Introduction to The Seerah of Prophet
Muhammad: Makkan Period.
We call the “Biography of the Prophet (saw)” in
Arabic “Seerat Al-Nabee”.
 What does the word ‘Seerah” mean?
Linguistic definition: “a path”

Walking is called “sayr” –in Arabic when we say,
“Such and such is walking” we say “Sara
Fulaan”
So it is “a path that a person takes during his
lifetime.”
 According
to the Hans Wehr
Dictionary “Seerah” means (will
have on my blog):
“conduct, comportment, demeanor,
way of life, behavior, attitude,
position, reaction, way of acting
and biography.”

No! We can use it to mean the “biography” of
anyone—really the life of any person. However,
we have become so used to using it in reference
to the life of the Prophet (saw). So if you just say
“Seerah” to Muslims they understand that we
mean that of the Prophet (saw).
But we can say, “The Seerah of Abu Bakr” The
“Seerah of Umar” “The Seerah of so and so.”
It just means the “life of a person”—in which case,
we are studying the life of the greatest (saw)
First,
The life of Muhammad (saw) is the history of
Islam—the concise history of Islam)
His life contains:
1) incidents that will help us in everything that
we would need to know in our life of Dawah.
2) The history of our religion.

The son of Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas (Muhammad
ibn Abi Waqqas)—whose father Sa’ad ibn Abi
Waqqas was one of the ten who were given
glad tidings of Jannah] says, “ Our father
would teach us the battles [the seerah of the
prophet], and he would tell us these are the
traditions of your fathers so study them.”
They used to refer to the “Seerah” as
“Maghazee” which means “the battles.”
The latter part of the life of the Prophet (saw)
was spent in battle—which is the Madinah
Period.
So they used the word “Maghazee” to refer to
the whole life of the Prophet (saw).


Ali ibn Al Hussein ibn Abi Talib (the grandson
of Ali Ibn Abi Talib) said, “We were taught the
Seerah of the Prophet (saw) as we were taught
Qur’an.”
That was how important Seerah for them,
they would study it as they would Qur’an.
And that makes sense, because if we want to
study the life of Musa (as) where do we go?
Qur’an!!!!
Life of Essa (as) we do the same But to study
the life of Muhammad (saw) where do we go?
[there are bits and pieces mentioned in
Qur’an] but not much details as we do Musa
(as). So, we have to go to his Seerah.
Why do you think this is so?

To develop proper love for Rasool Allah (saw).
Loving Muhammad is Ibadah [worship]. It is
part of our faith.
He said, “One of you does not attain true faith
until I am more beloved to you than your
parents and your children and the whole
world.”

One day Umar came to the Prophet (saw) and
said, “O Messenger of Allah, I love you more
than I love anyone else except myself.”
Rasool Allah (saw) said, “Until you love me [you
don’t attain complete faith until you love me
more than you love anything, including
yourself.” So Umar (raa) went to think about
it, and then came back and said, “Now I love
you more than myself.” [Homework] Prophet’s
respond, “Now you have attained faith.”

Yes, the ummah does love Muhammad today,
but love cannot be deep and sincere unless
you know the person, if only shallow
information then you cannot really love the
person. This is especially true with
Muhammad (saw). The more you know him
and are impressed with his personality the
more you will love him.


Shallow information among the masses of the
people who love him, does not really
guarantee a deep love for him.
The more the companions knew him the
more they loved him take for example Amr
Ibn al A’as [he was one of the staunchest
enemies, top plotters against Islam] Amr ibn
Al Aa’as became Muslim and on his deathbed
his son says that he started to weep. His son
asked him why. He said,

“O my father did not Rasool Allah give you
glad tidings[it is reported that the Prophet
(saw) said, “Amr Ibn Al A’as has believed,”
and this means that he has attained faith, this
is a witness that he is a believer not just a
Muslim. A higher level] So his son was trying
to console him. How come you are crying
before your death.” Amr ibn Al Aa’as turned
around and said, “O my son I have gone
through
3hree stages in my life:
1) The most despised man to me was
Muhammad and my desire was to get a hold
of him and kill him. That was my wish. It was
my aspiration. If I died at that time I would
have surely been in hellfire.
2) Then Allah put the love of Islam in my heart.
And I went to the Muhammad and I said, “O
Muhammad I want to become Muslim. I want
to pledge allegiance to you. Extend your
hand.”
When the Prophet (saw) extended his hand I
pulled mine away. So the Prophet asked,
“What’s wrong?” I said, “I have a condition to
make.” “What condition?” “ I want you to
pardon me, give me clemency [he knew his
crimes in the past against Muslims was
enough for execution. He did not want the
Prophet to hold him accountable for them]
The Prophet (saw) , “O Amr don’t you know
that Islam erases everything before it. Hijra
erases
everything before it, and hajj erases everything
before it.”
He continues, “At that stage my worse enemy
became the most beloved person to me. I
loved him so much and respected him so
much that I could not get a full glimpse of his
face. Whenever I would see him I would look
down. And if you would ask me to describe
him to you today, I would not be able to. If I
had died at that stage I would have hoped to
go to Jannah.
3) And later on came things and we don’t know
where we stand [hadith is long and does not
concern us.] ‘
Suhail Ibn ‘Amr’s testimony of the love of the
companions for the Prophet (saw). Suhail ibn
‘Amr was an international negotiator [ he was
well connected] who had been in the courts of
the Roman, Persian emperor etc. His account
when he went to Al Madinah to negotiate with
the prophet when he reported to Quraysh:
When Suhail bin Amr went back to report to
Quraish, he told them “I visited the Roman
emperor, I visited the Persian emperor, I
visited Al Najashi (the Negus) of Abyssinia,
but I have never in my life seen a leader that
is so loved by his followers and so respected
by his followers then Muhammad SAW.”
He carries on:
“I saw amazing things; Muhammad SAW
would be making Wudu (ablution before
prayer) , and the Sahaba would be rushing to
grab the water dripping from his body.” He
said to them do whatever you want, these are
people who will never give up their leader,
they would sacrifice their lives first.
Study of Seerah NOT mandatory in our
schools—yet despite the fact he (saw) is still
the most beloved figure.
His name is the most common name—no other
person so loved to the extent that almost
every family has a Muhammad in their family.
Muhammad Al Asher, and Muhammad Aqbal,
Muhammad Suleiman, Muhammad Haroon . .
.
Around the clock, there will be a minaret
calling to prayer, and mentioning the name of
Muhammad (saw). Why?
Muslims are worldwide. So in every time zone,
you have Muslim calling out to prayer, every
minute of the day. It is part of Shahadha“Ashhadu An La Illah . . . .”
And in every prayer, and in every “reversion” to
Islam.
It means “praised one.” There is no one who is
praised as much and as frequently as
Muhammad (saw). His name really fulfills its
meaning—whenever we hear his name we
have to praise him as well.
What do we say?
“Say, if it be that your fathers, sons, brothers,
mates, or your kindred. The wealth that you
have gained, the commerce [business] that
you fear a decline in, or the dwellings in
which you delight are dearest to you than
Allah or his Messenger or striving in his
cause. Then wait until Allah brings about his
decision. And Allah guides not the
rebellious.” (9:24)

LOVE for Allah (SWT), His Messenger (saw)
and Islam be paramount to everything else.
This past halaqa Ka’ab Ibn Malek’s story!
To follow the way of the Prophet (saw)-- Ibn
Hazm says, “ Whoever seeks the preeminence
of the Hereafter, the wisdom of this life, the
just purpose, and the embodiment of
morality and character, let him follow
Muhammad the prophet of Allah.”
He is the best character—and by studying his
Seerah we will be better equipped to follow
his way. His Khuluq was that of the Qur’an.
Understanding Qur’an:
1) Some ayat are independent of
circumstances of their revelation—such as
Al Raqayeq, and Al Akhira.
2) But some are dependent on the event that
they were revealed—prior, concurrent, and
after.
 Seerah gives us explanation. Like Surat Al
Ahzab =battle of Al Ahzab, in Surat Al
Imran= major section based on dialog with
Christians of delegation from Najran.

The latter part of Al Imran, is the battle of
Uhud. The details of the battle are not
mentioned in the Qur’an, so we have to turn
to the Seerah.
The Seerah illustrates the methodological
steps of the Islamic Movt. The Dawah and
Establishment of Islam went thru stages:
1) Secret Dawah
2) Public Dawah
3) Jihad (struggles)
Muneer Ghadhban says, “We believe that this
methodological progression of the Prophet's
life is divinely directed. For Allah guided his
steps and it was not a result of reaction to
emerging circumstances.”

Not haphazard, but planned by Allah (SWT) so
they are a guidance for us in our attempts—
MANUAL-- for us to establish Islam again.
Rasheed Ridha “Were it not for the education
and training, verbal education would not
suffice. The Seerah taught them how to be
guided by the Qur’an and how to be just and
modest in all matters.”
Quran and Sunnah are verbal teaching, but how
do we apply these verbal teachings?
By looking at the application of Rasool Allah
(saw) and the companions. They took verbal
teachings and translated them into actions.
Only Ummah that has preserved this, other
religions have lost trace and sight of the
teachings of their Prophets.
But know how Quran and Sunnah were
practiced and applied.
e.g. It is related that 'Adi ibn Hatim said, "When
it was revealed, 'Eat and drink until you can
clearly discern the white thread from the
black thread', I got a black string and a white
string and put them under my pillow. I began
to look at them during the night, but it was
not clear to me. In the morning I went to the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, and mentioned that to him
and he said, 'That means the blackness of the
night and the whiteness of the day.'"
Rasool Allah (saw) taught the companions how
to interpret the ayah (not dependent on dark
room and string)—we are shown through the
Ahadeeth of the Prophet and the companions
how to implement the rulings in the Qur’an.
NEGLECT OF THE SUNNAH IS A HUGE
PROBLEM!!!
Studying seerah is Ibadah—
 Not to entertain ourselves,
 There is ajr, rewards in doing this.
 We are worshipping Allah (SWT) by coming
together to study the story of the Prophet
(saw).
 This is a halaqa, so a session of dhikr. Expect
it to be a gathering surrounded by angels,
that Allah (SWT) will shower us with his mercy
and tranquility and mention us in a gathering
better than it.
Allah says, “Say (O beloved Prophet, to
mankind): If you love Allah, then follow me;
Allah will love you and forgive you your sins,
and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (3:31)

Global culture forced down the throats of
everybody on the face of the earth—it is
protected and propagated.
Thomas Friedman a writer for the New York
Times said, “The hidden hand of the market,
cannot survive without a hidden fist.”
McDonald will not flourish without Donald
Douglas the designer of the F15.

We’re not dealing with a culture that is benign,
it is one that gives you no choice. It is a
Global Culture that is intolerant of anything
else!!!!
““To Destroy a People You Must First Sever
Their Roots.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn a wellknown and respected Russian dissident.
He wanted to warn people everywhere of the
dangers of powerful people in leadership
positions. It is a strong and sobering warning
that all free men should think about.
 SLOWLY BUT SURELY other cultures are being
wiped out slowly off of the face of the earth.
It is not here to co-exist, but to replace all
others.
The only ideology standing up to this global
culture is Islam. As Muslims living in the
West, we are suffering a serious identity
crisis.
We practice Islam, but the Islamic identity is
lost—the person would have more in common
with a Rock star of Soccer Player than he
would have with a companion of the Prophet.

How many know the names of all the Prophets?
Or the companions? Maybe do a survey
among youth! But ask them the names of
their favorite soccer team, pop band etc.
How can we counter that—develop an Islamic
identity is by:
1) Having a strong knowledge of Islamic
history—life of the Prophets;
life of the companions, general history after
that. (The study of OUR history is our lifeline,
our umbilical cord)
We are an extension and part of a glorious
Ummah. We do not want our roots severed,
but want them to run deep.
2) By being part of the worldwide Muslim
Ummah—our local identity should not over
ride our Muslim identity. So, American
Muslim etc., should over ride your Islamic
identity. Islam came to abolish idea of nation
state.
Our loyalty is to Allah (SWT), the Prophet (saw)
and the Ummah. We need to learn about what
goes on in the Ummah—think of events in
Palestine, Kashmir etc. as if happening in our
own homes.
To make our roots go deep-an important
ingredient is to learn the Seerah.


The life of Muhammad (saw) is a testimony
of his prophet hood. The greatest miracle of
the prophet is the Qur’an—and then the rest
of his miracles.
Just by studying his life, it evident he is a
prophet. 40 years= normal life—best part
was his character [normalcy; not influential in
society, no aspirations to become a leader,
did not have any political roles]
BOOM after 40= he brought in a change that
would change the world forever.
FULL OF IRONIES! OXYMORONS!!
He was illiterate, and presents the world with
the greatest book ever produced. When he
achieved in 23 years, attests to the fact that
he is a Prophet (saw).
The Seerah is testimony of his Prophet hood –
DALAYEL AL NUBUWAH— HE BECAME a
political, religious leader, law maker, imam,
teacher, head of a large household. Within 23
years—Impossible except with the help of
Allah.
We are studying the life of the greatest man
who ever set foot on the earth.
Whatever benchmark you want to use to prove
his greatness, he will always be the greatest.
Michael Hart says:
Analysis! His choosing of the Prophet as
indisputably the greatest man, compelled him
to respond to this readers would question,
even disagree. He is apologetic because he is
compelled by the facts. He feels he has no
hand in it.
As military leader= the best
 Religious leader=the best
 Political leader= the best
etc. etc.
He is AL MUSTAPHA--which means the
CHOSEN ONE!!! BY WHOM? ALLAH (SWT).

1)
2)
Seerah of Ibn Katheer (Katheer did not write
a book called Seerah, he wrote an
encyclopedia of history called the “The
Beginning and the End.” And it is literally
that! From creation- when people enter
paradise and hellfire. One of these volumes
is about the life of the Prophet. . .
The Sealed Nectar—which is the book
assigned for this class. Available online for
free. See blog.
Traditionally Seerah was a separate science
from hadith, even though they cross/overlap
in some areas.
Seerah had different set of rules than hadith—
scholars of hadith who were very stringent/
very strict in their rules. While the scholars of
seerah were more flexible. WHY?
1) When they were dealing with hadith and
drawing AHKAM—rulings-- they wanted to
know that they were basing their rulings on
hadith that were sound. They did not want to
have us worship Allah (SWT) based on weak
sources—hence very strict rules.
2) But with Seerah they were more flexible
because they saw it as history that does not
affect rulings—no rulings were based on it.
Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal said “When we talk
about history we are more flexible.” so you
would see that scholars of seerah would
accept narrations that they would normally
not in hadith.
That was on tract that the early scholars used
to take—so the Seerah of Ibn Ishaq for
instance was written according to these rules.
The Seerah of Al Maqrezee, Ibn Sa’ad all of
these scholars followed those flexible rules.
New Trend:
Recently there was a new trend among some of
our scholars wanted to apply the rules of
hadith on the seerah. Why?
Under Khilafa--ibn Hanbal etc. So Islam was
established. So when they studied the seerah,
they did it to derive general lessons from it. It
was not to guide them in a methodology and
movement.
But now we need to go through the Seerah and
learn from it on how to do Dawah and how to
establish Islam again. So it is becoming
similar to Fiqh, in how it applies to us and
that is why we should apply the same rules as
Hadith.
The Sahih Al Seerah Al Nabawiyah is based on
this rule. So what these scholars did, is that
they went into Bukhari Muslim, and Sunnan
Ibn Dawud and took the bits and pieces that
referred to Seerah and constructed a Seerah
based on hadith.
So instead of going to Ibn Ishaq, Al Maqreezee,
etc. they would go to books of Hadith—
Muslim, Bukhari etc.

Has written a book based on hadith. It’s
called Al Asaas Fee Al Sunnah and a few other
follow this line.
Why Ibn Katheer’s is interesting?
Ibn Katheer combined both in one book—so he
drew information from books of Seerah and
Hadith—so you find him narrating from Al
Bukhari and from ibn Ishaq and that is what
makes his Seerah unique. One drawback, is
that it is a little complicated to use. Because
he

mentions the chain of narration. At times does
not stick to chronological order, and
sometimes appears to bring information that
would seem contradicting. Nevertheless an
excellent source. It is present in English—the
full version and it’s a good translation.

Al Minhaaj al Harakee by Muneer AlGhadban—provides movement lessons from
Seerah. Divides seerah into secret stage,
public stage etc.
He tried to construct a curriculum that would
help those hoping to re-establish Islam. Just
recently written.



Fiqh Ulf Seerah by Muhammad Al Ghazali has
Tarbiyah lessons.
Muhammad Saeed al Bootee emphasizes on
Fiqh, and Fiqh lessons. Same title I believe.
Al Ghurabah by Salman al Awdha and it deals
with the hadith of “strangers.”
He tries to draw correlations between the
strangers at the time of the Prophet and the
strangers now.

Al Tareeq Ila Al Madinah by Muhammad Al
Abda. Also has lessons drawn from Seerah.

Salah Allah alayhe wa salam—may the
blessings of Allah be on him [we say this
whenever we mention the name of
Muhammad or say Prophet, Messenger, or
any of his names—what is the ruling on this?
Mandatory to say the first time, and any time
after that it becomes recommended. As long
as you are in the same gathering. So, say it
every time you hear his name.
Rasool Allah: means the Messenger of Allah.
 Jahiliyyah—ignorance of the pre-Islamic era.
It refers to a time/ era but also a concept. So
a time that resembles in concept that time is
also called jahiliyyah. Sayed Qutb uses this
term to talk about times in our current life
that are in concept like the time of ignorance.
Jahiliyyah comes form Jahl meaning
‘ignorance.’/ absence of the message. So
even if the message is there, but people

Are not following it. It is a jahiliyyah.
 Eman—faith
 Jannah—paradise
 Naar—hellfire

We will use hadith, and we will fill in the gaps
using Seerah.