al-Ihtimam bil-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah bil-Lughah al-Banghaliyah
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- King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran in Medina
al-Ihtimam bil-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah bil-Lughah al-Banghaliyah (Interest in the Prophetic Biography in the Bengali Language: Presentation and Analysis) is a bibliographical and critical study by Abu Bakr Muhammad Zakariya examining the history, development, and literature of the Prophetic biography (Sirah) written in or translated into Bengali .
Context and Composition
The work was prepared as a research contribution for the symposium "Care of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Sunnah and Prophetic Sirah," organized by the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex . In compiling his survey, the author drew upon earlier bibliographical treatises on Bengali Sirah literature, most notably the comprehensive bibliography Dirasat al-Sirah bi-al-Lughah al-Banghaliyah by Abu al-Qasim Bhuiyan .
Structure and Scope
The book consists of an introduction, a background prelude, six main chapters, and a conclusion :
- Prelude: Provides a historical overview of Bengal and the Bengali language, discussing the entry of Islam into the region, the Bengali-speaking community's connection to the Prophetic biography, and the traditional sources utilized in Sirah writing .
- Chapter One: Reviews early Bengali compositions addressing specific aspects and episodes of the Sirah .
- Chapter Two: Examines early comprehensive works on the life of the Prophet Muhammad written in Bengali prose, which began appearing during the nineteenth century .
- Chapter Three: Analyzes works composed on the Sirah in Bengali by non-Muslim writers .
- Chapter Four: Details original Bengali Sirah literature, categorizing them into full biographical accounts—numbering over two hundred titles—and specialized thematic studies, such as prophecies of the Prophet in earlier scriptures and children's literature .
- Chapter Five: Documents translations into Bengali, surveying ninety-seven translated works originating from Arabic, Urdu, Persian, and English .
- Chapter Six: Explores modern trends in Bengali Sirah studies, particularly the shift in the twenty-first century toward the jurisprudence of the Sirah (fiqh al-sirah), thematic extraction of moral lessons, and institutional contributions such as specialized journal issues .
- Conclusion: Summarizes the overall historical trajectory of Sirah literature in Bengali, tracking its evolution from traditional poetic narratives originating in the fifteenth century to modern analytical and critical scholarship .
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