The Ibn Rushd College of Education for Humanities at the University of Baghdad discussed a master’s thesis entitled “Mahmoud Sheet Khattab: His Methodology and Sources in Writing Islamic History, with Leaders of the Conquest of the Maghreb as a Case Study.” The thesis was presented by Ali Malik Khudair, a researcher in the Department of History, specializing in Islamic History.
The discussion committee was chaired by Prof. Dr. Muqtadir Hamdan Abdul Majeed, with Prof. Dr. Wissan Ibrahim Hussein serving as a member and supervisor, and Assistant Prof. Dr. Maha Waddah Abdul Amir as a member. Prof. Dr. Salsabeel Jaber Enad joined the committee as an external member.
The study aimed to examine Mahmoud Sheet Khattab’s methodology in writing Islamic history and to determine whether his military background influenced his historical writings. It also sought to identify and analyze the sources upon which he relied in his book Leaders of the Conquest of the Maghreb.
The study concluded that Mahmoud Sheet Khattab’s methodology was significantly influenced by his military background, which led him to approach the historical events presented in Leaders of the Conquest of the Maghreb from a distinct military perspective. This was particularly evident in his treatment of Islamic battles, military strategies, commanders’ plans, and the movements of armies. The study also identified variations in the presentation of the biographies of military leaders, noting that some accounts were not sufficiently precise, which may be attributed to his lack of specialized academic training in the field of history.
