Archaeological evidence is among the most powerful forms of corroborative historical evidence from early Islam.
Due to the fact it was produced by people living close to the events it describes, it provides an external check on the historical record preserved in the Islamic tradition from the perspective of those who experienced these events firsthand.
Rather than supporting orientalist theories that Islamic history was invented centuries later, early Islamic inscriptions have consistently confirmed names, titles, beliefs, and events found in the Qurʾān, ḥadīth, and historical sources.
They often corroborate details that were already preserved through the Muslim scholarly tradition, further strengthening confidence in the reliability of the ḥadīth corpus.
A beautiful example of this is found in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, where Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) would greet ʿAbdullāh ibn Jaʿfar (may Allah be pleased with him) by saying:
“O son of Dhū al-Janāḥayn (the Two-Winged One).”
This was a reference to his father, Sayyidunā Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him), whom the Prophet ﷺ informed had been granted two wings in Paradise.
As for the inscription, it reads:
“I am al-Walīd, the freedman of ʿAbdullāh ibn Jaʿfar, Dhū al-Janāḥayn. My Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me.”
Significantly, the inscription independently preserves the same title, Dhū al-Janāḥayn, found in the authentic ḥadīth. It was not written to prove al-Bukhārī’s report, but reflects how Jaʿfar (may Allah be pleased with him) was actually known among the early Muslims.
Thus, this inscription serves as an external corroboration of the report in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, demonstrating that the title Dhū al-Janāḥayn was genuinely in use and recognized in early Islamic society.