and the caliphate. It describes the rising tensions between old and new settlers and between the different tribal groups, finally leading to the Berber revolt and Abdulrahman’s consolidation of power towards the end of the Umayyad caliphate.

This three-volume set of previously out-of-print titles closely examines three key aspects of Muslim Spain: the Muslim conquest and settlement, together with its political and economic administration; spirituality in the region; and El Cid and the Spanish reconquest. Together they form an important overview of the period and the region.

The earliest surviving account of the Mohammedan conquest of Egypt and the west, The History of the Conquest of Egypt, North Africa, and Spain, also known as the Futuh Misr, was originally divided into seven books. A comprehensive history, including the characteristics and background of Egypt, the Muslim conquest of the country, and its rebuilding under new leaders, the author used numerous sources and oral accounts to compile the history. The work is presented in its original Arabic, in traditional right-to-left format. Also included is the original 1922 introduction from Charles C. Torrey, American historian and Semitic expert from Yale University. IBN 'ABD AL-HAKAM was born in 187 A.H. and died in A.D. 871 (year 257). One of the first historians to construct a Mohammedan history from the unreliable oral and written sources common in his era, Al-Hakam was from a reputable and well-respected family, renowned in the many branches of Hadith (narrations concerning the prophet Mohammed) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). This made Al-Hakam one of the most qualified individuals to compile and record the Muslim tradition in Egypt in his day.