Is the attribution of the book "Futuh al-Sham" to Al-Waqidi, may Allah have mercy on him, sound?

Some scholars have attributed the book "Futuh al-Sham" to al-Waqidi, but the currently printed book bearing this title raises strong doubts about the authenticity of its attribution to him, for the following reasons: 1. Lack of reliable manuscript originals: The printed versions do not rely on stable manuscripts, and there are significant differences between the available editions. 2. Difference in style: The style of the printed book does not conform to the style of al-Waqidi's era nor al-Waqidi's own style. It contains exaggerations and rhymed prose. 3. Exaggeration and historical fallacies: The book's content includes exaggerations and information that does not align with reliable reports, such as the participation of Dirar ibn al-Azwar in the conquest of Sham, while he was killed in the Ridda wars. 4. Presence of phenomena that appeared after al-Waqidi's era: The book contains references to phenomena that were not known in al-Waqidi's time, such as the veneration of graves and holding study circles around them, which are practices recent relative to his era.

In conclusion, al-Waqidi may have authored a book with this title, but the currently circulated book is either not al-Waqidi's original work, or it has been greatly augmented and distorted. Some later scholars have warned against reading it due to its unreliability.