Benefits of Reading History Books, Including the Book al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya by Ibn Kathir

Question:
The first letter in this episode is one that reached the program from al-Qasim, sent by one of our sisters from there. The sender, Sadi' Ayn Mun, our sister, asks about three books at once and requests your opinion on them. Shaykh Salih, the first book is al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions. As for what follows: There is no doubt that caring for books and selecting the beneficial ones is a matter of importance, and this is known only by the specialized scholars who are knowledgeable about these books and their contents.
As for what the questioner asked about, which is the book al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya by al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir, it is a book on history, covering the subject of history from the beginning of creation to its end, to the end of time. It mentions the history of previous nations and the history of the messengers, peace and blessings be upon them, and it mentions the events and incidents that occur from time to time in various centuries. Some of these incidents may be strange or require scrutiny. It mentions the mission of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his biography, peace and blessings be upon him. It mentions the battles of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and it mentions the battles and jihad of the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and their conquest of lands and their spread of Islam to the east and west of the earth. It mentions the states that came after them, the state of the Banu Umayyah, the state of the Abbasids, and those who came after them. It mentions what occurs in the end times, as reported by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in light of the hadiths narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the trials and great battles. All of this is beneficial for the Muslim, for the purpose of reading history is not merely for entertainment or information, but rather the purpose is to draw lessons, take heed, and benefit from what has happened and what is happening. Thus, the Muslim is aware of his affairs and acquires the lesson and the warning.
The poet said: He is not a human being nor a person of reason who does not keep history in his mind. And whoever knows the news of those before him has added lifetimes to his own life. This is the purpose of looking into books of history and events.