Allamani al-Tarikh, History Taught Me (television programme)

علّمني التاريخ (برنامج تلفزيوني)

A television programme by Tareq al-Suwaidan of which the Assabile archive keeps twenty-nine short episodes, in which he narrates decisive turning points in Muslim history to draw from them the 'civilisational laws', or sunan, that govern the rise and fall of nations: an introduction on the sunan, then the fall of al-Andalus and Granada, the Muslims forcibly converted to Christianity, the revolt of the Alpujarras, the fall of Baghdad to the Mongols, the rising of al-Husayn ibn Ali (may God be pleased with him), and the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II.

Depth

At a glance

Region: al-Andalus & Europe · Levant & Iraq · Anatolia
Review

Contested: This record includes matters on which scholars differ. The speaker's views are labelled as his, and other views are marked where no cited source yet exists.

History-writing and social thought The golden age, decline, and the debates about both Wars and campaigns Civil wars and revolts Mongol invasions Conquest and its debates Muslim minorities under non-Muslim rule Politics, governance and authority

Summary

"Allamani al-Tarikh" (History Taught Me) is a television programme by Tareq al-Suwaidan of which the Assabile archive keeps twenty-nine video episodes, each roughly eighteen to twenty-four minutes long, all opening with a song saying that history made its singer know his religion and taught him to refuse injustice. ¹ ² Al-Suwaidan introduces it as a programme that sheds light on the decisive moments and great events of some stages of the community's history, to read what lies behind events and draw lessons from them. ² ³ He says the programme is not for entertainment: its aim is for the viewer to know "the laws that made history", which the Qur'an calls sunan. ⁴ In several episodes he asks viewers to take notes, and promises to gather in the final episode six causes of victory and six obstacles to it. ⁵ ⁶

In the first episode al-Suwaidan sets out the frame of the whole programme: the universe has material laws, the life of individuals and nations has civilisational laws, and history is the main source for knowing the second kind; the material is in God's sunan among peoples. ⁷ ⁸ The dates and figures he gives are his own account, attributed to him with their anchors, and each page points to what other sources say where they differ.

The episodes

Episode 1. An introduction to the sunan: material laws and civilisational laws marked by constancy, regularity and generality, known through history and slow reading of the Qur'an, with the struggle between truth and falsehood as the example. ⁹ ¹⁰ The material is in: God's sunan among peoples.

Episode 2. Ibn al-Ahmar becomes Castile's vassal and helps it besiege Seville until its fall in 646 AH. ¹¹ ¹² The material is in: محمد بن يوسف بن نصر بن الأحمر, Emirate of Granada, al-Andalus, Marinid dynasty.

Episode 3. Ya'qub al-Marini saves Granada at the battle of Don Nuño (674 AH) and, in al-Suwaidan's account, takes Jaén and Seville. ¹³ ¹⁴ The material is in: محمد بن يوسف بن نصر بن الأحمر, Marinid dynasty.

Episode 4. Muhammad al-Faqih turns to Castile against the Marinids; Tarifa falls, then Gibraltar in 709 AH. ¹⁵ ¹⁶ The material is in: Marinid dynasty.

Episode 5. Granada survives two centuries on the balance of powers and flourishes, then splits while the Spanish kingdoms unite. ¹⁷ ¹⁸ The material is in: Emirate of Granada.

Episode 6. The feud of Abu Abd Allah al-Saghir, his father and his uncle al-Zaghal tears Granada apart until it is besieged in 895 AH. ¹⁹ ²⁰ The material is in: أبو عبد الله محمد آخر ملوك غرناطة, Emirate of Granada, The surrender of Granada and the Christian entry into the Alhambra.

Episode 7. Musa ibn Abi Ghassan resists; al-Saghir hands over the Alhambra on 2 Rabi' al-Awwal 897 AH. ²¹ ²² The material is in: The surrender of Granada and the Christian entry into the Alhambra, أبو عبد الله محمد آخر ملوك غرناطة.

Episode 8. The broken terms of surrender, forced conversion, and the laws that erased the Moriscos' identity. ²³ ²⁴ The material is in: Mudéjares, The surrender of Granada and the Christian entry into the Alhambra, al-Andalus.

Episode 9. The Moriscos secretly prepare a revolt, seek Ottoman and Saadian help, and acclaim Ibn Umayya. ²⁵ ²⁶ The material is in: Mudéjares.

Episode 10. The Alpujarras revolt breaks out early in December 1568; the oath to Muhammad ibn Umayya is renewed and the mountains are freed. ²⁷ ²⁸ The material is in: Rebellion of the Alpujarras.

Episode 11. The massacres of 1569, Sultan Selim II's letter, the spread of the revolt and the battle of Berja. ²⁹ ³⁰ The material is in: Rebellion of the Alpujarras.

Episode 12. Ibn Umayya is killed, Ibn Abbu takes the lead, Galera is besieged, and the revolt ends with Ibn Abbu's death in 1571. ³¹ ³² The material is in: Rebellion of the Alpujarras.

Episode 13. Hulagu's five years of preparation and the Mongol alliances with Armenia, the Crusaders and some Muslim princes. ³³ ³⁴ The material is in: The Tatar sack of Baghdad and the killing of al-Musta'sim, هولاكو خان.

Episode 14. The Mongols' psychological war, and the secret agreement with the vizier Ibn al-Alqami as al-Suwaidan relates it. ³⁵ ³⁶ The material is in: The Tatar sack of Baghdad and the killing of al-Musta'sim, هولاكو خان, al-Musta'sim bi'llah Abdullah ibn al-Mustansir, last caliph of Baghdad, Vizier Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Alqami.

Episode 15. The Abbasid army is cut down, Hulagu's army is assembled, and the Ismaili fortresses are destroyed in 655 AH. ³⁷ ³⁸ The material is in: The Tatar sack of Baghdad and the killing of al-Musta'sim, هولاكو خان, al-Musta'sim bi'llah Abdullah ibn al-Mustansir, last caliph of Baghdad, Vizier Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Alqami.

Episode 16. Al-Suwaidan's law of causes, the letters between Hulagu and the caliph, and the diary of the siege of Baghdad. ³⁹ ⁴⁰ The material is in: The Tatar sack of Baghdad and the killing of al-Musta'sim, هولاكو خان, al-Musta'sim bi'llah Abdullah ibn al-Mustansir, last caliph of Baghdad.

Episode 17. Al-Musta'sim's negotiations with Hulagu, his surrender and his killing in Safar 656 AH, and the causes of the fall as al-Suwaidan sums them up. ⁴¹ ⁴² The material is in: The Tatar sack of Baghdad and the killing of al-Musta'sim, al-Musta'sim bi'llah Abdullah ibn al-Mustansir, last caliph of Baghdad, هولاكو خان, Vizier Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Alqami.

Episode 18. Al-Husayn's lineage and virtues, al-Hasan's peace, Yazid's designation, and the leading men who refused the pledge. ⁴³ ⁴⁴ The material is in: Husayn ibn Ali, Yazid ibn Mu'awiya.

Episode 19. Al-Husayn's stand after Mu'awiya's death: why he refused Yazid, al-Suwaidan's view that he was a rival candidate rather than a rebel against an imam, and why he would not stay in Mecca. ⁴⁵ ⁴⁶ The material is in: Husayn ibn Ali, Yazid ibn Mu'awiya, Letters from the people of Kufa to al-Husayn.

Episode 20. The Kufan letters, Muslim ibn Aqil's mission and the pledge of twelve thousand, and the advice of Ibn Abbas, Ibn al-Hanafiyya and others. ⁴⁷ ⁴⁸ The material is in: Husayn ibn Ali, Letters from the people of Kufa to al-Husayn.

Episode 21. Ibn Ziyad infiltrates Muslim's followers and strikes Hani; the people melt away from Muslim, who is taken under Ibn al-Ash'ath's safe-conduct. ⁴⁹ ⁵⁰ The material is in: The killing of Muslim ibn Aqil in Kufa, Letters from the people of Kufa to al-Husayn.

Episode 22. Ibn Ziyad breaks the safe-conduct and kills Muslim and Hani; al-Husayn leaves Mecca on the Day of Tarwiya amid warnings, and Kufa is sealed. ⁵¹ ⁵² The material is in: The killing of Muslim ibn Aqil in Kufa, Husayn ibn Ali, Battle of Karbala.

Episode 23. Al-Hurr ibn Yazid, Umar ibn Sa'd's army, al-Husayn's three offers, his killing on Ashura in 61 AH, and al-Suwaidan's view of the reports about the women. ⁵³ ⁵⁴ The material is in: Battle of Karbala, Husayn ibn Ali, Yazid ibn Mu'awiya.

Episode 24. Mehmed II's upbringing: al-Kurani's discipline, governing Manisa at twelve, his father abdicating to him at fourteen, and Aq Shams al-Din instilling the goal of Constantinople. ⁵⁵ ⁵⁶ The material is in: السلطان محمد الفاتح, Akşemseddin, Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH.

Episode 25. The shaykh turns Mehmed away from seclusion; then the preparations: Rumeli Hisari, the cannon, over 400 ships and the treaties. ⁵⁷ ⁵⁸ The material is in: Akşemseddin, السلطان محمد الفاتح, Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH.

Episode 26. The emperor's overtures and his appeal to the Pope, the city's defences and the Golden Horn chain, the army's arrival on 26 Rabi' al-Awwal 857 AH, the start of the siege and Giustiniani's relief force. ⁵⁹ ⁶⁰ The material is in: Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH, السلطان محمد الفاتح.

Episode 27. The letter of safe-conduct, the Lycus breach, the naval setbacks and the change of fleet commander, and the idea of moving ships overland. ⁶¹ ⁶² The material is in: Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH, السلطان محمد الفاتح.

Episode 28. More than forty ships hauled overland into the Golden Horn in one night, then the relentless bombardment, the tunnels and the wooden siege tower. ⁶³ ⁶⁴ The material is in: Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH.

Episode 29. The last letters, the general assault and Constantine's death, and Mehmed's entry at noon on Tuesday 20 Jumada al-Ula 857 AH, granting the people safety in Hagia Sophia. ⁶⁵ ⁶⁶ The material is in: Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH, السلطان محمد الفاتح.

What is not written here

In the first episode al-Suwaidan lists the fall of the Umayyad state among the events he means to present, and none of the twenty-nine surviving episodes deals with it. ⁶⁷ At the end of episode 29 he announces that the next and final episode will gather the causes of victory and its obstacles and comment on the stories of the thirty episodes; that episode is not in the archive. ⁶⁸ The opening and closing songs, the machine-repeated stretches of the transcript, and names and figures that came through garbled or contradictory were all left out, and are recorded in the lane's progress log.

People and things also explored

The Tatar sack of Baghdad and the killing of al-Musta'sim· Conquest of Constantinople in 857 AH· Akşemseddin· السلطان محمد الفاتح· Rise of Empires: Ottoman· Muawiya, Hassan and Hussein· The surrender of Granada and the Christian entry into the Alhambra· Ahmad ibn Ismail al-Kurani

Sources

Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:00:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:01:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:02:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:03:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 2, at 00:02:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 24, at 00:01:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:04:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:11:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:13:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 2, at 00:09:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 2, at 00:14:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 3, at 00:13:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 3, at 00:15:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 4, at 00:13:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 4, at 00:17:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 5, at 00:05:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 5, at 00:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 6, at 00:06:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 6, at 00:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 7, at 00:13:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 7, at 00:17:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 8, at 00:04:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 8, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 9, at 00:06:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 9, at 00:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 10, at 00:04:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 10, at 00:11:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 11, at 00:05:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 11, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 12, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 12, at 00:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 13, at 00:06:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 13, at 00:17:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 14, at 00:08:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 14, at 00:12:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 15, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 15, at 00:19:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 16, at 00:03:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 16, at 00:17:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 17, at 00:06:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 17, at 00:12:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 18, at 00:06:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 18, at 00:16:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 19, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 19, at 00:15:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 20, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 20, at 00:12:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 21, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 21, at 00:15:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 22, at 00:03:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 22, at 00:08:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 23, at 00:14:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 23, at 00:20:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 24, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 24, at 00:15:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 25, at 00:08:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 25, at 00:12:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 26, at 00:06:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 26, at 00:13:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 27, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 27, at 00:14:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 28, at 00:07:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 28, at 00:17:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 29, at 00:02:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 29, at 00:16:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 1, at 00:02:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Alamani Al Tarikh, episode 29, at 00:19:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Allamani al-Tarikh, History Taught Me (television programme)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/work/allamani-al-tarikh-program/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-01.

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