Yesterday we explained what is the Seerah and the importance of it, today we will look at four facts about the Seerah.

1.      Every Muslim Is Encouraged To Study Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Muslims look to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as their role model, and they strive to emulate him and love him more than they love their own selves. One of the best ways to achieve this is to learn about him and his life. The study of the life of the Prophet ﷺ is known as seerah. This subject covers his day to day life, interactions with Companions RA and family, his role as a leader, as well as his characteristics and mannerisms. The more people learn about the life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the more they learn about his devotion to his Lord and his concern for all of humankind. This results in an appreciation and a love for the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, and hopefully, a motivation to follow his ways.

2. The Life of the Prophet ﷺ Does Not Begin With His Birth

When studying the life of the Prophet ﷺ, one cannot begin with the day he was born. Unlike other biographical works of famous figures in history, the study of the Prophet’s ﷺ life begins generations prior. Sometimes, the books on his life begin as far back as the time of the Prophet Ibrahim AS and his sons. Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came from the line of Prophet Ismaeel AS, the son of Ibrahim AS. Because of this, many sources begin with this time in history and the settling of Ismaeel AS and his mother in Makkah, even though they were alive many generations before Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This sets the scene of where he would come into existence much later and the pure ancestral line he came from.

3. What We Know Of The Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Comes From The Companions

The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved him deeply. It was a love that has been unmatched in the history of men. As a result, they paid close attention to each and every aspect of his illustrious life and his pure and amazing behaviours, and kept record of it. They then passed this knowledge on for the benefit of all Muslims who would come after them.

They closely followed in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, knowing that his way of life was accepted and beloved to Allah. Thanks to them, Muslims today have a guideline of how they should aspire to behave.

4. Knowledge Of The Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Can Provide Context For Quraan And Hadith

Many verses and narrations that come in the Holy Quraan and Hadith require a bit more context to fully understand the situation. Knowledge of the life of the Prophet ﷺ comes in quite handy at these moments. Take for example this verse: “Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has become displeased” (Q. 93:3). When read alone, there is no context at all to understand this verse.

But the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ paints the background scene during which this revelation came down. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had not received revelation for some time prior to this verse and was dealing with his enemies taunting him. The thought of his Lord becoming displeased with him had eventually settled into his head, and that is when Allah reassured him this was in no way the case.

From tomorrow in sha Allah, we will begin to take a look at the benefits of learning the Seerah.