There were, however, a group of people referred to as the Ḥunafā’, meaning those who turn away i.e., turning away from shirk (polytheism) and towards tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah). Four prominent Ḥunafā’ were: Waraqah ibn Nawfal, ʿUbaydullāh ibn Jaḥsh, ʿUthmān ibn al-Ḥuwayrith, and Zayd ibn ʿAmr. They made a pact to search for the true religion of Ibrāhīm in the form of Ḥanīfiyyah. Another significant Ḥanīf (singular of Ḥunafā’) was Quss ibn Sāʿidah al-Iyādī, who used to preach against idolatry. Ḥanīfiyyah was the closest thing to Islam during those times. Prophetic Lineage Muhammad ibn Isḥāq (d.150 AH iv) then authored the greatest and most comprehensive work in sīrah, producing a chronological account of the Prophet’s life . Ibn Isḥāq lived in Medina alongside the children and grandchildren of the Companions . He travelled to other major cities such as Basra and Kufa to compile the narrations of other significant Companions such as that of Ibn Masʿūd . Ibn Isḥāq’s sīrah was also significant because it included the isnād (chain of narrators) for each narration.

Starting from the 8th and 9th century, many scholars have devoted their efforts to both kinds of texts equally. [4] Some historians consider the sīra and maghāzī literature to be a subset of Hadith. [5] Reception [ edit ] Newby, Gordon Darnell; Ibn Isḥāq, Muḥammad (1989). The Making of the Last Prophet: A Reconstruction of the Earliest Biography of Muhammad. University of South Carolina Press. p.9. The word sīrah stems from the verb sāra—yasīru, which means to traverse. It is commonly translated as biography because the reader travels the path of that person, following in their footsteps. The word sīrah, linguistically speaking, may be used for the biography of any person, but since the passing of the Prophet Muhammad , the word—when used in Islamic literature—is understood to be exclusively for him .

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Thus can be reconstructed an 'improved' " edited" text, i.e., by distinguishing or removing Ibn Hisham's additions, and by adding from al-Tabari passages attributed to Ibn Ishaq. Yet the result's degree of approximation to Ibn Ishaq's original text can only be conjectured. Such a reconstruction is available, e.g., in Guillaume's translation. [17] Here, Ibn Ishaq's introductory chapters describe pre-Islamic Arabia, before he then commences with the narratives surrounding the life of Muhammad (in Guillaume at pp.109–690). Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, (New York: Inner Traditions International, 1983), 89. xiii A physical mark on his body that was given as a sign of his Prophethood. It is described as an outgrowth of hair of a different colour shaped like a small oval (akin to a pigeon’s egg). Spencerian Handwriting: The Complete Collection of Theory and Practical Workbooks for Perfect Cursive and Hand Lettering

He was the only one raised up to the presence of Allah via the Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isrā’ wa al-Miʿrāj). ix The jinn have believed in previous Prophets, such as Mūsā . However, Mūsā was not sent to the jinn—they believed in him after hearing his Message, but he was not sent to guide them. The Prophet is the only Prophet sent directly to the jinn, which means there are jinn Companions. He gave them daʿwah and taught them their religion. Indus Valley Civilization and Maurya Empire, The: The History and Legacy of Ancient India’s Most Influential PowersThe course will cover the following the main areas: The historical Muhammad: his birth; the sacrilegious war; the concept of prophetic infallibility; the prophethood; the migration to Ethiopia; the boycott; the migration to Madina; the three major battles: Badr, Uhud and Khandaq; Muhammad’s relationship with the Jews, the treaty of al-Hudaybiayh and the conquest of Makka This course will focus primarily on the key incidents in the Prophet’s life and reflect on his life in terms of his character, role and relationship in society and how his community perceived him both before and after prophethood. Bhat, Parvaze Ahmad. “The Makkan Phase of Sīrah: A Study from the Standpoint of Pluralism”. Islam and Muslim Societies: A Social Science Journal. 6.2 (2013): 69-90. It was custom amongst the nobility of the Quraysh to send some of their newborn children to the desert for the first few years of their life. This was done to protect the children by raising them in a purer environment at a time when infant mortality was extremely common. It also conditioned the infants’ bodies to withstand an austere environment and equipped them with a purer, unadulterated form of the Arabic language. The Prophet was one of these children, and he was sent as a newborn to the Banū Saʿd ibn Bakr tribe, who were known for their eloquence and proficiency in the Arabic language.

According to Islamic tradition, the first biographers of Prophet Muhammad were Urwa ibn al-Zubayr (d. 714), Aban ibn Uthman (d. 727), Wahb ibn Munabbih (d. 732), Sharhabil ibn Sa'd (d. 745), Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī (d. 746), and Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Hazm (d. 757). None of these works exist today. Islamic tradition teaches that these biographers were followed by Musa ibn 'Uqbah (d. 763), Mu'ammar ibn Rashid (d. 772), and Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 774). None of theae works exist either. Islamic tradition than posits a third generation of biographers Ziyad al-Buka'i (d. 805), Al-Waqidi (d. 829), Ibn Hisham (d. 218), and Muhammad ibn Sa'd (d. 852). [10] According to Islamic tradition Ibn Ishaq's biography from the early Abbasid period was the most renowned and highly documented, but no copies exist. Half a century later, Ibn Hisham rewrote the alleged biography of Ibn Ishaq as narrated to him by Ziyād al-Baqqāʾi. Two versions of the biography exist today. Both published by Ibn Hisham under the same title. The earlier edition has undergone less editing and censorship than the later edition. [11] Reconstruction of text [ edit ] This can be metaphorically extended to his followers, too. In times of the greatest difficulties, believers receive the greatest spiritual elevation and nearness to God. This is exactly what was happening to the Muslims during the boycott. They were spiritually being strengthened; their belief and trust in God was increasing. They were being tested by almost everything in the world: their lives, their children, their wives, their wealth, and their social interactions. When they emerged from the boycott, they no longer feared losing anything of this world. Their focus turned entirely to God and the Hereafter.Other primary sources of the sīrah include books written about the characteristics of the Prophet ( shamā’il); books written about proofs of his Prophethood ( dalā’il); and general history books of Mecca and Medina. Origins of Arabia One of the first works devoted to sῑra that serves as a useful introduction to the subject. Levi Della Vida provides a most useful discussion on the meaning and use of the term sῑra. He also discusses the origin and character of sῑra and the emergence of the written sῑra tradition. Harun, Abus-Salam (2000). Sirat Ibn Hisham: Biography of the Prophet. Al-Falah Foundation. p.VIII. ISBN 977-5813-80-8. xii The Arabs in the 7 th century AD would describe someone as yellow whom a 21 th century audience would describe as white. They referred to the Romans as Banū al-Aṣfar (The Yellow People). Likewise, what the Arabs would refer to as white a 21 th century audience would refer to as tanned. The tone of the Prophet , like that of most of his tribe, was a wheatish-brown complexion. The Sirah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been designed to cater for learners who range from beginners to intermediate level and have a basic understanding of Islam.