A Critical Evaluation of the Arabic and Islamic Historical Scholarship a Study on Adam Abdullah Al-Iluriyy

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Abstract: Shaykh Adam Abdullah al-Iluriyy is a leading Nigerian Arabic writer who wrote several books on various subjects. Yet he is known more as a historian because his works on history are more than his contribution to any other area. However, there has not been a critical evaluation of his historical scholarship. The purpose of this paper is therefore to evaluate the major works of al-Iluriyy in the area of history. The paper identifies for critical evaluation only five of his numerous works namely al-Islam fi Nayjiriya, Nasim al-Saba, Lamhat al-Billawr, Mujaz Tarikh Nayjiriya and al-Dirasat al-Adabiyya fi al-Diyari al-Nayjiriyya which represent the entirety of his historical scholarship. The paper employs both the historical and philosophical methods and exposes both the strengths and weaknesses of such works for better appreciation. The paper’s contribution lies in its potential fulfillment of the long-felt need for a critical evaluation of al-Iluriyy’s works on history.