The Biography of the Prophet Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 151 AH/768 CE): Between Original and Abridged VersionsAnd its Influence on Shi'a Tradition

Abstract

The biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is one of the major turning points in Islamic heritage, as it addresses in detail the life and biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the events that accompanied it before and after his birth. A group of historians and writers throughout the ages have undertaken this work, the first of whom was Muhammad ibn Ishaq, whose biography became known as the Biography of Ibn Ishaq. However, this biography was lost and was only found through Ibn Hisham's Biography of the Prophet, who stated that the biography he recorded was Ibn Ishaq's, but it was not as Ibn Ishaq wrote it. Rather, he edited it and deleted some elements from it for various reasons, which Ibn Hisham mentioned and will discuss in their proper place. This biography thus differed from the original version intended by Ibn Ishaq.