Kitāb al-maghāzī

The Kitāb al-maghāzī is a significant work by the Arab historian al-Wāqidī, who lived from 747 to 823 CE. This book focuses on al-maghāzī, which refers to the military campaigns of the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Wāqidī was a respected authority on the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina and is credited with writing numerous historical works, though only the Kitāb al-maghāzī is known to survive today. This work is considered a monumental chronology of these early Islamic military expeditions. The tradition of recording historical events, including battles, was established early in Arabic literature, often using a format that included an isnād (chain of authority) to establish veracity, followed by the matn (content of the report).12