Ibn Ishaq
- Born:
- Medina, c. 704
- Died:
- Baghdad, c. 767 or 768
- Nationality:
- Arab
- Profession(s):
- Historian, Hagiographer
Early Life and Education
- Born in Medina to a family with roots in the Islamic conquests.
- Grandfather, Yasir, was captured as a slave during the conquest of Iraq and later converted to Islam.
- Studied traditions (hadith) and early Islamic history under various scholars in Medina.
- Demonstrated a keen interest in collecting and compiling accounts related to the life of Muhammad.
Career and Major Achievements
- Became a renowned scholar of Islamic history and tradition.
- Served as a court historian for the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur in Baghdad.
- His most significant achievement was compiling a comprehensive account of the life of Muhammad, Sirat Rasul Allah (The Life of God's Messenger).
- Considered one of the earliest and most important biographers of Muhammad.
Notable Works
- Sirat Rasul Allah (The Life of God's Messenger): A detailed account of Muhammad's life, from his birth to his death, including his prophetic mission, battles, and teachings. The Sirat Rasul Allah forms the source material for many modern studies, including, for example, discussions around how to frame "early biography of muhammad book 2015" style publications.
Legacy and Impact
Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah remains a foundational text for understanding the life of Muhammad and the origins of Islam. Although the original text is largely lost, it survives in recensions by his students, notably Ibn Hisham and al-Bakka'i/Ibn Ishaq. His work has had a profound influence on Islamic historiography and continues to be studied and debated by scholars today.