A Review and Evaluation of al-Futūh with an Approach to the Incident of Karbala

Through exploring biographies and bibliographies of the 3rd and 4th centuries, one can find that the book entitled "al-Futūh" and its author are not in their proper position. Similarly, the biography of Kufan Ibn ’A'tham, his identity, religion, works and other dimensions of his life have not yet been precisely identified. The present study has taken form on the necessity of having more identification of the book al-Futūh and a search in the biography of its author. Although al-Futūh has been overshadowed due to some accounts inconsistent with Sunni spirit, the real religious affiliation of the author, who was seriously committed to the religion of the caliphs, can be identified. Although Ibn ’A'tham does not give the sources of his accounts properly, al-Futūh brings conventional assurance for the readers due to the expertise of its author, as well as its being specialized and the geometric relevance of its historical accounts.