best biography book of prophet muhammad

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10 best books on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

( The Companion recommends ten important books on the life of prophet Muhammad that you can read yourself and can give to others. This list is not exhaustive. The Companion does not necessarily agree with the views of the authors.)

1). The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad by Tariq Ramadan  

The life of the Prophet Muhammad, to whom the Angel Gabriel revealed the verses of the Quran, has inspired Muslims for hundreds of years.

Interspersed with spiritual and philosophical meditations, this profound and stimulating biography shows how Muhammad’s message can be used to address some of today’s most controversial issues – from the treatment of the poor and the role of women to the interpretation of jihad and relations with other religions. It offers Muslims a new understanding of Muhammad’s life and introduces non-Muslims to the story of the Prophet and to the riches of Islam.

Perhaps this book is unmatchable to any other biography of the Prophet written so far. Atypical in its presentation. A spiritual reading of the Prophet’s life will give its reader a completely new taste and approach. The learned author aptly summed up the whole thing with this one sentence: “He who cannot love cannot understand.”

2). Meeting Muhammad by Omar Suleiman

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be in the presence of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as his companions were? What would it be like to see him, to host him in your home, pray behind him, and have him as a teacher and friend? Through 30 beautifully detailed chapters with narrations from companions, take a journey from only knowing about him to knowing him and loving him and feel what it was like to be a companion of his in this life and strive to be companions of his in the next.

3). Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings  

Martin Lings’ biography of Muhammad is an internationally acclaimed, comprehensive, and authoritative account of the life of the prophet. Based on the sira, the eighth- and ninth-century Arabic biographies recount numerous events in the prophet’s life. The book has been published in 12 languages and has received numerous awards, including acknowledgement as the best biography of the prophet in English at the National Seerate Conference in Islamabad.

This is probably the best lucid biography of the Prophet Muhammad in the English language so far. The reverted author Martin Lings beautifully presents the life and times of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

4). Muhammad: His Character and Conduct by Adil Salahi

Muslims all over the world see Muhammad as God’s last messenger to mankind, and, for every community that wants to live under God’s guidance, the Prophet Muhammad’s character and conduct are the light showing the way to God’s pleasure. At a time when the Prophet is much maligned by writers, cartoonists and various other detractors, this book aims to show Muhammad’s true character in detail, both in its most every day and most extraordinary moments. 

This book is a successful attempt to clarify some of the most controversial and misunderstood (at the same time) issues such as war, marriage, treatment with other faiths etc. The author of this book approaches the life of the Prophet from the modern understanding of history and presents a very beautiful and logical interpretation of the Prophet’s life.

5). The Leadership of Muhammad by John Adair

The Leadership of Muhammad is a very personal study of the life-story and leadership skills of the Prophet. John Adair served with a Bedouin regiment in the Arab Legion and this story is full of fascinating detail of desert life and Bedouin beliefs. A business book that crosses boundaries it highlights the key leadership skills displayed by Muhammad and allows you to share in his wisdom. John Adair weaves the story of Muhammad’s life together with aspects of Bedouin culture and ancient proverbs to provide key points for leaders and aspiring leaders. He discusses tribal leadership and essential attributes such as integrity, moral authority and humility.

Learning and leadership go hand in hand. You are not born a leader, but you can become one and it is never too late to learn. John Adair’s study or Muhammad and the tribal tradition of leadership is an essential addition to the leadership debate.

6). Muhammad, Man of God by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

This modern biography contains the teachings of the Messenger and their practical effects on human life in addition to his biography. Recommended for 12th graders.

7). The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum) Biography of the Prophet by Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarkpuri

A complete authoritative book on the life of Prophet Muhammad (S) by Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarkpuri . It was honored by the World Muslim League as the first prize winner book. Whoever wants to know the whole lifestyle of the Prophet in detail must read this book.

8). Muhammad: A very short introduction by Jonathan A.C. Brown  

Muhammad is one of the most influential figures in history. The furor surrounding the Satanic Verses and the Danish cartoon crisis reminded the world of the tremendous importance of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Learning about his life and understanding its importance, however, has always proven difficult. Our knowledge of Muhammad comes from the biography of him written by his followers, but Western historians have questioned the reliability of this story in their quest to uncover the ‘historical Muhammad’. As modern controversies have shown, whatever the truth about Muhammad’s life, his persona has taken on numerous shapes and played a crucial role in Muslim life and civilization. 

This Very Short Introduction provides an introduction to the major aspects of Muhammad’s life and its importance, providing both the Muslim and Western historical perspectives. It also explains the prominent roles that Muhammad’s persona has played in the Islamic world, from the medieval to the modern period.

9). The Life and Work of the Prophet of Islam by Dr Muhammad Hamidullah

Dr Muhammad Hamidullah, one of the most widely read and known scholars of Islam in the modern Muslim world, has introduced a host of new avenues in the study of Life of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) and has produced fairly a sizeable volume of literature on the subject, characterized by the novelty of its approach, extensive nature of its treatment and the originality of its content.

This important book on the life of prophet Muhammad is written by Dr Muhammad Hamidullah and translated by Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi in English.

10) . Muhammad: A Prophet for All Humanity by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

 In the book entitled Muhammad: A Prophet for All Humanity, the author Maulana Wahiduddin Khan explains that in making Prophet Muhammad the greatest figure, and consequently one of the most resplendent landmarks in human history, God has bestowed his greatest favor on mankind. Whoever seeks guidance cannot fail to see him, for he stands out like a tower, a mountain on the horizon, radiating light like a beacon, beckoning all to the true path. It is inevitable that the seekers of truth will be drawn up to the magnificent pinnacle on which he stands.

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• About Muhammad

6 Best Biographies of the Prophet Muhammad

I have personally read each of the following biographies of Prophet Muhammad. Some are certainly better than others.

One should also be aware that there are many more books of seerah (biography of the Prophet) that I have not yet read. If you have read another and would like to share what you thought of it, please drop a comment to this entry so others can read your recommendation.

1- Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by the late Dr. Martin Lings

This is arguably one of the very best and most approachable biographies on the Prophet. This book reads more like a novel; it’s fast moving and always interesting.

At the same time, Dr. Lings attempted to make an accurate telling based on the earliest sources. One may also be interested to know that it was during the research for this book that Dr. Lings accepted Islam .

2- Muhammad the Prophet by Maulana Muhammad Ali

This book is one of my personal favorites. Written by an esteemed Muslim from Lahore, Pakistan, this small book is packed with information.

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It is interesting to note that while the author attempts to give an accurate portrayal, you will not find much mention of supposedly miraculous accounts beyond the miracle of the Quran itself.

This is a very straightforward version. Though I was surprised—being used to reading accounts that include such as miracles of the Prophet Muhammad.

Maulana Muhammad Ali is also an interesting writer from whom you will find interesting comments within this book.

“Truth does not depend upon force for its maintenance”.

This is a particularly good choice for non-Muslims.

Those that may be more likely to be skeptical and consider discussion of miracles to be embellishment will appreciate and be moved by this telling.

3- The Life and Work of Muhammad   by Yahiya Emerick

A present day Muslim convert in the U.S., Yahiya Emerick is an excellent writer. He serves as a vice principal at an Islamic school and as President of the Islamic Foundation of North America. This highly readable account covers a wealth of information, based on traditional sources of information.

Mr. Emerick also utilizes a lot of geographical, historical and cultural information that you may not find in other biographies to give a clear picture of the setting and relate the significance of certain choices and situations the Prophet dealt with. You will also learn more about the history of Arabia in an accessible way.

4- When the Moon Split: A Biography of Prophet Muhammad   by Shaikh Safier Rahman Mubarakpuri

Shaikh Mubarakpuri makes it clear in the beginning of his book that he is not an apologist and will not attempt to make the story palatable to those who may be confused or offended by aspects of Muhammad’s story.

This book is definitely best read by Muslims who are already relatively familiar with the life and mission of the Prophet.

The book covers the miraculous events in detail including certain events that would be questionable by modern standards.

Unfortunately, no corresponding explanation is given to help one understand why the choices were correct for the time and place, so non-Muslims, skeptics and others who do not have sufficient background knowledge should steer clear of this book.

That said, it is based on authenticate early sources. It strives for accuracy, and presents the differing versions of several accounts. To Muslims, this book is one of the best books of seerah , next to The Sealed Nectar .

5- Muhammad by Michael Cook

This tiny book is not a critical analysis. And it doesn’t include any consideration of the validity or effect of the message of the Prophet. Instead it is a simple and straightforward account of what the monotheist message was and how Muhammad brought it to Arabia.

6- Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong

This book is written by a British scholar of Islam who is not a Muslim. Of particular interest is her assertion that she is no longer a practicing Christian either, but has not chosen to follow Islam; she seems to still be searching. She is, however, sympathetic to Islam and highly knowledgeable of history.

Ms. Armstrong gives a wonderful accounting of historical background and puts choices, situations, and issues into a clear perspective of surrounding norms and expectations.

In this way, even skeptics and those who continue to find Islamic injunctions not meeting modern day conceptions can see how much of an improvement the Islamic injunctions were in their own time.

Ms. Armstrong also makes an effort to show how these injunctions are in fact more natural and not as at odds with modern thinking as some seem to feel they are, and explains how if they seem to not meet modern needs it may be because modern needs are wrong. She also displays a clear knowledge of the difference between Islamic law and cultural practice.

Read: Authenticity of the Prophet’s Biography

The one downside is the tone that Ms. Armstrong uses that implies she may not really believe that Muhammad was in fact divinely inspired.

She refers to him as a great man, a reformer and statesman. But she seems to feel that he was a self-made man who accomplished amazing things and made choices based on the best decision of the moment, rather than by being inspired by divine intervention and instruction.

This may be difficult for Muslims to read, but if one can see past it and recognize that she is not a Muslim, one can still enjoy the book. That said, Ms. Armstrong is remarkably respectful of the message of Islam and its validity.

She is obviously in great awe of the Prophet and desires to make him understandable to the non-Muslim public. This is a great book for the historical background and contextual explanations alone.

(From Reading Islam archive.)

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6 books to read on the prophet muhammad ﷺ.

by Selina Bakkar in Culture & Lifestyle on 8th March, 2022

We’ve taken to social media to once again ask for recommendation on books and resources specifically about the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. For those of us who want to get to know the Prophets life and perhaps it’s the first time you are making the intention to look at his footsteps we’d actually recommend children’s books, they allow you to digest the chronological order of events and simple details so when you dive into heavier literature you are able to navigate it with a bit more ease.

The Simple Seerah

The Simple Seerah was authored by Ustadh Asim Khan and is produced by Toyris Miah who shares on the site

“The idea for The Simple Seerah came about when Toyris discovered his 11-year-old nephew Zakaria had a passion for reading history books. He tried to find some Islamic history books for Zakaria but struggled to find anything which catered to his age group, this sparked a desire to produce a book on the Seerah that appealed to a younger demographic.”

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When The Moon Split: A biography of Prophet Muhammad

The book was published many years ago but recently was revised and has a new front cover, it also has full color pictures and Lessons & Morals at end of each section. It’s another good one for Children, families looking at the seerah together or for someone that wants to grasp the timeline and character of the Prophet Muhammad.

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The First Muslim: The story of the prophet Muhammad

The book was researched and written by Lesley Hazleton who is a British-American author whose work focuses on the intersection and interactions between politics and religion.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tarbiyah Books Plus (@tarbiyahbooksplus)

The Sealed Nectar

One of the older books in the list, the book is still highly recommended. This book was awarded first prize by the Muslim World League in worldwide competition on the biography of the Prophet held at Makkah Al-Mukarramah in 1399H/1979.

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Muhammad by Martin Ling

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Karen Armstrong: Muhammad

Muhammad the Prophet by Maulana Muhammad Ali

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tariq Ahmad Khan (@pakistanibookreader)

Selina Bakkar

I'm a simply striving to be better and improve in different areas of my life through more self awareness, experiences and learning more about the deen. You'll find me talking about community, connection, planting & growing, seeking the truth in an age of propaganda and misinformation. This year I want to document more to do with food heritage and history so watch this space or reach out. Have a listen to the Amaliah Voices podcast where I talk passionately about Islam, nature, motherhooding and back home. Link in bio peeps. To join the Amaliah Writer Community email me at [email protected] IG: SelinaBakkar

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Recommended English Books and Lectures on Prophet Muhammad’s Life (Seerah)

It is important to study the seerah (prophet’s life) from beginning to end in order to properly understand the context and why and how things developed the way that they did. It is also one of the fundamental ways to build love of the Messenger (pbuh) in one’s heart. How can we love someone we do not know? Unfortunately, it seems many Muslims have either never studied his life or are only familiar with cherry picked popular snippets from his life. This is not the same as truly knowing him because for that we must study his life. Another benefit of studying the seerah , especially in details, is that it gives a more deeper understanding of the Qur’an. Many verses in the Qur’an are engaging directly with the incidents surrounding the Muslims in the Arabian peninsula and studying seerah provides us the full context of why certain verses came down the way that they did.

Here is a list of few sources in English that you can use in order to study the blessed life of Muhammad (pbuh) from beginning to end. Ideally, we should all strive to go through his whole life once a year:

Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings – This one is also available on YouTube as a free audiobook. It is a good short book and you can listen to the whole thing in 5.5 hours. It is a popular book among both Muslims and non-Muslims. However, I would highly advise to go through Sh. Hamza Yusuf’s lectures that go along with it as a supplement. Sh. Hamza explains the book in this series of lectures and provides further details missed by Lings and points out some mistakes made in the book as well.

Muhammad: Man and Prophet by Adil Salahi – This is one of my favorites and frankly the best one I like. It is also available as a free audiobook here . This was the first time when I actually “understood” the  seerah  and kept up with the names and dates. It is very well written and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Fiqh Us Seerah: Understanding the life of Prophet Muhammad by Muhammad Ghazali – This is by the recent Ghazali from the 20th century and  not the classical Ghazali. It is easy to read and draws on practical lessons that can be derived from the various stages in the Prophet’s (pbuh) life.

In the Footsteps of the Prophet by Tariq Ramadan – I avoided this book for years because I don’t typically read Islamic things catered towards non-Muslims. But I had heard a lot of praise for the book over the years that it is really good for Western audience.

After reading it, I must say that it is indeed a very well written work. He tells the story of the prophet ﷺ in a very eloquent and poetic way. He contextualizes many of the controversial episodes that are often debated in the west about his ﷺ life and he isn’t shy to point out some of the principles of Western society if they happen to agree with the prophetic model. One can definitely disagree with some of his reflections from the life of the prophet ﷺ, but overall it is a very beautifully written story of his ﷺ life.

At the moment, to me, this is probably the best seerah book to give to a non-Muslim or those who have doubts about Islam (perhaps even those hostile to Islam).

The Jurisprudence of the Prophetic Biography by al-Buti – This is an English translation of Sh. al-Buti’s famous book. Some have claimed that this is perhaps one of the best books written in recent times on the topic of seerah .

When the Moon Split by Mubarakpuri – If you wan to read seerah without delving in to too many details, then this is the book for you. It’s precise and beautifully written. It is also available on YouTube as an audiobook.

Sirat Ibn Hisham by Ibn Hisham – This is a translation of an abridged version of one of the primary and earliest sources for the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life.

The Life of Muhammad (pbuh) by Imam Nawawi – This is a brief work of only 96 pages and provides glimpses of the various aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life. It does not go into much details. It is an English translation of an extract from one of Imam Nawawi’s books. It is a good resource to check quick facts about his life. The footnotes provided by the editor are also helpful and give further details of differences of opinion over various facets of his life and whether the stated fact is based on a reliable source or not.

Muhammad the last Prophet: A Model for All Time by Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi – This is written by one of the most influential Muslims of the 20th century. Nadwi was not just an Islamic scholar but also a historian. He also wrote another more detailed book on the topic that you can read as well. There is a third book on the topic as well written by him specifically for Tableeghi Jama’at focusing on brevity. This third version is very straightforward and can even be given to kids in middle school to read.

Life of the Final Messenger by Mufti Menk – This is a lecture series by Mufti Menk, a popular Muslim preacher from Zimbabwe. He covers the seerah in 29 lectures about an hour each. It’s precise, draws lessons from the different phases of the prophet’s (pbuh) life to implement today, and mentions Qur’anic verses that came down in the different stages of the Prophet’s (pbuh) life and the reasoning behind them. He also delves into many tangents on the side related to whatever he’s covering in that moment, it gets a little annoying sometimes but there are good lessons in them as well.

Seerah of Prophet Muhammad by Yasir Qadhi – This is perhaps the most thorough and detailed lecture series on the life of the Messenger (pbuh) done in the English language.

Noble Life of the Prophet (3 Vols.) by Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee – This is recommended by some popular Muslim speakers and is considered a must review if you want to teach  seerah .

al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya by Imam Tirmidhi – The English translation of the famous classical work that presents us detailed descriptions of the moral, physical and spiritual qualities of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The translators also include footnotes from well-known commentaries on the book.

al-Shifa by Qadhi Iyadh – This is an English translation of the famous classical book Al-shifa bi ta’rif huquq al-Mustafa (Healing by the recognition of the Rights of the Chosen one) . The whole point of his book is to build a strong sense of awe and love of the Messenger (pbuh) in the person’s heart and to make you realize why he is so important. He attempts to emotionally connect the reader to the beloved of Allah (pbuh). It heavily focuses on the Prophet’s character, qualities, virtues, and miracles. It’s beautifully written. If you read it properly, you would not pass a day except by sending darood on the Messenger (pbuh). Now, there are some really weak stuff in the book as well and you can refer to a critical annotated commentary of it by Ali Kawshk. However, it is only available in Arabic. The number of these weak reports in the book are not a lot and does NOT take away from the overall value of this masterpiece at all. The translation is done by none other than Aisha Bewley, who is one of today’s most prolific translators of classical Arabic works into English. For more than thirty-five years she has been concerned with making the contents of many classical Arabic works more accessible to English-speaking readers. I trust her translations.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Life Before the Revelation – This is a short article that I put together summarizing his life before the revelation came down.

I am a Pakistani-American Muslim blogger. I hold a B.S. in Information Technology and a B.A. in Islamic Studies. I am also a follower and a student of the Hanbali school of Islamic law. Read more

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The Life of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) - Volume 1 - As Seerah An Nabawiyya - السيرة النبوية Paperback – July 18, 2019

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Compiled in the 14th century AD by a prominent Syrian scholar, the As-Seerah An-Nabawiyya of Imam Ibn Kathir is a full examination in chronological order, of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Drawn from the earliest and most reliable Arabic sources, it offers, in this close English translation, the fullest available account of the historical circumstances and personalities most important in the founding of Islam. Ibn Kathir’s work offers a fine example of Islamic scholarship; the quotations and anecdotes that constitute its core are evaluated in terms of the trustworthiness of their sources.

Variant wordings that are related through differing lines of transmission are noted, and Ibn Kathir gives both his own assessments and those of the earliest Islamic authorities concerning the likely authenticity of these records. The comments and conversations, derived from ancient texts, that are quoted in this work constitute the basis of our knowledge of Islam during the lifetime of its founder. Volume 1 (of this 4 volume series) relates the history of the Arab tribes who were the Prophet's forebears, the lives of his parents, and the accounts of unusual events surrounding his birth. It then goes on to relate anecdotes regarding his childhood, the signs of the Prophethood, and the first revelations.

Ibn Kathir was born in approximately 1313 in the Boesra district of eastern Damascus, and studied with many great scholars working in the city during his time. He died in 1374.

Trevor Le Gassick is professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Michigan. He has devoted himself to the translation and commentary of important works, both contemporary and from earlier eras, that reveal important aspects of the rich texture of Arabic literary culture.

• Print length 422 pages
• Language English
• Publication date July 18, 2019
• Dimensions 6.69 x 0.96 x 9.61 inches
• ISBN-10 1791776477
• ISBN-13 978-1791776473
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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (July 18, 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 422 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1791776477
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1791776473
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.48 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.69 x 0.96 x 9.61 inches
• #202 in Muhammed in Islam
• #383 in History of Islam
• #4,155 in Religious Leader Biographies

About the author

Imam ibn kathir.

Ibn Kathir was born in the city of Busra in 701 H. His father was the Friday speaker of the village, but he died while Ibn Kathir was only four years old. Ibn Kathir's brother, Shaykh Abdul-Wahhab, reared him and taught him until he moved to Damascus in 706 H., when he was five years old.

Ibn Kathir's Teachers

Ibn Kathir studied Fiqh - Islamic jurisprudence - with Burhan Ad-Din, Ibrahim bin `Abdur-Rahman Al-Fizari, known as Ibn Al-Firkah (who died in 729 H). Ibn Kathir heard Hadiths from `Isa bin Al-Mutim, Ahmad bin Abi Talib, (Ibn Ash-Shahnah) (who died in 730 H), Ibn Al-Hajjar, (who died in 730 H), and the Hadith narrator of Ash-Sham (modern day Syria and surrounding areas); Baha Ad-Din Al-Qasim bin Muzaffar bin `Asakir (who died in 723 H), and Ibn Ash-Shirdzi, Ishaq bin Yahya Al-Ammuddi, also known as `Afif Ad-Din, the Zahiriyyah Shaykh who died in 725 H, and Muhammad bin Zarrad. He remained with Jamal Ad-Din, Yusuf bin Az-Zaki AlMizzi who died in 724 H, he benefited from his knowledge and also married his daughter. He also read with Shaykh Al-Islam, Taqi Ad-Din Ahmad bin `Abdul-Halim bin `Abdus-Salam bin Taymiyyah who died in 728 H. He also read with the Imam Hafiz and historian Shams Ad-Din, Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Uthman bin Qaymaz Adh-Dhahabi, who died in 748 H. Also, Abu Musa Al-Qarafai, Abu Al-Fath Ad-Dabbusi and 'Ali bin `Umar As-Suwani and others who gave him permission to transmit the knowledge he learned with them in Egypt.

In his book, Al-Mu jam Al-Mukhtas, Al-Hafiz Adh-Dhaliabi wrote that Ibn Kathir was, "The Imam, scholar of jurisprudence, skillful scholar of Hadith, renowned Fagih and scholar of Tafsir who wrote several beneficial books."

Further, in Ad-Durar Al-Kdminah, Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar AlAsqalani said, "Ibn Kathir worked on the subject of the Hadith in the areas of texts and chains of narrators. He had a good memory, his books became popular during his lifetime, and people benefited from them after his death."

Also, the renowned historian Abu Al-Mahasin, Jamal Ad-Din Yusuf bin Sayf Ad-Din (Ibn Taghri Bardi), said in his book, AlManhal As-Safi, "He is the Shaykh, the Imam, the great scholar `Imad Ad-Din Abu Al-Fida'. He learned extensively and was very active in collecting knowledge and writing. He was excellent in the areas of Fiqh, Tafsfr and Hadith. He collected knowledge, authored (books), taught, narrated Hadith and wrote. He had immense knowledge in the fields of Hadith, Tafsir, Fiqh, the Arabic language, and so forth. He gave Fatawa (religious verdicts) and taught until he died, may Allah grant him mercy. He was known for his precision and vast knowledge, and as a scholar of history, Hadith and Tafsir."

Ibn Kathir's Students

Ibn Hajji was one of Ibn Kathir's students, and he described Ibn Kathir: "He had the best memory of the Hadith texts. He also had the most knowledge concerning the narrators and authenticity, his contemporaries and teachers admitted to these qualities. Every time I met him I gained some benefit from him."

Also, Ibn Al-`Imad Al-Hanbali said in his book, Shadhardt Adh-Dhahab, "He is the renowned Hafiz `Imad Ad-Din, whose memory was excellent, whose forgetfulness was miniscule, whose understanding was adequate, and who had good knowledge in the Arabic language." Also, Ibn Habib said about Ibn Kathir, "He heard knowledge and collected it and wrote various books. He brought comfort to the ears with his Fatwas and narrated Hadith and brought benefit to other people. The papers that contained his Fatwas were transmitted to the various (Islamic) provinces. Further, he was known for his precision and encompassing knowledge."

Ibn Kathir's Books

1 - One of the greatest books that Ibn Kathir wrote was his Tafsir of the Noble Qur'an, which is one of the best Tafsir that rely on narrations [of Ahadith, the Tafsir of the Companions, etc.]. The Tafsir by Ibn Kathir was printed many times and several scholars have summarized it.

2- The History Collection known as Al-Biddyah, which was printed in 14 volumes under the name Al-Bidayah wanNihdyah, and contained the stories of the Prophets and previous nations, the Prophet's Seerah (life story) and Islamic history until his time. He also added a book Al-Fitan, about the Signs of the Last Hour.

3- At-Takmil ft Ma`rifat Ath-Thiqatwa Ad-Du'afa walMajdhil which Ibn Kathir collected from the books of his two Shaykhs Al-Mizzi and Adh-Dhahabi; Al-Kdmal and Mizan Al-Ftiddl. He added several benefits regarding the subject of Al-Jarh and AtT'adil.

4- Al-Hadi was-Sunan ft Ahadith Al-Masdnfd was-Sunan which is also known by, Jami` Al-Masdnfd. In this book, Ibn Kathir collected the narrations of Imams Ahmad bin Hanbal, Al-Bazzar, Abu Ya`la Al-Mawsili, Ibn Abi Shaybah and from the six collections of Hadith: the Two Sahihs [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] and the Four Sunan [Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, AnNasa and Ibn Majah]. Ibn Kathir divided this book according to areas of Fiqh.

5-Tabaqat Ash-Shafiyah which also contains the virtues of Imam Ash-Shafi.

6- Ibn Kathir wrote references for the Ahadith of Adillat AtTanbfh, from the Shafi school of Fiqh.

7- Ibn Kathir began an explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari, but he did not finish it.

8- He started writing a large volume on the Ahkam (Laws), but finished only up to the Hajj rituals.

9- He summarized Al-Bayhaqi's 'Al-Madkhal. Many of these books were not printed.

10- He summarized `Ulum Al-Hadith, by Abu `Amr bin AsSalah and called it Mukhtasar `Ulum Al-Hadith. Shaykh Ahmad Shakir, the Egyptian Muhaddith, printed this book along with his commentary on it and called it Al-Ba'th Al-Hathfth fi Sharh Mukhtasar `Ulum Al-Hadith.

11- As-Sfrah An-Nabawiyyah, which is contained in his book Al-Biddyah, and both of these books are in print.

12- A research on Jihad called Al-Ijtihad ft Talabi Al-Jihad, which was printed several times.

Ibn Kathir's Death

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asgalani said, "Ibn Kathir lost his sight just before his life ended. He died in Damascus in 774 H." May Allah grant mercy upon Ibn Kathir and make him among the residents of His Paradise.

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Quick Facts

The life of muhammad, the prophet muhammad, the death of muhammad, who was muhammad.

Muhammad was the prophet and founder of Islam. Most of his early life was spent as a merchant. At age 40, he began to have revelations from Allah that became the basis for the Koran and the foundation of Islam. By 630 he had unified most of Arabia under a single religion. As of 2015, there are over 1.8 billion Muslims in the world who profess, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”

FULL NAME: Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim BORN: c. 570 BIRTHPLACE: Makkah, Saudi Arabia DEATH: June 8, 623

Muhammad was born around 570, AD in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). His father died before he was born and he was raised first by his grandfather and then his uncle. He belonged to a poor but respectable family of the Quraysh tribe. The family was active in Meccan politics and trade.

Many of the tribes living in the Arabian Peninsula at the time were nomadic, trading goods as they crisscrossed the desert. Most tribes were polytheistic, worshipping their own set of gods. The town of Mecca was an important trading and religious center, home to many temples and worship sites where the devoted prayed to the idols of these gods. The most famous site was the Kaaba (meaning cube in Arabic). It is believed to have been built by Abraham (Ibrahim to Muslims) and his son Ismail. Gradually the people of Mecca turned to polytheism and idolatry. Of all the gods worshipped, it is believed that Allah was considered the greatest and the only one without an idol.

In his early teens, Muhammad worked in a camel caravan, following in the footsteps of many people his age, born of meager wealth. Working for his uncle, he gained experience in commercial trade traveling to Syria and eventually from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. In time, Muhammad earned a reputation as honest and sincere, acquiring the nickname “al-Amin” meaning faithful or trustworthy.

In his early 20s, Muhammad began working for a wealthy merchant woman named Khadijah, 15 years his senior. She soon became attracted to this young, accomplished man and proposed marriage. He accepted and over the years the happy union brought several children. Not all lived to adulthood, but one, Fatima, would marry Muhammad’s cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom Shi’ite Muslims regard as Muhammad’s successor.

Muhammad was also very religious, occasionally taking journeys of devotion to sacred sites near Mecca. On one of his pilgrimages in 610, he was meditating in a cave on Mount Jabal aI-Nour. The Angel Gabriel appeared and relayed the word of God: “Recite in the name of your Lord who creates, creates man from a clot! Recite for your lord is most generous….” These words became the opening verses of sūrah (chapter) 96 of the Qur'an. Most Islamic historians believe Muhammad was initially disturbed by the revelations and that he didn’t reveal them publicly for several years. However, Shi’a tradition states he welcomed the message from the Angel Gabriel and was deeply inspired to share his experience with other potential believers.

Islamic tradition holds that the first persons to believe were his wife, Khadija and his close friend Abu Bakr (regarded as the successor to Muhammad by Sunni Muslims). Soon, Muhammad began to gather a small following, initially encountering no opposition. Most people in Mecca either ignored him or mocked him as just another prophet. However, when his message condemned idol worship and polytheism, many of Mecca’s tribal leaders began to see Muhammad and his message as a threat. Besides going against long standing beliefs, the condemnation of idol worship had economic consequences for merchants who catered to the thousands of pilgrims who came to Mecca every year. This was especially true for members of Muhammad’s own tribe, the Quraysh, who were the guardians of the Kaaba. Sensing a threat, Mecca’s merchants and leaders offered Muhammad incentives to abandon his preaching, but he refused.

Increasingly, the resistance to Muhammed and his followers grew and they were eventually forced to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, a city 260 miles to the north in 622. This event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. There Muhammad was instrumental in bringing an end to a civil war raging amongst several of the city’s tribes. Muhammad settled in Medina, building his Muslim community and gradually gathering acceptance and more followers.

Between 624 and 628, the Muslims were involved in a series of battles for their survival. In the final major confrontation, The Battle of the Trench and Siege of Medina, Muhammad and his followers prevailed and a treaty was signed. The treaty was broken by the Meccan allies a year later. By now, Muhammad had plenty of forces and the balance of power had shifted away from the Meccan leaders to him. In 630, the Muslim army marched into Mecca, taking the city with minimum casualties. Muhammad gave amnesty to many of the Meccan leaders who had opposed him and pardoned many others. Most of the Meccan population converted to Islam. Muhammad and his followers then proceeded to destroy all of the statues of pagan gods in and around the Kaaba.

After the conflict with Mecca was finally settled, Muhammad took his first true Islamic pilgrimage to that city and in March, 632, he delivered his last sermon at Mount Arafat. Upon his return to Medina to his wife’s home, he fell ill for several days. He died on June 8, 632, at the age of 62, and was buried at al-Masjid an-Nabawi (the Mosque of the Prophet) one of the first mosques built by Muhammad in Medina.

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The Prophet Muhammad and the Origins of Islam

The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus. Because Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through the divine revelations, Muslims from all walks of life strive to follow his example. After the holy Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet ( hadith ) and descriptions of his way of life ( sunna ) are the most important Muslim texts.

Early Life Muhammad was born into the most powerful tribe in Mecca, the Quraish, around 570 A.D. The power of the Quraish derived from their role as successful merchants. Several trade routes intersected at Mecca, allowing the Quraish to control trade along the west coast of Arabia, north to Syria, and south to Yemen.

Mecca was home to two widely venerated polytheistic cults whose gods were thought to protect its lucrative trade. After working for several years as a merchant, Muhammad was hired by Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage of her caravans to Syria. They eventually married.

Divine Revelations When he was roughly forty, Muhammad began having visions and hearing voices. Searching for clarity, he would sometimes meditate at Mount Hira, near Mecca. On one of these occasions, the Archangel Gabriel ( Jibra'il in Arabic) appeared to him and instructed him to recite "in the name of [your] lord." This was the first of many revelations that became the basis of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. These early revelations pointed to the existence of a single God, contradicting the polytheistic beliefs of the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula.

Initially overwhelmed by the significance of what was being revealed to him, Muhammad found unflinching support in his wife and slowly began to attract followers. His strong monotheistic message angered many of the Meccan merchants. They were afraid that trade, which they believed was protected by the pagan gods, would suffer. From that point forward, Muhammad was ostracized in Mecca. For a time, the influence and status of his wife and his uncle, Abu Talib, the chief of the clan, protected Muhammad from persecution. After they died, however, Muhammad's situation in Mecca became dire.

The Hijra Emigration became the only hope for Muhammad and his followers' survival. In 622, they headed to Medina, another oasis town, where they were promised freedom to practice their religion. The move from Mecca to Medina is known as the hijra —the flight—and marks year 1 of the Islamic, or hijri , calendar.

Spreading the Message of Islam In Medina, Muhammad continued to receive divine revelations and built an ever-expanding community around the new faith. The conflict with the Quraish continued, but after several years of violent clashes, Mecca surrendered. Muhammad and his followers soon returned and took over the city, destroying all its pagan idols and spreading their belief in one God.

The Night Journey and Ascension of the Prophet Accounts of the ascension ( mi'raj  ) of Muhammad have captured the imaginations of writers and painters for centuries. One night, while the Prophet was sleeping, the Archangel Gabriel came and led him on a journey. Mounted on the heavenly steed Buraq , Muhammad traveled from the Ka'ba in Mecca to the "Farthest Mosque," which Muslims believe to be the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. There he prayed with other prophets such as Moses, Abraham, and Jesus, and ascended to the skies, where he was led by Gabriel through Paradise and Hell, and finally came face to face with God. He then returned to earth to continue spreading the message of Islam. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive.

After the Prophet's Death: Emergence of Shi'i and Sunni Sects of Islam When Muhammad died in 632, he had not named a successor. One faction, the Shi'a, believed that only individuals with direct lineage to the Prophet could guide the Muslim community righteously. They thought that 'Ali, Muhammad's closest surviving blood male relative, should be their next leader ( caliph ). The other faction, the Sunnis, believed that the Prophet's successor should be determined by consensus and successively elected three of his most trusted companions, commonly referred to as the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman), as leaders of the Muslim community; 'Ali succeeded them as the fourth caliph.

Today the Islamic community remains divided into Sunni and Shi'i branches. Sunnis revere all four caliphs, while Shi'is regard 'Ali as the first spiritual leader. The rift between these two factions has resulted in differences in worship as well as political and religious views. Sunnis are in the majority and occupy most of the Muslim world, while Shi'i populations are concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad Featured in this unit are several depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. These portrayals, while somewhat rare, are not unheard of as there were (and still are) many different attitudes toward depicting the Prophet, and humans in general, in the Islamic world. These attitudes varied dramatically from region to region and throughout history; the societies that produced the works discussed here are among those that allowed the depiction of the Prophet. Commissioned by Muslims for Muslims, these images appear in biographies of the Prophet and his family, world and local histories, and accounts of Muhammad's celestial journey ( mi'raj ), as well as in literary texts. In each context, they serve a distinct purpose. They illustrate a narrative in biographies and histories, while in literary texts they serve as visual analogues to written praises of the Prophet. An image of the Prophet Muhammad at the beginning of a book endows the volume with the highest form of blessing and sanctity. Thus, illustration of him was a common practice, particularly in the eastern regions of the Islamic world (see also Frequently Asked Questions ).