Importance of studying the Seerah

THE DEFINITION OF SEERAH

Linguistically it means a path a person takes during his life. It also means way of life, conduct, behavior
and biography. Seerah can be the biography of any person and not only that of Raslullah i. However,
we have used it so much in regards to Raslullah i that the term Seerah automatically refers to His
blessed biography in normal circumstances.

WHY DO WE STUDY THE SEERAH?

1. The life of Muhammad i is the history of Islam; we are studying a concise history of Islam by
studying the Seerah. Muhammad Bin Sd Bin Abi Waqqs D said: Our father would teach us
the battles of the Prophet i and the Seerah and he would tell us that these are our traditions
and our culture, therefore study them properly. Ali Bin Husain Bin Ali Ibn Abi Taalib said: We
were taught the Seerah like the way we used to be taught the Quran.
2. It is to develop love for Raslullah I in our hearts. Loving him is part of our religion. It has been
narrated in a Hadith that: None of you will attain complete Imaan until he loves me (Raslullah
i) more than he loves his parents, his children and the whole world. Suhail Ibn Amr was sent
to the Raslullah i as an ambassador. He came back saying: I visited the Roman kings, Persian
emperors and the Negus, but I have never in my life seen a leader that is so beloved and
respected by his followers like Muhammad i. I saw unimaginable things, such as when
Raslullah would be making ablution the companions would rush to grab the water dripping
from his body.
3. To follow the way of Raslullah i. Ibn Hazm P said: Whoever seeks success in the
hereafter, the wisdom of this life, the embodiment of morality and perfect character, let him
follow Muhammad i.
4. Understanding the Holy Quran. The Seerah explains many verses of the Glorious Quran.
5. Ummul Mumineen Aisha d was asked about the character of Raslullah i, she answered
that the character of our beloved Rasl i is the Quran, which means that his blessed life was
completely in accordance to the teachings of the Quran Shareef.
6. It is an Ibdah. Allah Talas mercy descends upon such congregations wherein the Seerah is
studied.
7. Developing a Muslim identity and much needed Islamic-awareness. Global culture is being forced
on us. We have to protect and promote our Islamic culture. Alexander Szoltsen a known
historian, once said that to destroy a people you must first sever their roots. The way to
 counter this is by developing a pristine Islamic identity that conforms to the teachings of
Raslullah i.
8. The life of Muhammad is a testimony to his Prophethood. Through the Seerah we may learn how
Raslullah i became the beloved of Allah , how he became a political and spiritual leader,
military commander, teacher and how he impacted the lives of the Sahabah d, to such an
extent that Allah Taala declared that He is eternally pleased with them. All of that was achieved
in a short period of 23 years. This shows that we are studying the life of the greatest man to have
ever walked the surface of the earth.

An American historian, Michael H. Hart has termed Raslullah i as the most successful and influential
person in his book, The 100 of the most influential persons in history. He writes:

My choice of Muhammad i to lead the list of the worlds most influential personalities may surprise
some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely
successful on both the religious and secular levels.

Allmah Shibli Numni P has written in his magnum opus, Seeratun Nabi:

Verily, it is a matter of great honour for the Muslim Ummah, that every single action and word of
Raslullah i has been preserved. There is no other individual in history whose lifestyle has been
preserved and emulated to such an extent. The scholars of Islam have been so diligent and meticulous in
the science of Seeratun Nabawi that they have recorded the biographies of approximately 13,000
individuals who have narrated and witnessed the actions of Raslullah i . And this was done during that
era wherein the science of recording biographies was still at its onset.

The purpose of studying the Seerah is to acquaint ones self with the lifestyle of our beloved Nabi i and
to emulate the embodiment of piety, subservience and all the other sublime attributes which were found
in Immul Ambiy i . From this perspective, the scholars of Islam have termed the Seerah of our Nabi i
as the speaking Quran.

Once Sayyidatin Aishah i was questionned regarding the character of Raslullah i. She answered:

The character of Raslullah i was that of the Glorious Qurn

The above sentence of Ummul Mumineen, Sayyidatin Aishah i is a very comprehensive statement.
It denotes that the character and attributes which are encouraged by the Glorious Quran were found in
the life of Raslullah i.
The most outstanding aspect of our beloved Rasls i Seerah is that of practicality. The lifestyle and
teachings of Raslullah i is not limited to a selected class of individuals but rather, every single Ummati
can practice upon the teachings of Muhammad i.