البدایہ والنہایہ کا ایک مطالعہ مصدر سیرت کی حیثیت سے

Abstract

Hafiz Ibn-e-Kaseer’s ‘Al-Bidaya Wan-Nehaya’ maintains a remarkable position in the field of historiography. In this valuable book, he has described the occurrences of the important nations of the past and the epochs of the previous Prophets up to his own era. Although ‘Al-Bidaya Wan-Nehaya’ is basically a book of ‘History’, yet the worthy author has referred to numerous salient events pertaining to the life and mission of the holy Prophet (SAW). A considerable portion of the book, about two thousand pages, relates to the biograph of the Holy Prophet (SAW).

Hafiz Ibn-e-Kaseer’s mode of ‘Seerah-writing’ differs from all other biographers in certain aspects. There are some distinctive marks which distinguish  his biography from others. The following Article is an analytic account of the characteristic features and merits as well as deficiencies and shortcomings of ‘Al-Bidaya wan-Nehaya’ with special reference to the science ‘Seerat-Writing’ and it aims at determining its credibility as a source of Prophetic Biography