Introduction to Islam

Fall, 2005

Writing assignment #1

Due Tuesday, September 13, 2005

The Life of the Prophet: History and Scripture

For this assignment, I would like you to consider the two selections handed out that have to do with the beginning of revelations to the prophet Muhammad.  The first selection is from al-Tabari, a 10th century Muslim scholar.  Al-Tabari not only wrote the greatest universal history composed in the middle Islamic centuries, he was also a legal expert and exegete.  The second selection is from Ibn Ishāq.  Ibn Ishāq, who died in the mid 8th century, also wrote numerous works, but is most famous for his work on the life of the prophet.  Ibn Ishāq’s Life of the Prophet  is the most widely used source for the biography of the prophet among Muslims and non-Muslims.  If you go to the “electronic reserves” link, you will find both texts, and also the Qur’anic texts that accompany them, under the rubric, “ Sira-The Commencement of the Prophet's Revelations.

Both of these selections are from historical texts, in the sense that both are concerned with certain events in the life of the Prophet.  Both of the selections have to do with the beginning of Muhammad’s calling as the prophet of God; both authors implicitly and explicitly accept that Muhammad was a prophet and that the religion revealed to him was of divine origin.

Assignment: In a 4-6 page, double-spaced paper please compare and contrast the two texts.  Ibn Ishāq presents one version of the beginning of revelation, whereas al-Tabari presents several.  Some of al-Tabari’s versions differ only in detail, but he gives two quite different accounts of which Qur’anic verse was first revealed.  Please take the time to understand this and then illustrate your understanding in your paper. 

Al-Tabari is considered by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars alike to be far more reliable as a historian than Ibn Ishāq, yet Ibn Ishāq's Life of the Prophet is the more widely read and used.  Why do you think that this is the case?  Put another way, what is the function of historical scholarship in transmitting religiously important knowledge?  What is the use of al-Tabari’s version of this important event?

Note:  These texts are both translations from Arabic, and so may translate the same Arabic word differently, notably with the Qur'anic verse Iqra' bismi rabbika…, translated in the Ibn Ishāq text as "recite," whereas in al-Tabari it is translated, "read."  The texts are the same in Arabic, so ignore that difference.

Additionally, both Arabic texts use the pious phrase, "peace be upon him," when mentioning the prophet, but this is not included in the translation of the selection from al-Tabari.

Finally, note that al-Tabari is not the author of the footnotes.  Those are written by the scholar who translated this section of al-Tabari’s enormous history. 

Grading will be based partially on writing style, so please be careful in your writing.

Check website for writing hints.