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Biographers of Muhammad

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Wikis > Dictionary of Islam > Biographers of Muhammad
BINT MAKHAZ.بنت مخاض.
“The daughter of a pregnant.” A female camel passed one year; so called because the mother is again pregnant. This is the proper age for a camel given in zakat, or “alms,” for camels from twenty-five in number up to thirty-five.

Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam

BIOGRAPHERS OF MUHAMMAD. Although the Qur’an may be said to be the keystone to the biography of Muhammad, yet it contains but comparatively few references to the personal history of the Prophet. The Traditions, or Ahadis, form the chief material for all biographical histories. [TRADITION.] The first who attempted to compile an account of Muhammad in the form of a history, was az-Zuhri, who died A.H. 124, and whose work no longer extant, is mentioned by Ibn Khallikan. The earliest biographical writers whose works are extant are Ibn Ishaq, A.H. 151; Al-Waqidi, A.H. 207; Ibn Hisham, A.H. 218; Al-Bukhari (history), A.H. 256; Al-Tabari, A.H.310. Amongst more recent biographies, the most noted are those bv Ibn ‘l-Asir, A.H. 630, and Ima’il Abu ‘l-fidi’, A.H. 732. Abu ‘l-fida’s work was translated into Latin by John Gagnier, Professor of Arabic at Oxford, A.D. 1723, and into English by the Rev. W. Murray, Episcopal clergymen at Duffus in Scotland, and published (without date) at Elgin. The first life of Muhammad published in English is that by Dean Prideaux, which first appeared in 1723, and afterwards passed through several editions. Dr. Sprenger commenced a life of Muhammad in English, and printed the first part at Allahabad, India, A.D. 185l; but it was never completed. The learned author afterwards published the whole of his work in German, at Berlin, 1869. The only complete life of Muhammad in English which has any pretension to originsal research, is the well-known Life of Mahomet, by Sir William Muir, LL.D. (First Edition, four vols., London, 1858-6l; Second Edition, one vol. London 1877).

Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam

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