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

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.

36 Chapters Covering all aspects of the Prophets (S)  life, from when he was a boy, events before the First Revelation, life in Makkah , held to high esteem s, and then the persecution and trials inflicted by the them,  right through the details of the the migration to Madinah, the battles, the return to Makkah and its opening back to Islam through to the death of the Prophet (S).

Appendix I on the Family Tree of the Prophet

Appendix II-  An Overview of events in the Life of the Prophet

This superb book is indeed a rich storehouse of knowledge, a lighthouse of guidance and an inspiration for mankind.

-Well organised with clear defined chapters.

-Steady Qur’anic Revelations in English throughout the books as and when they were revealed, and the  particular situation and context of revelation

The forerunners those who came first among the Migrators and the Helpers and those who followed them with the best. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him and Allah has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow therein forever and that is the great success. {TMQ At-Taubah 9: 100}

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.