INTRODUCTION TO THE SUBJECT OF SEERAT-UN-NABI (ALAYHISSALĀM)
The life Rasulullah (peace be upon him) was taught as a separate subject from the time of Sahabah. Imam Zayn-ul-Ābideen (great grandson of Rasulullah) mentions, ‘we were taught Maghāzi like we were taught the Holy Qur’ān’.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF THE SUBJECT?
Seerah السيرة is derived from the Arabic word ‘Sayr’ which means to walk or travel. It is used for ‘biography’ because a biography covers the way a person walked through the journey of their life.
Seerat-un-Nabi means the biography of THE Prophet i.e. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Other names for the subject:
‘Maghāzi’ meaning battles, as it covers the major struggles and battles in Rasulullah (peace be upon him)’s life.
‘Shamā’il’ meaning description, covering Rasulullah (peace be upon him)’s qualities and lifestyle.
WHAT IS THE SUBJECT MATERIAL?
This subject covers the life of Rasulullah (peace be upon him) both before and after Prophethood, the lives of those who he interacted with, as well as the history of the people and time he was sent in.
WHAT IS THE RULING REGARDING STUDYING THE SUBJECT?
To love Rasulullah (peace be upon him) is a condition of faith. To love him more than even yourself is the completion of faith. Studying Seerah is Fardh Kifāyah. It is not compulsory for every individual to study it but a group in a Muslim community must study it, otherwise the whole community will be sinful. On an individual basis it is Mandub (preferable), and necessary to reach the rank of the scholars.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF STUDYING THE SUBJECT?
Rasulullah (peace be upon him) said, “Actions are only according to intentions, and to each is only what he intended.” (Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhāri). It is important to clear our intentions before studying this subject. The first and foremost reason we are studying it is to please Allah Ta’ala. How pleased He must be when His beloved is mentioned. Its benefits are innumerable; the greatest being success in both worlds. If one studies it with Ikhlās (sincerity), one’s life will change for the better. Many are blessed with the vision of the Rasulullah, which is itself an indication of being from the people of Paradise.
The more intentions we make, the greater the benefits which we will attain. Can you list of 15 benefits you want to gain from studying Seerah?
HOW WILL WE APPLY THE SUBJECT IN OUR LIVES?
Rasulullah (peace be upon him)’s life should not be studied only as a point of interest. Rather, in every event from his life, morals can be deduced. It is our goal to act upon these. When we study in the Seerah that something was liked or recommended by him, we should rush to love it too and to perform it. When we study that something was hated or warned against by him, we should avoid it. Students attest that difficulties become easier and tasks become simpler because they can relate their situation to an event in Seerah, and react accordingly.
HOW IS THE SUBJECT STUDIED?
1. Mutāli’ah (Pre-Study) – Read through the assigned pages of the next topic in the assigned textbook. Recommended textbook: ‘Siratul Mustafa’ by Allāmah Maulana Idris Khandehlwi (Allah’s mercy be on him)
2. Dars (Lesson) – Attend lessons regularly. Do not think of this subject as ‘less important’ than others as its purpose is to build faith which makes it a high level subject. Do not think that you can gain the subject knowledge through books or notes only. Your teacher’s lesson will contain information from many places of research as well as answer questions you may have from the book being studied. Also ensure that you are not preoccupied in other work whilst listening to lesson.
3. I’ādah (Revision) – Ensure notes are up to date and go over the dates, names and events. It is recommended to make a timeline. Try to ponder over Prophetic qualities you can adopt from the lesson learnt. Highlight keywords in each topic.
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF THE SUBJECT AND WHO IS ITS FOUNDER?
Alot of information regarding Seerah is mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān and books of Tafsir.
The founder of this blessed science is Allah Ta’ala Himself! In the Holy Qur’ān, He Almighty, mentions events from Rasulullah (peace be upon him)’s life numerous times. As Rasulullah (peace be upon him) and his Companions lived their lives, Ayat of Qur’ān were revealed to guide and console them.
However, the majority of Seerah is passed through books of Seerah and books of Hadith.
The Sahābah were the human founders of this science. They reported everything they heard Rasulullah (peace be upon him) say and do, and everything they knew about him. They understood his importance and the need for us to be guided through his example and that certain events unfolded in way to teach us lessons, so they reported as much as they could remember and passed that down.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HADITH AND SEERAH?
The word Hadith literally means conversation. Hadith are also known as Athar, Khabar and Sunnah.
Hadith are the Words, Actions, Approvals and Descriptions of the holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Sahābah.
Hadith is a form of Revelation that goes hand in hand with the Qur’ān to establish the two primary sources of our Religion. Where the Qur’ān gives a broad framework for how we should live and worship, the Hadith give us specific information.
Seerah is a specific branch of Hadith tradition and History that relates to the life events of Rasulullah (peace be upon him). The rules of Hadith related to Seerah and promotion of virtuous actions, although stringent, are less stringent than Hadith related to creed and injunctions.
HOW WERE HADITH TRANSMITTED?
Their methods of transmission were two: Oral and Written
Their primary method of transmission was oral due to the excellent memories of the Sahābah, a majority of who were Arabs. The Arab culture was an oral culture and their retention ability is unparalleled across the world. Then the students of Sahabah, Tābi’een, transmitted whatever they learnt from the Sahābah. This devotion and duty was upheld in every generation, which is why we have millions of unbroken chains of narration tracing back to Rasulullah (peace be upon him) – the accuracy of which is approved by analysing not only the content of the Hadith and how it relates to other Hadith but also the piety and memory of each narrator in the chain.The science of Hadith is an science, art and miracle of this Ummah; Ummat-e-Muhammadiyyah.
Certain Sahābah like Sayyidina Sahl ibn Abī Hathma recorded Maghāzi in separate compilations as did great Tābi’een like Imam Muhammad Zuhri [D. 124 A.H.]. His student Imam Muhammad ibn Ishāq [D. 150 A.H.] is known to be the first person who recorded Seerah in book form. This is the primary and most quoted Seerah book in the world. You will see ‘Ibn Ishaq’ being quoted in any Seerah book. This book was revised by his student [D. 216A.H.] and is available as the famous Seerah book ‘Seerah ibn Hisham’.
Thus, some Seerah books are primary books of Seerah and the rest are compilations and notes based on primary sources taken from source Seerah and Hadith books. It must be noted that for beginner students it is not recommended to study from primary sources but rather from books compiled by Seerah scholars who are also scholars of Hadith and are able to analyse narrations that may be contradictory or extremely weak, selecting the most accurate narration on a topic. A perfect example of such a book is the previously mentioned Siratul Mustafa.’
HOW DOES ONE COME TO KNOW RASULULLAH (PEACE BE UPON HIM)?
The first step is to believe in him. The next step is to follow him. By studying Hadith, one comes to know Rasulullah (peace be upon him) by reading and hearing his actual words. It is like sitting in the company of someone and getting to know them. However, if you sit with a friend every day but you never open up about each other’s lives, the friendship is limited. Seerah allows you to know Rasulullah (peace be upon him) as a person in terms of how his life unfolded, how graciously he dealt with every situation, his personal life and family etc. Thus, every Seerah student should go on to study Hadith and no Hadith student is truly a Hadith student unless they have studied Seerah. Yet still, the relationship is not fully established. Imagine reading all about a person and reading their works and thoughts but having never met them. Studying Shamā’il allows you to quench some of the the thirst of your yearning to meet Rasulullah (peace be upon him) – which develops when studying Seerah – by reading about how he looked, how he dressed etc.
We pray: “O Allah! Bless me with the love of your Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him. Ameen.”
‘I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind…I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These – and not the sword – carried everything before them and overcame every obstacle. When I closed the second volume, I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.’ – Mohatma Gandhi in ‘Young India 1924’
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