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

The aim of this short work, which grew from a series of lectures delivered by Shaykh Yahya Ibrahim is to acquaint the believers with Muhammad ﷺ as the man he was. He ﷺ was not divine, nor immune to the stress and hardships we all face. He was, however, divinely inspired to lead a mandate of reform and righteousness within the self that begins with submission to the Omnipotent, Al-Mighty Allah, and extends outwardly to the betterment of all.

It is vital for every single human being to study the life of the greatest man to have ever walked this earth, a man who changed the course of human history forever. No other individual has had such a lasting influence or impact in any sphere of human endeavor; be it history, culture, economics, social welfare, politics, diplomatic relations or warfare.

Today’s modern society owes a huge debt to Muhammad, the great Prophet of Islam. This brief, yet comprehensive, work covers all the main aspects of the life of the Messenger of Allah. It includes his noble qualities, his description, members of his family – such as his maternal uncles and aunts and wives, the slaves he freed, the scribes who recorded for him, his envoys who carried his Message to various kings and territories around the globe, those who proclaimed the Call to prayer, his Umrah and Hajj, his military expeditions, his manners, his miracles, his riding beasts, his weapons and the legal rulings that were unique to him.

Knowing about the Prophet Muhammad is compulsory for every Muslim. This work is an excellent primer and should be necessary reading in every Muslim home. This book is ideal as a teaching tool for Schools and Madrassahs everywhere.

The author, Imam an-Nawawi (d. 767H), was a leading personality of Islamic history. Born in Syria to a deeply religious family, he was renowned for his piety and love of Allah, the Most High. He authored many valuable works, in a variety of different sciences, which gained eminence throughout the Muslim world.

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.

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.