Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources

Martin Lings (1909-2005) was a renowned British scholar who taught at several European universities and the University of Cairo. He was the keeper of Oriental manuscripts in the British Museum and the British Library and the author of numerous books on religion and spirituality, including The Book of Certainty, What is Sufism?, Ancient Beliefs and Modern Superstitions, and the internationally acclaimed Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources.

Lings' internationally acclaimed, comprehensive, and authoritative account of the life of the prophet incorporates important additions about the prophet's expanding influence and his spreading of the message of Islam into Syria and its neighboring states. It represents the final updates made to the text before the author's death in 2005.

A Note on the Pronunciation of Arabic NamesMap of Arabia Quraysh of the Hollow (genealogical tree)Key to References 1 The House of God 2 A Great Loss3 Quraysh of the Hollow4 The Recovery of a Loss 5 The Vow to Sacrifice a Son 6 The Need for a Prophet7 The Year of the Elephant8 The Desert9 Two Bereavements10 Bahīrà the Monk11 A Pact of Chivalry12 Questions of Marriage13 The Household14 The Rebuilding of the Ka‘bah 15 The First Revelations 16 Worship 17 “Warn Thy Family”18 Quraysh Take Action19 Aws and Khazraj 20 Abū Jahl and Hamzah 21 Quraysh Make Offers and Demands22 Leaders of Quraysh 23 Wonderment and Hope24 Family Divisions25 The Hour 26 Three Questions27 Abyssinia28 ‘Umar 29 The Ban and its Annulment30 Paradise and Eternity31 The Year of Sadness 32 “The Light of Thy Countenance” 33 After the Year of Sadness34 Yathrib Responsive35 Many Emigrations36 A Conspiracy 37 The Hijrah 38 The Entry into Medina 39 Harmony and Discord 40 The New Household 41 The Threshold of War 42 The March to Badr 43 The Battle of Badr 44 The Return of the Vanquished 45 The Captives46 Bani Qaynuqā‘47 Deaths and Marriages48 The People of the Bench 49 Desultory Warfare 50 Preparations for Battle51 The March to Uhud 52 The Battle of Uhud 53 Revenge 54 The Burial of the Martyrs 55 After Uhud 56 Victims of Revenge 57 Bani Nadīr 58 Peace and War59 The Trench 60 The Siege 61 Bani Qurayzah 62 After the Siege63 The Hypocrites64 The Necklace 65 The Lie 66 The Dilemma of Quraysh 67 “A Clear Victory” 68 After Hudaybiyah69 Khaybar 70 “Whom Lovest Thou Most?” 71 After Khaybar 72 The Lesser Pilgrimage and its Aftermath 73 Syria 74 A Breach of the Armistice 75 The Conquest of Mecca 76 The Battle of Hunayn and the Siege of Tā'if 77 Reconciliations 78 After the Victory79 Tabūk 80 After Tabūk 81 The Degrees82 The Future 83 The Farewell Pilgrimage 84 The Choice 85 The Succession and the BurialIndex