The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya (Great Books of Islamic Civilization Series)

Compiled in the fourteenth century AD by a prominent Syrian scholar, al-Sira al-Nabawiyya by Ibn Kathir is a full examination, in chronological order, of the background, life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad. Drawn from the earliest and most reliable Arabic sources, it offers, in this English translation, the fullest available account of the historical circumstances and personalities most important in the founding of Islam.

Volume II of this four-volume set looks at the early years of the prophethooa and includes such episodes as the Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and the ascent to Heaven, the Prophet's marriages to Aisha and Sawda, and the emigration to Medina. It gives details of events in the two years following the emigration, including the building of the Holy Mosque and various military expeditions, and reveals how Islam, as a faith, developed.