Warning and Revision

Warning and revision is the name of a an Arabic book, by the Arab writer, Mas’oudi; on geography, history and astronomy.
It concerns the history of sciences and religions and includes some discussions about philosophy, early religions, beliefs, medicine and some of the beliefs and customs of different tribes and religions.

The author
Abul Hasan Ali Mas’oudi, one of the most eminent Arab writers; (893 – 965). His works comprise geography, history, ####general philosophy, science, Muslim law and its principles. He also wrote the history of Imam Ali, of the family of the Prophet, of the Twelver Shia and of the Imamate. The best known among the 36 titles listed are a great history of the world, which is said to have filled 30volumes; a work containing generalities regarding the universe and information of a historical nature on non-Muslim peoples (including the pre-Islamic Arabs) and the history of Islam, from the Prophet up to the caliphate of the Abbasid caliph, Muti’ and finally, a work called “Warning and Revision” which is basically an overall review.

Structure of the book
The first section of the book includes geographical discussions, as following:
1- General information on natural geography
2- The sky and the stars
3- Composition of the elements
4- The season and their characteristics
5- The four kinds of wind and the place of blowing the wind
6- The earth and its acreage
7- The seven climate

The next section contains the general history of the world:

1- Pre-Islamic history:
- The seven nations in ancient time (the Iranians, the Chaldeans, the Turks, the Europeans, the Indians and the Africans)
- The Iranian kings from ancient times to Sasanid era
- The Greek kings
- The Roman kings
- The important events of Christians
- Exchanging the Muslim captives for those of Romans
- The history of prophets and kings and account of the nations

2- Islamic history and afterwards:
- The Holy Prophet’s life and the events happened up to the year 10A.H
- The time of the four caliphs (Imam Ali, Abu Bakr, Umar and Othman)
- Umayyads
- Abbasids

The book is translated into Persian, French and Urdu.

Sources

Keywords