Qurʾānic references to prophet Muḥammad's early life: an analysis of selected works of the Third/Ninth century

Azmi, Ahmad Sanusi Bin (2017). Qurʾānic references to prophet Muḥammad's early life: an analysis of selected works of the Third/Ninth century. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This study analyses Qurʾānic references purported to be allusions to the Prophet Muḥammad’s early life. Observations of the use of Qurʾānic references in the early sīra sources substantiate the fact that each of the authors of sīra employed greatly differing numbers of Qurʾānic references. In fact, the use of Qurʾānic references within the work of sīra is occasionally obscure or even, at times, inconsistent. Therefore, the present study seeks firstly to investigate the earliest Qurʾānic references to Muḥammad’s early life recorded in Muslim sources of the ninth century, and further, to explore the ninth century context and early Muslim hermeneutical responses to and understanding of Qurʾānic references to Muḥammad’s early life. Finally, the thesis will analyse for what specific reasons these references were developed, and their various socio-religious contexts. The study is qualitative in nature, and is one in which the researcher will employ both descriptive and source-critical approaches. Its analysis will seek to argue for and confirm the rarity of Qurʾānic references to the Prophet’s early life in the works of ninth century Islamic literature. The study in its findings will argue that the use of Qurʾānic references in constructing the Prophet’s biography is the result of several factors. These include the substantiation of miraculous elements in the narratives, the elucidation of lexical ambiguity in the texts and the ‘Qurʾānisation’ of stories and traditions about the Prophet’s life. It will recommend and extended other areas of future study and analysis of early Islamic literature, in order to explore more deeply the nature of the connection between the Qurʾān and the narratives of the Prophet’s life.

Type of Work:	Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)
Award Type:	Doctorates > Ph.D.
Supervisor(s):	Supervisor(s) Email ORCID Thomas, David UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
Licence:
College/Faculty:	Colleges (2008 onwards) > College of Arts & Law
School or Department:	School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion, Department of Theology and Religion
Funders:	Other
Other Funders:	Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc
URI:	http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/7376

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