Al-Hafez  Ibn Assaker's "The History of Damascus" is a huge wealth and one of our ancestors` treasures. It is an encyclopedia of the honorable prophetic discourses besides being an encyclopedia of the great men history and the biographies. It is the largest compilation ever known in the Arabic heritage from which are deduced independent books in various topics. Moreover, people may dispense of a book because other books resemble it but "The history of Damascus" is an indispensable book for all people and classes. Hence, the masses of people consider it their companion and entertainer and the scholars and researchers use it as a reference for the prophetic discourses and men’s biographies and all those men who had weightiness in both the Arabic and Islamic society.

The publication of this important compilation - for the first time by Dar Al- Fikr in Beirut and in seventy volumes - is a major achievement which acquired the appreciation and admiration of all the scholarly circles and which had a deep impact in illuminating so many intellectual and cultural sides of the Arabs and Muslims` history and over all the geographical area over which Islam had spread and when the Arabic language prevailed.

Ibn Assaker took from those who preceded him and improved it. And it was the fate of some of the sources he took from to be lost and had not he compiled them in this huge compilation, a big part of the men’s biography and the nation’s history would have been lost. Moreover, Ibn Assaker did not only depend on copying from others but he also used his mind. Hence, he was more close to interpretation than to stagnation and tradition.

Ibn Assaker was born in the month of Muharram of the year 499 H 1105 A.D. He studied on his brother Sae`n Eddine in 505 H and then he traveled to Iraq in 525 H asking for more education. He performed his pilgrimage in 521 H and studied in Mecca, Medina and Mina and then came back to Damascus. He traveled a second time to Baghdad and stayed there for five years. He toured all over Iraq’s cities and then came back to Damascus. He departed to Khorasan via Azerbijan and passed by Baghdad to acquire more education. All this happened in 529H when he returned to Damascus and when he was 34 years of age.

In his Journeys, the most famous Sheiks and speakers educated him. He also got acquainted to many compilations that he would not have known had he stayed in his country. And his acquaintance to these books had a great merit in disclosing the great men’s biographies in both the Arabic and Islamic history.

In Damascus he devoted himself to teaching, compiling and writing.

And for this purpose a special school was built for him upon the orders of the Just king Noureddine Mahmoud Zinki. This school was the first to teach the prophetic Sunna and the honorable prophetic discourses. He also started writing "The History of Damascus" which took him thirty years to complete with the support of the Just king Noureddine Zinki.

Ibn Assaker was given the title of "Al - Sham Speaker". But his fame extended beyond AL -Sham to all regions where Islam existed.

During his life he was known as the Imam of speakers; i.e., those who had knowledge in the honorable prophetic discourses. After his death, he was famous for "The History of Damascus". Hence, he was a master in both sciences.

Ibn Assaker prefaced his "History" with a long introduction in which he showed the origin of the word "Al - Sham" and Damascus’s construction and who built it. He also mentioned the etymology of the word Al - Sham, its origin, its reason, its usefulness and its beginnings since the day of Adam - peace be upon him - and the number of prophets and messengers and the periods between them {Then we sent our apostles in succession} [Al - Muminun 44]

In the introduction Ibn Assaker also talked about the precedence of Al - Sham and the Superiority of Damascus and he mentioned the honorable prophetic discourses which talked about it. It was reported that the prophet - peace be upon him - implored to God to bless Al - Sham because it is the blessed land which was mentioned in the Quran. It is also the land which Abraham - peace be upon him - migrated to as God in Sura Ankabut told where He said {I will leave home for the sake of my lord}.

Ibn Assaker also mentioned that the people of Al - Sham are very religious and abide strongly to the Sunna and the community.

The merits of Damascus are many as Ibn Assaker mentions. It is one of heaven’s cities and it is the abode of Jesus Christ and his mother Mary {and we made the son of Mary and his mother as a Sign we gave them both shelter on high ground, affording rest and security and furnished with springs}. And high ground means either Damascus or Al - Ramlah in Palestine.

Ibn Assaker dealt then with the demarcation of Damascus and described its Mosque and its other mosques and recounted its doors, schools, squares, markets, washrooms, rivers, mills, gardens and all the villages around it. Besides, Ibn Assaker mentioned what he had been told about Al - Sham’s Kings before the advent of Islam and the Prophet’s announcement to his people that they will capture it. And he concluded by mentioning the prophet’s armies which were sent to Al - Sham and their invasion of Domat Al - Jandal, Zat Atlah, Mo`ta and Zat Al - Salasel.

He also mentioned the prophet’s leadership of the Tabuk expedition and the prophet`s dispatch of Oussama to invade Mo`ta. Moreover, he cited Abu Baker’s interest in capturing Al - Sham and the victory of the Muslim’s army over the Romans at Ajnadin, Al - Yarmouk, Fahl, Marj Al - Safar and Al - Sham`s capture.

Then Ibn Assaker mentioned Omar`s advent to Al - Sham and the houses that were located inside Damascus’s wall and the naming of its doors and who built it.

Ibn Assaker assigned the third and fourth volumes of his book - in its new edition - to the prophet`s biography. He mentioned that the prophet’s names are Ahmad, Al -Hasher, Al - Mugaffa and Al - Aqeb. He added that the prophet - peace be upon him - came to AL - Basra via Al - Sham for the first time and came back to it a second time. Moreover, Ibn Assaker mentioned that Muhammad - peace be upon him - is the seal of the prophets.

He also talked about the prophet’s lineage, birth, mother, grand mothers, uncles, sons, daughters, wives and what the old books mentioned about the prophet’s attributes; his ascendance to the sky from the Sacred Mosque to the Alaqsa Mosque. He concluded with the prophet’s characteristics, miracles evidences of his prophecy and that which is related to his life, maids, horses and weapons.

Ibn Assaker started the fifth volume with the men’s biography arranged according to the lexicon’s letter. And in the sixty ninth volume of his book he started with the women’s biography arranged also according to the lexicon’s letters. Hence, he mentions the women, the maids and the poets and those of them who were mentioned by their nickname and not their names as he said in the tittle of the chapter.

Ibn Assaker was so loyal to the tittle of his book, which he had chosen with great care and precision. He named his book: "The History of Damascus’s city, its merits, and naming the forefathers who lodged at it, and naming the newcomers and its household who passed through it”. And this tittle is a comprehensive tittle for the subject of his book.

And if we had known that Damascus was the cradle of human civilizations, that it was the most ancient city in history; what decisive events followed in succession in every age; that in many historical stages it was the site of decisions in Al - Sham and the regions around it; moreover, if we had known that it was a scientific and a cultural center repaired to by both scholars and students alike, we could have recognized the comprehensiveness and generality and the content of the book’s title.

After Ibn Assaker had consummated chronicling for Damascus`s city, he started writing the biography of all people who entered it or passed through it whether they were prophets, leaders, caliphs, Judges, scholars, speakers, sculptures and poets and also everyone who was born or lived or visited it before the Isla`s advent and after.

Not only did Ibn Assaker write the biographies of all those who entered Damascus but also he did so for all those were in Sidon, Aleppo, Baalbek, al - Ramlah and other regions.

Thus, Ibn Assaker Chronicled for parts of the Jahiliyya and its men and for those men who lived through paganism and Islam who had known Damascus, lived in it or passed through it.

He also chronicled for the prophetic biography in all its aspects and events and what resulted of it.

Then Ibn Assaker chronicled for the orthodox Caliphs - may God be pleased with them - and whoever was with them. He also chronicled lengthy biographies as if it was a chronicle for the whole age. And this is not restricted to Al - Sham countries alone but exceeds them to all Islamic territories where those men - whether they were guides, propagandists, leaders, or scholars - had spread. Damascus was the site of the caliphate in the first century. The Arab communities with their great men and tribes did not dispense with visiting Al - Sham and the Caliphs and responding to the caliphs` calls for the land and sea expeditions. Besides, Al - Sham was important in war and in peace; in the battles of Siffin; in the movements of Iraq and Hijaz; in the expeditions towards Africa or Constantinople. Moreover, Damascus was not isolated from participating in all these events in the centuries that followed the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate. Hence, several scholars caliphs, leaders jurisprudence, poets, judges, and narrators had their share in making the Arabic history.

According, Ibn Assaker's "The History of Damascus" is the history of Al - Sham’s countries and the history of the Islamic world from the borders of China eastward to Egypt and Africa westward till the ocean, Spain and South Europe. Moreover, it is the history of the epoch that preceded the appearance of Islam. It is also a history of the prophetic biography.

It is a modern encyclopedia that comprised 13868 discourse.

It is an encyclopedia of men’s biography because it comprised 9520 biographies for both men, women, and for different classes, specialization and attributes.

It also contained a lot of anecdotes and poems, which entertain the reader, and keeps him away of boredom.

Ibn Assaker's book was characterized by its elucidation, investigation, exploration and diversity because it dealt with the prophetic discourses, history, arts, sciences, literature and poem. Besides, he was brilliant in the selection of its news and events. And if "The History of Damascus" was so extensive and comprehensive and if it was also a cultural history of the Arabic and Islamic world over a period of six centuries, why did Ibn Assaker call his large history "The History of Damascus"?

Actually, Ibn Assaker gave his book a particular name but he intended it to be general. He even wanted to make Damascus the axis and the incentive for his large book.

It was in Damascus where he was born and received his first education.

And from Damascus was the point of departure in his different Journeys to the countries of Islam to get more education a thing which profused his knowledge and sublimated his action.

And from Damascus he looked at the Islamic world from his own perspective.

Thus he chronicled for the Islamic world from Damascus, the orgin of Al - Sham.

And in Damascus was his death in 571 H - God’s mercy be upon him.