Demographics in the Era of the Message in the Book of News of Medina by Ibn Zabala (d. 199 AH/814 AD)

Abstract

The nature of any complex in Islamic history, specifically the era of the Prophethood, cannot be understood without understanding the demographic structure and its formations within society. This structure reflects the political and social events and developments of the state.

The historian Ibn Zabala (d. 199 AH/814 AD) was the first to address this topic in his book, Akhbar al-Madinah (Akhbar al-Madinah). He devoted a separate chapter to the demographic structure of Medina and its diverse groups, both directly and in the context of his narratives on other topics. He relied on oral accounts, observations and observations—as a resident of the city—or documentation, description, and historical narration. Although his book, "Akhbar al-Madinah," is lost, the Saudi historian traced his narratives and included them in his book, "Wafa al-Wafa." The contemporary historian, Salah Abd al-Aziz Zain Salamah, then compiled and documented them under the title "Akhbar al-Madinah by Ibn Zabalah," which is the basis for this study. The study is divided into an introduction, a conclusion, and two sections. The first section covers Ibn Zabalah's life and scholarly background, including his name, upbringing, sheikhs, students, scholars' opinions of him, and his method of writing. The second section deals with the population groups in Medina society, including the Amalekites, the Jews, the Arab tribes, the Aws and Khazraj, their clans and sub-clans, and the immigrants.