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. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | xiii |
The soothsayers Shiqq and Satih | 14 |
Abdullah b alThamir and the Christian martyrs | 34 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
A'isha Abbās Abdu Manaf Abdu Shams Abdu'l-Muṭṭalib Abdu'l-Raḥmān Abdullah Abu Bakr Abū Jahl Abu Sufyan accepted Islam Adiy al-Harith al-Khazraj al-Lāt al-Mughira al-Najjār al-Walid al-Zubayr al-Zuhri Allah ally Amir Anṣār apostle apostle of God apostle's Arabs Asad asked Badr believe brother brought called camels clan companions death disbelieve enemy father fear fight follow gave Ghanm give God's hand Ḥarām Haritha Hashim Hassan heard Hisham Islam Ja'far Jews Ka'b Ka'ba Khalid Khaybar Khazraj killed Kināna Lord Lu'ayy Mālik Manāt Mecca Medina migrated to Medina mosque Muhammad Muslims Naufal Negus night polytheists prayed prayer prophet protection Qatāda Qays Quran Quraysh Qurayza Quṣayy Rabi'a raid religion replied returned Sa'd Sa'id Salama sent down concerning Sūra sword tell Tha'laba Thabit Thaqif thee thou told took tribe truth Ubayd Umar Umayr Umayya Urwa Utba Uthman verses Wahb words Yaman Yazid Zayd