علامہ شبلی نعمانی رحمہ اللہ کا سیرت نگاری میں درایتی معیار( ایک تجزیاتی مطالعہ)

TRENDS OF ASCERTAINMENT IN SEERAH IN THE LIGHT OF “SEERAT-UN-NABI” WRITTEN BY ALLAMA SHIBLI NOMANI

Abstract

Muhammad Shibli Nomani (1857-1914) more popularly known as Allama Shibli Nomani, occupies a very important place in the history of Muslim community in modern India. His role in revitalizing and reviving the community is enormous. By his scholarly and intellectual attainments, he revived the memories of the great scholars of our past. He was an accomplished scholar of Islamic sciences and Arabic and Persian languages and literature. He was a prolific writer of Urdu both in prose and poetry. He was a prose writer of great excellence who remains unrivalled for the literary elegance and beauty of his writings. Shibli’s own writings set the pattern for the latter. His works included biographies of the caliphs Mamun and Umar, the jurist Imam Abu Hanifa, al-Ghazali, the poet Rumi, and the Prophet Muhammad, and two works on theology.

His historical writings especially “ Seerat_un_Nabiﷺ “ opened new vistas and touched unprecedented heights of scholarly depth, incisive interpretation, deep insight, penetrating criticism and refreshing approach. It earned for him prestige and honor that he thoroughly deserved. By his powerful writings he not only defended Islam against the ideological onslaught of the orientalists but eminently succeeded in creating a deep and abiding sense of pride, attachment and belonging with the past among the Indian Muslims.”Seerat_un_ Nabi” ﷺ introduced into Urdu the methods of Western historiography and biography. His style was clear and straightforward. He has made Seerat a new and separate subject in Islamic studies. Allama Shibli collected stupendous amount of research material on the subject but could write only first two volumes when death cut short a brilliant carrier. His able disciple Syed Sulaiman Nadvi completed the remaining five volumes. The work has been acknowledged as the most authentic and comprehensive account of the life and teachings of the Prophet of Islam. It contains a long scholarly introduction on the art of biography, describes the history of Arabia before the annunciation of Prophethood. It also contains description of events of Prophets life, the Prophet’s efforts in establishing and maintaining peace in the land, last pilgrimage, death; the Prophet’s nature, manners, virtues, his wives and progeny.

In this article Allama Shibli’s method to analyzing the Seerah riwayat  in the light of Quran, authentic Ahathith and the rationale has been described with examples.