Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya fi al-Qarn al-Thani lil-Hijra

Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya fi al-Qarn al-Thani lil-Hijra: Musannafatuhum wa-Manahijuhum (The Figures of Prophetic Biography in the Second Century AH: Their Compilations and Methodologies) is a scholarly treatise by the Moroccan scholar Faruq Hammadah examining the pioneers, written compilations, and historiographical methods of prophetic biography (al-Sira al-Nabawiyya) and military expeditions (maghazi) during the second century AH Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…+1.

Background and Context

The study was prepared for presentation at the Conference on the Sunna and the Sira held in Medina in Rabi' al-Awwal 1425 AH / May 2004 CE Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…. Hammadah situates the emergence of specialized Sira compilation as an evolution from earlier oral transmission and initial records preserved by the generation of the Successors (Tabi'un) at the end of the first century AH, such as Aban ibn Uthman, Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, Amir ibn Sharahil al-Sha'bi, and Wahb ibn Munabbih Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…+1. A critical turning point occurred under the Umayyad caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who ordered the formal recording of hadith and the dissemination of religious knowledge to prevent its disappearance, thereby encouraging public teaching circles devoted to the Sira and spurring its development throughout the second century AH Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…+1.

Structure and Generational Stages

The book traces the historiography of the Sira across the second century AH through four distinct developmental stages (adwar), classifying its authors into successive generational groups Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…+1:

• The First Stage (Founders): Beginning in the early decades of the second century AH, this stage produced more mature written records distinguishing Sira material from general hadith traditions Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…. Its prominent figures include Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatada (d. 120 AH), Shurahbil ibn Sa'd (d. 123 AH), Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (d. 124 AH), Yazid ibn Ruman (d. 130 AH), and Abd Allah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm (d. 135 AH) Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…+1.
• The Second Stage (Builders and Compilers): Figures of this period transmitted material from the earlier generation, broadened narrations, and established structured compilations Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…. Key scholars include Musa ibn Uqba (d. 141 AH), Sulayman al-Taymi (d. 143 AH), Ibn Ishaq (d. 151 AH), and Ma'mar ibn Rashid (d. 153 AH) Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…+1.
• The Third Stage (The Complementary Generation): Authors expanded the scope of writing, diversified source materials, and filled thematic lacunae Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…. Foremost among them were Abu Ma'shar al-Sindi (d. 170 AH), Muhammad ibn Salih ibn Dinar (d. 168 AH), and Abd al-Malik ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm (d. 176 AH) Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya….
• The Fourth Stage (Exhaustive Documentation): Spanning the final decades of the second century and the onset of the third century AH, this stage integrated extensive narrations and aimed to leave no report unrecorded, reaching its apex with al-Waqidi (d. 207 AH) Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya….

Hammada concludes that the compilation and systematization of the Prophetic biography matured and reached full completion by the close of the second century AH, establishing foundational works that remained the standard points of reference for subsequent generations Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya….

Method and Approach

The author adopts a critical approach grounded in primary sources and the technical methodology of hadith scholars (muhaddithun), emphasizing the evaluation of chains of transmission (isnad) and biographical evaluations (rijal) rather than relying purely on secular historical frameworks Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya…. For analyzing the various textual narrations, Hammadah also references his earlier work, Masadir al-Sira al-Nabawiyya wa-Taqwimuha (Sources of the Prophetic Biography and Their Evaluation) Aalam al-Sira al-Nabawiya….