Khatam al-Nabiyyin
- Author died
- 1394 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Fikr al-ʻArabī
Khatam al-Nabiyyin (The Seal of the Prophets) is a three-volume biography of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ authored by the Egyptian scholar Muhammad Abu Zahra (1316–1394 AH / 1898–1974 CE) .
Background and Structure
Abu Zahra divided the work into three volumes, prefacing the historical narrative with an extensive overview of the religious, intellectual, and philosophical conditions of the world prior to the advent of Islam . This preamble surveys Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Mazdakism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Greek and Roman paganism and philosophy, as well as the corruptions that affected Judaism and Christianity, before discussing the religious and tribal situation in pre-Islamic Arabia and the building of the Kaaba by Abraham and Ishmael .
The three main volumes cover the Prophet's life chronologically:
- Volume One: Covers the noble lineage of the Prophet ﷺ, his birth, upbringing, youth, and early portents (irhasat) of prophethood . It proceeds to the beginning of divine revelation (al-bi'tha), his early preaching in Mecca, the persecution endured by him and his companions at the hands of the Quraysh, his presentation of the message to visiting tribes, and his emigration (Hijra) to Medina .
- Volume Two: Details the establishment of the nascent Muslim community and state in Medina, the legislation of jihad, and the military campaigns against polytheism and internal opposition . It chronicles the major battles up to the conclusion of the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah (Sulh al-Hudaybiyyah), which halted Qurayshi hostilities and secured a phase of political and religious consolidation for the Muslims .
- Volume Three: Focuses on the post-Hudaybiyyah era, including confrontations with hostile Jewish strongholds, the dispatch of letters and envoys to regional rulers—such as the Byzantine Emperor, the Muqawqis of Egypt, and the Negus of Abyssinia—and the military expeditions to Mu'tah and Tabuk against Byzantine forces . It recounts the Conquest of Mecca (al-Fath al-A'zam), the submission of the Arabian tribes, the completion of Islamic legal ordinances, and concludes with the Prophet's final illness and death .
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