A Version of Ibn Lahīa’s Transmission of Urwa ibn al-Zubayr’s “Maghāzī NoteBook”

Abstract

This article examines one recension of the maghāzī notebook by Urwa ibn al-Zubayr. It introduces an Egyptian branch that was transmitted from Abū l-Aswad by Ibn Lahīa. It studies the transmission chain that extends over five generations and offers a detailed investigation of some eight narratives that cover three episodes in the life of Prophet Muhammad. It also casts considerable light on the development of the early maghāzī tradition and its reception in Egypt. The study revisits the image of Ibn Lahīa in the sources and in modern scholarship, and it finally embarks on a comparative study aiming to establish the relationship of the material with the Maghāzī of Mūsā ibn Uqba. © 2021 Brill. All rights reserved.