Ibn Abd-el-Hakem

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

Ibn Abd-el-Hakam (d. 870 or 871) was an Egyptian chronicler who wrote the History of the Conquest of Egypt and North Africa and Spain.

His work is invaluable as the earliest Arab account of the Islamic conquests of those countries. This work was written about 150-200 years after the events it describes, and therefore mixes fact and legend. It was often quoted by later Islamic historians. A portion of the book covering the Muslim conquest of Spain, translated into English by John Harris Jones (Gottingen, W. Fr. Kaestner, 1858, pp. 18–22), is available online through the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.

The author's father and brother Muhammad were the leading Egyptian authorities on Malikite Islamic law. Although much quoted, he is seldom named because of a family disgrace. He and his brothers were accused of embezzlement of a deceased estate, imprisoned, and one of the brothers died under torture.