Narratives of the Prophet's Early Life in aī Al-Buārī: An Analytical Study of Qurānic References in Sīra Nabawiyya

Abstract

Research into early Muslim sources has demonstrated that some verses of the Qurān have been seen by Muslim scholars as containing direct references to the events of the Prophet's early life. Modern scholars, however, have questioned the appropriateness and authority of these Qurānic references as being accurate sources of information for the Prophet's biography. Since the adī are regarded as an authoritative exegetical tool for understanding the meaning of Qurānic verses, the adī and scholars' views on the scripture and its relationship to the narratives of sīra nabawiyya must be undertaken. The objectives of this present study are to explore the narratives of the Prophet's early life as found in aī al-Buārī and analyse al-Buārī's perspective on the role of adī as an exegetical tool for Qurānic references in sīra nabawiyya. The study is qualitative in nature, as it utilises both critical and analytical approaches for its methodology. The study suggests that al-Buārī employed innovative and novel approaches when presenting narratives of the Prophet's early life. At certain places in his al-aī, by adducing certain adī in detail, al-Buārī endeavours to convey one distinctive and irrevocable message to the reader.