The earliest surviving account of the Mohammedan conquest of Egypt and the west, The History of the Conquest of Egypt, North Africa, and Spain, also known as the Futuh Misr, was originally divided into seven books. A comprehensive history, including the characteristics and background of Egypt, the Muslim conquest of the country, and its rebuilding under new leaders, the author used numerous sources and oral accounts to compile the history. The work is presented in its original Arabic, in traditional right-to-left format. Also included is the original 1922 introduction from Charles C. Torrey, American historian and Semitic expert from Yale University. IBN 'ABD AL-HAKAM was born in 187 A.H. and died in A.D. 871 (year 257). One of the first historians to construct a Mohammedan history from the unreliable oral and written sources common in his era, Al-Hakam was from a reputable and well-respected family, renowned in the many branches of Hadith (narrations concerning the prophet Mohammed) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). This made Al-Hakam one of the most qualified individuals to compile and record the Muslim tradition in Egypt in his day.