Al-Mas'udi's (d. 346 AH/957 AD) Critical View of Historical Narratives in his book, "Muruj al-Dhahab wa Ma'adin al-Jawhar

Abstract

    History has brought us a lot of news and historical  narratives that historians have passed on to each other. Some have accepted them and recorded them without scrutiny or verification to verify their authenticity, while others have scrutinized them, disapproved of them, and criticized them for their inaccuracy. Among these historians is al-Mas'udi, known for his meticulous handling of history. He was a historian, thinker, and critic. His famous book, "Muruj al-Dhahab wa Ma'adin al-Jawhar," ,The Meadows of Gold and the Mines of Gems, is a famous historical work and a model of critical thought. It demonstrates the historian's meticulous handling of transmitted news and narratives. He criticized the reports and narratives, explained the reasons for their criticism or rejection, and corrected, refined, and weighed them against each other. In this way, he was able to address many of the errors that have occurred in history, correcting them, and putting them on the right track