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What is the authenticity of the book "Mir'at al-Zaman fi Tarikh al-A'yan" by Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi, and to what extent can it be relied upon given the presence of Isra'iliyyat (Biblical traditions) within it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The book "Mir'at al-Zaman fi Tarikh al-A'yan" (Mirror of Time in the History of Eminent Figures) by Sibt ibn al-Jawzi is a comprehensive historical work. Some scholars have praised it for its quality and comprehensiveness. However, it is not without its shortcomings, most notably the inclusion of weak and fabricated hadiths, objectionable anecdotes, and the mention of some faults concerning the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. This led some scholars, such as Al-Hafiz Al-Dhahabi and Ibn Taymiyyah, to warn against accepting everything in it uncritically. It is recommended for specialists to read it while comparing it with accredited historical sources.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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