Wasilat al-Islam bil-Nabi
- Author died
- 810 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Gharb al-Islami
Wasilat al-Islam bil-Nabi (Wasilat al-Islam bil-Nabi ʿAlayhi al-Salat wa-l-Salam, "The Means of Islam Through the Prophet") is a concise compendium on the prophetic biography (sira) by the Maghrebi scholar and judge Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Hasan al-Qasantini, better known as Ibn Qunfudh (d. 810 AH / 1407 CE).
Composition and Purpose
Ibn Qunfudh arranged the book in 807 AH (1404–1405 CE) in Constantine. He composed it as an abridged guide after noting that existing works on the sira had grown extensive and voluminous, prompting requests for a concise summary that could serve as an accessible introduction to the Prophet's life. He chose the title seeking spiritual benefit and blessing through the reading and study of prophetic hadith and biographical reports.
Structure and Contents
The author structured the work into five thematic chapters (abwab):
- Chapter One: On the Prophet's lineage, names, date of birth, and those who fostered and cared for him in infancy.
- Chapter Two: On his wives, children, kin, freedmen, servants, and close associates.
- Chapter Three: On his prophetic mission (mabʿath), military dispatches (buʿuth), major campaigns (ghazawat), and death.
- Chapter Four: On selected accounts of his miracles.
- Chapter Five: On his noble personal states, qualities, and virtues, and the merit of his household.
Reception
The book was recognized among later biographical sources as a notable abridgment; the Moroccan traditionist Abd al-Hayy al-Kattani described it as being among the most distinguished compositions on the prophetic biography on account of its conciseness.
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