Less than a year ago I enrolled in a few classes through an online Islamic academy known as SunniPath or Qibla: For the Islamic Sciences. Perhaps the class I enjoyed the most, called ‘The History of Prophethood,’ dealt with the seerah of the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wassalam.
Seerah is an Arabic term that can be translated to a person’s journey through life, or more straightforward, their biography. A person’s seerah is the story of the events surrounding his birth and death, the events of his life, and his manners and characteristics. The more specific term for the biography of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam is Sirat Rasul Allah or al-Sira al-Nabawiyya in Arabic.
Part of the class was writing weekly journal entries which were pertinent to that week’s lesson. One of the questions in the first journal entry was, ‘Why should we study the seerah of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam?’ This is an excellent question, the answers of which are both important and simply added bonuses.
So why should a Muslim study the seerah Rasul Allah?
The first reason is more of a general reason, not something specific to the seerah. Learning and seeking knowledge is an important part of any Muslim’s life. Instruction to seek knowledge appears in many hadiths of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam. The Blessed Prophet said, ‘Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim (male and female).’ Another hadith: ‘Seek knowledge even as far as China.’
There are also many verses in the Qur’an that speak to the importance of learning. For example, from Surah Ta-Ha, verse 114: ‘…and say: ‘O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge!’ He said about those who believed and acquired knowledge, ‘Allah will raise up to suitable ranks and degrees those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with all you do.’ (Qur’an 58:11) A third example: ‘It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah.’ (Qur’an 35:28)
After reading these hadiths and verses of the Qur’an, it is easy to see that learning is of great importance. This extends to all fields of Islam: fiqh, tafseer, tajweed, Arabic. OF course the seerah of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam is included.
The second reason is opposite the first as it is specific to the seerah. Muslims need to love the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam. Love of the Prophet is what differentiates the believers in the perfection of their iman (faith). The love of the Prophet is obligatory. In a famous hadith, Allah’s Apostle salallahu alayhi wassalam said, ‘None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves his children, his parents, and all people.’ There is another well-known hadith, narrated by Anas: The Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam said, ‘There are three qualities in which are found the sweetness of faith, which are 1) that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved than anything else…’
The above hadiths clearly underline the necessity of a Muslim loving the Blessed Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam. But how can someone love another if they know nothing about the person? Knowledge of a person comes before love. So, if a Muslim wants to love the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam as he/she need to, then he/she must learn about him and his life.
Third, while we are unfortunately unable to spend time with the Blessed Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam literally, we can spend time with him figuratively by studying his life, his teachings, his sayings, etc. Muslims model their lives after the sunnah of the Prophet. The Sahaba (companions of the Prophet) were blessed in that they had the chance to learn the sunnah, the correct way of life, directly from Prophet Muhammad. They followed the sunnah as it happened, following the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam in what he did. Today, Muslim must learn the sunnah by studying his life, his teachings, his sayings, etc. – in other words, by studying the seerah.
A fourth reason why a Muslim should study the seerah is the lessons one can learn from doing so. Indeed the life of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wassalam as well as the events that took part before his birth are full of lessons a Muslim could use to improve themselves in regards to the deen (religion, way of life) and his/her iman. Whenever one reads about the Prophet’s life, they learn a new lesson or come across something they can apply in his/her own life even if he/she has read the story several times before.
Lastly, though it is not nearly as beneficial or important a reason as the four reasons above, studying the seerah provides entertainment, but not just entertainment: entertainment that holds highly useful information. Certainly the story of Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wassalam is amazing and there’s something for everyone: tragedy, comedy, action and adventure, romance, and so much more. But it is not simply a story; knowledge of the seerah, as I have already pointed out, is very useful to Muslims. In this time of increasing sources of haram entertainment, the seerah holds a story that is both halaal and can be applied to the life.
These five reasons are only a few of the reasons why we should study the seerah. There are probably many more reasons why Muslims choose to learn about the life of the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wassalam. It may vary from person to person, but I believe these five are the most common or the main reasons why Muslims should study the seerah. And Allah knows best.
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