A Biography of the Prophet of Islam : In the Light of the Original Sources An Analytical Study (2 Volumes)

Seerah and Biographies

In ‘Early Sources for Prophet Muhammad’s Biography’, Dr. Muhammad Saeed Mitwally aims to prove that applying Western methods of critical analysis to the available Muslim sources can take us back to early, reliable information about the Prophet (sa).

Early Western biographies of the Prophet of Islam (sa) were largely based upon the Qur’an, as well as upon the late Muslim sources dating from the sixteenth century. After the publication of Goldziher’s Muhammedanische Studien in 1890, the reliability of Muslim sources became controversial. This stance was intensified by the publication of Schacht’s The Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence, in which he claimed that none of the Hadith literature is authentic. In this book, Dr. Muhammad Saeed Mitwally successfully challenges some of the problems raised by the pessimistic attitude.

Students of Hadith will find this study thought-provoking and informative.

Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), the Messenger of Guidance: A Concise Introduction to His Life and Islam is an excellent resource for both Muslims and non-Muslims. In Part One, the author succinctly summarises the life of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), using authentic reports from his Companions to paint a beautiful portrait of his qualities and characteristics. In addition, he examines and explains the basic pillars of faith and worship in Islam, and then goes on to discuss issues that are relevant to the Muslim nation today.

Part Two brings together a wide selection of sound hadiths, or sayings of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). The author has carefully chosen these to cover a broad variety of topics, thus creating a useful reference that is easy to follow and comprehend.

This book provides the reader with an academic perspective on Islam, which is supported by modern, eloquent translations of the original textual sources: the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Blessings and peace be upon him. It is an excellent resource for both the casual and the academic reader.

It is very important for anyone who wants to spread the message of Islam to study the life of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and discover how he undertook the mission of da‘wah, or calling to Islam. This book is a blueprint for da‘wah. From studying his biography we learn the lessons of patience and perseverance in the face of adversity and opposition, and the readiness to sacrifice everything for the cause of Islam. In this book, Dr. as-Sibâ‘ie shows us how the Prophet’s approach was gentle yet determined and clear-cut, with no compromise on basic issues. The author takes the most important events of the Messenger’s life, summarizes them in order to offer a brief overview, then outlines the lessons that we learn from these events. This is an excellent introduction both to the principles of da‘wah and to the seerah, the study of the life of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). It should be on the bookshelf of every Muslim who wants to call others to Allah. The Life of Prophet Muhammad: Highlights and Lessons has been translated into English by Nasiruddin al-Khattab.