The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
Below, we have many book The Expeditions: An Early Biography Of Muhammad (Library Of Arabic Literature), By Mamar Ibn Rashid and collections to check out. We likewise offer variant kinds as well as type of guides to browse. The enjoyable publication, fiction, history, novel, scientific research, and also other kinds of publications are available right here. As this The Expeditions: An Early Biography Of Muhammad (Library Of Arabic Literature), By Mamar Ibn Rashid, it turneds into one of the favored book The Expeditions: An Early Biography Of Muhammad (Library Of Arabic Literature), By Mamar Ibn Rashid collections that we have. This is why you remain in the appropriate site to see the impressive books to own.
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
Best Ebook The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
The Expeditions is one of the oldest biographies of the Prophet Muhammad to survive into the modern era. Its primary author, Ma'mar ibn Rashid (714-770 AD/96-153 AH), was a prominent scholar from Basra in southern Iraq who was revered for his learning in prophetic traditions, Islamic law, and the interpretation of the Qur'an. This fascinating foundational seminal work contains stories handed down by Ma'mar to his most prominent pupil, 'Abd al-Razzaq of Sanaa, relating Muhammad’s early life and prophetic career as well as the adventures and tribulations of his earliest followers during their conquest of the Near East.
Edited from a sole surviving manuscript, the Arabic text offers numerous improved readings over those of previous editions, including detailed notes on the text’s transmission and variants as found in later works. This new translation, which renders the original into readable, modern English for the first time, is accompanied by numerous annotations elucidating the cultural, religious and historical contexts of the events and individuals described within its pages.
The Expeditions represents an important testimony to the earliest Muslims’ memory of the lives of Muhammad and his companions, and is an indispensable text for gaining insight into the historical biography of both the Prophet and the rise of the Islamic empire.
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid - Amazon Sales Rank: #940346 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-15
- Released on: 2015-10-15
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 7.99" h x .73" w x 5.00" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 320 pages
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid Review "Sean W. Anthony has undertaken a bold endeavor attempting to translate such a difficult early text, and he is to be commended for having provided an accessible, useful and legible piece of work."-Speculum
About the Author
Mamar ibn Rashid (96-153 H/714-770 AD) was originally a Persian slave from Basra who traveled extensively trading wares for the Azd tribe. Thanks to his nomadic profession and his dealings with the court of the Umayyad caliphs, he became acquainted with—and ultimately the pupil of—one of the greatest Muslim scholars of his generation, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (d. 124 H/742 AD).
Sean W. Anthony is Assistant Professor of History at University of Oregon. His books include The Caliph and the Heretic: Ibn Saba and the Origins of Shiism and Crucifixion and the Spectacle of Death: Umayyad Crucifixion in its Late Antique Context. His research and publications focus on the emergence of Islam and the origins of its sacred and sectarian traditions.
Where to Download The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. A Landmark Historical Text By Mr. Tahir Hussain The historicity of this work and its importance as an early source of information and making it available in the English language for the first time is a landmark. I can’t fault it in that sense. However as a biography, and this is of no blame on the translator and publishers, it unfortunately falls short of what you would expect from a traditional biography.The book is accredited to Ma‘mar ibn Rāshid (d. 153/770) of Basra, a contemporary of Ibn Ishāq (d.151/768) the author of the famous al-Sīrah rasūl al-Nabawiyyah (The Prophetic Biography). The information gathered in this work by Ibn Rāshid is primarily from one of the greatest scholars of the tābi (contemporaries of the Companions) generation, Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī (d. 124/742) of Medina, who was one of the principal teachers of Mālik ibn Anas (d.179/795). The version that survives today is through the student of Ibn Rāshid, ‘Abd al-Razzāq ibn Hammām al-San’ānī (known for his hadith collection “The Musannaf of ‘Abd al-Razzāq”) of Sanaa (d.211/827) hence it is according to his redaction as found in his Musannaf as he recorded it and preserved it. The relevant section of his Musannaf survives only in a single partial manuscript which dates to 747/1347 and is currently held at the Suleymaniye Library in Istanbul, Turkey. However, the translator has taken in to account the different riwāyāt (transmissions) of the text (as he explains in the notes to the text) to bring this work to an English speaking/reading audience.The translator, Sean W. Anthony provides an introduction which explains the formation of the text and the personalities involved, it is a good overview. This includes a brief explanation of the format of this work. He covers the origin of the book and how it was composed through the maghāzī traditions, a subgenre of ḥadīth. It has been named “The Expeditions” which is the term given to the Arabic “maghāzī” but as the author points out; this does not do justice to the Arabic word in the fullest sense. The word doesn’t actually connote “biography” as we understand it but rather “a place where a raid/expedition (ghazwah) was made” hence the many narrations found in this work revolve around this aspect i.e. battles. The introduction is well written and informative and it was intriguing to learn that the son of ʻUthmān ibn ʻAffān (d. 35/655), Abān ibn ʻUthmān (d. 105/723) wrote a book containing the conduct (siyar) of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) and his expeditions. This work was allegedly burnt on orders of the caliph for praising the anṣār (Medinese Companions) too much and thus it was lost, if it indeed ever existed.As a biography it is missing certain events/information so viewing it as a biography where you would expect events beginning from the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) to everything in between and then his passing is not what you find here. This is not a traditional biography in the modern sense. The Expeditions is a collection of materials and though some major events are present, the omissions are noticeable and it is unknown whether they ever existed or if ‘Abd al-Razzāq al-San’ānī did not transmit them. This is made even more noticeable through the structure of the work. There is no concern for chronology hence you can open a random chapter and read it. It also contains material which is not connected to sirah but nonetheless is welcomed i.e. “The Construction of the Temple of Jerusalem” as well as incidents relating to the Companions i.e. “The Story of Abū Lu‘lu‘ah, ‘Umar’s Assassin”. In each narration you will find, unlike traditional biographical works, the isnād for the story i.e. the chain of narration. I personally preferred the inclusion of the isnād at it is very important in identifying the source of the information but some may find it a distraction.There are variations in the reports found in this work, for example it is narrated from al-Hasan al-Basrī (d. 110/728) and 'Abdullah Ibn Abbas (d. 68/687) that 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (d. 40/661) was the first to become Muslim while Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī narrates “We do not know of anyone who became Muslim before Zayd ibn Harithah” which is in contradiction to the well known reports that Abū Bakr as-Șiddīq (d. 13/634) was the first adult male to become Muslim. Then there is the report of how 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb (d. 23/644) came to Islam which comes through Ibn Shihāb but does not quite match the traditional reports. Al-Zuhrī reports that after 'Umar hit his sister he searched for the Scripture which he found on a shoulder blade bone and then he hit his sister again, this time with the shoulder blade. He then took the Scripture to be read out to him and thus Islam settled in his heart. This is in negation to the story that after he hit his sister, he felt guilt and asked for the Scripture to be presented to him, upon which his request was refused until he purified himself which he eventually did and then he read the verse of Ta-Ha himself and shuddered with fear of God as he felt as though the words were addressed to him and thus he came to Islam. My point is that if you’re unaware of the stronger narrations then you’ll come away with a skewed version though in its essence it is true but certain details are different to how they are reported by other narrators.There are stories with which many will have familiarity, for example, it is related on the authority of al-Zuhrī that when Abū Bakr designated 'Umar as his successor and the people were adamant that 'Umar would be harsh in his rule, they asked Abū Bakr how he would account for this decision to God and he replied, “...This is what I will say when I meet Him: ‘I designated the best of your people to rule over them!’”. Another example is when al-Zuhrī narrates from ‘Urwah ibn Zubayr (d. 94/713) who narrates from ‘Ā’ishah bint Abī Bakr (d. 57/678) that during the final illness of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) he addressed the people saying, “One of God’s servants has been given a choice between the life of this world and that of the Hereafter, and he has chosen to be with his Lord!.” Abū Bakr surmised that the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) was referring to himself and wept. “Be at ease” said the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) and later he would say, “Close the doors of the mosque that face the street except the door of Abū Bakr, may God have mercy on him, for in my view, I know of no other man among the Companions who has so greatly aided me as has Abū Bakr”. You may well recognise many other stories and even some narrations found in hadith collections like Sahih Bukhārī such as the story of Heraclius.However, not all of this work makes for comfortable reading. The prime example is the story of 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Muʿāwiyah ibn ʾAbī Sufyān (d. 60/680). You will not be accompanied by a background to this conflict and without historical context it is impossible to comprehend what led to and what preceded one of the darkest episodes in Islam. And even then it doesn’t paint a good picture of Muʿāwiyah but this surprisingly extends to al-Hasan ibn 'Alī (d. 50/670) too when it is claimed that he wished “to gain for himself whatever wealth he could procure from Muʿāwiyah and only then to join the community in solidarity and pledge his allegiance.” This is untrue as he was caliph for six months and gave up this position for the sake of unity and as his grandfather, the Messenger of God (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) prophesised, he would bring peace between two Muslim factions which he did by relinquishing his position as caliph. It was not motivated by wealth as he led an ascetic life; moreover, he had the keys to the wealth of the world at his disposable hence one ought to have a strong foundation prior to reading these narrations. There are many other odd stories which require clarification (for me personally from learned scholars), for example when Abū Bakr became caliph, it is said that Abū Sufyān ibn Harb (d. 32/652) came to 'Alī and said, “The lowliest of households of the Quraysh have seized power to rule over all of you. By God, I will fill the city with horses and men!” 'Alī replied, “I have said before that you remain an enemy to Islam and its people. This brings no harm to Islam and its people and, indeed, we regard Abū Bakr as worthy.” Did Abū Sufyān oppose the caliphate of Abū Bakr? Did 'Alī see Abū Sufyān as an enemy? I don’t believe so as it would have been found in many more books.This may (I’m not sure) boil down to the Shi'i inclinations of ‘Abd al-Razzāq al-San’ānī as far as the story of 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Muʿāwiyah ibn ʾAbī Sufyān is concerned. This usage of the term “Shi'i” should be viewed in its historical context and should be differentiated from the modern day understanding of the term Shi’a which is the equivalent to the term Rāfiḍah (those who reject) in the time of al-San’ānī who was not among the Rāfiḍah. He did not reject the caliphate of the first three caliphs (Abū Bakr as-Șiddīq, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattāb and ʻUthmān ibn ʻAffān) neither did he curse them or defile the Mother of the Believers as some Shi’a do today, rather the meaning of the term that he was a Shi'i is that he preferred 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib to ʻUthmān ibn ʻAffān (which some Companions and Successors did too) and/or that he was anti-Umayyad. There is a story in this work which supports my previous assertion as the narration states that ‘Umar, upon granting authority to the six members of the Shura, said, “If only they were to entrust the rule to little baldy (i.e. 'Alī), he could lead them along the True Path”. It should be noted that ‘Abd al-Razzāq himself had negative views of the Rāfiḍah and it is worth mentioning that Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī (d. 256/870) narrated from him in his Ṣaḥīḥ and said, “When ‘Abd al-Razzāq reports hadith, reading from what he has written, then what he reports is more authentic” as his memory is said to have become weak when he became old, that is not to take anything away from his scholarly credentials which are amid the top rank. It is also worth noting that among his teachers were Mālik ibn Anas, Abū Amr al-Awza‘i (d. 157/774) and Sufyān al-Thawrī (d. 161/778) and his most famous student was Ahmad ibn Hanbāl (d.241/855).Overall this is an excellent addition to your library and it is an important early work. It is enjoyable and though it contains some narrations at odds with Islamic theology (i.e. the narration that “his flesh decays like any other person’s” by al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib) and Islamic history (i.e. the narration that “he married women and divorced” by al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib), it is nonetheless a valuable source of information. I wouldn’t recommend this text until you have read other biographies of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) as this is of the maghāzī genre rather than a traditional biography. You should familiarise yourself with the well known narrations first and then read this as it isn’t an introductory work, added to the fact that it has some events missing (i.e. it jumps from the Hijrah to Medina to six years later to the treaty of al-Hudaybiyah). It also includes welcomed post-Prophetic events which again I would advise familiarising yourself with prior to reading this work. In general, this is an interesting and informative work. I finished it within a couple of days as it is a fascinating historical text. The translation includes the Arabic parallel to the English for those that are interested. Sean W. Anthony adds a timeline for the dates and events of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) given according to al-Zuhrī’s calculations as well as a map of Arabia and the Near East in the 7th Century and one of Mecca and Medina during the time of the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam). The book doesn’t have footnotes in the actual body of the translation but includes them as notes at the end of the work which some may find helpful in explaining some matters which the actual work stays silent on. It includes a “Glossary of Names, Places and Terms” as well as a “Genealogical Table of the Quraysh of Mecca”. The translator has done an admirable job in translating this in to English and it is worth purchasing if you have any interest in the early history of Islam.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great translation By pakbr Great for students of Arabic as it provides the English translation along the Arabic text and for anyone who can't understand Arabic but wants access to this old Arabic text. Customer service from Library of Arabic Literature is great, emailed the managing editor a question and got a response the same day.
See all 2 customer reviews...
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid PDF
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid iBooks
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid ePub
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid rtf
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid AZW
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid Kindle
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad (Library of Arabic Literature), by Mamar Ibn Rashid
