Reflections on the Evolution of the Prophet’s Biographies in the East and West

Abstract

This chapter explores the concept of history of early Muslim historians and their attitude towards the Prophet’s biography (Sira). It discusses how evolving tastes and values affected their biographical writing. It also discusses when and why facts began to get blurred and invented incidents and miracles began to be ascribed to the Prophet, leading to the way in which the Prophet’s biography is dealt with in the twentieth century. The chapter further discusses how the Prophet’s biography was written in Europe during the Middle Ages and the influence that modern European trends of thought and contact with the West had on its writing. The chapter highlights Montgomery Watt’s Defence of Muhammad and critically engages with it. The chapter closes with Hussein Amin’s wish for a new, objective, unapologetic and truthful biography that is grounded in the Prophet’s own time and milieu, reflecting his contemporary ethical standards and values.