أصول تأليف السيرة النبوية في شبه القارة الهندية (دراسة تحليلية)

Principles of Writing the Prophetic Biography (Sirah) in the Indian Subcontinent

Abstract

The Prophetic biography (Sīrah) in its missionary dimension represents the primary source for understanding the message of Islam and the means of conveying it, as it is the practical application of the objectives and rulings of the Sharīʿah. Scholars of the Muslim Ummah, throughout the ages, have paid great attention to highlighting the missionary aspects of the life of the Prophet ﷺ. However, this aspect did not always receive sufficient independent treatment in the works of the traditionists, jurists, and historians; rather, it remained scattered throughout their writings without being allocated a dedicated chapter. With the developments of modern times and the growing intellectual and cultural challenges facing the Muslim Ummah, the need has become greater to re-examine the Prophetic biography through a missionary and analytical lens—deriving from it the methods and principles established by the Prophet ﷺ in his call to Allah—so that it may serve as a guiding light for Islamic movements and a source of inspiration for reformers and preachers in our contemporary reality.

Scholars of the Indian Subcontinent made a distinguished contribution in this field. They did not confine themselves to narrating the events of the Sīrah as mere historical accounts; rather, they endeavored to uncover its educational and missionary dimensions and to connect them with the condition and needs of the Muslim Ummah. Hence, this study, entitled “The Method of Indian Subcontinent Scholars in Writing the Missionary Prophetic Biography: An Analytical Study of Principles and Approaches”, aims to elucidate the nature of this methodology, its intellectual foundations, and its distinctive features.