Sīrah Of The Prophet’s Early Life In Musnad of Aḥmad: An Analytical Study Of Qurʿānic References In Sīrah Nabawiyyah

Abstract

Reviews of early Muslim sources confirm that some verses of the Qur’ān have been perceived by Muslim scholars as direct references to the narratives of the Prophet’s early life. These selected verses are deemed to contain information about Muḥammad’s genealogy, birth, childhood and other aspects of his youth. Modern scholars have, however, argued about the appropriateness and authority of these Qur’ānic references as being the true bearers of information of the Prophet’s biography. Since the ḥadīth is regarded as an authoritative exegetical tool employed to explore more deeply the meaning of the Qur’ān, and one of which contains a vast source of information about the Prophet’s life, it is indispensable to analyse the works of ḥadīth and its scholars’ views on the narratives of sīra nabawiyya. This study aims to explore the narratives of the Prophet’s early life in Musnad of Aḥmad and analyse Aḥmad’s perspective regarding Quranic references to the Prophet’s early life. The study is qualitative in nature in which the researcher utilised both critical and analytical approached as its methodology. The study in its finding espouses that the rarity of Qur’ānic reference to Muḥammad’s early life in Musnad of Aḥmad, an enormous inventory of ḥadīth of the ninth century, indicates one scholar’s views about Muḥammad’s early life. It is obvious that Aḥmad make no connection between the Quran and the narratives of the Prophet’s early life, even though verses that are widely used by the author of sīra as an allusion to Muḥammad’s early life.

The Birth of Prophet Muḥammad in the Qur’ān: A Critical Analysis of al-Jāḥiẓ’s Thought in his Kitāb al-Ḥujja fī Tathbīt al-Nubuwwa

“…The use of Qur'ānic verses as reference to Muḥammad's early life is evident here, even though it is difficult to find clear connection between the Qur'ān and the narrative of Muhammad's early life in the works within this period (Azmi 2017a). When al-Jāḥiẓ employs the word irhāṣ, it is clearly an allusion to the Prophet's early life.…”

“…In exploring the meaning of the Qur'ān, ahl al-ḥadīth such as Ibn Ḥanbal and al-Bukhārī appear to employ the method of tafsīr bi al-ma'thūr (tradition-based exegesis) as an instrument of interpretation. Both scholars also demonstrate their Qur'ānic-based approach in discussions regarding doctrinal, legal and historical issues in their works (Azmi 2017d). On the other hand, al-Jāḥiẓ's method in analysing the subject might be the result of his particular mode of discourse, which was influenced by Mu'tazilite methods of reason and logic, in which such an argument is usually presented within a particular rational and logical framework rather than drawing solely on religious tradition.…”

“…Qur'ānic references cited by al-Jāḥiẓ in this work are infrequent. Indeed, there is an obvious differences between the method of ahl al-ḥadīth (Azmi 2017b) and the style of al-Jāḥiẓ who is also known as a Mu'tazilite scholar. In exploring the meaning of the Qur'ān, ahl al-ḥadīth such as Ibn Ḥanbal and al-Bukhārī appear to employ the method of tafsīr bi al-ma'thūr (tradition-based exegesis) as an instrument of interpretation.…”

“…Their centre of discussion in this chapter focuses mainly on linguistic points of view. A modern study has suggested that it is hard to find a solid connection between historical event of the Prophet's early life and the Qur'ān (Azmi 2016). It is surprising, however, that the connection between the sūrah and the event of the Prophet's birth is to be found in the work of al-Jāḥiẓ, the third/ninth century scholar.…”

“…The connection made by al-Jāḥiẓ between the sūrah and Muḥammad's prophethood is apparently an innovative enterprise. It became apparent in previous studies that it is hard to find any authors of tafsīr, ḥadīth, dalā'il and sīra of the ninth century that make any tangible connection between the sūrah with the emergence of Muḥammad's prophethood (Azmi 2016 Since al-Jāḥiẓ mentions that a discussion about the sūrah has already been delivered in detail by him in his Kitāb al-Ḥujja (al-Jāḥiẓ's specific work discussing on the proof of Muḥammad's prophethood), there exists the possibility that the connection was initiated due to the heated debate concerning the authenticity of Muḥammad's prophethood. According to Adang and Azmi, there are two arguments raised by the non-Muslims that question Muḥammad's prophethood.…”