Ghayat al-Sul fi Sirat al-Rasul
- Author died
- 920 AH
- Editions
- ‘Ālam al-Kutub
Ghayat al-Sul fi Sirat al-Rasul (The Ultimate Objective Concerning the Biography of the Messenger) is a concise treatise on the prophetic biography by the Hanafi historian and jurist Abd al-Basit al-Malti (844–920 AH / 1440–1514 CE) .
Composition and Purpose
Abd al-Basit al-Malti arranged the work as an abridged overview (risālah) of the life and milestones of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . In his preface, he notes that he compiled the book in a condensed manner to serve as an accessible and enjoyable summary for readers of understanding and discernment .
Contents and Structure
The book is structured into thematic chapters (fuṣūl) tracing the narrative of the Prophet's life :
- Lineage: Details the Prophet's agreed-upon ancestral line up to Adnan, followed by the debated ancestral lineage connecting Adnan to Adam .
- Relatives: Enumerates the Prophet's nine paternal uncles—including Abu Talib, Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib—as well as his six paternal aunts .
- Early Life in Mecca: Discusses his birth in Mecca in the Year of the Elephant, citing both traditional reports and astronomical calculations regarding the date; the deaths of his father and mother; his nursing by Halimah al-Sa'diyyah; and his guardianship by his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib and uncle Abu Talib .
- Adulthood and Prophethood: Covers his commercial journeys to Syria, his marriage to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, his role in rebuilding the Kaaba, the initial revelation in the cave of Hira, the earliest converts to Islam, the Migration to Abyssinia, and the Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isra wa-l-Mi'raj) .
- Migration to Medina: Recounts the pledges of the Ansar, his Hijrah from Mecca accompanied by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, his arrival in Quba and entry into Medina, the construction of the Prophet's Mosque, and the redirection of the prayer direction (Qiblah) toward the Kaaba .
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscripts of the text are preserved in multiple collections, including the Ayasofya collection (MS 4793, dating to the 10th century AH) and the Topkapi Palace Museum Library (MS A. 2803 / 6038) in Istanbul, as well as the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna (MS 15/978) .
The work was edited by Ali Ala al-Din al-Alusi and published in Istanbul by the Matba'a-i Amire in 1328 AH / 1910 CE (117 pages) . A later edition prepared by Muhammad Kamal al-Din Izz al-Din Ali was published in Beirut by Alam al-Kutub in 1988 .
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