"Life of Muhammad" (PDF)
Author: Muhammad Ibn Ishaq
Date: c. 704-767 CE
Location: Arabia
Course Unit: Extraordinary People
Context:
"The Life of Muhammad (Sirat an-Nabi), the most complete biography of Muhammad, was compiled by Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, the grandson of a freed slave, in the eigth century about one hundred years after the Prophet's death. This collection of stories and oral legends, poetry, and accounts of Muhammad's raids provides the life story of Muhammad only alluded to in the Qur'an, where he is the Messenger rather than the subject of the story. While The Life of Muhammad is comparable in some respects to the Gospels of the New Testament, it differs in that it is understood by Muslims to be a secular work, not to be equated with the Qur'an. Its importance, however, should not be underestimated." ("Muhammad Ibn Ishaq" 1078)
"Muhammad Ibn Ishaq." Bedford Anthology of World Literature: Compact, Vol. 1, edited by Paul Davis, et al, Bedford Saint Martin’s, 2009, pp. 1078-1081.
Topics/Questions to Consider While Reading:
Why is Muhammad an extraordinary person?
What does Muhammad accomplish?
What are Muhammad's values?