al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya

al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya (The Muhammadan Message) is a work on the biography and universal message of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by the Indian Islamic scholar Sulaiman al-Nadwi (d. 1373 AH / 1953 CE) al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1. Originally delivered in Urdu under the title Khutbat-i Madras (The Madras Lectures), it presents a concise distillation of the classical literature on the Prophetic biography (sira) and the multi-volume Sirat al-Nabi that al-Nadwi completed following the death of his mentor Shibli Nu'mani Kitab Sirat al-Nabi+1.

Background and Composition

The book originated as a series of eight lectures delivered by Sulaiman al-Nadwi in the city of Madras (now Chennai, India) in 1344 AH (1925 CE), upon an invitation from the Islamic Educational Association (هيئة التعليم الإسلامي) to address Muslim youths and college students al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1. Following positive public reception and praise in contemporary periodicals, the Urdu lectures were published as a book and subsequently incorporated into educational curricula across several Indian provinces al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya.

To make the work available in the Arab world, the scholar and educator Muhammad Nazim al-Nadwi translated the text from Urdu into Arabic over several months in 1366 AH al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya. Although political upheavals in India initially prevented its publication, Sulaiman al-Nadwi authorized its printing in Egypt, penning a preface for the Arabic edition from Karachi on 20 Sha'ban 1371 AH (14 May 1952 CE) al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya.

Structure and Contents

The work is organized into eight thematic lectures focusing on foundational principles and distinct characteristics of the Prophetic biography and message:

1. The Biography of the Prophets as the Excellent Exemplar for Humanity (سيرة الأنبياء هي الأسوة الحسنة للبشر): Discusses the human condition, the wisdom behind sending prophets, and why moral reform depends upon living exemplars rather than abstract theories al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1.
2. The Muhammadan Sira as Universal and Eternal (السيرة المحمدية هي العامة الخالدة): Compares the historical preservation of the Prophet's life with earlier religious traditions (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity), highlighting the unique criteria of being historical, comprehensive, complete, and practical al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1.
3. The Muhammadan Sira from the Historical Perspective (السيرة المحمدية من الناحية التاريخية): Details the methodology of hadith transmission, the stages of its compilation, and the preservation of biographical reports of the Companions and early generations, while addressing Orientalist criticisms al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1.
4. The Muhammadan Sira in its Completeness and Comprehensiveness (السيرة المحمدية من ناحية كمالها وتمامها وإحاطتها بشؤون الحياة البشرية): Examines the meticulous recording of the Prophet's public and private life from birth to death, drawing upon classical works of shama'il and the analysis of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya.
5. The Comprehensive Dimension of the Muhammadan Sira (السيرة المحمدية من ناحيتها الجامعة): Highlights how the Prophet's life integrated the diverse virtues found individually among earlier prophets, serving as an all-encompassing model for every segment of society al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya.
6. The Practical Dimension of the Muhammadan Sira (الناحية العملية من السيرة المحمدية): Demonstrates that the Prophet ﷺ personally practiced every injunction he preached, producing a community that practically embodied these teachings al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1.
7. The Message of the Messenger of Islam to All Mankind (رسالة رسول الإسلام إلى جميع الأنام): Establishes the universality of the final revelation, contrasting Islamic legislation, moral values, and human dignity with previous scriptures al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1.
8. The Intellectual and Practical Reality of the Muhammadan Message (حقية الرسالة المحمدية وأياديها على البشرية): Discusses the Islamic correction of earlier theological corruptions—such as anthropomorphism and polytheism—and addresses social practices abolished by Islam, including infanticide, self-mortification, and caste discrimination al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya+1.

Reception and Translations

The book received wide acclaim among 20th-century Muslim scholars. Abu al-Hasan Ali al-Nadwi described it as one of the most compelling and eloquently expressed modern works on the Prophetic biography, praising it as an essence of an entire library on the sira and an effective presentation for both Muslim intellectuals and non-Muslim truth-seekers al-Risala al-Muhammadiyya. In addition to its Arabic translation, the work was also translated into English Kitab Sirat al-Nabi+1.