The Qur’an, which should be the primary source about the life of Mohammed (Muhammad), does not provide any detail about him, as opposed to the Torah or the Gospels which contain narratives about Moses or Jesus. In the Qur’an, biographical and narrative elements are uncommon. Muslims conceive it as a divine revelation. Nevertheless there are some stories about the life of Mohammed and his great importance (Quran: 2,151; 2,213; 4,15-19; 13,38 etc…). The biography of Mohammed can be retraced through other sources, the Sunna and the Hadith, that hold memories of the prophet. There are also ancient biographies edited after his death. In particular, Ibn Ishaq (704-768) collected oral traditions on the life of the prophet Mohammed known as The life of Muhammad; his work had been edited by Ibn Hisam (833 AD) and al’Tabari (839- 923 AD). Starting from these sources it is possible to trace a good historical background of Mohammed’s life.
Translated by Roberta Ridolfi