The Expeditions is one of the
oldest biographies of the Prophet Muhammad to survive into the modern era. Its
primary author, Ma?mar ibn Rashid (714-770 AD/96-153 AH), was a prominent
scholar from Basra in southern Iraq who was revered for his learning in
prophetic traditions, Islamic law, and the interpretation of the Qur?an. This
fascinating foundational seminal work contains stories handed down by Ma?mar to
his most prominent pupil, ?Abd al-Razzaq of San?a?, relating Muhammad's early
life and prophetic career as well as the adventures and tribulations of his
earliest followers during their conquest of the Near East.
Edited
from a sole surviving manuscript, the Arabic text offers numerous improved
readings over those of previous editions, including detailed notes on the
text's transmission and variants as found in later works. This new translation,
which renders the original into readable, modern English for the first time, is
accompanied by numerous annotations elucidating the cultural, religious and
historical contexts of the events and individuals described within its pages.
The
Expeditions represents
an important testimony to the earliest Muslims' memory of the lives of Muhammad
and his companions, and is an indispensable text for gaining insight into the
historical biography of both the Prophet and the rise of the Islamic empire.
