The Manuscript of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥifẓī as a Source for the History of Asir in the 13th Hijri Century: An Analytical Study

Abstract

Abstract This article discusses the manuscript of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥifẓī, which is one of the historical sources that recorded events in Asir during the period ah 1213-1269/1798-1862. The study focuses on its author, the polymath and qadi ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥifẓī, and his son, the qadi Ḥasan ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, who continued his father’s work recording historical events. It attempts to discover the circumstances under which the work was written and the historical context that played a role in prompting the polymath and qadi al-Ḥifẓī and his son to write their history in this fashion. It also attempts to show the methodological and stylistic characteristics of the work as well as to consider the topics discussed and the sources relied on in writing the manuscript.