The contributions of Kurdish scholars to the Islamic heritage through Shams al-Din al-Sakhawi’s book “The Brilliant Light for the People of the Ninth Century” 902 AH / 1497 CE

Abstract

     The Kurds in the history of Islam have an important place, and they also have a clear and important place in defending this true religion, their undeniable jihad throughout the various Islamic ages along with their Muslim brothers of other nationalities such as the Arab, Persian and Roman.

This was throughout the history of Muslims in many of its stages. The rule of the Mamluks to Egypt and the Levant 648-923 AH / 1250-1517 AD is one of the stages of Islamic history, which witnessed many contributions of Kurdish scholars in the data of the Islamic heritage. Their presence is clear in the main  sources of Mamluk history, including the Book of The brilliant Light for the people of the ninth century by the historian Shams al-Din al-Sakhawi from 1497/902 CE.

This book is considered the most extensive source in the history of the Islamic Middle Ages. The number of translations in it reached (11699 translations), in which Al-Sakhawi translated scholars, judges, writers, caliphs, kings, princes and ministers to various regions of the Islamic countries at the time, men and women who died in the ninth century AH, fifteenth century AD, or those who were late to Tenth century AH / sixteenth century AD .

The Kurdish scholars have a clear share in these translations, as this book is distinguished from other sources of Mamluk history by two important things, first, the large number of scholars who translated for them, and secondly, and the most important is that al-Sakhawi met most of these and transmitted from them his observations and visions, and this is a matter worthy of attention. It gives the reader of history clarity and honesty that the researcher can build on and judge by.And based on the foregoing of the importance of Al-Sakhawi’s book, it was chosen as an important source for researching the contributions of Kurdish scholars to the Islamic heritage.