The Functions of Genealogy in the Studies of Islamic History

Due to political, social, and cultural causes, consideration of lineage was important among many nations. The Arab need for recognition of its descendants and the intellectual and cultural foundations of the common traditions in Islamic lands provided the prosperity of writing the lineage, especially from the 3rd century AH, among Muslims, and created the independent knowledge known as ’ilm al-Ansab (genealogy) that held its specific status and function in Islamic civilization. Genealogy and its relationship with history can be a useful research in the field of interdisciplinary studies. The present paper, with a descriptive-analytic approach, addresses this fundamental question about the place and function of genealogy in historical studies. Accordingly, by explaining the historical place of genealogy, the functions of this knowledge in Islamic history will be analyzed