Compiled in the 14th century AD by a prominent Syrian scholar, the al - Sira al - Nabawiyya of Ibn Kathir is a full examination, in chronological order, of the background, life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Drawn from the earliest and most reliable Arabic sources, it offers, in this close English translation, the fullest available account of the historical circumstances and personalities most important in the founding of Islam. Ibn Kathir's work offers a fine example of Islamic scholarship; the qoutations and anecdotes that constitute its core are evaluated in terms of the trustworthiness of their sources. Variant wordings that are related through differeing lines of transmission are noted, and Ibn Kathir gives both his own assesments and those of the earliest Islamic authorities concerning the likely authenticity of these records. The comments and conversations, derived from ancient texts, that are qouted in this work constitute the basis of knowledge of Islam during the lifetime of its founder.