A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE MAKKAN ASPECTS OF THE PROPHET’S BIOGRAPHY (IN THE LIGHT OF TARIKH IBN ASAKIR AND IBN KATHIR)

Abstract

After the compilation and documentation of the blessed life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, scholars from the Muslim Ummah, both before and after this task, have contributed to this noble endeavor through their efforts. Experts in various branches of Islamic sciences have documented the life of the Prophet ﷺ in their books. In this regard, one of the significant branches of Islamic sciences, Ilm al-Tarikh (the Science of History), has seen historians establish specific chapters and sections related to the life of the Prophet ﷺ. Each aspect of his life has been written about according to the research and capabilities of these scholars. Two prominent names in the field of Islamic history, Imam Ibn Asakir (Tārīkh Madīnah wa Dimashq) and Imam Ibn Kathīr (al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah), have written extensively about the life of the Prophet ﷺ in their respective works. However, the methodologies and styles of these two authors differ, as do the details and depth of their information. This study aims to present a comparative analysis of the Meccan period in the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ in the context of the works of Ibn Asakir and Ibn Kathīr.

Keywords: Compilation, Noble endeavor, Sciences, Styles, Comparative, Analysis, Context