Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi

Who was Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi?

Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi, also known as Ibn al-Kalbi was an Arab historian. His full name Abu al-Mundhir Hisham bin Muhammed bin al-Sa'ib bin Bishr al-Kalbi. Born in Kufa, he spent much of his life in Baghdad. Like his father, he collected information about the genealogies and history of the ancient Arabs. According to the Fihrist, he wrote 140 works. His account of the genealogies of the Arabs is continually quoted in the Kitab al-Aghani.

Hisham established a genealogical link between Ishmael and Mohammed and put forth the idea that all 'Arabs' were all descendants of Ishmael. He relied heavily on the ancient oral traditions of the Arabs, but also quoted writers who had access to Biblical and Palmyran sources. His book Djamharat al Nasab was translated into German by W. Caskel in 1966.