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- Student of Ibn Ishaq - Edited the biography of Muhammad written (or lectured) by Ibn Ishaq - Edited out many of the pro-shi’ite writings of Ibn Ishaq - (d. 151/768) |
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- He dictated to his students who actually phyisically wrote the biography of the Prophet - Incorporated the use of the isnad in varifiying the information related to him about the Prophet - (d. 151/768) |
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- Student of Ibn Isqaq - Known for quoting his sources verbatim and tracing the Isnad to the original source - Important biographer of the Prophet - (d. 256/923) |
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- Lit: Biography - Tech: Biography of the Prophet Muhammad - Sig: Documents the life of Muhammad. The most famous, reliable, and comprehensive of these Sira’s is the Sirat Rasul Allah as written by Ibn Ishaq and edited by his student Ibn Hisham. The Sira relies on the Hadith of the prophet and verifies the Hadith through the isnad or the chain of transmission. These early sources are the best information today’s scholars and Muslims have about Muhammad and his life and community. |
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- Historian who was interested in the military activities of the Prophet while in Medina - Most well known account is The Book of History and Campaigns - (d. 207/823) |
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- Chain of transmission. - This the list of people thorough which a teaching (such as a tradition) was passed down. - This can determine the reliability of a teaching. - Determines the value of the Hadith |
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- Book of History and Campaigns or Book of Raiding Campaigns - Compiled by al-Waqidi - Important as a source in studying the life of Muhammad |
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Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir |
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- Compiled by Ibn Sa’d a secrtary of al-Waquidi and a student of Ibn Ishaq - Translated as The Great Book on the Classes of Men - Concentrates on the companions of the Prophet, both male and female |
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- Lit: Companions - Tech: The companions of the Prophet. All the people who ever saw or met the Prophet - Sig: The Isnad of a Hadith is often seen as more reliable if it can be traced back to one of the Sahaba. |
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- Lit: Knowledge of the reasons - Tech: The knowledge of the occasions or circumstances of revelation - This is important in order to understand the sura and the revelations. Most surahs directly relate to the context in which they were revealed. For example some surahs are in direct response to attacks on Muhammad as a prophet or questions by the Jews and hypocrites. This can sometimes be helpful in establishing the chronology of the surahs and especially in deciphering whether a sura is of Meccan or Median origin. |
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- Quraysh of the Outskirts - The members of the Quraysh tribe who lived on the outskirts of Mecca - They were the family members of Qusayy who were not as closely related to him - They were thought to be inferior to the Quraysh al-Bitah |
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- Quraysh of the Hallow - The members of the Quraysh tribe who lived immediately around the Ka’ba - They were the more immediate family members of Qusayy - They were treated with more respect and had more prestige than their cousins on the outskirts Quraysh al-Zawahir |
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- Cousin of Khadija, Muhammad’s first wife, to whom she told the story her slave related to her about the angles shading Muhammad - He was a Christian and well versed in scripture - He told Khadija that Muhammad was a prophet, or words to that effect, and that she should believe in him |
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- Lit: True visions - Tech: The revelations that Muhammad had - Sig: Describes Muhammad’s revelations as distinct from dreams or any other form of vision. These visions were true and thus from God |
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- Lit: Suggestion, Prompting, or Inspiration coming from an outside source - Tech: revelation, could also be interpreted as abrupt revelation - Sig: The revelations of Muhammad did not come to Muhammad from Muhammad’s own mind. Rather they were sent from God as inspiration. This form of revelation is considered to be flawless and perfection sent directly from God |
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- Lit: the Night visit - Tech: the first part of the journey the prophet had to Jerusalem and then to heaven (isra' was the journey to Jerusalem) - Sig: It is debated as to whether the prophet made a physical or spiritual journey. It is related from the Prophet’s wife Aisha that the Prophets spirit traveled to Jerusalem. |
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- Lit: ascension - Tech: Muhammad trip up to heaven during the Night Journey - Sig: Islam was young and Muhammad and his followers were being harassed by the unbelievers. This was the second part of a comforting experience for Muhammad. In this leg of his journey he went up into heaven and met with the previous prophets and God. God told him how many times the Muslims should pray a day and Abraham kept telling him to get the number reduced until the number came to five and Muhammad refused to return to God and ask for less. It is debated as to whether this was a spiritual or physical journey. The Prophets wife Aisha relates that it was a spiritual journey. The first leg of the journey was to Jerusalem. |
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- Sometimes referred to as the first hijra (which literally means migration) - Many Muslims migrated to Abyssinia (in modern day Ethiopia) because of lack of protection in Mecca. The Prophet blessed this move. - The refugees were protected by the Christian King of Abyssinia Negus who refused to turn these people over to the Meccans who tried to bargain and bribe for their return. - This move also weakened the economy of Mecca |
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- These were the verses inspired by Satan - Implied that the three goddesses, al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat, could intercede on the part of humans with Allah, who was said to be the father of these three in the pagan tradition. - These verses had political implications because the Quraysh were willing to accept Muhammad if he conceded on this point - However this verse was removed because it was implanted by Satan. The Qur’an asks ‘you have sons while God has daughters’ or words to that effect |
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- Isaf and Na’ilah are two pagan idols which are located near the Ka’bah. It is said that they were two Jurhumites who had been turned to stone for fornicating in the Kab’ah - ‘Abu al-Muttalib was told to dig between these two idols in order to find ZamZam. Muttalib wished he had ten sons to protect him instead of just his one and he promised he would sacrifice one of them. When the sacrifice came against his favorite son, the father of Muhammad, he was given the chance to change the sacrifice to 100 camels. - Manat was one of the highest pagan deities; a goddess whose father was s said to be Allah. She is one of the three goddesses mentioned in the Satanic Verses (the others being al-Lat and al-Uzza) |
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- Son of Qusayy. He was the son who was pre-emanate over the others - His father gave his rights and powers (as Well as the House of Assembly) to his first born Abd ad-Dar - In the next generation the conflict rose between his descendants and those of Abd ad-Dar - His descendants rallied around his son, Hashim, and called themselves the Scented Ones while the supporters of Abd ad-Dar (who tended to be the Quraysh of the Outskirts) were called the Confederates - In a compromise the descendants of Abd Manaf had the rights of levying taxes and providing the pilgrims with food and drink while the descendants of Abd ad-Dar retained the keys to the Ka’bah, the House of the Assembly (in which arguments had to be resolved), along with other rights. |
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- The founder of Mecca, he brought tribe of Quraysh together in this area. He divided the tribe into two parts. His closer family members, known as the Quraysh al-Bitah and the Quraysh al-Zawahir which were Qusayy’s more extended family members. - Qusayy was treated as a king. After he died he appointed (look in lings again) over abd Manaf (?) to take care of the pilgrims. In later generations this issue became heated and the Quraysh split into the Scented Ones and the Confederates. In the end one took over the watering and feeding of the pilgrims and the other took over everything else (look in lings) - He is an ancestor of Muhammad |
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- Syrian monk who was the first to identify Muhammad as a prophet - He warned the prophets uncle to keep Muhammad safe - He was a Christian |
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- The Prophets wet nurse - The Prophet stayed with her and her family for a few years and during this time period they were graced with great prosperity - During the time Muhammad was with Halima he also had his belly cut open by the angles and was washed with snow and a black spot was removed from his heart |
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- The declaration (of approx 617 C.E.) of the Quraysh banning all marriages and trade with the B. Hashim and B. Muttalib - This was an attempt to force these tribes to give up their protection of Muhammad by weakening them commercially - Members of these tribes found refuge with Abu Talib and received some secret help - The boycott lasted 2-3 years, but was given up when it failed in its intended effect |
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- Site of two pledges giving allegiance to God and Muhammad - First al-‘Aqabah was given in the pledge of Women in which there was to be no fighting; The twelve helpers were present at this The Second al’Aqabah included the pledge of war because by this time Muhammad had been given permission to shed blood in the name of Islam. There were more people at this meeting including two women |
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- Lit: Migration - Tech: the Migration of the Muslims from Mecca to Medina - Sig: This is an important journey for the Muslim community, The Muslims had to leave Mecca because the pressure from the unbelievers was too intense for them to stay. Muhammad’s followers left Mecca (and became known as the emigrants) and the prophet followed after God had given him permission. The Muslim calendar begins in the year of the hijra, 622 C.E. The Covenant |
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- This is the agreement between the Muslims and the Jews, overseen by Muhammad - This agreement propelled the prophet into the position of the political leader of the community. The main doctrine in this agreement is ‘loyalty is a protection against treachery’ however the Jews did not abide by this covenant thereby rendering it void |
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- Lit: Miracle or inimitability - Tech: The language of the Qur’an is inimitable - Sig: The inimitability of the Qur’an, even by the best poets and speakers of the Arabs who prided themselves on their language skills, proves that divinity of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is Muhammad’s greatest miracle and is a divine and eternal miracle. |
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- Lit: Change, corruption, or alteration - Tech: The doctrine of belief in Islam in which Muslims believe that the Christians and Jews have corrupted the world of God in their own holy texts - Sig: Muslims believe that thought the Christians and Jews have altered their own texts (sometimes this is said to have been done deliberately) the Qur’an is protected by God form alteration of any sort. |
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- Lit: The Alliance of Excellence or the Alliance of the Virtuous - Tech: An alliance between Muhammad and some other Meccan’s to practice fair trade in Mecca Sig: Because the prophet was involved in this agreement, it forms the basis of Islamic ethics even though the agreement also included unbelievers |
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