The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Isḥāq's Sīrat Rasūl AllāhSirat Rasul Allah (Life of the Messenger of God) or al-Sirat al-Nabawiyah (Prophetic biography) is the Arabic term used for the various traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad, from which most historical information about his life and the early period of Islam is derived. Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah is the earliest surviving traditional biography, and was written just over 100 years after Muhammad's death. It survives in the later editions of Ibn Hisham and al-Tabari. Professor Guillaume's translation of the Sira of Ibn Iss-Haq is now reissued. The translator used Ibn Hisham's abridgement and also included many additions and variants found in the writings of early authors. The book thus presents in English practically all that is known of the life of the Prophet. In the introduction, the translator discusses the character of the Sira in the light of the opinion of early Arabian scholars, noting especially the difficulties of the poetry. As the earliest monument of Arabian prose literature, the Sira remains a work of the first importance. |
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Common terms and phrases
A'isha Abbās Abdu Manaf Abdu Shams Abdu'l-Muṭṭalib Abdu'l-Raḥmān Abdullah Abū Abu Bakr Abū Jahl Abu Sufyan Abū Ubayda accepted Islam Adiy al-Ḥārith al-Khazraj al-Lāt al-Mughira al-Ta'if al-Walid al-Zubayr al-Zuhri Allah ally Amir Anṣār apostle apostle of God apostle's Arabs Asad asked Badr battle believe brother brought called camels clan companions death enemy father fear fight gave Ghanm God's Hamza Ḥarām Haritha Hashim Hassan heard Hisham horses Ibn Abbās Islam Ja'far Jews Ka'b Ka'ba Khalid Khaybar Khazraj Khuza'a killed Kināna Lord Lu'ayy Mālik Manāt means Mecca Medina mosque mother Muhammad Murra Muslims Naufal night polytheists prayed prayer prophet Qays Quran Quraysh Qurayza Quṣayy Rabi'a raid religion replied returned Sa'd Sa'id Salama sent down concerning sons Sulaym Sūra sword Tha'laba Thābit Thaqif told took tribe truth Ubayy Umar Umayr Umayya Urwa Utba Uthman verse Wahb weep words Yaman Yazid Zayd